Taps For NATO
From an article on RealClear Wire via ZeroHedge:
“Meanwhile, the United States—still NATO’s military backbone—faces a fiscal cliff, a recruitment crisis, and an overstretched force posture. The era of limitless resources is over. American global primacy has ended. Multipolarity has arrived. The U.S. must now prioritize. And that means making hard choices about where its forces are truly needed—and where others must finally step up or face the consequences.“
I don’t know or necessarily agree that American global primacy has ended; weakened though … and it’s not that “multipolarity” has arrived, but that multipolarity has returned. Multipolarity had existed – was NATO’s purpose – throughout most of NATO’s existence. That multipolarity – and the need for NATO … at least US involvement … first ended with the collapse of the Soviet Union. Too many – most of the world – has lived off US largess (and American neocon dreams and wishes) since 1990.
35 years – an entire generation – is enough. The world has drained us dry – we let them for pie in the sky imaginations of global unity under a US flag – but it’s now past time to end the charade. Europe in particular does not need – nor any longer deserve – American “protection”.
Update April 16:
A prominent Turkish defense official has given a rare interview to a regional Middle East outlet wherein he describes NATO as a “zombie alliance” which has outlived its functionality and legitimacy as a real military alliance, something which is becoming increasingly evident at Trump threatens to walk the United States away from being its main funder and leader.
NATO is now a zombie alliance. It exists more as a myth than a functional military bloc. Its expansion has been reckless. Its operations – from the Balkans to Libya to Ukraine – have destabilized entire regions, and its credibility is collapsing.
The EU, meanwhile, is pushing a €800 billion (approximately $864 billion) military revamp under the name “ReArm Europe.” But this requires massive austerity at home. European governments are preparing their populations for war, not peace. They need enemies to justify the spending.
He then admits, “But without US leadership, NATO cannot survive as a coherent structure. Trump’s America will not fight for Estonia or send troops to Moldova. Europe will have to defend itself – and it is not ready.”
I toted an M16 with live ammo for hundreds of hours over a 37 month span in the effort to keep the hoonz at bay and I wish I had them 37 months back.
As a mere draftee S-4 clerk in an MP Bn HQ detachment in Germany, ’67-’69, I assembled for occasional alerts with my fellow unit members, but without having been issued our M-14s. During the Soviet incursion into Czechoslovakia in ’68 though, when we took up a position toward the border for about two weeks, we first had to go to the armory and receive a weapon. No live ammo though, only blanks.
I think we all knew we were under-equipped for any confrontation but for once, when we assembled, each man was on time and wearing his proper uniform and his game face. Even the habitual drunks and druggies. I had been on CQ that night, got the call from Brigade HQ, called them back for verification that it was real, not just a readiness test. Locked up the HQ, jumped in a jeep, sped to the barracks and woke up officers and sergeants first, then everyone.
You had a more difficult mission Ghost, but were more prepared than we were. At least if someone had shot at you, you could’ve returned fire. We didn’t even have bayonets for use as a last resort. We could’ve made noise, diversionary fire I guess. But fate was in a good mood for us because no cross-border confrontation did take place.
No such good fate was available for the Czechs though. They had been on the verge of voting themselves freedom from totalitarian control when Soviet tanks and other Warsaw Pact troops invaded them and crushed the “Prague Spring.” I didn’t know any of the political details until much later but the gut level lesson I learned at the time was: commies are dangerous.
Man, the Army is/was weird. They should have given you all M2 carbines instead of M-14s, with real ammo. Blanks, <snort>. I guess they were sending all the M-16’s to Vietnam. That’s what the M2 carbine was for, everyone who wasn’t a front-line infantry. And there were plenty of infantry who liked the M2 instead of the M1 Garand.
i guess the Army has these rules and behaviors based on known experience with passing out guns and ammo to young soldiers. If the enemy is not coming right at them, they’ll start goofing around when the sergeants and officers are somewhere else and somebody’s gonna get shot.
Walt, where were you stationed?
I was in Wildflecken from Jun 74 – Oct 77, about 5 miles from the east german border.
Funny, the Burgermeister of Wildflecken at one time was Walt Gutmann.
Take a look:
https://youtu.be/8vfCYs19tH4?t=45
Ghost,
I was at Kaiserslautern in southwest Germany, from about Dec 67 to Jun 69.
There was a large concentration of American troops there. There were also German troops and French troops in other parts of town. We’d see them on our way to our favorite gasthaus (the name of which I have forgotten). The French troops were apparently the most poorly paid. There was even a SMLM group there (Soviet Military Liaison Mission), We had instructions to report their location if we’d see them anywhere in their clearly marked vehicle. We used to yell out to them “Defect, defect!” with grins on our faces. They’d wave us off and yell something back, also with a smile.
The old stadthaus was built in the 1600s. My wife and I once drove through there in the 80s and they had a brand new multistory stadthaus built right next to the old one. They had preserved the old one, which was nice to see. So many picturesque place in Germany.
I would’ve liked to have met Walt Gutmann!
Our unit wasn’t a big one and whenever someone was about to rotate home he’d have to throw a short-timer’s party for all the rest of us. Much good German beer was consumed.
One of my sergeant’s, Sgt. Ehlebracht, told me that Elvis was in his unit. Maybe that was even true.
So many stories could be told of those days. I better quit here before I start to ramble.
Thanks for that youtube link.
I’ve been dragging my feet at getting back to this, but I can’t avoid it any longer.
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