Europe Needs To Wake Up. Fast.

[@mopsman]

So wait a minute! Are you saying that Germany shutting down all nuclear power generation and becoming totally dependent on Russia for fuel was a bad idea? But, but, the Germans are so smart and practical. They aren't really that silly, are they?

[@TheDMChannelPerplexity]

"But nuclear energy ist scawyy und es ist gib probablility of mass death to all!" shut up, just please shut up..

[@Cloud_Seeker]

Well. That is reality. Trump even told them this and they laughed in his face. To make Germany dependent on Russia was the plan. The anti-nuclear lobby have historically had deep ties to Russia for a reason.

[@djohnston6856]

Was funny how at the time RT were very big on pushing the anti nuclear left...

[@johanmetreus1268]

You seem to forget that the leading theories of the day was the Chicago school and neo-liberalists, who claimed every country with a free market would per default become democratic and join the global community. Thus the main goal was to integrate Russia as deeply as possible into the European economies.

[@carlcramer9269]

Excellent sarcasm, approved!

[@dexagalapagos]

Poland just knows first hand what happens when you rely on other nations for your security.

[@razer6909]

and so what? Poland heavily relies on US weapons and defense

[@dexagalapagos]

@@razer6909 Buying US weapons and expecting US to fight for them are two different things.

[@razer6909]

​@@dexagalapagos No they aren't different things, pick a look at the Ukraine situation if Trump stops arming them, they lose the war, any country that does not produce their weapons is in dependence sitiation

[@Shadowswolf9666]

​@@razer6909and so what? America needed British arms in the colony days doesn't mean America relied on Britain.

[@RockwellSocratese]

​​@@razer6909 There actually is a big difference. Americans are not actively defending them by giving them weapons. That is like saying Iran is protecting Hamas by selling them weapons.

[@vudoga6082]

As an American, I gotta say Poland has been really inspiring. They were invaded by Germany, invaded by Russia, stuck under the Soviet bootheel for 50 years, and they said never again. Hopefully the rest of Europe follows their example. From where I'm standing it could only be a good thing.

[@BoschhammerActual]

Also as an American, if there are any Polish reading this, I just wanna say… hell yeah. You guys know what’s up

[@Nozoroth]

Nothing matters if Western Europe is just going to become an Islamic caliphate because of mass immigration (invasion). I’d rather be under Russian rule than Islamic rule but I’d rather avoid both

[@ADobbin1]

They were also split and occupied by Germany, Austria and Russia for about 150 years before germany invaded them in 1939.

[@viderethevaccinatorfromhol7536]

You don't know a damn thing about Poland. 😂

[@zardify_]

@@viderethevaccinatorfromhol7536 They really don't. XD I just spoke to my polish friend neither of us have any idea why these Americans are hyping Poland up in these comments lmao

[@AFriendlyTheo]

Average American joe-Schmoe here- we WANT Europe to stand on its own. The same way we wanted Europe to unionize back in the nineties! We're not afraid of y'all standing on your own two feet and working together! We want you to be militarily independent of us!

[@JD-hx7yd]

British man here - absolutely agree. The current situation is like the Justice League consisting of just Superman but it shouldn't. Superman fights with Wonder Woman, Batman, Aquaman, The Flash etc. Goofy comparison but the point still stands. The decline of European military probably gives more confidence to what we've dubbed the Russia-China-North Korea-Iran axis.

[@SleepyPaul]

I also would prefer Europe to stop catering to stupid woke nonsense. Read a history book, that won’t work.

[@RockwellSocratese]

​@@SleepyPaul Yep, Sparta and Rome tried to get rid of their more conservative views and both fell to debauchery before they ultimately fell.

[@LiveErrors]

Rome feel after being demoted to a provincial capitol as the seat of power had moved to Constantinople and the Spartans were a slave economy

[@RockwellSocratese]

@whysoupsetbb Actually it kinda is, Sparta moved away from Women's rights and put massive taxes on arms and armour to where only there nobility could become warriors. Romes leadership had stopped worrying about their people and there leadership began to perform debauched parties and instead of worrying about their people they only focused on filling their own coffers to support their own desires instead of focusing on the people. Ultimately both societies were weakened due to greed and lax on their own traditions which made them weak and easier to snuff out.

[@EnterpriseKnight]

All things considered, as an italian citizen, the leader of this military shouldn't be Germany nor France. It should be Poland. They have a prime and historic reason to keep up the wall against the east.

[@teddypicker8799]

@@EnterpriseKnight no lmaooo it should be uk and france mate. They are the ones with the most military power

[@generaltom6850]

@@teddypicker8799 They’re like the UK in the Napoleonic Wars. Technically the strongest. Poland is Austria, the most steadfast enemy.

[@teddypicker8799]

@@generaltom6850 Poland has very strong ground forces but that's it, that's their role. They have no expeditionary force, a weak airforce and an even weaker navy

[@maskoblackfyre]

Agreed. France is our Nuclear deterrent and that's ok, but they've never been really into being a military leader. Germany is too afraid to become a more military focused power in Europe, because... Well, we all know why. So yes, Poland is a great candidate. Finland is also a great candidate for a serious advisor. They know what it's like like live near "the beast" and to be ready at all times.

[@criscabrera9098]

I agree but also disagree because in my opinion Poland wants that run back they want revenge and maybe putting them is a charge maybe is bad idea but you make a good point would any country be okay with putting their defense in charge of another European country? America isn’t the same as other countries but lots of Europeans have issues between countries that go back decades if not more so

[@quantum470]

Europe should have woken up twenty years ago! We ought to be able to defend ourselves and support our allies without constantly relying on the US for help. And if we are to remain allied with the US, we should be capable of defending and assisting each other effectively!

[@eclipticpeak8452]

As an American, i speak for many of us when I say, we don't want to leave Europe defenseless. We care about you, Europe. Threatening to leave is just tough love so your politicians get their shit together. We're actually doing it to help the people of Europe. The politicians just detest it because why spend money on defense when they can take advantage of our military.

[@rcchin7897]

Relying on a countrty that changes its mind every four years is bad policy. And it‘s not like EU doesn‘t know who this Trump guy is. The only good news is that Eastern Europe, such as Poland, is willing to fight against Russia, and, now that we see how weak Russia actually is, Eastern Europe alone could take on what‘s left of Russia. I do hope the USA is at least willing to sell Ukraine weapons, particularly since they‘re obsolete, anyway, and that Trump will lift restrictions on their use in Ukraine. I mean, if there‘s anything the Repubs are willing to do, it‘s to continue support for its own military-industrial complex!

[@SleepingWithShotguns]

​@@rcchin7897 that was the dems plan, continue selling weapons to ukraine and gaza with no plans to end the wars Trump insists on ending the wars, no need to seel and keep building the complex. No reason to give out the world best defense on our taxoayers dime without even giving iur tax payers healthcare. Absokutely pitiful, the entirety of the eu needs to step tf up, the usa shouldnt have to be coming in to solve your oriblems. And when you do pull them in you aint got any b$#@ing rights on how they go about it

[@SleepingWithShotguns]

Honestly this. Europe should have built uo defenses way more then the usa, not use the usa as a crutch. Good news. Trump has no plans of continuing fireign wars, tax payers will get a massive break.

[@ColonelSandersLite]

@@eclipticpeak8452 To put a fine point on it - The UK decommissioned it's last working aircraft carrier in 2014 and did not have a single working aircraft carrier ready to put out to sea until 2020. This is an island nation with a proud, centuries long, tradition of having the strongest navy on the planet. They rendered themselves unable to put even a single capital ship to sea for 6 years. They *NEED* to start pulling their own weight for their own good. They cannot be totally reliant on us forever. *Maybe* if we didn't have to bankroll virtually the entire defense of the west and it's allies, we could afford some of those nice things that the european nations look down on us for not having.

[@jamesnave1249]

So much of the world has been both happy to lambast America for being "team America world police" but then also being completely reliant on them for that military might. Europe has been needing to live up to it's military responsibilities for decades

[@HackersSun]

Oh trust me Its not like we don't mind helping Its just everyone doesn't seem to spit on us for it

[@RustyShacklefordsGribble-lw5dc]

Europe has sat on America's coats tails since 1945. 80 years of America diminishing our wealth for very little I'm return. Infact, Americans are often the butt of the joke for many Europeans. I'm over it, the EU must pull thier weight. Otherwise thus american will continue to support the US's withdrawal from NATO. Trump tried to warn Europe they were in an untenable postion 6 years ago and they laughed in his face! To hell with NATO!

[@definitelyadarkangel9225]

Great Britain's military left their entire stockpile of materiel and vehicles in France after Germany pushed them off the main land. Western Europe has always been remarkably complacent and it's a miracle most of these countries still exist.

[@pvl4600]

@@HackersSun all your allies pay for their protection, you just want more

[@thiamay7927]

​@pvl4600 up until Trumps first term, quite a number of European countries were not hitting their 2% goals.... big whoop their hitting it now... their finally paying the current bills, bit what about all the years they didn't pay their share? Will that ever get paid back into the NATO pool? Or does that just get written off because they're finally paying their actual bills now?

[@ItsNova816]

As an American, it often feels Europeans enjoy (and brag about) cushy social nets and programs because they don't have to pay for their own defense. Meanwhile all the money we spend defending Europe comes out of our pockets. I absolutely believe in standing up against Russia, but the effort needs to be mutual, not single-sided.

[@ATLmodK]

They are definitely different budget items. I doubt that one cancels out the other. And we as Americans should be ashamed of not providing health care for all citizens. It could be done without destroying our defense funding which should be audited thoroughly. It is way too high to just meet our goals,

[@ItsNova816]

@@ATLmodK I agree, however healthcare is just one aspect. Our entire infrastructure is crumbling because we spend heaps of money on taxes, only for a vastly disproportionate amount of it to go to military spending.

[@lindabastable3021]

The effort is actually more European than American. Europe has simply spent the majority of their contributions on everything else, before armaments. Whereas America had huge stocks of (predominantly outdated) armaments, which they have provided in preference to other aid.

[@brandonstrife9738]

​@ATLmodK you should be quiet cause your comment is ducking wrong

[@ATLmodK]

@@brandonstrife9738 And your proof is….?

[@amarured]

As a German the level of agreement and utter frustration I felt during this video is immeasurable!

[@Melior_Traiano]

Same here bro. Es ändert sich einfach Nichts...

