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" . . . Europe's perennial unwillingness to spend more for defense has undermined its credibility with the United States and damaged NATO as a military alliance . . . "
"America's global responsibilities, matched with sizable and growing investments in high-technology warfare, from satellite communications to Predator drones, are leaving even NATO's most gung-ho European members farther behind. . . . European governments sense that they are increasingly becoming second- rank powers, unable to affect American foreign policy goals because they can bring too few military assets to the table."
" . . . warns the Europeans of a choice between "modernization or marginalization." . . . 'Without dramatic action to close the capabilities gap, we face the real prospect of a two-tiered alliance.' There is a risk . . . that the alliance 'is so unbalanced that we may no longer have the ability to fight together in the future.' . . . the gap between the Americans and the Europeans is reaching a critical point."
"Devastated by military conflict in the 20th century, Europe prefers to spend its money on social welfare at home and aid to poor countries abroad. The European Union provides 56 percent of the world's aid and 36 percent of the budget of the United Nations. Britain and France are serious military and nuclear powers, but the United States is about to move into warp speed. . . . bring the military budget to $379 billion. That figure exceeds the total military budgets of the world's next 14 biggest defense spenders put together. . . . there is an implicit division of labor within NATO — the Americans fight, and the Europeans clean up and keep the peace . . . "
" . . . the Europeans could restore and maintain political credibility only by living up to their promises of increased military strength. Now . . . the United States is the power that fights, the United Nations feeds and the European Union finances, while European soldiers . . . keep the peace. "
" . . . in the end, 'the European allies will do it — they know they have to do it.'" ... [more]
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