You probably have heard of the European attempt to reacquire some relevance: the proposal to create a “European Union Army”. In part, this is, as an attempt by the Europeans to show that they matter, that they can do something by themselves, that they are not completely US lackeys. This might also be a reaction to the crazy statements of General Philip Breedlove, the Commander of the U.S. European Command and the Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) whose inflammatory comments even got him a full-length rebuttal in Der Spiegel (There are even rumors that the Europeans want Breedlove sacked). Whatever may be the case, the idea of some kind of European Army is hardly a new one – we already had the Franco-German Brigade and the Eurocorps. That is all very well, but only on paper. The reality is that nobody in Europe has any money to pay for the future EU army. But even worse is that even inside NATO the European contribution is almost negligible.
First, take a look at this graph showing the financial contribution made by each NATO member state in 2013:
Clearly, the US pays the lion share and, if we add it’s European poodle (the UK), the “Anglo share” becomes even bigger. But that is not the full story. Let’s take the next two (and pretty much only other) relevant countries, Germany and France. Not only is their financial contribution very small, their national armies are a total mess. Russia Insider has just posted an excellent survey of the condition of the German military, to which I would only add this article entitled “L’armée française n’a plus un rond et le moral à zéro” (The French military ain’t got a penny and its morale is down to zero) which comes to similar conclusions about the French military.
What about the rest of NATO you might ask?
They are even a more pathetic joke than France and Germany. The only real military left over is Turkey’s which will never agree to participate to such a force and which will probably not be invited anyway (there is a reason why the Europeans never let “then Muslims” inside the EU to begin with!). Then we are left with a few semi-decent air forces and navies, but with no real combined-arms capabilities. Finally, all of Europe has always depended on the USA for intelligence, in particular battlefield intelligence. So even these air forces and navies are, in reality, totally dependent on Uncle Sam.
Which leaves us with the Central European clowns like Poland or Lithuania. To see what they could realistically “contribute” you can just think of the Georgian military in 2008, which was fully trained and fully equipped by the very same folks who are now training and equipping the Central Europeans.
The reality is that nobody in Europe can afford anything besides hot air and that all the European militaries are good for is wholly unconvincing sabre-rattling as recently shown by Norway or NATO naval forces in the Black Sea (any vessel in the Black Sea is an easy target for the Russian military) And even though that will not frighten or “deter” a Russia which has no hostile intentions to begin with, it will contribute to the worsening of relations as shown by the recent Russian decision to dump all CFE activities.
This latest initiative, far from showing any kind of European awakening, is yet another proof of the utter lack of statesmanship on the part of the Eurocretins in power in Brussels and the EU capitals. A far more convincing display of power and dignity would be to dare to simply say “no” to something demanded by Uncle Sam.
But that, alas, ain’t gonna happen anytime soon.
The Saker
I loved this statement in the Der Spiegel rebuttal:
“False claims and exaggerated accounts, warned a top German official during a recent meeting on Ukraine, have put NATO — and by extension, the entire West — in danger of losing its credibility. ”
I think that train left the station some time ago.
Regarding “False claims and exaggerated accounts…”:
The incomparable WilliamBanzai7, who posts on ZeroHedge, covered this:
IMAGE: NATO Provable Facts Lab
@ John Tieber,
Q: WIlliamBanzai…
R: The signature on the pic says S. Hering.
What ‘banzai’ would that be;
a) A traditional Japanese exclamation meaning “ten thousand years”?
b) Banzai charge or banzai attack, a last, desperate military charge?
Cheers.
their main worry is loosing credibility?
what evil sociopaths are rulling the world.
The psychotic derangement of the liars of the Western SM now often reaches truly comic depths of idiocy. The BBC had one of its plum-voiced harridans announcing the other day that ‘lying had officially entered politics'(???!!!)because of…you guessed it!…evil Putin. That one could be a presstitute in the UK, or anywhere in the West, and not noticed any lying until now, is truly rib-tickling.
Looks like US/UK funds just about 3/4 of the USNATO budget! No wonder I have been calling it “USNATO”!
Unless the EU Army has Nuclear Weapons, it’s just a tea party with a bunch of overly-dressed soldiers in fancy uniforms. And we know what Chairman Mao said about tea parties! Or was it picnics?
One of the best kept secrets of Germany are its additional unofficial 35 Bn payments for US & UK forces and infrastructure in Germany. Considering these costs would double Germanys share (official German defence expenditures in 2014 were 32,4 Bn EUR)…
The German parasite is paying with money sucked out of the rest of Europe, that was forced to pile up yet more debt so that the bond-holding German banks wouldn’t go bankrupt.
Yes, the insane austerity policies imposed by the troika (EU commission, ECB, IMF) onto Greece, Cyprus, Portugal and Ireland were designed to rescue mainly German and French bond holding banks while more piles of debt were forced upon these countries. At the same time default risks associated with the bonds were transferred to the european tax payers.
The economic consequences of the insane austerity policies are dire: Depression, 50% youth unemployment, etc. in southern Europe.
All of that is starting to split the EU and makes Germany look like a parasite.
Cui bono? Definitely not the people in Europe…
We are dealing with psychopaths when contemplating the actions of the global elite. As well as insatiable greed, we also see boundless misanthropy and sadism in action. That the Greeks are suffering, as indeed are the lower classes in Germany itself, pleases them immensely, and their capacity for cruelty is, like their avarice, boundless.
Germany is not a parasite, it’s one of the greatest industrial nations on earth, for what it’s worth. German banks might be. Greece was let/forced into the euro by doctoring their numbers (probly by some 5th column finance experts). Besides, German media is occupied by CIA tools, and their country by US troops..
This is all about the 1 % NWO/angloUS-EU world empire/etc. against the peoples.
Perry, so the Germans are PAYING to be occupied by US troops? Incredible.
Yes, that’s the way it is. Germany is indeed a well disguised tributary vasall state. This is of course not dicussed in public…
In the early 1980s I was stationed in Germany and participated in many exercises with NATO forces. These were a complete joke in terms of demonstrating any battle-worthy force. The command and control issues arising from attempting to integrate such disparate forces were mind-boggling. Tactical level differences were enough to render any attempt at cohesion near impossible. I doubt anything has changed since that time.
Your comments ring true. Look at Afghan war and how NATO operates.
They only look good in coordinated air campaigns, which is not what will happen in a war with Russia. NATO will never have command of the air space. Ergo, a ground war with artillery from Russia that NATO forces have never tasted.
Never mind coordination. The death and destruction that will hit the Europeans and whatever advanced forces the US sends on the ground will cause the war to be as short as the 2008 Georgia War.
Plus it is the explicit and publicly expressed Russian Military Doctrine to use nuclear weapons (tactical nukes like those that were sent into Georgia in 2008) when Russian national security (real national security as opposed to the “Yankee national security state” which is a wholly different animal) is threatened like it was during the Georgian War of 2008.
I think it was covertly stated that if nato sent forces into Georgia then RF would have the option to use nukes. They were not to be used against Georgia. A big difference. The same blackmail was used by Israel to get US supplies after they bombed Syria and Egyptian air planes on the ground before starting their war. Remember Georgia actually thought nato would interweane and the US sure gave them the impression that RF would stand down no matter what because of it. The same trick the US used on many others who got slaughtered when the US was found to be standing nakid on the podium. All the lives lost because of exuberance and arrogance and throwing your weight around with no muscle but all fat.
Yeah, my kid-sister used to tell the same stories. She was patrolling the East-German border and at exercises doing forward air control in her then already 30 years old army helicopter (Alouette III). She said that army estimates for her survival in that heli were in the low minutes if they ever would get into a brawl with the Soviet Union.
She always LOL’led: “If the war starts I’ll do a one-eighty away from the front, as fast as this little piece of s**t will fly!”
So after all there are sensible soldiers in Europe!
I admire your way of thinking.