[@sheikhzaman]

A Brit here. Agree 100%. Don’t understand why we 27 (28) countries can’t protect ourselves

[@louiscypher4186]

​@@sheikhzaman Because you rejected nationalism. Militaries are by their nature a Nationalist venture. You're not going to get a robust military by electing people who reject those ideals. It is only now with the emergence of a pan European identity that you're starting to get politicians who take things seriously.

[@hermes7587]

@@sheikhzaman Very simple: Devided resposibility is no responsibility at all. Everybody was assuming that somebody else will fix it...

[@txrx1060]

Hoffentlich wird Fritze besser als Olaf

[@BadSensation]

As a german this is beyond frustrating. We had the big fat red flag in 2014 and then had leaders who were incredibly incompetent and actually made germany weaker. Maybe now, that the pathetic current government is splitting up we can get someone who actually understands the role of defence and military power.

[@eksbocks9438]

I know how that feels. Some people are always expecting somebody else to bail them out. Which is frustrating for people who want to be productive. But don't have the money or social connections to do it.

[@philipptrebus]

Yeah, 2014 the CDU was in power - guess who will win again the next election? What what makes you think it can change under them now suddenly after decates of doing nothing?

[@Benson_aka_devils_advocate_88]

Expect a lot of Russian money flooding your elections to keep the chaos going. That's what happened in America.

[@ilyakrivorotov2491]

Not incompetent - corrupt. Putin purchased them for peanuts. This is the quality of people leading your country.

[@JuicyJesus420]

Are you blaming the current government for what happened 2014, back when Germany had an entirely different government? The current "pathetic" government is that one that first changed course from Germany's lazy, pacifist ways. The next Chancellor is likely to be from the party that was *actually* responsible Germany's military weakness and dependence on russia, and think that's gonna be better? Please help me understand

[@ikcikor3670]

Poland over here: "Say no more."

[@richardkimpel6142]

Go Get Yourself Some *Little European Texas*!!!

[@robynsnest8668]

Niech Zyje Polska

[@robynsnest8668]

​@@richardkimpel6142HLC!!!!!

[@Janoip]

yes and no their biggest problem as for years they make big public framework agreements with big numbers of possible orders but dont activate all of them + the financing problems like now with South korea that dont want to give them more financing of new orders that they pay off before the state of the older ones is negotiated . And the lack of domestic defense industry (but its at least growing) and for some depending on political position the lack of cooperation in many plans or not buying european systems, just going in big part on USA ones, like Himars even so the same company also makes in cooperation with Rheinmetall GMARS or the other Europuls that other European countries buy to increase interoperability, boost domestic production, knowledge share+ In Nato or Eu Poland has no Multinational Brigades with Germany & only some with others, on the opposite would be Czech, Netherlands, Germany, France, GB. And that PIS was long in Power, that worked sort of against EU+ goals or Defense integration Programms, beeing in almost no European Multinational System dvelopment, buoding program +++ But i guess the big US buying will like last time bring + points at Trump US so.. Not to say they dont do alot of to upgrade and increase their military

[@Artificial-Stupidity]

@@ikcikor3670 Poland has seen 'The Russian Federation' for what it was right from the get go, most of European leadership was not interested in Poland's frequent incessant warnings. And here we are today... 😐

[@Gnomezonbacon]

American here, huge fan of what Poland is doing. The British, French and Germans? They're not being good friends to the US right now. The Montana voter is right to feel taken advantage of and to be unhappy about that. They need to get their crap together.

[@CoreysCards]

The same nations rife with critics of US defense spending are the ones that rely on the US to subsidize nearly 100% of their defense. Weak allies are just enemies with a smile on their face.

[@owen368]

This Englishman knows what you mean most of the ordinary people in the UK and across Europe I suspect are fed up with wishy washy spineless politicians that have gutted our millitary budgets and then sqandered the money on horse crap policies. Getting a good leader elected has become an up hill battle against the woke left infecting everything.

[@j.celgoog3275]

Uk, France and Germany are the poodles of USA, what the hell are you talking about ?

[@lector-dogmatixsicarii1537]

@@j.celgoog3275 Internationalist bankers* and just about every recognized nation, and not, are.

[@sergiodiaz2725]

@@j.celgoog3275The average voter in the US is not part of the Washington mafia. Frankly, as a young man of draft age I’d rather go to prison for 20 years than fight for a country and people foreign to me, and friends of my age group think the same.

[@Myname-cb9ru]

As an Italian, it's not lack of political will from politicians. It's from citizens. When I talk to those around me it's infuriating, they say that if Poland the Baltics are invaded, it's not our problem. They say what happens beyond the alps is not our problem. It's also the total and crippling pacifism, buying a single tank is decried, a university working with a defense company to design vehicles? Weeks of protests, it's so tiring. They can't see beyond their nose.

[@unyieldingsarcasm2505]

Do yall not teach ANY history over there in the boot? "not our problem" was forever burned away as a rational thought after ww1 and 2.

[@Szyszka-df6xh]

Wankers.

[@mikehunt3420]

I agree with you but the idea of sending sons to fight in foreign wars is as pervasive a thought as ever. We have the same issue here in the states. “That isnt our problem” or “why are we sending billions overseas and not helping our americans” etc etc

[@ericp1139]

And they’re right, it’s not their problem.

[@keso_de_bola1750]

This is honestly not an isolated case. Every citizen of a majority of any countries have this "it's not our problem" mindset. This is coming from someone who's from Southeast Asia.

[@abraham2172]

As a european, I am absolutely *furious* with the european governments (except you Finland and Poland, youre doing great), especially the German. The amount of mental acrobatics these absolute buffoons have done to not having to spend anything on defense (and instead use the money to buy expensive votes from entitled retirees) is mind boggling. If youre interested, look into the whimsical concept of "Wandel durch Handel" (change through trade), the lovely idea that aggressive dictatorships will eventually turn into peace loving democracies if you only listen to them nicely and make business with them.

[@sagipisti123]

Add Hungary to the mix, they've been doing amazing as well 💪

[@blahblahboii]

Appeasement 2.0. Because it worked so well the first time.

[@jorgebarriosmur]

We have been nailing for decades into the german (and japanese) youth that the use of force (or even the threat of its use) was unacceptable on their part. You can`t expect them to change a mindset that was established and promoted for several generations BY THE WHOLE WEST. We can`t count on Germany for this. It will take them a lot of time (or a live-changing catastrophy) to change something that has been rooted into their collective behaviour since they learn there first words.........

[@abraham2172]

@@kinginyellow1490 Ah yes, now its the evil Americans who selfishly turned russia into a near-facist, warmongering rogue state, right? Always those Americans, all of europe could live togther happily and peacefully under the iron fist of russia- I mean, in perfect harmony of course, right? The russian ministry of propaganda couldnt have said it better themselves.

[@yeedbottomtext7563]

@@blahblahboiipeople love throwing around the appeasement word but you’re basing this off a historical sample size of 1.

[@_Devil]

Outsourcing the existence of your entire nation to a country that's becoming increasingly more Isolationist has to be the most European Moment of all time lmfao

[@1320crusier]

As an outsider it very much looks like Europe sees itself as above that silly 'war' stuff.

[@dr.watsonipresume]

It's also the most American thing of all time. Go look at the library under "C" for "China" - the country who literally owns 99% of the United States manufacturing capabilities.

[@karal_the_crazy]

@@dr.watsonipresume we import more from Mexico than china.

[@zephyroX24]

Hence the reason trump wants to reintroduce terrifs. Needs to make manufacturing in the US more profitable so they come back instead of outsourcing to cheaper Asian countries

[@chuch541]

​@@dr.watsonipresumenonsense 😂

[@curious6652]

Bravo, Bravo!! Well done. I hope there are many in Europe that listen and take action.

[@redofdeathGR]

Greece spends more than 3.5% of its GDP on defence despite being on the edge of economic collapse for the past 10-15 years. You're welcome, and you can thank Erdogan for that.

[@jorgebarriosmur]

Was going to say that. They don`t do it because Putin, they do it because Erdogan...... but hey, it still counts, regardless of the reason

[@apokkalyps6]

Pack erdogan, putin, kim and khamenei in a one way trip to mars

[@hamzamahmood9565]

This proves that Western Europeans can absolutely afford to do it, they just choose not to

[@cwj2733]

@@apokkalyps6xi too

[@2PumpSquirtU]

​@@apokkalyps6. You forgot Trump. He will prove himself to be far more destructive than four you've mentioned. This will not be a simple continuation of his first term. Relying on us in any regard for the next four years, at a minimum, will be costly for anyone reading this. The loons have taken over the asylum.

[@benb-gh3uo]

As an American, I have found it ridiculous how much Europe has relied on the US not just because of Russia but because why would you rely on another country to defend YOU. France and Britain and many other countries which once had proud militaries need to be strong again and not rely on the fellas across the pond for support.

[@mutkaluikkunen3926]

Do you know why Germany, for example, relies so much on US aid? Because it was FORCED to do so after WW2. So much so that it has become the norm. Germany has under heavy restrictions on how big forces it could wield and what kind of weaponry. To compensate that, US offered to fill the gap left in the defense. Now, decades later, the US is bitching about the results of those limitations.

[@isaiahmayle4706]

Its their whole philosophy. Sure they live near some of the most dangerous people on earth and war has ravaged Europe since it was started but GUNS? DEFENSE!? That's wildly offensive of you to even bring up. Shooting bad guys is w-w-wascist.

[@benb-gh3uo]

@ fr- it’s not wrong to defend yourself

[@stephennelson4954]

As Americans we have a hard time getting into their headspace because the last real war fought on our soil ended in 1865. Europeans are traumatized by war. Where you and I can be gung-ho about fighting and defense expenditures and guns, a militarized Europe conjures back up all the horrors of war, not just the Nazis but of trenches and gas. We never had to experience in our lifetimes all the men in our families going to war and none of them coming back. WW1 was the death of European Imperialism and the ‘dream’ of Imperial Europe. The conditions for that death took two generations to create. WW2 was a war fought in the nihilistic aftermath of that conflict. The answers many Europeans took from that war is that to be masters of their own defense is to be susceptible to madness. I think this might be one of the key reasons why those in the old world speak so harshly of the new. Apologies for the text wall.

