[atlanticus]

That is a lovely fantasy but the world is run by grownups. Intelligence like defense has been outsourced to the US and Europe shows no signs of resuming their own defense. I think you will be in for few disappointing decades, probably longer.

[diego_moita]

> Intelligence like defense has been outsourced to the US and Europe shows no signs of resuming their own defense.

Disclaimer: Brazilian here.

This is where you don't get it: there is a growing gap on what "defence" means to the US and the rest of the world. And this is precisely where the problems arise. Gradually the US will have to spend more and more to protect national interests that no one else cares about. Eventually the costs will outweigh the gains. This is part of the story of the British Empire fall.

G.W. Bush also thought that "America can go alone". Then he discovered that military power is too expensive to be the only way to implement hegemony. You also need the "soft power", the ability to persuade people without using guns. This is precisely where US power is eroding.

[jebblue]

If we didn't protect the border between North and South Korea with several tens of thousands of troops each year for the past 6 decades; there are many popular brands of electronics and cars that would probably not exist today.

[a_c_s]

Talking specifically about troops, I don't buy it - we have more troops than needed as a 'tripwire' to warn of an attack, but nowhere near enough to repel a full-on North Korean assault.

[bowlofpetunias]

Methinks Europe is realizing that a) most of that defense and intelligence is aimed at enemies created by the US in the first place, and b) outsourcing defense to a nation that massively violates the civil rights of European citizens is about as appropriate as outsourcing protection to the mafia.

[cobrausn]

Yeah, violating the civil rights of Europeans should be done by European governments only - they all have similar spying programs in place, and have had them for a while now.

They are probably pretty concerned about the appearance of being concerned, however.

[skj]

By definition, Europeans do not have civil rights in the United States.

[njharman]

Let' s agree to book mark this and come back in 10 years.