War is s**t be sure of that. No winners, only losers.
May peace prevail for all of us INCLUDING the Russian people and the European people.
Not sure why muslims is in quotation marks. The Turkish republic is conceived as a Muslim nation-state. They massacred and expelled all christians, Armenians, Greeks and Assyrians.
This contrasts with Russia’s “big genocide,” of the Circassians, which was founded not on religion but on the Circassians fierce refusal to submit to Russian expansion. Lots of brutal things were done, but the plan was to pay for them to immigrate to the Ottoman Empire and most of them died there or in boats on the way. Terribly tragic and certain Russians do deserve a lot of blame, but not the same in nature as the vicious Turkish drive for a religiously homogenous nation-state. Obviously other Russian muslims who submitted to the Tsar weren’t brutalized.
I think there’s a misspelling: it should probably read “them muslims” (remember, gramatically, it should read “those muslims”) in mockery of the stupid. ;)
You write ” the idea of some kind of European Army is hardly a new one” but you forget The Grande Armée and Polar Bear Expedition (also known as the Northern Russian Expedition, the American North Russia Expeditionary Force – ANREF and of course the Red Beard. Each one was a European Army, other then in 1922, and you know what happened to all of them.
EU army? Forget it.
Only on paper, or as a joke only.
Just realize that the Ukrainians are avoiding mobilization just not to fight for own oligarchs (they hardly realise the US ones pull the puppets, otherwise they wouldnt jumo on maydan, don´t they?).
I cannot imagine hungarian men offering their lives for some french politics ambitions, or Czechs defending Poland against Russia !!!
it would seem thar the beatles guy’s statement that…..
“what if a war was declared and nobody came?”
might just be coming partly true in Ukraine.
perhas in the aove comment it will be also?
oldnik007
Ahh-Red Beard. One of my favourite Kurosawa movies. Toshiro Mifune wonderful, as usual. Deeply humanistic, like Derzu Uzala, Ikiru etc.
It may well be that the current status of the german or frensh armies is not very well. However, for the germans one may say that they had no reason to be very wary as it didnt look like they would participate in any war for a long time (until recently Gauck has spoken out for a new role of germany in international conflicts). Usually germans participated in international conflicts in technical/ engeneering, etc. tasks, at least thats what I know of. So maybe in absence of a perceived threat many soldiers, especially those employed for limited time, may not be very serious about the martial part of their empoyment. The Bundeswehr is for many a good starting point for some other career, as they get a good education (you can learn almost any craft/ science plus get a good wage) and good chances in economy.
However, in case of war in europe which would pose a direct threat to Germany I would expect that they may overcome this lack of sincerity rather fast and may be expected to organize efficiently. Until recently there was a general military service, so a good proportion of the german male public has basic military training and may be easily actvated. I belive the current Bundeswehr may be rather unfit to be used as agressors (the german public wouldn’t support that anyway), but ther defensiv capabilities should maybe not be underestimated.
I am wondering what people think of this article by the Economic Undertow blogger, entitled, Dead Man on the Side of the Road.
I generally like the author, but whenever he addresses Russia, he likes to use it as an example of the process of peak oil collapse of industrial & debt-based civilization. Excerpt:
Again, I generally find his analyses useful and insightful, but for some reason he sees Russia as an example of his process, not as a bastion fighting against the debauchery of a debt-based system collapsing during peak oil. Interesting…
It’s still hooked to the dollar – so hit evaluation it within that paradigm.
But with China, that will CHANGE.
Won’t happen overnight, but the pace is increasing..
The reason, one of them at least, why Russia is the #1 oil producer and #? natural gas producer is because Peak Oil is about as real as the mythical hole in the ozone!
Abiotic Oil, mi amigo!
Oil wells that are 30,000 to 40,000+ feet beneath the surface where the abiotic oil is produced by the earth in everlasting supplies.
David, Thank you for reminding us this truth!
but, but, but?
did not dinosaurs with their mouth full of fern dug themselves deeply under the rocks and this is how the fossil fuels were made?
Maybe not abiotic, but CH4 from the formation of the earth. The treasure is light, sweet crude formed as CH4 seeps up fault lines of the tectonic plates. It is very expensive to bore 25,000 down, as BP discovered in the Macondo blowout. Russia has great reserves of cheap oil, which the thieves could not bank in London or New York. Russia regained control of its natural resources under Vladimir Putin… one reason for hatred of Russia by the Empire of Pillage.
And anthropogenic climate destabilisation, bob-what of that?
Abiotic (=non-biologic) oil production is BS. Show me where it is being produced, or give it up. There was a scamster who got a lot of financiers to back drilling for it in Sweden some decades ago (in Lake Siljan, I think). Found nothing. Still being revived every now and then by tecnorats&economists who believe in endless growth (or want to keep up the illusion..)
Jake, you may not know that the concept of our running out of oil– “peak oil”– is another hoax by the banksters. I don’t have the link handy, but Wm Engdahl has writeen several articles about this. I think one of them is entitled something like “Confessions of an ex-Peak Oil…”
He’s a specialist on oil and geopolitics.
Regards
Penelope, Thanks.
I have to admit, I have been very skeptical of the abiotic theory of oil, and the anti-peak-oil theorists. However, after having personally ascertained that the mainstream is lying about the dangers of commercially produced vaccines, JFK, RFK, MLK, 9/11, 7/7, etc. I cannot just discount such theories anymore. Lordy.
Anyway, the Economic Undertow guy is obviously smart. The debt bomb that goes off will be real. We shall see.
Thanks, everyone, for your comments.
JAKE, whether abiotic or not– there’s simply too many mega discoveries of gas & oil to admit of the possibility of running out for the rest of the century.
I tentatively agree. That would make the Peak Oil theory of why the world is devolving into chaos no longer tenable, and the theories put forth by the Saker, PCR, Syncretic Studies Institute, Glazyeve, etc. more rational.
I get it.
Unlike the necons, I can admit when I am wrong!
If you are right, however, that makes determining the truth or falsity or in-betweeness of AGW (global warming due to man’s CO2) even more important to ascertain, is if there is an endless supply of oil, and the mainstream AGW theory is right, we are cooked. Literally.
I myself have started to doubt the extent of the problem posed by AGW, by realizing that in geophysical history, volcanoes emitted vast amounts of greenhouse gases, without destroying life on earth. I suspect there are feedback loops and complexities that are not known. Or they are known, but AGW is (like everything else) being used to consolidate political and economic control by a powerful elite.
“I myself have started to doubt the extent of the problem posed by AGW, by realizing that in geophysical history, volcanoes emitted vast amounts of greenhouse gases, without destroying life on earth. ”
I wondered about this too.
Jake, at times when massive volcanic eruptions, like those associated with the Siberian and Deccan Traps, raised the levels of greenhouse gases (and not as rapidly as we are doing now) there were consequent Mass Extinction events. Life didn’t disappear, but huge proportions, up to 90% in the End Permian ‘Great Dying’, certainly did. A similar, indeed more rapid such event now, would certainly end human civilization.
Volcanoes kill beyond their surrounding area by ashfall, particulate inhalation and by LOWERING global temperatures with high altitude SO2. Basically massive volcanic action causes Volcanic Winter. CO2 etc can kill but usually only in the immediate area of the eruption(s)
If we keep burning fossil fuels, anthropogenic climate destabilisation will ensure that we do not reach 2050, let alone 2100.
It was Peak Cheap Oil, and it was in 2005, give or take. The extra barrels eked out at huge cost over recent years, are uneconomic under $100 a barrel or thereabouts, and the current low prices will devastate ‘tough oil’. And the ecological cost, of course, is literally infinite.
You wonder what people think?
So I read it and the comments.
It is all obviously bullshit; a recording of a stoners party.