[@benb-gh3uo]

@@stephennelson4954 nah ur good- I suppose I can see where you're coming from with that but unfortunately for the Europeans, a (potential) invading force is right on their doorstep which has suffered the same grueling fights as the rest of the continent- if they want to try and stop another war from happening, being prepared and intimidating Putin (which I do not believe can be achieved with diplomatic means due to how inefficient the UN was in stopping the war)- if Europe arms and shows Putin they will fight back if he attacks, then they can win without even fighting (idk where the money would come from but i digress)

[@roy6907]

The fact that “Europe Needs to Wake Up. Fast” is still a viable topic 3 years into war and 8 years since Trump originally pointed out all of its shortcomings proved Trump right. Us Americans have nothing but respect for Eastern NATO where Poland has really stepped up to the challenge, but Western NATO continues to disappoint. It’s evident that Western NATO will always be weak willed and leech off of American power all while complaining about how unfair it is.

[@jrspringston]

Eastern Europe knows they're first on Putin's list if he pushes anymore West. I bet if the tables were geographically turned, western Europe would be a little more motivated. You're right about Trump making the right call calling them out because countries not putting their 2.5% GDP into NATO yet still having a say in all the pet projects is wild

[@Letyourcolorsblendwithmine]

Trouble is, Europe has nothing but contempt for America. We've bailed Europe out of two world wars. I for one will not take part in the third.

[@pierman4858]

I completely agree we in Western Europe need to invest way more in defense. But we should also stop spending that money in the US if you are not willing to come to Europe's aid in case of war. That was always the deal and if Trump breaks it then fine, we will invest money at home. Which honestly makes more sense to begin with. Just most of Europe does't have nukes. We will need them if the US pulls out completely. I am not sure how much you like this scenario because it greatly diminishes America's power. But for us in Europe it would be the best course of action.

[@roy6907]

@ Of course as an American I’d rather the world be reliant on my country. We gain a lot from it. But it’s just sad to watch Europe continue to need to rely on what was only a few colonies 300 years ago across the ocean to protect them. Yalls leaders need to have some pride for Christ sake. Russias GDP is 2 Trillion at best. NATO is 45 Trillion. There is no excuse that the rest of NATO can’t step up their defense industries and militaries.

[@rooroo_7]

@@pierman4858not being in NATO doesn’t mean America wouldn’t aid Europe in a time time of war, and that’s absurd. Trump literally just asked you to meet the goals outlined in NATO regulations. At some point Americans have to look out for our own self interests, and the Biden administration led to a decline in our national security and local economies. Don’t be mad at Americans for making a decision for ourselves, we’ve shared a lot over the years. Most of us want Europe to succeed and will always see you as our closest allies. It is most of our native lands after all. We want Europe to be proud again and be self sufficient, just like we want for our own nation.

[@daxisperry7644]

As an American, it has been fascinating watching the groups in my country that say America’s military is bloated and we need to stop empire building and get out of other nations, are now jumping on the idea of going to war with Russia because they invaded a country. Every country should have some level of military and civilian arms to help protect themselves.

[@paco1022]

“are now jumping on the idea of going to war with Russia because they invaded a country” why are u saying it like it’s an everyday occurrence that happens ?? a literal invasion of a country ??? this is some shit people did in the 1700s not in the modern age. this is unacceptable and should not be tolerated

[@wrestlinganime4life288]

Europe though they could achieve peace without tension and violence with Putin ,nope

[@domlosurdo3432]

​​@@wrestlinganime4life288Europe has been breaking treaty agreements and forming alliances with Russia's closest neighbors. How is that "without tension"

[@thecoexistingrepublican6]

@@wrestlinganime4life288Russia is an enemy the west created, NATO should have never expanded past Germany, most of you are hypocrites who just pretend that you’ve done nothing wrong and Russia wasn’t provoked into war, the CIA funded an uprising in Ukraine because they wanted to loosen the connection between Ukraine and Russia despite East Ukraine having plenty of Russians living there who were abandoned by the new Ukrainian government.

[@ramanchaudhary2518]

It seems those that will not be joining the front lines are the most enthusiastic about war with Russia

[@knobjob2839]

"Europe is that deadbeat friend who just got kicked off the couch." Nailed it

[@BedanTV]

Europe was devstated twice by 2 world wars... US was not hit by it in the slightest. We had to rebuild. US lost troops and equipment. But nothing in the US was destroyed... was it?

[@KingChronicX.2]

Well said

[@anthonybraden157]

Their our partner who traded security for compliance. We can begin expecting Europe to start doing what they want instead of following America like they have been. More free radicals in international geopolitics is not a good thing.

[@noahgray543]

​@@anthonybraden157yeah, except when have they been following the US? Germany buddying up with Putin and buying his gas, bending over for China in the Mediterranean, let's not even talk about France's policies in Africa... Nevermind the shouted warnings, us Americans are just hicks who could never understand how giving your biggest enemies economic power over you can *never* backfire.

[@majestichotwings6974]

@@anthonybraden157right because Europe listening to America has worked out so damn well for them so far. You say having an independent thinking European continent is a bad thing but I disagree, at least if Europeans took their own security seriously, they wouldn’t be blindsided by a hostile Russia and inward looking America. I’d much rather have a Europe that can stand on it’s own feet than one that comes begging for help when anything bad happens, I as an American don’t want other nations states to be our vassals, that only hurts them and ultimately hurts us as well.

[@AG3n3ricHuman]

Europe: "Stop being a world police!" US: "OK" Europe: "Wait, what?"

[@comradeLucienne]

when has "europe" ever said this

[@AG3n3ricHuman]

@@comradeLucienne Last time the US was "OK" 😜

[@comradeLucienne]

@@AG3n3ricHuman i don't get what you mean. i've never heard of europe criticizing the us for much of anything, especially not its foreign policy.

[@tom.m]

​@@comradeLucienne Welcome back from your decades of isolation in the mountains!

[@fredmertz1791]

​@comradeLucienne what do you think NATO is ??? America funds 100 percent of NATO.. You clowns are supposed to reimburse us. That makes us the world police.. Because we pay the bills.

[@justxjoshin]

As an American citizen I can probably say this for most of us, Europe's safety was not on our minds when we were voting. We were/are more worried about our own nation. I am glad to hear European citizens do not act like most of their "leaders" and want to stand on your own. Godspeed to you all.

[@SkyrimCartographer]

That's the problem though. Average Americans think only of themselves but we also are casting long shadows on the world with our votes whether we like it or not. I had progress and security on my mind when I voted, as I know that if Ukraine falls the rest of Europe is open to attack. And guess where the US will be when inevitably a war for Europe breaks out again?

[@aaronlandis7929]

​@@SkyrimCartographerWhy on Earth would Russia invade western Europe? They don't have the people or resources to take that territory let alone hold it.

[@Cynthesis21]

@@SkyrimCartographer How can you even go down the thought process of "the rest of Europe is open to attack"? Russia will not invade any NATO countries, and they don't have any reason to anyway. They also do not have anywhere near the military ability to do such a thing... It's a silly thought. It doesn't sound like you understand the Ukraine/Russia war at all.

[@Steve-kb7dd]

​@SkyrimCartographer bro our economy has tanked and our infrastructure is crumbling while we send our taxes to help other countries with immigration at unmanageable levels, all the while Europeans spat on Americans like we're a lesser country. I say pull out and defend ourselves, let NATO figure it out.

[@williamhenry8914]

It's fine to worry about your own nation first and foremost, that's every nation's own perogative. Though if the US isn't interested in foreign affairs anymore, it's probably time it stepped down from the positions of leadership it holds internationally. One or the other is fine, but not both.

[@Hispanialegionary]

Having another country protect you imo is insane and not letting your own people arm themselves is also insane

[@sgebert]

As a Pole I want to say we are in a real growing need of a German voice in all of this. The silence is becoming a concern for us, given the context (Schroder, Nord Stream, wilkkommen politics etc.). We seriously do not understand what is and has been going on when it comes to your country's european politics. Russia has made it's move, Poland's position is clear. Deutschland wo bist du?

[@MySamurai77]

They are still traumatized from fighting USSR in WW2. The thought of fighting another war with Russia is against everything they have tried to build since WW2, it would be like admitting it was all for nothing.

[@buddy1155]

I dare to bet that Germany is deeply infiltrated by Russia, much deeper than "we" currently assume. Look at everything they do, it is the absolute minimum of the minimum. Their support started with blankets! They really had to sent the Marders because these were already replaced, the small amount of Leopards was only after insane pressure. We all know what Germany is capable of if they really want to.

[@frankschaeffer8153]

They told a young man that wearing a German flag pin was inappropriate in the Reichstag. Need I say more?

[@hermes7587]

As a German I would say: "Wissen wir nicht!" (We don´t know!) The current chancellor Scholz has been a massive disappointment for his lack of leadership but you have to keep in mind that the other choices in 2021 weren´t great either. It is currently quite difficult to judge which party will actually do the right thing after the next election in February 2025. It is highly likely that Friedrich Merz, the head of CDU will become the next chancellor but it is difficult to say what the next government will look like. We have right-wing and left-wing populists that are very friedly towards Moscow and that might occupy up to 1/3 of the seats in parliament. This will force the parties in the center into a new coalition government that will have similar issues as the last one. Mr. Merz has talked a lot about supporting Ukraine but nobody really knows whether he will be an effective leader. He did not hold any public office for almost two decades but instead worked for the investment company Blackrock (which is a big red flag to me). He is also quite old already (will turn 70 next year). An interesting side note is that some of the strongest advocates for the support Ukraine actually come from the Green party (which had some of it´s roots in the peace movement). Our current minister of defence Pistorius also appears to be a capable man but he has to fight against thirty years of neglect and underfunding.

[@izayaorihara7059]

The conscious German sees Russia as a (through resources) necessary and (geopolitical) beneficial partner, as we can't put our trust into american and similarly European hands. With Trump in office the needlessly stretched war will probably end weeks within his second term. The EU sees Germany as cashcow, through our politicians decision this economic well of taxes is ceasing and with it the opinion other EU nations hold of Germany. The fact is that the EU establishment only wants leadership positions and German money we (probably) can't provide in the future. The most logical step would be the leave the EU and create a new economic zone with Germany in its center. This however won't happen, as other EU states would probably make their own free trade zones excluding and taxing German imports. Simple fact is that Germany has a very bad reputation, because of history, because of our current politicians and their "ideas" and us slowly ceasing the money well. I can't see a strong future for us in the EU. There is too much animosity, anti Russian and pro American propaganda that will not benefit Europe but divide it, strengthening local identity and hostility alike. So, to answer your question succinctly: we don't agree with all your point, want to help in those we agree but are unable to because our bureaucracy and politicians will pull us down to ruin. We have to many internal issues.

