If China provided the same protection instead, would your opinion be the same?
If the burden of keeping military presence in Europe is so big, US can always leave. No one is forcing them to project their power beyond their own damn borders.
So yeah, I'm not "grateful", nor I see why I should be. I see only a superpower acting in their own geopolitical interests, doing what is better for itself, and no one else.
I have to imagine that faced with the choice of US bases scattered across Europe vs Chinese bases, most Europeans would choose Pax Americana. It's probable that under Pax Sinica, you wouldn't even be able to have this conversation.
Europe's gratitude toward the American military-industrial complex is not required, the US gets plenty out of the deal. However the only realistic alternative for Europeans is to expand their own, and boy does that come with a lot of downsides.
I was just using a very blatant absurd hypothesis to make it clear that nothing about whatever military agreements in between European countries and the US is something to be taken with gratitude (as implied in the original post I was replying to).
As someone living in Europe, I am grateful for the EU, and I wish the constituent countries to be more integrated over time.
I see no reason to be grateful for the US for its military presence here. They do it for their own benefit, and should definitely leave if the cost to them is too high for whatever benefit it gets. For Europe it's just convenient.
Are you implying that the US does not subsidize its existence by taking wealth from outside countries? That it does not project it's behavior and morality on others?
It had to be on HN for me to read bullshit this absurd.
> If China provided the same protection instead, would your opinion be the same?
Of course.
> So yeah, I'm not "grateful", nor I see why I should be. I see only a superpower acting in their own geopolitical interests, doing what is better for itself, and no one else.
If the burden of keeping military presence in Europe is so big, US can always leave. No one is forcing them to project their power beyond their own damn borders.
So yeah, I'm not "grateful", nor I see why I should be. I see only a superpower acting in their own geopolitical interests, doing what is better for itself, and no one else.