The Western elite thuggocracy is, if you’ll pardon the expression, shitting itself. They know that their gigantically indebted, highly unequal, vulgar, crude, anomic ‘societies’ based on ruthless, rigged, competition and where empathy and compassion, even for fellow citizens, died long ago, are moribund. Hence the hysteria of the rising fever pitch of hatred for Russia and China, and the numerous genocidal aggressions being inflicted on the Islamic world. Nowadays, when listening to the BBC, or any Western MSM, the stench of sulphur reeks to Heaven. The combination of grotesque, undisguised, xenophobic arrogance and unbelievable self-delusion is the mark of an elite that can hear the tumbrils hurrying near.
Saker, please refrain from wasting our time with comments like this. After all what could be more important than Hillary Clintons emails? :)
Seriously, on this evenings news (somewhere in distant Scandinavia) about 8 minutes ( i counted) of the main evening news show (25 minutes normally) were a “live report” from Washington. With the correspondent passionately commenting on Hillary Clintons emails including here “defence speech”.
Alright, in this case havent even bothered to read anything else about HCs emails so it was news to me. Even though she might be the next president, this is not a Lewinsky type of “scandal”. In no way does this deserve such media attention. It could be just a sign of the beginning of a campaing, but somehow I got a feeling it is disinformation. A political way to drag attention away from other more important issues. There is something fishy here. It is a classical PR approach ( yes i went to PR/marketing school) to get some good PR by admitting a failure “Mea Culpa”, Oh no, I am sorry – to something unimportant. But is this something bigger than just a US-political stunt?
What i think I and probably many of your loyal readers would appreciate is your thoughts on:
What is the mood really in US now?
Not reffering to politics. But – what do Americans think about the world, Ukraine, etc etc.
I know US is a big country and the diffence between Florida, Oregon and New York are big but still, what are your thoughts?
You have said (once in your podcast) you dont watch TV or read the US MSM. Still, by living there surely you must speak to the occasional taxi driver, friend or neighbour.
It would be awsome with a “US-sitrep” from your perspective.
I am schocked at the fact that most americans i have spoken with for instance regurarely watch RT! I guess they are not representative since they travel a lot or live in Europe but still, very few of the Americans i know fit the “stupid american” cliche may of us have.
I also today watched an interview with a guy that wrote a book on the Vietnam war from the perspective of news, TV and cinema. From Apocalypse Now, Deer Hunter, Born on 4th of july to Platoon to Rambo… the angle on the way the war was covered in popular (Hollywood AZ culture) was different.
The official narrative is that once the public saw the horrors of the war including the once where the US was responcible (the classic picture of the naked girl burned by napalm) – the public support for the war ended. I dont know if it really is that way or not.
Question is what is it like now?
Do Americans buy in to Putin=Hitler story that i have seen in everything from Fox News to NYT?
Is only the 1st generation immigrants that are sceptical?
Are americans aware of what is going on?
Are they ready for a 3rd WW?
Just a request… i know its not minor. Maybe you could cover it in a podcast. If there are other readers that are interested in hearing about US-mood from Saker perspective, please echo.
Saker,
you know it – you have opened so many eyes and encouraged so much soul searching for so many people… thank you!
VN
The problem is not that the US public is ill informed but that anyone who is anyone has an agenda that matches what those at the top desires to hear. Look at all the analytic sites that has influence on foreign policy and they all have a single clear agenda made up to lies and skewed data. The MSM also follows the same script. So does the entire establishment of government alphabet agencies. Even the soldiers fall into the category of the supporters of the establishment since they would not be able to function knowing they are bombing women and kids for lies let alone men who have nothing to do with what they think they are. It is like anyone who matters are mind wiped by greed. It reinforces their conviction since if they follow the line they get promoted no matter how much they screw up. No one ever got punished for following the official line but you see them all get wacked if they go off the reservation.
Another thing with the US is, the government does not allow the masses to organize in cohesive fashion, union busting has been taken to the extreme that ordinary people organizing for like not wanting neutering inoculations for the children are considered terrorists. So even if many people know, there is nothing they can do without destroying their own lives. And without critical mass of people to take on the government, there is no effective protests and no way to show resistance.
mmiriww: Yeah, you’re right. The bad guys at the top have changed the incentives so that the way to survive, make money, keep your retirement benefits is to go along. I hear there are a lot of midlevel officers in the US army who are not at all happy w the tasks they’re given to do.
Obviously when the privates discover they’ve been lied to & are really wanted to kill other nations’ patriots many of them find their participation so dreadful that they suicide. US loses more to suicide than to combat.
In the US everyone has an opinion, if you get someone comfortable and they are willing to open up you find Americans will be all over the place. Most people I talk to have no clue about anything other then celebrity gossip and other nonsense. Some of the younger people have no clue, but think Putin for example is a badass (a favorable opinion in the context). Probably can only recall seeing something on the news and the news must used one of the pictures from Putin’s vacations.(you know shirtless holding a rifle = badass= cool guy) Most of the older folks still see Russia as the Soviet Union and that they are communists and they are the bad guys, so they could cure caner but will always be the enemy. A very few people do realize a lot of the messed up stuff the US does and they do not agree about it, but to a person none of them have any idea about what can be done. Even such a basic thing like calling a congressman to voice opposition to the latest US military adventure.
I don’t know about you, but I regard the German army being “a total mess” as one of the best things about this world we inhabit. No sane person with the scantest knowledge of history ever wants to see Germans on the march again. They are just too bloody GOOD at war. Think about it – 75 years ago they pretty well took on the entire world, and came close to winning. If it hadn’t been for the USSR, they would have shredded the British and Americans – although, if the USSR hadn’t already taken the brunt, the USA would never have come into the war at all.
The reason they came into the war is same as when they entered Spanish American war.Cuba was winning and they were on the way of achieving full independence from Spain.
Russia was winning and would have beat Germans on their own.You figure rest.
Imho, the reason the US entered WW2 when it did was that Roosevelt lied the nation into war at Pearl Harbor. The US public wanted no part of a European war, but the powers that be in the US did.
While the US was an economic power in 1940, it was nowhere near being any sort of military power and most US citizens were isolationist, particularly when it came to European affairs.
cleverly forgetting the pile of banksters that are deciding the outcome of wars? do you believe that germany would produce anything without loans?
Americans started down the path of “gangsters for capitalism” in 1913 [the Federal Reserve]; the British in 1694 [the Bank of England]. Major General Butler was warning us War is a Racket back in 1935. Do you think that changed in the three years it took WW2 to start? Do you think Butler would change his tune in 1942 if he didn’t [conveniently] die about a year before Pearl Harbor?
Germany sided against the Empire; why else do you think the Empire neutered them?
Tom, if you consult the excellent WSWS you will find a wealth of information regarding the current upsurge of Rightwing German militarism, apologias for Nazism and rampaging Russophobia. It is a bit late to worry about the German elite hankering for their old ways.
“Think about it – 75 years ago they pretty well took on the entire world”
What are you rambling about ? Germany was one of the smaller colonial nations of their time. Their aspirations in ww2 were more or less as a regional empire (Poland, destroying bolshevism, neutering France), not global. The global empires were British and also the French, Spanish. Germany was more like Russia or Iran today, a major player in its own part of the world.
Not going into the global world empire of the USA of today.
I would suggest that the current (and historic) dysfunction of the European armies within NATO is precisely how the US wants things – just big enough to keep buying US made arms, but never strong enough to do anything without Uncle Sam’s help or permission. It’s nothing other than good business.
That Poland and the Baltic states are such a joke is something for which we should be very grateful. Anything else could wind up with some silly Sakashvilli-like behaviour.
Good man!
OT
White House Cannot Confirm Reports on US Advisors Allegedly Aiding ISIL
Washington does not have information to confirm press reports that US and Israeli military advisors were arrested while allegedly aiding Islamic State (IS) terrorists in Iraq, a US State Department official told Sputnik on Tuesday.
“We have no information to indicate that this report is true,” the official stated.