[@Artificial-Stupidity]

You tell them Simon! No more feet dragging, no more bartering. Leadership has been gambling with our security for almost 20 years now, stop whimpering, turn the dial to eleven so we can all sleep at night.

[@dalogan7290]

Simon is a queen drama lol

[@henria.277]

Stupid comments and a stupid video from people who have no ideas about what goes on behind the scenes.

[@OneInchStiff]

Yet snother ambiguous opinionated comment with zero context. Hope that split second of supererority felt good lmao @@henria.277

[@pro163]

as a german we have. WE store UR Bases UR Men and UR Rockets dont play like we ve been sleeping. Amarica has taken us in his grip. Dont forget that. Easy to point fingers when u have no clue

[@kumiq17]

Tbh this is exactly part of the reason why so many people voted for Trump. It became clear the US was carrying NATO and the US wasn't really getting enough out of it from the side of a US citizen. Yes for the military it had more power projection and more ability then anyone else but that does not matter to us or help the economy

[@tracym8952]

As an American, Poland has made me proud of our relationship. The new winged hussars are awesome.

[@BackYardScience2000]

Ah Poland. The European Texas.

[@BoschhammerActual]

Also as an American trump voter Poland is awesome. One of the few nations that makes me genuinely happy to live in a NATO country

[@anguscampbell1533]

@@BoschhammerActual Ukraine is doing better...

[@michaelpelzek8882]

​@@anguscampbell1533Obviously nobody in the US cares about Ukraine...

[@archmageofmetal8883]

WHEN THE WINGED HUSSARS ARRIVED!!!!!

[@westacheny4162]

As an American, watching Europe is very frustrating. In many ways, you guys are the parent nations of America. To watch you resign yourselves to some weird form of hospice where you just slowly let yourselves die is painful. I think all Americans would agree we love Europe and we want to see you continue But we do not want to be responsible for defending countries that seem to not even want to exist

[@angelmartins9818]

Unfortunetly, 'we' the people don't have much of a choise. You have like 35% of people with a good head that know what is happening around us, and want change and improvement, but then you have the other 65% being brainwashed by the left tv and media, which makes it extremely difficult for any type of change to occur in Europe... At last, this year there's been some changes... but not nearly enough...

[@mistercrow1983]

As a Brit, I totally agree. Europe should not be the US' responsibility.

[@SwissK31mk18]

“Warships forcibly upgraded to submarines” Genius.

[@scottnolan2833]

I’m an American who served in US forces in Europe, and I agree. Europe should always have been standing on its own two feet. We would love to see a strong Europe defending itself so we don’t have to. The US is not going to abandon Europe or NATO. But a new generation quite rightly wants our allies to do more for themselves. Personally, I agree with Simon completely.

[@alp3274]

Do you really think Trump will pull out of NATO? I just can't imagine that ever happening. I'm also an American, and I agree with you and Simon btw

[@WinnieThePugh]

@@alp3274 Everything is on the table with DJT. We can assume pretty well what his policies will be in the US but foreign relations have never been what he's good at

[@alp3274]

​@@WinnieThePughVery true, but I really think (maybe I just really hope) that he wouldn't do anything like that. I think we need Europ on our side. I don't see the war in Ukraine ending on his first day in office either.

[@clarkecorvo2692]

@@WinnieThePugh it is not, im 99,9% certain of it. being the big boy of nato is a HUGE part of their international power base, the whole "pulling out of nato" discussion is ridiculous.

[@tm-qi4vy]

Trump will vindictively leave NATO almost exclusively because of selfishness, the NATO leaders think he is pompous and low intellect. We just put a guy in power that will do things for the sole reason of personal grudge. Be ready for america to have no real allies left, just nations scared of the monster holding the gun to their face.

[@airborneranger-ret]

During the 1st Trump presidency, Trump warned a European conference that Germany's reliance on Russian gas was a weakness. The German "kids" laughed at him. Anyone ever check up on those folks?

[@redlt194]

They giggled like schoolgirls.

[@michaeldowson6988]

Trump had to be told what to say though. He didn't figure that out by himself. America buys tons of energy from Canada besides.

[@GenZ99-p7u]

​@@michaeldowson6988but was he not correct?

[@pogolas]

So USA’s politics didn’t contributed to Russia-Ukraine war?

[@timon20061995]

He said a lot of things,it’s like Alex Jones saying lot of shit and if only one right then supporters will remember one right and forget all the wrong stuff like never happened.

[@alecb3332]

Make Europe 🌍 Great Again!

[@thatfatman6978]

As a deadbeat, that comment about getting kicked off my friends couch kind of hurt.

[@tealkerberus748]

I hope your friends are better friends to you than nations are to each other.

[@KK-bm4mf]

Keep your head up

[@brianwoodbridge88]

@thatfatman6978 good! Sounds like your friends care about you enough to give you a kick! Get off your ass! You can do it! Standing on your own is so incredibly fulfilling!

[@GenZ99-p7u]

Get a job and pay child support!

[@Integritys_Sum]

​@@GenZ99-p7uNo. (I don't have a child.)

[@HotdogWaterOG]

The people of post WW2 Europe would be utterly confused by what’s been allowed to happen. I’m sure they thought never again.

[@garmrbanalras2579]

As a Norwegian who knows my WW2 history. With how government in the decades leading up to the German invasion. Cut military spending and put all their eggs in the neutrality basket. The way we've been defunding our military in the last few decades. Feels eerly familiar.

[@bb5979]

This is nothing like WW2.

[@cykkm]

@@bb5979 Yet.

[@O5-15.]

​@@garmrbanalras2579Det e veldig syn og se ka politikerne I oslo driv på med

[@GoDLiKeKakashi]

Considering that post WW1 conditions are exactly what lead to the policy of appeasement, I'm gonna press X to doubt. People don't want to deal with a massive war so practically any other alternative is preferable.

[@agustintellez136]

"Russia invades europe" "Europe does nothing" "Europe" THIS IS AMERICAS FAULT.

[@NOBSUS5150]

😂😂😂 so true!

[@KolnFriedChicken]

Nobody blames the US for this conflict also Europe is not under attack. But the USA did actually help denuclearize the Ukraine in the Budpest Memorandum. Ukraine had to give up sovijet times nuclear warheads to Russia and Russia adhere to respect Ukraine sovereignty in its borders of 1991. The US pushed towards this step because of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons so they do have a responsibilty here. Not towards 'Europe' or the EU but towards Ukraine.

[@twentysecondcenturywoman]

@@KolnFriedChickenthe United States was forced to BY EUROPE. If they weren’t held hostage by bullies they wouldn’t have to meddle in Europe’s business when they’re on a completely different continent. This is literally all of Europe’s fault for not taking control of their own continent.

[@KolnFriedChicken]

@@twentysecondcenturywoman Sorry but that's just nonsense. The US doesn't have nine carry groups, USCOMs on every continent in the world and AFBs in Europe, SK, Australia or on own territory like Guam because they were forced to... Exerting global military dominance is US foreign policies since after WWII. They were forced by no one and they did profit a lot from global entities like WTO, probably more than any other country in the world. They designed the trade policies in place for the last decades and they enforced them with a military that can be deployed anywhere in the world and still establish superiority.

[@freedomfighter22222]

Europe is literally the most rapidly militarizing world power and has been for the past 3 years, It is also far stronger militarily than Russia already(larger army, larger airforce and larger navy), so I don't know what people are pushing Europe having to "rearm" for. Europe spends much more on its military than Russia does, including by PPP and has done so for the past 30 years. Europe absolutely is able to defend itself, Russia failed to topple Ukraine with its 300k military and you think Russia would pose a threat to the 1.5m Europe had at the time? Europe is also doing far more than USA in this conflict, and I look forward to seeing America having to go it without aid from the second largest military power in the world in the "US problem" war with China...

[@jayy5903]

We are good with Europe standing on their own because we use that money saved on our own people here in the USA.

[@lector-dogmatixsicarii1537]

"Own people" is defined as "into the pockets of internationalists while we feel good about moldy crumbs".

[@JohnDoe-bh2lp]

@@lector-dogmatixsicarii1537 You europeans have no resources, becoming less dependent on America and rearming would mean more exploitation of Africa for military applications.

[@pjhgerlach]

Dutchman here. Totally agree. Europe needs real leaders and not these softies who are now at the helm.

[@markhellings4203]

After but Wilders is not it. The (far)-right wants you to belief that they are strong leaders but Will be the first one to lay on their back for putin

[@mutkaluikkunen3926]

We need Adam Hipler at the helm to see things getting done.

[@Rkolb2798]

Good advice Simon , we will immediately set up a committee to decide what committee should be set up to debate the issue .

[@velvetine74]

Literally!

[@noahgray543]

Have you made sure to check with the various enviormental protection agencies first? Also, the Paris office is on strike.

[@bjammin187]

Shouldn’t you engage in consultation first? No need to be so hasty.

[@annacatarina4310]

I think you need to get approval from Den Haag first and coordinate with Geneva

[@sirsurnamethefirstofhisnam7986]

Hang on one second! Where’s your 500 page report on the viability of setting up a committee to investigate the possibility of a debate about the issue?

[@GeofftheIronwolf]

Sad part is Trump told Europe to start rearming as soon as 2018 with his NATO requirements. Europe thought he was crazy. Not so much anymore I'd say.

[@disalazarg]

Saddest part is that they thought he was crazy even though Russia invaded and annexed Crimea in 2014, Georgia in 2008 and Chechnya in 1999.

[@drbuckley1]

Trump isn't crazy; he's dangerous. Big difference.

[@sonneh86]

Trump didn't come up with that. Obama already said the same

[@incurableromantic4006]

He warned them not to base their economy off Russian gas - and they literally laughed at him. The hubris is staggering.

[@m.sutton04]

Because 2% of GDP never was a requirement and it still isn't. It was a recommendation. A recommendation mostly aimed at the larger nations like Poland, Germany, Britain & France (and a few others). Let's be realistic. Belgium won't all of a sudden become a military juggernaut because it's spent an extra .5% of its GDP on defence.

