Hello Michiel,

 GD>>> Then contact the German Government, tell them that you want the
 GD>>> American Forces to to sent home, to be replaced by a German one, see
 GD>>> what what they say. It should be interesting in what they tell you.

 RB>> Only one answer to that: "No comment". Do you honestly believe the
 RB>> complex of American forces, Ramstein and naturally the nuclear weapuns
 RB>> stationd in Germany could be replaced - from one day to the next - by
 RB>> German forces?

 MvdV> Of course not. It would take years...

More like six months.

 RB>> And do you honestly believe that the German neighbors would be happy
 RB>> about that? WWII may have been a long time ago, but nobody here is
 RB>> really interested in a resurgence of German militarism.

 MvdV> WWII is well over half a century ago. I do not think there will be large
 MvdV> opposition to Germany investing a  bit more in its military.

Poland, Ukraine, and the Baltic states certainly are taking no
chances.  Especially with a resurgent Russia poised and ready to
gobble them up.  Sweden has issued a guide to its citizens on
what to do in case of invasion.  Norway has a reality television
show based on the premise of Russia occupying its territory.

 MvdV> But replacing The US military by German military is not likely to
happen.

NATO has become nothing more than an arm of the US military.  Not
as a protector of Europe, hut rather to serve as a forward deployment
force for the US military.

 MvdV> I was asked if I would like the US military to leave and be replaced by
 MvdV> Germand and I said yes. Because I really would like to reduce US
military
 MvdV> presence in Europe. Replacing them by German military is not my
preferred
 MvdV> option, but that was the only option presented.

Countries in central Europe have learned the US cannot be counted
on for protection.  The Baltic states have also learned that lesson,
and are doing their best, with limited resources, to stave off a
what appears to be a likely Russian invasion.

With Putin's poodle in charge of the US, there is little that
Europe can do but hope and pray that Lord Jesus comes with all
his angels before The Great Oppressor arrives.

 MvdV> What I woud prefer, and what likely will happen if the US pulls out, is
the
 MvdV> emergence of an EU military that will fill the gap.

Bingo!  That is *exactly* what Europe lacks, and desperately needs!
NATO has become an arm of the US military machine.  Not a protector
of Europe.  The goals of the US military are *not* the same as
what is in the best interest of Europe.

US President Donald Trump wants members of NATO to contribute
more than what they are presently doing.  Once those members comply,
he will insist they increase their contributions even more.  Who
benefits from this?  Not Europe, but the US military machine.

 MvdV> The US has demonstrated to be an unreliable alley and the EU should look
 MvdV> after itself.

Berliners would have been left to fend for themselves had it not
been for the US saving them from the Soviets.  Italy would have
capitulated, as well as Greece.  I seriously doubt France would
have remained free, even with Charles de Gaulle in charge.

Fortunately, none of that happened.  Thanks to the USA.

WWII is over.  Ended in 1945.  Germany is no longer an enemy,
but rather a contributor to world peace.

The Cold War is over.  Ended in 1989.  Russia is no longer an
enemy, its warped ideology discarded years ago.  Although not yet
a contributor to world peace, it can be persuaded to join.

 MvdV> We don't need a copy of the US military presence in Europe.

Europe does not have a military of its own to defend itself.
Rather, each country has a military intended to defend itw own
borders, even those within the EU.  What Europe needs is a
collective military force, with each European country being
a contributor.

That is not the same as NATO, which was originally created
with two goals in mind - to contain the former USSR, and to
contain Germany.

 MvdV> That has always been an overkill against Russia.

Has it?  The former USSR did pose a threat.  To the US, Europe,
and to many other countries around the world.  But the Cold War
(1947-1989) is over.  And the former USSR no longer exists.

 MvdV> A country with an economy the size of the Benelux.

US President Barack Obama was being kind, informing the world
that Russia had an economy the size of California.

How much of an actual military threat is Russia?  It does have
an estimated 8,000 nuclear weapons, roughly the same amount as the
USA.  But aside from that, not much firepower.  Capable of putting
down an insurrection in Chechnya, invading about 20% of Georgia,
and conquering and annexing Crimea (a small part of Ukraine),
what else can it do?  Feed polar bears in Siberia?

 MvdV> But Europe should not be as dependant on the US miltary as it has been
in
 MvdV> the past past 50 year...

A return to the past.  The way things were before WWII.  With
Russia on its doorstep, ready to expand its borders to become the
empire Vladimir Putin always wanted it to be.  I hope you speak
Russian.  And can also write in the cyrillic alphabet.

 RB>> The minute the Germans start talking like Mr, Trump is the minute RB>when
 MvdV> all our European neighbors start to worry about their own RB>security
and
 MvdV> start to mobilize their troops - just in case.

 MvdV> I think such a scenario is as unlikely as a repeat of the US civil war.

Most Germans never had a clue Hitler would do what he did.
Until it was far too late for any of them to do anything about it.

Strange thing is, Hitler told them all beforehand exactly what
he would do.  And always with a smile.

--Lee

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