Iran’s Tasnim News Agency reported earlier that Iraqi counter-terrorism forces arrested four foreign military advisors from the United States and Israel, who were allegedly aiding the IS.
The advisors were reportedly captured in an operation codenamed “The Sting of a Scorpion” in a headquarters from where the IS organized its military operations in Iraq’s Northern Province of Nineveh.
The detained advisors have been transferred to Baghdad, according to the report.
I suspect both Israel and the USA are busy working on a “rescue mission”.
With Israelis working with ISIL captured by Iraq, the PR dept. suggested Mossad have ISIL stage a beheading of an “Israeli spy” to “confirm” that ISIL and Israel are “enemies”.
ISIL Releases Video Allegedly Showing Child Soldier Executing ‘Mossad Spy’
Though executioners in IS videos — like the infamous Jihadi John — usually wear masks, in this case, the faces of both the child and the other adult militant who appears with him are clearly visible.
Apparently the production was done on the fly due to the urgent circumstances of a real Mossad agent working with ISIL being captured by the Iraqis and the continuity supervisor was not available.
Funny how all these Daash execution videos are ‘discovered’ on the Web by the hideous Rita Satz the Iraqi Jew who runs the notorious SITE disinformation organ. She was also the source for all the fake bin Laden videos and tape recordings over the years, yet no Western MSM dare notice the strange circumstance that this one fanatic Zionist ‘discovers’ all these videos before the rest of the world, over and over again, nor even acknowledge the fact of her existence. That’s POWER.
NATO Lies and Provocations(1)
Can you see what’s going on? On the one hand, the Spiegel delivers a hammer-blow to the credibility of NATO’s top officer and on the other, the President of the EU Commission blindsides US powerbrokers by announcing a plan to create an independent EU fighting force that will render NATO redundant. These are big developments that have undoubtedly left the Obama troupe reeling. This is a full-blown assault on NATO’s role as the primary guarantor of EU regional security. Maybe the European people are gullible enough to accept Junker’s absurd claim that an EU army will “send an important message to the world”, but you can be damn sure that no one at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue believes that nonsense. The move is clearly designed to send a message to Washington that Europe is fed up with NATO and wants a change. That means it’s “shape up or ship out time” for Breedlove and his ilk.
But now that NATO’s recklessness could vaporize Europe in a nuclear firestorm, leaders like Merkel and Hollande are starting to change their tune. Keep in mind, the ideal scenario for the US would be a limited war that levels large parts of the European and Asian continents, thus restoring the US to its post WW2 heyday when the “rubblized” world was Washington’s oyster. That would be just fine for genocidal maniacs and armchair warriors who rule the globe from the safety of their well-stocked DC bunkers. But for Europe, this is definitely not a winning strategy. Europe doesn’t want a war, and it certainly doesn’t want to be used as cannon fodder for the greater glory of the dystopian NWO.
Putin advisor, Sergei Glazyev, figured out what Washington was up to long before Kiev launched its wretched “anti terrorism” campaign against federalist rebels in the East. Here’s how he summed it up:
“The main task the American puppet masters have set for the (Kiev) junta is to draw Russia into a full-scale war with Ukraine. It is for this purpose that all of these heinous crimes are committed – to force Russia to send troops to Ukraine to protect the civilian population…
The bankruptcy of the US financial system, which is unable to service its foreign debt, the lack of investments to finance a breakthrough to a new technological order and to maintain America’s competitiveness, and the potential defeat in the geopolitical competition with China. To resolve these problems, Americans need a new world war.” (Sergei Glazyev)
Bingo. The steadily-declining empire, whose share of global GDP continues to shrivel with every passing year, has wanted a war from the get go. That’s the only way that the US can reverse its precipitous economic slide and preserve its lofty spot as the world’s only superpower. Fortunately, EU leaders are beginning to pull their heads out of the sand long enough to grasp what’s going on and change their behavior accordingly.
NATO Lies and Provocations(2)
It’s worth noting, that no one in the Merkel administration or anyone else for that matter, has publicly challenged the allegations in the Spiegel article. Why is that, do you think?
Doesn’t their silence suggest that they knew all along that all the anti-Putin propaganda hullabaloo was pure bunkum; that “evil” Putin didn’t send tanks and soldiers across the border into Ukraine, that Putin didn’t shoot down Malaysian Airline 17, that Putin didn’t have a political opponent gunned down gangland style just a few hundred yards from the Kremlin? Isn’t that what their silence really says?
Of course, it does. The reason no one in power has spoken out is because –as the Spiegel cynically admits–“A mixture of political argumentation and military propaganda is necessary.”
“Propaganda is necessary”?
Whoa. Now there’s an admission you’re not going to see in the media too often. But it’s the truth, isn’t it? The Euro-leaders have been going along with the lies to keep the public in line. In other words, it’s a healthy dose of perception management for the sheeple, but the unvarnished truth for our revered overlords. Sounds about right. Only now these ame elites have decided to share the facts with the lumpen masses. But, why? Why this sudden willingness to share the truth?
It’s because they no longer support Washington’s policy, that’s why. No one in Europe wants the US to arm and train the Ukrainian army. No one wants them to deploy 600 paratroopers to Kiev and increase US logistical support. No one wants further escalation, because no one wants a war with Russia. It’s that simple.
For the first time, EU leaders, particularly Merkel, understand that the United States’ strategic objectives (the pivot to Asia) do not align with those of the EU, in fact, Washington’s geopolitical ambitions pose a serious threat to Europe’s security. Regrettably, it’s not enough for Merkel to simply understand what is going on. She needs to huddle with her EU colleagues and take positive steps to derail Washington’s plan now, otherwise the US will continue its incitements and false flags until Putin is forced to respond. Once that happens, a broader and, perhaps, catastrophic conflagration will be unavoidable.
http://www.counterpunch.org/2015/03/10/nato-lies-and-provocations/
Anonymous, you are absolutely right. The first time that Hollande and Merkel acted like statesmen and patriots was when they participated in Minsk-2. Everyone mocked them for this agreement, but it was the turning point.
I wouldn’t say France, UK or German army are “a mess”. They’re reasonably balance. Sure they’re a tight short on budget, but so are all state funded activities thx to long lasting crysis. Also military always wine for missing stuff, no matter the year on the calendar. That being said, French army is still able to be active on 3 fronts at the same time. I understant they feel overstretched but as a french I think that’s enough capability. I am fine with the extra tax money going elsewhere.
It’s also worth noting that in war games against the US French army often performed well:
http://russia-insider.com/en/2015/03/09/4242
Now of course it’s just enough to be able to defend borders in case Russia wanted to go for a euro campaign, make a mess in Africa then try to fix it then try to fix the mess we did trying to fix the previous mess. But that’s enough of a scope for a country the size of France.
I think that the US military is too big. I can cope with Russia intensifying military spendings because they kind of missed a decade but hopefully at a point they’ll slow down too.
What with 10000 troops on anti terrorism duty in France, vigipirate. French army units dotted about the world fly swatting ops. Aircraft carrier in the limelight is the token contribution to combatting IS
The French military is overstretched and morale isn’t good. This is just the start.
http://www.lopinion.fr/blog/secret-defense/l-armee-protege-682-sites-territoire-national-22196
http://www.lopinion.fr/blog/secret-defense/amiral-rogel-marine-a-besoin-quinze-fregates-premier-rang-21435
Haha. Great cartoon. Reminds me of Deputy “Droop Along”. Ricochet Rabbit’s side-kick.
47 Republican Senators (including Rand Paul after a visit with Sheldon Adelson) have sent a letter to Iran’s leaders bluntly stating that whatever deal the Obama Administration makes with Iran will be reversed by the next U.S. President and a Republican controlled Congress and Senate. Something like this has never happened in my lifetime and the nearest thing to it would be back in 1919 when the Republican Senate rejected the League of Nations Treaty signed by President Wilson. Since la Señora Hillary has already threatened Iran with nuclear annihilation, it is obvious that war with Iran is coming after the November 2016 election no matter who wins. Both Amerikan political parties are totally controlled by Zionists. The only question remaining is will Syria and Hizbollah be attacked before or after the election. Taking out Syria and Hizbollah would be necessary before attacking Iran (all those Hizbollah missiles so near Israel).