[@Krunch-i7v]

I'm an American I don't wanna pay for your defense it's fucking expensive and my politicians use it as excuse to get rich. Your goal sounds like it will make both of us happy

[@angelmartins9818]

Neither do "we" the people.... But unfortunetly for all of us, the greedy corporations and politicians are the ones who choose, not us.

[@benjamin1366]

Dude, I couldn't agree more! I don't understand how we Europeans put all our eggs in one basket and hoped that a Country with its own significant problems would always have our backs. It's so stupid. No sane person would do this in finance, but our politicians think this is a good idea.

[@purebloodstevetungate5418]

Read the history of Bretton Woods System and the creation of Nation Endowment of Democracy google Minnect Mike Benz for more in depth explanations.

[@mr.x3933]

We would love to always have your back when the going gets tough too. But like you said, we have issues here too. We need to spend money and time on ourselves and not just being world police. All it does is get us mocked anyways.

[@jeffersonclippership2588]

​@@mr.x3933 Oh yes, poor poor us having all of Europe buy into our military industry and allow us to project power using their territory

[@funkeyfreddy]

We will always have your back. We are just tired of having your front too. You should be the security leaders in your own continent and equal partners in other regions. Europe is rich and strong. I believe you can do it.

[@doomguy4945]

And it aggravates so many moderates here. I don't think these EU/NATO countries realize how much they affected our election just by proving how one-sided this NATO relationship is. It was an issue that was brought up even before 2022, but any moderates that were still on the fence about staying in NATO now have years of real-life examples that our NATO allies cannot be counted on, and that even a war on their doorstep--with the main enemy of NATO--isn't enough to make these countries wake up. It legitimately feels like the only thing that gets through to NATO is the US leaving, and at this point, it's hard for Americans to even make an argument for staying.

[@WanderingMiqo]

I strongly dislike Trump, and never voted for him, but he's 100% right about European nations not doing enough for their continent or NATO. You guys should have stepped in around 2014 when Putin initially invaded Ukraine. The fact that NOW you're all panicking shows how lenient Europeans have gotten. America should have been there to help, as should all democracy-loving countries when one of their smaller nations get attacked, but Europe has been slacking for decades.

[@Iron883Man]

@@WanderingMiqo we should have told Bush, Clinton and Obama off when they started meddling in Ukraine long before 2014. Poetin would not have been a problem if we had politicians that stould up to warhawks trying to gain acces to a country for his buddies in the oil and gass industry. I do like Trump as a European. But he's wrong when he says Ukraine is our problem. It's Obama's mess, only made possible because off our weak politicians. The EU had over 20 years of good economic relations with Russia until Obomer got in office and tried to sell Ukraine off to Exxon and others of his 'buddies'.

[@artonio5887]

Many in europe, including me feared Trump getting elected. And I still don't like him or his foreign policy, I don't like that he plans on pulling the plug like this, at such a critical time. It's incredibly dangerous. But I agree with you, if anything, the one good thing about him getting elected is that it might finally push our burocrats to take action.

[@parvizdeamer]

Democracies really dropped the ball in 2014

[@jeffk1485]

@@artonio5887 In a world where you're independent, you wouldn't care who our President is.

[@wumi2419]

​@@parvizdeamerI guess sanctioning Russia and sending NATO officers and equipment to Ukraine wasn't enough then, but it suddenly is now?

[@answerman9933]

Angela Merkel is the best chancellor Russia has ever had.

[@dennisnguyen8105]

Trump beat her by a wide margin. Greatest Russian sleeper agent ever.

[@Lunch2391]

nope that was Schröder

[@apokkalyps6]

​@@Lunch2391the competition is tough. I don't know if to laugh or cry

[@youoweme5forreadingthisnam535]

I almost went in on you but then I reread your comment 😂

[@Kamamura2]

Nope, that was Adolf Hitler.

[@bigsmiler5101]

Wow! I've never heard it stated so Clearly, so Strongly. I'm a retired US military officer. This is a video I'll be sending to people, something I rarely do.

[@KipC-Sway]

As a U.S citizen I appreciate you giving a European perspective on our election. Can't speak for others but I personally find it interesting hearing different perspectives.

[@badluck5647]

America is a laughing stock for electing a felon who attempted a coup.

[@Someone-z8r]

Agreed. I know most of us Americans HATE hearing opinions outside of their own echo chamber but outside opinions provide insight.

[@peerfant7210]

I'd contend that that's not European perspective but Western European perspective. Edit: finished it - it's actually closer to EE perspective than I thought.

[@badluck5647]

A coup-attempting felon as president. America is a joke.

[@andrejmaslo5056]

@@peerfant7210 at least my social bubble here in Slovakia shares this perspective and Slovakia is anything but western european country

[@andrecruz1965]

"Si vis Pacem , para bellum". People must remember, we don't prepare because we want to fight. We prepare because we don't want to.

[@Low_commotion]

Military spending deters rather than invites war. I can see why a certain type of person would find that aesthetically repellant and morally un-idealistic, but it is true nonetheless. Better to be brutish in one's actions leading to an idealistic peace, than to sleepwalk with elegant pacifism into ugly conflict. The whole strategy of doing business with Putin to liberalize him was the latter (the same as our mistake with the CCP).

[@ReySchultz121]

​@@Low_commotion Ironically that could do 1 of 2 things: -incite the enemy to fight you early, in a rush, unprepared and whatnot. -or effectively dull out the possibility of war.

[@jmmartin7766]

​@@ReySchultz121 Nevil Chamberlain stood in the way of Great Britain's military buildup against Hitler's Germany-- and look what that got them

[@monkemode8128]

@@Low_commotion I think had Europe acted sooner, things could've been much better. Having healthcare and social services is also good for the well-being of a citizen, but so is not being blown up or conquered.

[@TheReturn26]

​@@ReySchultz121The beautiful paradox of it

[@SKSSVT93]

I'm an American that supports sending aid to Ukraine, but come on Europe. I remember Germany laughing at Trump when he said they shouldn't rely on Russian oil. That's one of the few sane things he's ever said.

[@WinnieThePugh]

One of the very few, I think Europe has started to realize that slowly. He sucks at foreign relations but I think a second term with him will be enough for the EU to realize they need their own, independent, defense structure because US politics are out of control

[@johnbox271]

President John F Kennedy brought up the issue... in the early 60's. President Reagan in the 1980's.

[@cercaz]

Trump was also right about : don't approve Nord Stream 2 and tariff China

[@DavidWilliams-ig5ec]

You're half right.

[@tommcd8471]

@@WinnieThePugh He's right about alot of stuff. people just don't like him because hes a bombastic asshole, you need to get over the fact that you don't like him and look at his policies. He's the most peaceful president we've had in a very long time, name a war he started, made worse or screwed up. Can't say the same for any other president in my lifetime(39 years) Don't vote for someone you'd like to have a drink with, vote for the ones that will actually get stuff done and make the lives of their electorate better(that involves caring about the economy more than whatever the college kids are up in arms about)

[@maxdoom3521]

Honestly as an American, I hate that we have to babysit Europe, I totally approve of Europe becoming more independent from the US.

[@BarbarossaK]

As a Turkish citizen, I believe NATO needs to wake up and address its over-reliance on the United States for defense. The US currently contributes around 70% of NATO’s total defense spending, while many European members are still not meeting the 2% GDP defense spending target. This imbalance undermines the core principle of collective security. Recent events near NATO’s borders have shown that without US support, many member states lack the military readiness to act decisively. This isn’t sustainable for an alliance that aims to maintain stability and deter growing threats. If NATO wants to stay credible, all members must share the burden equally. The alliance’s strength depends on the contributions of every member, not just one. It’s time for NATO members to prioritize self-reliance and a stronger collective effort.

[@TheSulross]

The NATO members are glad to let the US suck up the 70% cost and not pay their fair share because they prefer to use that portion of their budget toward their soft communist socialism instead of spending on defense. US taxpayers have, via NATO, been subsidizing European soft communism socialism for decades. Time the US just pull out of this bullsh*t grifter racket all together. The US had ZERO - no less than ZERO - reasons to have anything to do with the Ukraine conflict. Of course Russia doesn't want a NATO member state sitting right against them armed to the teeth with NATO missiles that can strike anywhere in Russia in minutes. It's so damn easy to understand why Russia went all out to prevent the NATO nations from using Ukraine from toppling Russia. A four year old could understand the agenda and what the end-game of the Western megalomaniac war monger-er axis was up to in using Ukraine as their proxy. The clear blue print started being exposed under the Obama administration when it used the CIA to install a puppet president. The fact that Biden's destruction of the gas pipeline and Joe's sanctions leveled on Russia have massively boomeranged is a kind of karma for the European NATO nations - for being so deviously minded to go along with this scheme and then see it blow up in their faces. Without cheap Natural Gas the economy of Germany de-industrializes, and this impacts the surrounding nations that were extensively linked to the German economy. Joe Biden single handled destroyed Europe and its future.

[@freedomfighter22222]

Europe is literally the most rapidly militarizing world power and has been for the past 3 years, It is also far stronger militarily than Russia already(larger army, larger airforce and larger navy), so I don't know what people are pushing Europe having to "rearm" for. Europe spends much more on its military than Russia does, including by PPP and has done so for the past 30 years. Europe absolutely is able to defend itself, Russia failed to topple Ukraine with its 300k military and you think Russia would pose a threat to the 1.5m Europe had at the time? The US makes up 60% of NATO GDP, it doesn't exactly spend vastly more on its military than other NATO countries, it is just simply by good margin the largest economy. European spending with its nearly 30% of NATO spending is still the second largest defence spender in the entire world, comparing it to US spending is entirely an irrelevant metric to whether Europe can defend itself against Russia, which is exactly why it always is compared to its ally instead of potential enemies.

[@DENVEROUTDOORMAN]

​@@freedomfighter22222no Europe are squabbling little girls crying about our politics but having no guts to do what s needed

[@Dagan81]

THANK YOU! It's becoming unsustainable for the U.S. to continue to do what it is doing, given our national debt has reached over $35 trillion.

