French president Macron is supposedly pushing hard for the establishment of an integrated European defense force. To say the least, this is a problematic idea.
Think about it. There would be a common defense force, but the countries would not be united into one entity. Were a country to withdraw (as with Brexit), it would no longer have its own military to protect it.Ten years from now, an independent Poland would be left defenseless were it to leave the EU. In 18th century America, we have a national army, but we were a united single country. There would need to be major political changes in Europe for such a system to develop there.
Another problem arises as well. If there's a European force, who gets to decide when to use it? What if one member country is attacked. Let's say that Iraq attacks Turkey; does the defense force protect the Turks? Must French and German soldiers die to defend Turkey? And if the EU as a whole decides not to step in, what do the Turks do.
The simple answer seems to be that you can't have a united military absent a united national identity. Maybe some day Macron will understand this simple truth.
Think about it. There would be a common defense force, but the countries would not be united into one entity. Were a country to withdraw (as with Brexit), it would no longer have its own military to protect it.Ten years from now, an independent Poland would be left defenseless were it to leave the EU. In 18th century America, we have a national army, but we were a united single country. There would need to be major political changes in Europe for such a system to develop there.
Another problem arises as well. If there's a European force, who gets to decide when to use it? What if one member country is attacked. Let's say that Iraq attacks Turkey; does the defense force protect the Turks? Must French and German soldiers die to defend Turkey? And if the EU as a whole decides not to step in, what do the Turks do.
The simple answer seems to be that you can't have a united military absent a united national identity. Maybe some day Macron will understand this simple truth.
No comments:
Post a Comment