I believe the North Amerikan Ruling Class has already made the decision to go to war to defend the PetroDollar and the U.S. Dollar as Reserve Currency. Obama is just a front man with a phony balony Nobel Peace Prize who is softening up Russia via economic warfare before la Señora Hillary or whoever Sheldon Adelson appoints ‘goes for broke’ (war) in 2017. Apparently a multi-polar world is not an option for those who rule the financial centers of New York and London.
This proposed ‘reform’ of the Amerikan C.I.A. will remove one of the last roadblocks to war. The C.I.A. has been a ‘house divided’ between the (somewhat) sane analysts (Directorate of Analysis) and the drug smuggling, death squad running cowboys of the Directorate of Operations. The new ‘reforms’ will put the analysts under the control of the ‘cowboys’ of the Directorate of Analysis.
While many scientists claim a nuclear war will destroy all life on the planet, others maintain that small groups of people in Patagonia (southern Argentina and Chile) and southern New Zealand (both near Antarctica) will survive (depending on how many nuclear weapons are used in the war). Whether this is true or not, apparently some very rich and powerful people in the financial centers of New York and London and Hollywood believe this. While nothing is said in the MSM about this, there are increasing Internet rumours about people like Steven Speilberg, Richard Branson, and numerous well-connected heavy hitters in the financial world buying ‘escape homes’ and land in Patagonia and southern New Zealand. These are all people with private jets and their new ‘escape homes’ all have private landing strips.
Normally, I do not put too much faith in Internet rumours, but my wife’s niece just came down from the states for a visit with a new boyfriend in his 50’s who’s a producer in Spanish language news in Amerika. I asked him about these ‘escape homes’ for the rich and powerful in Patagonia and he said that nothing can be said in the MSM about this….’Everything is very tightly controlled’ – but in private conversations among people in the news business….’There is talk about this, mostly in whispered conversations’. He said ‘Patagonia is a cold desolate place with more animals than people – these rich people are not going there for the cuisine or culture – they must know something we don’t’. As I’ve been typing this here in Medellín, the room started shaking and my computer screen started jumping on the table. The radio just announced that a 6.6 earthquake just struck along the Colombian-Venezuelan border. Perhaps the old Inca Gods are unhappy with their new neighbors.
I am really starting to fear for the future. I have lived a long and eventful life with no need to brag. I will happily take my secrets to the grave. However, I am worried about the young people who are going to be cheated out of their futures. I do not believe in an afterlife, but if one exists, surely those assholes in Washington, New York, London, and Tel Aviv who have provoked and caused this coming armageddon will not pass ‘The Pearly Gates’.
Yours in sorrow, Pedro de Hungria (el gringo viejo)
Typo correction
The CIA analysts will be under the control of the Directorate of Operations (the cowboys)
Sorry.
Pedro de Hungria
///He said ‘Patagonia is a cold desolate place with more animals than people – these rich people are not going there for the cuisine or culture – they must know something we don’t’.///
That is completely full of shit!
Patagonia is a huge geographic landmass that encompasses areas in the northern part with a 4-seasons weather very similar to southern Oregon (almost no snow or snow that lasts for no more than 1 to 2 days on the ground) and even southwest corner of Colorado (during our hot summers) . . . to the subantarctic regions in the very southern portion (which can be very cold).
The cuisine here in Northern Patagonia, Argentina is fantastic and many of the restaurants serve organic foods: https://www.facebook.com/cocinadeloslagos/photos_stream
We keep all this information a big secret because we don’t want those 1% Yankees (of those morbidly obese Yankees) to come down here. We can’t do much about Ted Turner as he already bought his estancia near San Carlos de Bariloche, but new regulations and laws prevent foreigners from buying anything more than 5000 m2 or 1.25 acre of land in this so-called “Lake District” of Patagonia, Argentina.
If you are interested, here are two articles that I have written about Northern Patagonia, Argentina: bit.ly/1nhfbgl and bit.ly/1zx9GSX
sounds like heaven,…too bad I have too many animals to travel there.
‘fraid The Patagonia Solution is out: nowhere will be off-limits.
Hollywood folk have never been known for having a good grip on reality: they’re in the kind of fire too.
Far better they spend serious dollars in media undoing the damage – and save their own skins too.
I normally tune Spengler out fairly quickly, but found this piece on Kagan and Nuland amusing:
http://pjmedia.com/spengler/2015/03/08/air-castles-in-the-kaganate-of-nuland/
Spengler, in my opinion, is the perfect example of a Jew driven insane by antigoyite hatred and contempt.
Out of topic,but very nice pictures:
http://news360x.fr/moscou-vue-du-ciel/
thanks those were nice…here’s another beautiful video of Russia
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-rAMTK6fpUs&list=PLl454lB46JcLVKufuam-j5lD7BrseL2Ns&index=46
Lovely. I’d no idea Moscow looked like that. Thanks.
I’m not sure how this is relevant. The reality is that NATO is only good for destabilizing Europe, Russia and whatever other bits of the globe the US wants to whack. Europe doesn’t need it for defence because nobody’s attacking them, and there are no dangers in the region except the ones being actively created by NATO. France and Germany don’t need an army at the moment. Who are they going to fight? Denmark?
So the purpose of anything like a European military wouldn’t be for it to be able to do anything. It would be for it to exist on paper so that the Europeans could point to it when they said thanks, but no thanks to the US’ vehicle for destabilizing their turf. The problem with the idea isn’t that nobody in Europe has much of a military, it’s that nobody in Europe has the guts to follow through on it politically. If they had the guts to go for it, it could serve its political purpose without being able to knock over a kindergarten.
Meanwhile, money comparisons with the US military are IMO misleading. The US get incredibly poor value for money due to the long-entrenched corruption of their procurement system.
I think you have this all back to front.
The US does a hell of a lot outside of Nato, and Nato really does not have a proper role outside Europe. Creating an EU or European army actually makes a lot of sense – AND explains so much of the ludicrous Putin baiting.
The Nato ranting is clearly nonsense, but if an EU army is a real proposal it would be Nato’s single best defence – only Nato is tough on Russia, Russia is an existential threat… Even pro-EU army people now have to claim to hate Putin.
Now take a few steps forward in ukraine – full LPR/DPR get independence, Galicia wants to join Poland. Kharkov, Odessa and a bunch of other places want out, and a lot of loaded guns carried by men who have tasted real blood return to Kiev for rewards and revenge. Add an economic clash and the disappearance of the ordinary good guy who is avoiding conscription.
We all know who will end up cleaining up this mess – it will be an alliance of France Germany and Russia – Holland, Merkel & Putin. Holland and Merkel have known that a few months or more now (not all their colleagues have been informed tough).
A France Germany Russia joint project basically means NATO is dead – as dead as Kiev.
Lots of jobs for the boys, lots of sinecures, gone. New jobs for different boys.
Does it matter that the new army can’t fight? Not really – that is the peace dividend. this is Europe and pretty safe outside Ukrainians killing 50 000 Ukrainians.
The only argument against an Eu army is that Putin is a threat to the rest of Europe. Now why would anyone want to promote that little lie?
Officers should not lie? How quaint!
the EU combined forces is not a new idea. They have been toying with combat battalions and area battalions for some time.
The only time in my opinion it could work is if they all leave NATO and form a common (socialist) Armed Force.