[@BarbarossaK]

@@freedomfighter22222 You make valid points, but I think it's important to contextualize some of the arguments about European militarization and its ability to defend itself. Here's how I see it: 1. Europe’s Militarization Yes, Europe has been rapidly increasing its military spending, and in relative terms, it is one of the most dynamic regions militarizing recently. However, this surge must be viewed in the context of past underinvestment. Many NATO countries failed to meet their 2% GDP defense spending commitment for years, relying heavily on the U.S. for deterrence and support. The recent increase is partly about catching up to modern defense needs, not just surpassing Russia. 2. Military Strength Comparisons You're right that Europe, as a whole, is far stronger than Russia in terms of GDP, military size, and technological edge. But "Europe" isn't a single unified military force; it's an alliance of sovereign nations with varying priorities, command structures, and political considerations. While the EU has made strides in defense cooperation, achieving operational unity in a crisis might still be challenging. That’s one of the reasons some argue Europe needs to “rearm” or strengthen its cohesion. Also, while Russia failed to topple Ukraine, the war has exposed vulnerabilities in European defense supply chains and readiness. Supporting Ukraine, for example, has strained some NATO members' stockpiles of critical munitions. This isn't about Europe's total capacity but about how quickly it can mobilize those resources for sustained conflict. 3. NATO Spending and U.S. Role It’s true that the U.S. contributes 60% of NATO’s GDP largely because it’s the biggest economy, but the U.S. also spends vastly more in absolute terms than any European nation. European NATO members combined might be the second-largest defense spender globally, but the gap with the U.S. is significant in terms of operational capacity, global reach, and rapid deployment. The comparison between U.S. and European spending isn't irrelevant-it highlights structural dependencies. While Europe can theoretically defend itself against Russia, the transatlantic alliance has historically provided a level of deterrence and strategic depth that individual European states or even the EU collectively can't easily replicate yet. 4. Russia’s Threat While I agree that Russia poses no existential threat to Europe, it still has capabilities that can destabilize the region, particularly in hybrid warfare, cyberattacks, and energy leverage. Europe’s militarization is not just about conventional defense against Russia but also about addressing these asymmetric threats. I think the debate around Europe "rearming" is less about whether it can defend itself against Russia (it clearly can) and more about ensuring it’s prepared to act independently, reduce reliance on the U.S., and handle prolonged or multidimensional conflicts. Europe’s militarization is about reclaiming strategic autonomy while remaining a strong NATO pillar-not an admission of weakness but a necessary adaptation to current geopolitical realities. Wish you a great start to the week!

[@zapoyou2]

Oh my God, I love this video. The European nations deserve the pride and ownership of taking their own security into their own hands.

[@factotums]

Speaking from but not for the voters of rural Michigan, I wholeheartedly agree. If I never have to hear another European soul tell me that American chldren shouldn't have to travel in armored school buses and be escorted between classes by guards with open carry AKs...I will be happy. Don't get me wrong, I like Europe a lot, and I like a handful of Europeans, but the world needs less of the world so embedded in American elections. Also the term 'the west' should be permanently divorced between us. America is a republic that arose as a former colony of Europe and yet it always remains lumped in with them. I could go on, but I know I've already offended the 'u wot m8' crowd and I think I've elaborated enough. Also you never realize how many 'w''s there are in a sentence until you keyboard malfunctions.

[@cte4dota]

You know USA forced war in Ukraine right> ?

[@Kamamura2]

@@factotums Yay, rural michigan, didn't you just put a fascist on your own throne? Now you will find out what poverty really means. Not just in TV, in real life.

[@DezaltOfTheDreg]

​@@Kamamura2Keep crying Europoor

[@cwj2733]

@@Kamamura2he’s not a fascist dude. i don’t understand why you people so vehemently call him an equivalency of mussolini or the other guy. THOSE are fascists. do you even know what fascism is without looking it up? i voted for kamala btw so dont try to lump me in w the reps. you’re just being overdramatic.

[@righthandoftyr947]

As an American, I'm all for this. Much of _our_ security anxiety comes from the lack of peer allies. If we got into a major war with a rival such as China, we'd be very much alone. We'd have plenty of cheerleaders in the diplomatic arena but few of our allies could offer more practical military assistance at any scale beyond the merely symbolic. Or worse, allies that would themselves be under threat that we'd need to help defend, becoming a further drain on already strained resources. Having a strong Europe that could share the burden to some degree would go a long ways towards letting America's defense planners sleep easier at night.

[@phueal]

If you get into a war with China then South Korea and Japan are really not merely symbolic: those are two strong militaries. If you get into a war with Russia then, again, you will have some very strong military allies in Europe, it's just that not all of them are strong...

[@mr.x3933]

⁠​⁠@@phueallol so by logical extension, those ‘allies’ just need to forward tax dollars to the US because they are functionally just territory overseas… got it. So euros still need to pay money back.

[@l3vi23]

​@@mr.x3933no we want them to have a decent military that can hold it's own.

[@mr.x3933]

@@l3vi23 yes thats what im saying. The op is saying that they are essentially allies in the sense that we can field armies in their backyard. They have nothing. No actual fighting means. Just territory for us to occupy without the benefits of actually owning it

[@tomaskinoshta7589]

@@mr.x3933 You have the right idea. Western Europe, S Korea and Japan are not really countries. They are all vassal states of the American Empire.

[@TroaBarton]

See we in America have this thing about the second amendment. The idea is that first responders take upwards of 20 minutes to arrive, far too late when you're getting attacked. The idea then is to protect yourself and your loved ones immediately instead of waiting for help that will arrive too late. We're more than happy to turn up to help but it's better for everyone if you can hold the line until then.

[@randfee]

German here: totally agree, I’m beyond frustrated with Europe’s lackluster defense policy and specifically with us German millennials being told that due to WW1 and 2 we must never try and assume political leadership and that regaining military power in accordance to our technological and economic abilities would mean repeating history. Basically most European countries and the U.S. want us to do it and it would even mean economic growth besides the obvious benefits. It’s shameful! Regards, a German physicist that would be happy to provide Ukraine the long range weapons with enough punch to finally take out the Russian supply lines…. two years ago.

[@charlesiphone5765]

Ye, because the globalists are in power in Europe

[@Ghaztoir]

Whats stopping you from going to ukraine?

[@xX-Frotnite-Player--Xx]

Is this true? You’re taught that German military strength is a recipe for disaster? That seems to neglect all of the historical context of the past 80 years. To say that would be similar to saying that if Britain had a navy to rival the USN, it would start colonising developing nations again.

[@pvtcit9711]

Haha, (saying this with much affection): as someone who's met quite a few German's now, and observed their almost OCD approach to nearly everything even if it involves fun activities, I must chuckle at your comment, imagining the immense frustration you must feel, and also this being the 3rd comment from a German I've read that speaks of their particularly intense frustration haha

[@blairl6304]

Don’t worry my German friend - the young generation is awake to the propaganda demonizing Germany and strong and courageous leadership you had in the 1930’s were defending all of Europe against communism and Bolshevism. As kids we were lied to about WWII, but thanks to the internet younger people have started to awaken to who the true enemy is - the same internationalists a very smart and charismatic leader identified in the 30’s.

[@jamesmasonaltair]

As an American, I believe that a strong Europe is in both our interests. A strong Europe not only will deter Putin, but will contribute to the deterrence of Iran, North Korea, and China. It will free up America to focus on China (the future Province of West Taiwan). A rearmed and militarily powerful Europe is a win-win for us on both sides of the Atlantic. But whether things change or not, America will always defend certain European allies, like the UK, regardless of any other considerations.

[@JustTheTruth-Please]

"But whether things change or not, America will always defend certain European allies, like the UK, regardless of any other considerations." Oh, you sweet summer child.

[@JABN97]

I’m not sure that it would actually be an improvement for the USA. Yes, you’d need less Army troops & Air Force planes in Europe. But for deterring China, you need Marine; Navy ships and Navy Air Force planes. So you can’t directly convert European-based forces into Chinese-opposed forces. Furthermore, over the past 5 decades, (western) European soft power & economic policy has propped up American global power; influence and policies. If Europe becomes militarily independent from the USA, we no longer have a good reason to do so.

[@steveofthewildnorth7493]

Unfortunately, after Jan 20, 2025 there will be no "always defend" for anyone. Unless they've done something beneficial for Twitler, but even then there's always a chance the orange moron will welch.

[@Kamamura2]

You have never defended anything, only came for your share of the spoils AFTER Soviets had Germans on the run.

[@ldncmrr]

​@Kamamura2 what a dumb thing to say.

[@lobehold2263]

Germany was like my last weeks apprentice. Fucked up, pissed a lot of people off, everyone got over it, but he quit cause he thinks he can’t overcome his mistake despite his potential

[@Integritys_Sum]

They didn't fuck up though? lmao just kidding. also kinda not.

[@lobehold2263]

@ depends on perspective huh 😂 in a way you’re not wrong. They went from post world war shit show to top European economy

[@derdetektiv9491]

@@lobehold2263 and back to pre world war shit show... They will probably cause it again too, because migration is a big issue in Europe and that was... tada... MERKEL!

[@lector-dogmatixsicarii1537]

It really helps when the empires controlled by internationalist bankers spent a century propagandizing the people into self hate. Germany is still occupied, and its politics show.

[@BM-bg9fy]

Thank you for this video, I’m glad as an American hearing someone in Europe viewing the upcoming years objectively. And warning is fellow citizens to get serious about their own defense. Much love from America 🇺🇸

[@rodgerbane3825]

This hits the nail on the head and the same thing goes for Canada.

[@connorhilchie2779]

Yup, can confirm as a Canadian. If Eurpoe and us can get our ass in gear we could absolutely be prepared for a war, or at least be more prepared then we are now

[@generaltom6850]

Yeah, the Canadians were vicious in both World Wars. We need some of that bear energy.

[@MisterOcclusion]

Trudope simply needs to borrow a few more tens of billions

[@itzdave1249]

@@connorhilchie2779 Kick Trudeau out finally and vote Pierre!

[@mignik01]

Canada is incapable of doing it. How you gonna rearm? You gonna tax people more?

[@anthonydukamp430]

I dont think we can blame America or Trump for wanting Europe to be able to stand on its own 2 feet and defend itself. Unfortunately for many European leaders it will literally take a Trump threatening to leave tomorrow before they get their act together.

[@badluck5647]

You can blame both for aligning with Putin against Europe

[@augustusalexander5774]

@@badluck5647nah, you Europeans needs to stop leeching off American taxpayer dollars

[@disalazarg]

​@@badluck5647no, you really can't. Not when they aligned themselves against the American public and with the globalist left.

