Sunday Smiles

David Strom 2:30 PM | March 09, 2025
Grok David Strom

There are so many ironies I notice when thinking about the snit the Europeans are throwing over the United States trying to find a way to end the war in Ukraine. 

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For decades, American presidents have been cajoling the Europeans to step up their defense spending, and for decades the Europeans have promised to do so. And for decades they were lying. They were so confident that they could count on the US to defend them that the Europeans started trying to boss the United States around. 

They pushed their NetZero nonsense on us, attacking the United States (which has actually cut its emissions faster than Europe because we are far more efficient than they) for not worshipping Gaia enough. 

They threatened US companies with sanctions unless we bowed to their increasingly tyrannical speech policies. 

They looked down their noses at President Trump when he warned them that depending on Russian oil and gas would weaken them and make them Russian vassals. 

They even interfered in our latest presidential election, sending campaign workers to help Kamala win, trying to censor X and prevent the company from platforming Donald Trump, and making pronouncements in stentorian voices about how the United States must elect their chosen candidate. 

Europe literally interfered in our elections more than Russia could possibly want to, and was proud to do it. 

They insult us, regulate us from abroad, and then demand that we pay for their defense. 

Now that Donald Trump is trying to end the war in Ukraine, Europeans are freaking out and threatening to...spend more money on their defense. 

Gee, isn't that what Trump, Obama, Biden, and Bush have been asking them to do for decades? Throw me in the briar patch!

I would be thrilled with Europe's hissy fit but for one fact: rather than just defending themselves, the Europeans are literally talking about going to war with Russia in Ukraine. France is talking about using nuclear weapons. The UK is talking about boots on the ground. The EU Vice President is actually talking about breaking Russia up into smaller countries, which is exactly what Vladimir Putin said was the original cause of the war: potential NATO aggression to violate Russian sovereignty. 

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It's as if the Europeans are trying to make the case for Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Putin said it was a defensive move to prevent NATO from encircling Russia and then moving in to destroy the country. Now the Europeans are openly saying that they want to encircle Russia and destroy the country. 

I still believe Russia was wrong to invade Ukraine and that finding a resolution of the war short of either Russia or Ukraine losing its sovereignty is the best outcome, but the Europeans are making that nearly impossible. Their aim seems to be either forever war or actual war with a nuclear-armed Russia, which is insane. 

Why are they doing this? We can only speculate, but speculate we must if we want to prevent World War III in Europe, which was the whole point of our formation of NATO. 

My own speculation is that the current European elite is facing an existential crisis. Their open borders policy, their NetZero policies, and their anti-agriculture policies are deeply unpopular and the regime's leaders are falling one by one. The COVID crisis empowered the elite to gain maximum control of their countries and the censorship regime has helped perpetuate that control, but the backlash is here and they need an external enemy to justify their continued control.

So the leaders are moving from a "welfare state to a warfare state." Those words are not mine, but the Europeans'. 

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This is Argentina in the 1980s politics. "Retake the Malvinas" was the last-ditch effort of the Argentine government to save their asses, and the policy was a disaster. 

It's impossible to predict the outcome in Europe, but the populations show no desire to follow this path. Few Europeans say they would even defend their countries, no less go East to fight Russia. That is the result of the welfare state and mass immigration policies pushed by the European elites. 

Europe has been committing suicide in the name of transnationalism, and the only way they have gotten this far along the path is American willingness to subsidize their policies. 

Trump is telling them no longer. We have our own problems, and China is our primary competitor. Russia is a bit player in American worries. 

Americans in love with transnatinalism are freaking out, and understandably so. Transnationalism is the devil we know, and even if it harms our interests, many worry that the alternative is worse or even like the loss of sovereignty. 

The post-World War II order is collapsing, and that is frightening. But the post-war order isn't working anymore. It would be nice if it did, but nice and "real" are not the same thing. Russia is a weak power that presents no threat to the United States, while China is determined to remake the world order. 

I like Europe as a cultural partner, but not a Europe run by Bond villains determined to force the United States to dance to their tune. If Europeans want a US backstop for their security, they must be our clients, not our masters. That may be humiliating to them--it has been until Obama reversed the power balance--but they have an easy alternative: defend themselves and get their economies going again. 

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Are they choosing that path now? Perhaps. But I fear that they are going back to their warfare ways, because they are actually saying they want war with Russia. 

Only European electorates can save Europe, but the European Union is resorting to canceling elections to prevent it. Whether they can do that in large countries--Thierry Breton said they could do it in Germany if AfD won--is untested. But if so, Europe has fallen. 

It is sad. The US has sacrificed lives and treasure to help Europe escape the cycle of war, and yet the idiots seem addicted to it. 


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