There is ample confirmation of the sorry state of the French army:
– Sapir: “Nos forces armées sont dans un état de dénuement tragique.” (Open Letter to Hollande: http://russeurope.hypotheses.org/2629)
– A soldier’s testimony: https://www.cercledesvolontaires.fr/2014/12/30/etat-de-larmee-francaise-le-cri-dalarme/
– The DM & top generals admitted as much during a Senate hearing (17/12/2014): http://www.senat.fr/compte-rendu-commissions/20141215/etr.html#toc7
Still, the French have no choice but to join the US in all those wars, otherwise they’d be punished: the US has been threatening to deprive them of their Security Council seat – in addition to sanctions. A funny-sad exchange, following a General’s explanation as to why France was forced to go to Afghanistan after having refused to go to Iraq:
– Senator: “Nous ne sommes donc allés là-bas que pour des raisons de pièces détachées ?”
– General Bentégeat, fmr Deputy Chief of General Staff: “Ces pièces détachées commandaient le système de catapultage de notre porte-avions. L’embargo sur les pièces détachées [avait été] décrétés par Donald Rumsfeld à cause de notre refus de l’intervention en Irak ; il ne fut levé que par notre engagement en Afghanistan.”
Rose-Marie, that’s what armies are for; so you CAN’T be forced to do things. Also, when you accept public office you’re supposed to display some courage in furthering the interests of those you represent.
Europe don´t need that army.
Russia won´t attack. They are finished with Europe.
Found new friends. And easy.
You forgot to list Israel. Although they are not officially part of NATO, from what info I have read they are integrated in to the command and control of NATO. Not to mention that they are a nuclear power, although not officially. Seems like most of us don’t want to include the Israels in this equation. Invisible Israel, like the wizard of Oz.
Stan K’
I had a different take, Saker – probably foolishly so since I am by no means a military commentator. My immediate thought was that it was a sign of movement away from Nato, which ought to be a very good thing no matter of what significance such a European force might be.
Your graph shows that really it would benefit Europe not to be so much under the US megalomaniacal thumb but moving into that multipolar world that Putin has advocated in his speeches.
I remember early in the Ukraine crisis you brought us a Crosspoint discussion that made the argument that not only was Russia in the crosshairs but Europe as well. Maybe they are showing signs of breaking free, just as Putin did when the time was ripe for it.
I may be overly optimistic, but I think this could possibly signal a major positive sea change is in the works in the Turkish government’s policy towards Syria.
Toppling Syrian Gov’t May Cause Catastrophic Consequences – Turkish Envoy
Deposing Syrian President Bashar Assad will upset public order and security, raising the number of victims in the Syrian conflict even further, former Turkish finance minister Abdullatif Sener told Sputnik in an interview.
Sener spoke to Sputnik on Monday on the heels of the Turkish delegation’s visit to Syria last week. Turkey was represented by head of Patriotic Party (Vatan) Dogu Perincek, Vatan’s co-founder Birgul Ayman Guler, and Sener, founder of the Justice and Development Party (AKP).
“I came to a clear belief during the visit that if Assad is overthrown, public order, security and sovereignty will cease to exist throughout the country,” Sener said.
The envoy noted during his trip that vital infrastructure, security and public institutions operate fault-free in Syria’s government-controlled regions.
“I am convinced that if Assad is overthrown, various groups with no political traditions, ethical standards,… a clearly defined program and – even worse – that have no idea how to govern, will destroy and raze to the ground everything around them,” Sener said.
Commenting on late January’s intra-Syria talks held between government officials and opposition representatives in Moscow, the Turkish envoy pointed to the absence of a unified opposition in Syria.
“The Free Syrian Army [FSA] exists in name only. From time to time, its members enter into clashes with government troops, joining Islamic State militants, the Nusra Front and other terrorist groups,” Sener told Sputnik.
I don’t know much about Turkish politics, but from the descriptions given of these people, they seem to have an influential role. From what they said, it sounds like they think Turkey should cease trying to overthrow Assad. That would be a huge change if followed through on. When the Russians switched South Stream into Turk Stream, I speculated that maybe part of the deal was for Turkey to back off attacking Syria. Will they now?
I don’t know much about Turkish politics, but from the descriptions given of these people, they seem to have an influential role.
Their party was a flop in the recently held general elections.
Their party was a flop in the recently held general elections.
The AKP party is the party Baby Face Erdogan belongs to and they were not a flop in the last elections. Look it up.
US has been pushing Kurdistan pretty hard, which to be sustainable wd probably include part of Turkey. Saudi Arabia, which helped ISIS for so long is having a little problem w blowback. Turkey may have begun to be cautious: Sometimes you have to be careful what you wish for.
The various plans to carve up the Middle-East include carving up Turkey. One is an Israeli one, which Erdogan actually complained about when it was being taught at West Point.
Apparently there’s another one called the Gul-Powell Contract. If you are interested use the search box on nsnbc.
At any rate Erdogan might be well-served to forget his neo-Ottoman dreams in order to hold on to what he has.
I suspect that the real intent to to keep the European states in, not to keep the Russian states out. With Greece openly considering leaving the EU, and the other PIGS possibly to follow, Germany needs to keep the slaves on the plantation. Nothing like an EU Army to threaten the leavers into staying.
The reality is that nobody in Europe has any money to pay for the future EU army.
Which is where groups like ISIS comes in.. They are cheap.. A lot of drugs supplied by the CIA and those terrorists work really cheap like $200 or less a month, cant even find street sweepers for that kind of min wages let alone people to blow themselves up inside tanks filled with high explosives
Someone put together a lot of the information that is openly available so it is not verified but there is more than enough for the US court system to convict someone for the death penalty. There is far far more evidence of the US supplying high tech weapons to terrorists than there has ever been of the Russian Federation supplying weapons to the rebels of donbas. Like how did Libyan terrorists end up with high end Nato weapon systems?
Washington and ISIS: The Evidence
Reports that US and British aircraft carrying arms to the Islamic State group – better known as ISIS – have been shot down by Iraqi forces have been met with shock and denial in western countries.
A central myth is that Washington now arms ‘moderate Syrian rebels’, to both overthrow the Syrian Government and supposedly defeat the ‘extremist rebels’. This claim became more important in 2014, when the rationale of US aggression against Syria shifted from ‘humanitarian intervention’ to a renewal of Bush’s ‘war on terror’.
According to Seymour Hersh’s 2007 article, ‘The Redirection’, the US would make use of ‘moderate Sunni states’, not least the Saudis, to ‘contain’ the Shia gains in Iraq brought about by the 2003 US invasion. These ‘moderate Sunni’ forces would carry out clandestine operations to weaken Iran and Hezbollah, key enemies of Israel. This brought the Saudis and Israel closer, as both fear Iran.
Not least are the admissions by senior US officials that key allies support the extremist group. In September 2014 General Martin Dempsey, head of the US military, told a Congressional hearing ‘I know major Arab allies who fund [ISIS]’. Senator Lindsey Graham, of Armed Services Committee, responded with a justification, ‘They fund them because the Free Syrian Army couldn’t fight [Syrian President] Assad, they were trying to beat Assad’.
The next month, US Vice President Joe Biden went a step further, explaining that Turkey, Qatar, the UAE and Saudi Arabia ‘were so determined to take down Assad … they poured hundreds of millions of dollars and tens, thousands of tons of weapons into anyone who would fight against Assad … [including] al-Nusra and al- Qaida and extremist elements of jihadis coming from other parts of the world … [and then] this outfit called ISIL’. Biden’s admissions sought to exempt the US from this operation, as though Washington were innocent of sustained operations carried out by its key allies. That is simply not credible.
Other evidence undermines western attempts to maintain a distinction between the ‘moderate rebels’, now openly armed and trained by the US, and the extremist groups Jabhat al-Nusra and ISIS. While there has indeed been some rivalry (emphasised by the London-based, Muslim Brotherhood-aligned, Syrian Observatory of Human Rights), the absence of real ideological difference is best shown by the cooperation and mergers of groups.