[@drbuckley1]

@@badluck5647 Like Trump, Putin is a white Christian nationalist.

[@kurtwicklund8901]

Sigh. Back in 2014 NATO decided on members meeting the 2% GNP goal by 2024. That is before Trump. That is the same 2% Trump pointed to. In 2018. Six years before the target date. Trump just made noisel.

[@troybailey9524]

Look at Australia, 13th highest military expenditure in the world despite only having 27 million people. You need to do more Europe.

[@Zieg_Games]

Happy to sell yall subs and other equipment.

[@gamedevyoutube3.030]

who THE FUCK is going to invade Australia. Who, like, be for real dawg

[@Zieg_Games]

@ China, they have already been tampering with politicians and processes in Australia.

[@OldWinnieGaming]

@@gamedevyoutube3.030the Chinese have every reason to want to control resource rich Australia. It’s not the first time larger regional powers have coveted Australia.

[@boryman2999]

Dont fuck with the kangaroos, they strong. I saw on wildlife channel

[@TheTruthSeeker756]

Europe has wanted a discounted ride with the US paying a disproportionate share of military protection. They need to pay for their OWN protection

[@jamesmerutka889]

Ah, Poland... The European Texas. So proud of that little guy.

[@berniculus]

@@jamesmerutka889 Texas alone could defeat any European country

[@JonasVilander]

Love Poland(at least the Poland of today), but as a Texan, I like to think the Czech Republic is more the European Texas, it has more guns, and isn't as squeamish about letting their citizens carry them.

[@AdHernandez]

@@JonasVilander carrying guns is no reason to feel proud. It's a stupid thing that only leads to mass shootings and ZERO benefit for the society. In Poland we don't carry guns and don't need them, that's why our cities are safer than anywhere in the USA. If the day came when we need them to defend our land, the government has more than enough of them to defend us.

[@ivanasukjadic1423]

@@JonasVilander And they aren't obsessed with increasing diver city. They understand the value of homogeneity in a society and they actually find their own people beautiful and want to preserve them, as opposed to mixing out.

[@eustacemcgoodboy9702]

@@JonasVilander Czechia (Czech Republic died in 1991), is 98% atheist and to compare it to Texas shows that, well, you're ignorant in a profound way.

[@davidnikoloff3211]

The USA has so many issues to address at home it has become intolerable for many to still behave as though it is 1952. Europe should stand on its own.

[@josephb8268]

Yep the Free Ride is over Europe. The United States has made some bad decisions at home over the years and we must try to fix them.

[@christopherc8563]

​@@josephb8268the free ride? Lmfao. We subjugated the entire planet you moron. Now every country's governance depends on the goodwill of us so that we can extract their resources and or labor in exchange for not couping them You act like we do this s*** out of the goodness of our heart like Ukraine doesn't owe us mad money for all the weapons we sent them alot of which were loans. We're gonna end up with like most of Ukraine at fire sale prices to pay back the debt, Like we took a bunch of oil n opium out of the middle east, we don't really nation build, that's propaganda

[@christopherc8563]

I don't know why you think this has anything to do with the situation back at home like. If the people in charge it wanted to take care of both of them. They couldn't. They don't give a s*** about us. By didn't give a f*** about us. Trump isn't going to be any different. It's about money n power, And people in that position don't let peasants even think they have a say in governance

[@josephb8268]

@@christopherc8563 Keep your TDS to yourself. The United States most likely will keep its role in NATO, but everyone has to pay their fair share.

[@TheSulross]

The US bears the brunt of NATO - 70% and majority of its manpower (which is just incredible - it's not our continent). None of the European NATO member nations have held up to their 2% GDP commitment over the decades of NATO's existence. Perhaps up to the 1970s or even 80s that was excusable as Europe needed to rebuild after WW2, but after that it's been inexcusable. The reality of the situation is this: The European NATO members don't meet anywhere near their 2% GDP obligation as they instead prefer to divert toward continuing to prop up their soft communism socialism instead of spending on defense. So the US taxpayer dollars for NATO are really a subsidization of European soft communism socialism. It's a full-on grift of Europeans on the backs of US taxpayers. Time to end this grift and pull out. And on top of it, the US gets itself into dumb-ass quagmires like the Ukraine situation. NATO is a playground for the insane US neocon and neolibs to go play their games of war mongering megalomania (at the cost of hundreds of thousands of lives and billions upon billions of debt and economic destruction).

[@jacobm2625]

As yet another american: europe needs to get it shit together. We aren't the world police, ya'll need to fend for yourselves. Good on the countries that are.

[@Reblwitoutacause]

I've always liked this man and his content. Now, I _absolutely love him._ Everything I've been trying to explain to my fellow Americans ( and more than a few friends abroad ) for nearly a decade, all in one digestible 18-minute video. THANK YOU. I'll be adding a few dozen more views to this video by sharing it around. Poland seems like a likely and a viable candidate to be in the earned role of leaders within the continent. Hope other European countries see that. 2% is not enough, never was. Also, one year of paying on time just is not acceptable - nor is it impressive - nor reason to break your arm patting yourselves on the backs, for so many reasons, which should not be needed to be said because it is obvious. One year on time and in full, oh wow we'll never bring it up again... oh, wasn't even in full? M'kay. That said, absolutely phenomenal video. Wish I could like it twice.

[@davidwoolard7571]

Simon you are a man of great eloquence, " Get our shit together" is about as succinctly said as possible. I am an American who thinks that Putin must be stopped now, humiliated and decisively defeated

[@pumpedupdart6859]

That's great and all, but Putin is phucking nuts and will resort to scorched earth if he suspects he going down.

[@vincentklein4455]

As a German I can’t believe our government has not managed to pull it together and instead of finally coming together on the eve of the US elections has decided to disintegrate completely. I sure hope our next government is up to the task but the odds aren’t in my favor…

[@RandomDeforge]

one of the main problems is that the same disinformation campaign that sabotaged informed democratic processes in the U.S. has also been effectively targeting the leaderships of the EU for just as long. its an uphill battle with no counter strategy yet as protected free speech is inherently vulnerable to a torrent of misinformation from foreign and domestic adversaries to drown out a broad range of truths.

[@connorkendrick9317]

Im curious, for you ad a European, how do you feel the general public feels about this issue? Are most ok just with how things are, or is there a desire for change?

[@vincentklein4455]

@ the general public is quite frankly uninformed. Ukraine is a far off war that apparently doesn’t affect us and we should get close to Russia so our gas can stay cheap because electric cars are stupid. Oh and of course every bit of our woes is because of refugees and the Green Party. In many ways our situation running into this new election is very similar to the US and social media has had a terrible impact on public sentiment, short out of context clips will be shared and re-shared and the boomers are telling their children how the Green party is ruining Germany. AFD is scarily strong and CDU will likely lead our next government into another 4 years of conservative stagnation, the schuldenbremse is hampering any effort to invest in our security, education or in fact anything direly needed and the majority of voters above 40 agree with that. Young voters are easily influenced and to be honest mostly apathetic about voting altogether. I don’t think most people realize just how fucked we truly are if we keep going. No one is happy with the status quo but the vocal minority that screams the loudest wants to head down the worst possible course (no more EU, no more NATO and an alliance with Russia)

[@tomaskinoshta7589]

Germany obeys its master aka the USA

[@vincentklein4455]

@@tomaskinoshta7589 it really doesn’t though, our government is just completely indecisive because of a 3 way coalition with an even more indecisive chancellor

[@Archer23b]

Thank you for the rational, level headed coverage my man!!

[@claymclaren5788]

It is my fervent hope that Canada dumps Trudeau and his replacement takes us forward as a world leader that surpasses all expectations in aiding our NATO allies. First with replacing outdated equipment and Second with buying new capabilities and Third once again innovating and building our own equipment going into the future.

[@toxicwarcat7739]

as an australian i've been saying this for years "I hope we don't end up like Europe" specifically Australia ever since 1955 we stopped making domestic aircraft and tanks, we still made some things but we relied on European and American industries to make us our combat vehicles, nowadays our dormant military powerhouse is waking up and fast

[@jimmyhyun8546]

I mean Australia is not nearly in any danger.

[@salex01_]

@@jimmyhyun8546 *China entered the chat* Seriously. They tried to blackmail the australian government into being their lap dog a few years ago. Fortunately, the Australians responded with, in substance, "in your dreams, Winnie".

[@ThwipThwipBoom]

Didn't y'all Aussies just order a bunch of nuclear submarines from us Americans?

[@jruedew]

@@ThwipThwipBoomyes

[@jruedew]

@@jimmyhyun8546 no we are not in any immediate danger, but we are a country in the world and what happens elsewhere has deep effects on us in Aus. We want to live in a world of peace and democracy (basically exactly like America wants), and obey a rules based society. Not rule of the Jungle

[@davianoinglesias5030]

The US : Europe needs to arm itself Germany : This time round we ain't doing it first 🙄we were blamed for the last two wars

[@blairl6304]

Americans and the rest of the world are finally waking up to the fact that Germany and the guy with the mustache were the GOOD GUYS defending Europe from Bolshevism - meanwhile 10 Million Christian’s were starved to death by the religion which lives in Israel and nobody has a single word to say about that. Don’t worry - a large percentage of the people who just won Trump his landslide election are very aware of the lies told about the excellent and courageous leadership of 1930’s Germany and the real internationalist enemy they were fighting. We are doing our best to keep those people OUT of positions of influence in trumps new administration.

[@coopergudgel1023]

Lol

[@dickartist]

To be fair, you guys were backed into a corner the first time around. No excuses for the second one though

[@jurajmalatin5191]

the thing is, Germany's got a chance to be on the right side of history now and yet are still confused about what to do...

[@cavalierliberty6838]

​@@jurajmalatin5191almost like they'd rather do the Reich thing than the right thing.

[@olympian543]

One of the most baffling part of “Oh America will come and protect us” is that we have started out both world wars as isolationists who really didn’t want to fight. When you’re 2 for 2 of isolationism during large scale global conflicts, only a fool would rely on you to come running to help them when a third one breaks out.

[@anthonybraden157]

After WWII, America decided to be at the cutting edge of everything because of the Cold War. We basically asked Europe to trust us, and they did. This is what they're getting for it. So that's 2-1 on Europe relying on the US.