After the collapse of the ‘Free Syrian Army’ groups, cooperation between al-Nusra and the newer US and Saudi backed groups (Dawud, the Islamic Front, the Syrian Revolutionary Front and Harakat Hazm) helped draw attention to Israel’s support for al-Nusra, around the occupied Golan Heights. Since 2013 there have been many reports of ‘rebel’ fighters, including those from al-Nusra, being treated in Israeli hospitals. Prime Minister Netanyahu even publicised his visit to wounded ‘rebels’ in early 2014. That led to a public ‘thank you’ from a Turkey-based ‘rebel’ leader, Mohammed Badie (February 2014).
The UN peacekeeping force based in the occupied Golan has reported its observations of Israel’s Defence Forces ‘interacting with’ al-Nusra fighters at the border. At the same time, Israeli arms have been found with the extremist groups, in both Syria and Iraq. In November 2014 members of the Druze minority in the Golan protested against Israel’s hospital support for al-Nusra and ISIS fighters. This in turn led to questions by the Israeli media, as to whether ‘Israel does, in fact, hospitalize members of al-Nusra and Daesh [ISIS]’. A military spokesman’s reply was hardly a denial: ‘In the past two years the Israel Defence Forces have been engaged in humanitarian, life-saving aid to wounded Syrians, irrespective of their identity.’
In that same month, ‘rebels’ in the Israel-backed Golan area were reported as defecting to ISIS, which had by this time began to establish a presence in Syria’s far south. Then, in early 2015, three thousand ‘moderate rebels’ from the US-backed ‘Harakat Hazzm’ collapsed into Jabhat al-Nusra, taking a large stock of US arms including anti-tank weapons with them.
In December 2014, there were western media reports of the US covert supply of heavy weapons to ‘Syrian rebels’ from Libya, and of Jabhat al-Nusra getting anti-tank weapons which had been supplied to Harakat Hazm. Video posted by al-Nusra showed these weapons being used to take over the Syrian military bases, Wadi Deif and Hamidiyeh, in Idlib province.
A decade after Washington’s ‘creative destruction’ plans, designed to reduce Iranian influence in Iraq, an article in Foreign Policy magazine complains that Iran’s influence is ‘at its highest point in almost four centuries’.
http://www.telesurtv.net/english/bloggers/Washington-and-ISIS-The-Evidence-20150308-0001.html
The weapons provided by the US and its allies to the illegitimate government in Kiev have maimed children in the Ukraine conflict, says an American activist.
“When I was in Moscow two weeks ago, I went to the hospital where the children whose bodies have been maimed and destroyed by those weapons provided by the West to that illegitimate government that she [Victoria Nuland] helped to create, I stood at the bedside of a boy, who lost both of his legs, one of his arms, his eyesight and his little brother, when one of the shells provided by the West landed in his backyard in a suburb of Donetsk,” Joe Iosbaker, a leader of the United National Antiwar Coalition, said.
“Victoria Nuland doesn’t really need anyone to make her seem ridiculous, she manages to do that on her own, over and over again,” Iosbaker said.
“I have no words to describe how much contempt I have for that woman,” he said Tuesday in a phone interview with Press TV.
Morer here:http://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2015/03/11/401300/US-weapons-maim-children-in-Ukraine
The last time a bunch of German Nazi’s put together a European army and marched on Moscow it didn’t work out quite the way they planned . . .
We’re not talking Nazis; we’re talking about banksters. And the banksters have beat Moscow before.
Britain has a single tank regiment with only 56 main battle tanks; it has another 100 in storage. The total number of MBT for UK, France and Germany combined is about 480, with some more in storage. However, they don’t practice much, and tankers who don’t practice aren’t very good at making war.
The Brits, French and Germans also lack any logistcal capability, which means their tanks are useless. Tanks have to be carried into battle; their treads tend to break. You might recall that originally Bosnia was to be a European operation, but they Euros found they couldn’t transport troops to the Balkans (!!!!!!!!!!), and the Americans had to do it for them.
Fortunatel, America is headed down the same road, and some day soon countries with ocean front property won’t have to worry about America’s carrier battle groups or Marines.
I agree that Europe lack the resources and will to cut their ties with US and built its own Army. Still, the strongest opposition to the idea of an European Army always came from Americans and their British puppets. So I guess the only possible conclusion is that an European Army would be a major threat to NATO – in other words, a major threat to American global domination strategy. And if that’s true, I think Russia should support the idea of an European Army. For it would mean little in terms of threatening Russian interests in the continent, but it will mean a lot in bringing NATO to an end. And destroying this imperialistic, reckless, warmongering “alliance” should be the main purpose of anyone actually worried about the future of mankind. But that’s just my opinion.
The German army is a joke. German state TV reported that a German army unit that will be part of NATO’s “spearhead” force had to use painted broomsticks as “armament” on infantry tanks during a NATO exercise in Norway. Instead of “spearhead” NATO should call its force “broomstick”.
Auto-translation from the army report:
“… That the pipe was simulated on the weapon system of the GTK BOXER with black of painted broomstick during exercise (…) in Norway, since no pipes for the weapon system was available.”
http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=de&tl=en&u=http://www.swr.de/report/mit-besenstiel-ins-manoever-die-deutsche-nato-eingreiftruppe-ist-nicht-einsatzbereit/mit-besenstiel-ins-manoever-die-deutsche-nato-eingreiftruppe-ist-nicht-einsatzbereit/-/id=233454/mpdid=15101642/nid=233454/did=14853656/1yjf7hp/index.html
Video(with re-enacted scene):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9j_-0g3qOTQ&t=3m30s
Did they borrow Hillary’s painted broomstick from her last Hexenritt?
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/mar/11/russia-struggling-ukraine-military-operations-report
Anyone got a moment to dissect this (what appears to me) a load of cripe?
10000% tripe. About 3 true words in it — “is” “and” and “the”.
Russia has 760,000 ACTIVE servicemen. And this idiot article claims they’re struggling to maintain 10,000 in/near Ukraine.. …the rebels are only cannon fodder and barrier troops behind them shoot them if they don’t want to fight. In fact the whole story reads like they wrote “Russia” when they meant to write “Kiev”.
That, or the guy was smoking something very strong when he wrote it.
bellingcat…..nuf sed
oldnik007
Why bother give the zionazi goatbuggers the advert revenue of clicking on their site? Do you work for them?
much better to ignore them, send their advert revenue into freefall and watch those Israeli mouthpieces go bankrupt.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hI5_pMvLZd8
Important speech by Nigel Farage.
“Important speech by Nigel Farage.”
There is no such thing nor did he ever say anything of importance. Just hot air.
Very interesting – especially that idiotic question about fighting Russia in E. Ukraine instead of W. Ukraine. Mindless automatons, these EU leaders.
I actually think that in principle it inst a bad idea, it would help europe get out from under the NATO/US yolk and run their own foreign policy without the constant intimidation and meddling of ‘the masters of the universe’ The problem is it would inevitably be incredibly poorly managed by these technocrat, schoolboy accountants in Brussels who know nothing of war or the military and end up being a less than adequate fighting force.
As I understand it, the point is not to have a credible military force, but to have national control of defense priorities. According to this article from RT today, Nato nations are required to have a 2% input of GDP and Britain is having a hard time meeting that goal.
http://rt.com/uk/239621-intelligence-defence-budget-nato/
The point to national control would be for peacekeeping purposes, not for waging wars. We ought to applaud that.
I think this idea of a European army has nothing to do with consciousness raising among sellers and thieves who govern Europe and less with their intention to become independent of NATO. In any case, if there has been an awakening is about the probable increase in social unrest in a time when citizens, sufficiently fed, starts to deal with the offense of throwing wages land and eliminate any social protection for them to continue pocketing the shameful amounts of ever.
It’s funny that was precisely Juncker the promoter, although it is understood because he saw the wolf ears when his shenanigans with large companies and multinationals to spare them tax were discovered.
Following the recent victory of SYRIZA and next Of Podemos, They think that will need an army to crush us.
¿Para qué quiere la Unión Europea un ejército propio?
http://www.rebelion.org/noticia.php?id=196331
“Juncker, cornered by secret agreements between Luxembourg and corporations to avoid paying taxes”:
http://www.eldiario.es/economia/Juncker-acorralado-Luxemburgo-empresas-impuestos_0_321618155.html
“Nineteen activists detained “at gunpoint” to protest against evictions”
( between other claims the activists sing: “What a coincidence, increases poverty and police expenditure”):
http://www.publico.es/sociedad/detenidos-dieciocho-activistas-protestar-desahucios.html
“¿70 years of peace?”:
http://cuestionatelotodo.blogspot.com.es/2015/03/70-anos-de-paz.html
“Black Hawk down” again. Night training mission in the fog (always a good idea) off a Florida beach reduces the American ability to assault others by 11 soldiers.
The Marines were part of a special operations group based in Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. The National Guard soldiers were from a unit based in Hammond, Louisiana. None were immediately identified so that families could be told first.
The Army helicopter had taken off from an airport in nearby Destin to join other aircraft in the training area, which includes 20 miles of pristine beachfront under military control since before World War II.
The military sometimes drops trainees into the water in the area, to make their way ashore from boats or helicopters.
Test range manager Glenn Barndollar told The AP in August that the site is an ideal training area for special operations units from all branches of the military to practice over the water, on the beach and in the bay.
It’s not clear what happened, the military is keeping mum. Witness report hearing the sound of metal crunching, then two muffled “booms” around 8:30 pm tuesday night, then nothing till sirens heard wednesday am.
Some additional data:
https://deepresource.wordpress.com/2015/03/11/defense-spending/
Kind regards,
Dutch
EU army? Hubris of the insane.
The European Union already has a deadly, potent and viscous army.
Every year thousands of European citizens commit suicide or run away to emigrate from its clutches.
Its the parasitic, corrupt and criminal army of bureaucrats and self enriching politicians.
If Russia ever needed to defend itself from this European lunatic Asylum bearded men disease called European culture I suggest a very big industrial can of cockroach spray for Europe’s bureaucrats. Take the minister of Justice and his partner in crime of The Netherlands as a small example. IVO Opstelten & Fred Teeven , who just ran away from responsibility and the entire Dutch nation. For 15 years they were hiding the fact that they were money laundering millions of dollars of drug dealing profits via the ministry of Justice. No, Russia has nothing to worry about. Europe, many of its parts has become a corrupt insane asylum of political parasitic criminals. The EU will implode by itself after pretending the world still looks towards it for moral leadership.
As a European citizen I am happy Russia took back its own territory Crimea and hope Russia will win back all of Novorussia by just waiting to see Ukraines US marionette hand puppets destroy the Ukraine from within similar to what the EU has accomplishing through its corrupt halls of delusional grandeur.
You said it all about Europe. Fully agree.
Greed and the bureaucracy will bring Europe down.
A European army? Do you mean Mr. europe Juncker’s private army? After all he is a Luxembourger citizen which means: making as much money as you can and if possible much more (in creating a european army) by helping his business friends?
EU already contracted three Israeli officers into their EU-circle.
Be alert! MSM mentioned nothing about this.
As far as I can remember, the Dutch learned czar Peter the Great on his request how to build seaworthy ships. The Dutch took his request seriously.
And the Russans made a perfect trade out of it. We can see the results of their efforts (through the ages) on the high seas everyday of the year.
May peace prevail for all of us INCLUDING the people of the Netherlands and the people of Russia.
not sure about the whole issue. it could mean a lot more then what is obvious, or not.
to make my statement short: let’s see how many troups will be included and what will happen to the french nukes. it can be a german double crossing of the US or just a farth. let us wait and see. The whole picture is not clear yet.
More signs that Germany is distancing itself from the US/NATO:
https://deepresource.wordpress.com/2015/03/11/germany-distancing-itself-from-nato/
https://deepresource.wordpress.com/2015/03/12/former-chancellor-helmut-schmidt-calls-for-more-understanding-for-russia/
Kind regards,
Dutch
Well, actually, it really shows how Junker himself is a joke. The reality is that Eu member states don’t want to hear about such a thing as a European Army in the first place. The question has already been answered in 1957 and it was a resounding “no”. I see no reson why it would be different now without the Cold War.
I also very much doubt that the people of the EU countries, barring perhaps the Poles and those of the Baltic states, would ever agree to the formation of such.
http://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RR770.html
“French Army operations in Mali (Operation Serval) in 2013 provide a model for designing and operating an expeditionary force, one that has a number of attributes and competencies that United States Army Chief of Staff General Raymond Odierno has indicated to be requirements for the Army. The model therefore provides a living example that illustrates what meeting those requirements entails, as well as the associated risks. As France’s War in Mali: “
Berlin’s attempt to establish full hegemony in Europe
1. This is not to be an European Army. It’s clearly said it is going to be a NATO army. A NATO army’s supreme commander is always an American. It’s in the statute.
2. Therefore, its purpose cannot be to defend European countries per se.
3. Juncker stresses how sad it is that not every EU country is in NATO.
4. Therefore my guess is that this army’s purpose will be to threaten and intimidate – not Russia, really, but those who might consider veering eastwards, trying to enact sovereign policies or showing disloyalty to the American Command.
5. (And such intimidation doesn’t really require a true war budget.)
An EU Army to face Russia? Who do you think you are kidding, Mr Juncker? says Nigel Farage
Video
In this video he literally says: “WE provoked the conflict int he Ukraine. We poked the Russian bear with a stick and not surprising Putin reacted”.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hI5_pMvLZd8
This site’s gurgling over with material. So, where’s Putin? That should get a corner, no?
Actually, NATO has three budgets. Add them all together and the US pays 80% and is the only net contributor. UK, France and Germany pay another 6% each. Yep. The remaining 24 countries pay 2%. Most of that is Italy and the Netherlands.
This article has received a lot of criticism from the crypto-Nazis at deepresource.com.
They say that the French Army easily managed to topple Gadaffi etc… Well, to my knowledge, the combined Air Forces of the EU could not really do it and had to get the Americans to pull it off.
They also claim that the Chinese-Russian alliance is stillborn, and that Putin really wants to be friends with France and Germany, and not China. Even if that was true (which may very well have been) is besides the point. China is a reliable partner-ally, as well as the world’s rising superpower, why would Russia have any qualms about allying with them, and not the hypocritical Europeans, with all their weakness and subservience to the US.
https://deepresource.wordpress.com/2015/03/17/club-orlov-maidan-posse/
Meanwhile France enjoying marvellous ‘freedom of speech’; Dieudonné done for 35,000 euro; rather than ironic facebook post, I’d say tremendously sad and embittered facebook post; but the judge reckoned it was a terrorism apologist facebook post.
http://www.sott.net/article/294070-Je-suis-Charlie-French-comedian-Dieudonne-convicted-for-being-an-apologist-for-terrorism-because-of-ironic-Facebook-post-Faces-prison-if-30000-fine-unpaid
European armies will only exist on paper… The whole EU project is not from the people, never has been either.
At leased in the western EU countries nobody is willing to die for the EU! Nobody really loves the EU that mutch.
Most people like the Euro currency only because it is handy if your on vacation, but that’s it. Now that having the Euro-currency is costing a little money, the tipping point is allready there, lot’s of people want to get out of the Euro. In my country nearly half of the people want their Dutch good old currency the Guilder back.
For a Euro Army you will only get merchanaries, who do it for the money, question is if there will be enough. And proud countries like Italy or France will never give up their own armies, thus a Euro Army can only excist as a extra army. And they will keep it small, it can’t be larger than their own armies offcause! I mean trust is fine, but it is not that we trust eachother so mutch in Europe…