[@robertmansfield7656]

The US preferred to sell weapons to Europe and get rich. Only entering the wars when directly attacked.

[@jeffk1485]

We (the US) shouldn't have to insert ourselves in European wars. It may have ultimately been in our interest to do so, but we shouldn't have *had* to do it.

[@SollomonTheWise]

I say we go back to isolationism, a neo-isolationist mindset should be adopted by the American people. I am tired of being the world police surely they too are tired of us being their police. Let them fumble into chaos as we solve our problems and strengthen our borders for a better America.

[@ramanchaudhary2518]

@@SollomonTheWiseyou will have no choice but isolationism soon , American debt is piling up and eventually the government will pay but that will require high taxation and cuts to spending

[@RedPorch]

Excellent video. Europe REALLY needs to listen.

[@bradlevantis913]

I actually really enjoyed the perspective from European residents. I’d liked to see more of this Thanks.

[@grimmlinn]

The FACT that they are panicking now, means they underfunded in the past and left the defense of their own country up to Americans to pay for.

[@sebastiaanl9876]

No the Americans choose by leaving their health care and infrastructure to shit and use all their Cash for the military…

[@austinw2234]

From an American to you, with Europe the united sates would not have been a world power if not for europe.

[@rachelleintexas338]

While we get mocked and laughed at. No one will be shaking in their boots from Europe having a few extra guns.

[@sparks1792]

Exactly they purposely underspent. That’s the part that pisses me off lmao

[@wumi2419]

If a vassal can't expect protection from his master, why be a vassal in the first place?

[@haetanmapping]

As a european i woke up a long time ago

[@epicepicenter715]

Do you know about the tiny hat tribe

[@Gooigi384]

yeah do ya?

[@haetanmapping]

@@Gooigi384 kinda

[@Nozoroth]

Europe for Europeans

[@mrintrovert5068]

Joined the army? Learned drone production?

[@tsukikofudo]

This has been my favorite simon in the past 24 months. Good job chap.

[@lisar3944]

As an American who has relocated to Germany (permanently?) I am a bit disgusted with the lack of concrete action here. The current coalition is too full of drama, and any kind of progress in any direction seems to be a pipe dream at this point. As you say, Simon - get your shit together!!!

[@somethingsomething8511]

Please renounce your US citizenship as quickly as possible

[@Shadowguy456234]

As an American who has relocated to Switzerland...consider life here instead 😅

[@somethingsomething8511]

@Shadowguy456234 please renounce your citizenship

[@Rakibrown111]

Old dusty people people in charge being scared and conservative is one thing but add to the fact they are German, you might as well give up. Germany is like gigantic carehome with bitter old pensioners whacking any fresh ideas of change with a walking stick, chasing them off in their zimmerframes.

[@tomaskinoshta7589]

Germany obeys its master aka the USA

[@lil_CHRISTMAS88]

As a Ukrainian living in Ukraine I kinda sorta a bit pissed, that first we were forced to give up so much of our military power & now we're carrying the weight of war & have to beg for help from those same countries that disarmed us.

[@carollane8694]

Now ask why they would disarm you in the first place..

[@DezaltOfTheDreg]

Shouldn't have let go of those nuclear missiles.

[@Ghaztoir]

Then maybe it's time for the struggle to be over.

[@andrewhirsch6472]

@@carollane8694 : Russia demanded it.

[@andrewhirsch6472]

@@11235but : And that was an error. No declared nuclear power has lost a single square meter of land to external military conquest.

[@jimbarnst]

Great video and I really enjoy your channel. I’m an American Army Infantry veteran. I served 8 years and did 3 combat deployments from 2000-2008. I’m nothing special just a regular grunt. One aspect of American soldiers feeling about European military I’ve never really seen touched on is how we generally feel like we’re more disposable than European troops, and that it’s not just money but also our lives that are worth less. If a major war came to Europe today it would have to be mostly Americans fighting and dying if Europe hoped to win. Europe basically has a token force that would mostly support US combat operations. So their that, like I said I love your channel and understand why we need to stand with Europe, but I can also tell you twenty something me never really understood why I had to fight for a continent that had better education, healthcare and standards of living than I do. I believe in importance of NATO and support Ukraine. However look at how many Americans have died since the end of WW2, and how it’s always the US that goes into harms way to defend the free world, all while Europe vilify us. A lot of people have asked me since I served on NATO missions how we felt about our European allies. I said while we respected the NATO individual soldiers, we didn’t respect the military overall as our equals, and this was as much to do with the European lives being worth more than ours. Even though that brought less to the fight. In reality it seemed being able to claim mission were “multi national” was more important politically than militarily. So any time it was time to go out to fight where guys might actually die, send the Americans because our allies will bail if they lose a few guys, while Americans dying isn’t a big deal. Great videos thanks again for what you do.

[@gaborrajnai6213]

So the reality is, when we served in Afghanistan, we had a quiet sector, because we didnt stir up trouble with the locals and tried to be respectful to them, who were Uzbekhs BTW. Until a Canadian cowboy came to us, that he wanted to hunt for the Taliban, who are pashtuh, and dont even live at that part of the country, so we asked some intel, which he didnt have, he thought he is on some kind of Safari. It isnt us, who dont value your life, its your commanders, who dont value your life.

[@jimbarnst]

@ you’re most definitely correct, but again than why have Allies if our leaders have such little faith in their willingness to share in the pain? I lost half my Squad in Iraq in 2006. I remember being in the green zone when a VBIED went off. We were staged to go out with a patrol from the UK in front. The UK unit got out of line and they pushed all American patrols out. I’m sure they’re a million reasons that could have happened, but we felt it was because going into actually danger where someone might die, send Americans. Again never had anything against NATO troops, but leadership seemed risk adverse. So if a real fight was going to go down better send in the US.

[@jimbarnst]

@ what I guess I’m trying to get at is like I said I support NATO, but many of brothers don’t. This is because of things like a 36 hour flight because we couldn’t go through French airspace. I lost my right ear “just the top” in the invasion of Iraq, and we were told we couldn’t tell anyone we were in Iraq because Germany doesn’t support us. Keep in mind my generation is now middle aged and guys like Vance are a part of it. Some guys like me who support leaders like Mattis still believe in NATO, but others look back at the GWOT and think they didn’t really do much to help us, so hell with it.

[@stafer3]

@@jimbarnst I mean I would understand Afghanistan since 9/11 attacks, but why exactly would you expect anybody support US in invasion of Iraq? In Afghanistan more than thousand allies died. And that was literally the only time NATO defense pact was activated in its history. Like it would be understandable sentiment, if some NATO country was attacked, Americans bled tens of thousands of soldiers for it, and then Afghanistan happened, and Americans felt that allies lost “only” thousand soldiers to protect them. But in reality, Americans lost zero soldiers defending NATO allies, and NATO allies lost more than thousand defending America.

[@jimbarnst]

@@stafer3so again keep in mind I’m not disagreeing with you, I’m telling you what some people with in my community believe. I’ve gotten into countless arguments in favor of NATO and Ukraine. However many of my brothers in arms, simply see it as why should we care about NATO considering we’re basically going it alone in every war. Again look at the number of NATO troops bs American troops that have given their lives since WW2. Basically every war we have fought has benefited the west including Europe, yet we still do the heavy lifting. My first deployment was Kosovo, a place most European can literally drive to. I spent a year in Kosovo only to come home for 3 months before heading to Kuwait before the invasion of Iraq. The same was true for many soldiers that were still cycling through Europe while we were fighting two wars. Again I support NATO and Europe, but this is why many in my generation don’t. It’s why many think Europe free loading of American lives and money.

[@Uesurii_San]

Trump made the exact point to the eu when he was president last time, that Europe, particularly Germany, was too dependent on Russian oil. They laughed at him. Less than four years later, Russia fights Ukraine and cuts oil exports to Germany, causing power shortages. They very quickly stopped laughing when it was at their doorstep.

[@FallingPicturesProductions]

As an American I've said many of these same things to British friends of mine for about five years. "The US is in turmoil, we might have civil war, you've got to rearm. I like you guys but we might not always be there!" It's a shame that it's taken this long for this sentiment to finally become somewhat mainstream.

[@ThwipThwipBoom]

I'm tired of us having weak and whiny "allies". All of these Europeans hang onto our skirts and beg us for money and protection while at the same time complaining about us constantly. You cannot trust Europeans, they are two faced.

[@jorgebarriosmur]

Ah! A civil war in a country with Atomic Wapons......what could go possibly wrong?

[@MrBishop077]

@@jorgebarriosmur "...what could go possibly wrong?" you have seen the President Elect right .. why are you setting up event Flags.... =/

[@apokkalyps6]

​@@jorgebarriosmurthere is time before the president elect becomes president to make him meet jfk

[@unyieldingsarcasm2505]

@@apokkalyps6 wont happen, the dems are as spineless as they come. They should have arrested him and all of those who helped him the day after jan 6th, and did nothing for 4 years. Trump isnt even constitutionally allowed to be president after jan 6th, but when the blue states started pointing that out, the SCOTUS covered for him, and rather than acting decisively, Biden surrendered instantly. The dems are so afraid of looking authoritarian, they will actively sleep walk the nation into a real dictator. They had FOUR YEARS, they wont act now when all popular will and support for action is gone.

[@donaldwert7137]

"Warships forcibly upgraded to submarines." 🤣🤣🤣 (Edit: verb tense.)

[@dusanmezej9658]

Simon, your work is a blessing, thank you.

[@simosuurkuukka1581]

Very good video. Everyone in Europe should watch this.

[@Ice-yp4wg]

Poland sitting here saying: "I told you so"

[@robynsnest8668]

Niech Zyje Polska"

[@cte4dota]

You know who forced war in Ukraine than? Can you guess who profiting the most from wars in Europe?

[@Vipbossguy]

And Poland spending all their cash on Raytheon and Lockheed Martin isn’t exactly bad for our economy either. 😃

[@SollomonTheWise]

Poland a G

[@bristoled93]

@@cte4dota Putin?

[@B-I-G-N-A-S-T-Y]

Dragging their feet for decades.

[@Cheffe919]

Meanwhile america created conflicts left and right and made billions, also, demanded most NATO states do not arm nukes, which, you know or prob don't, is the only real deterrent. So you forced yourself onto the world and acted the like the world police, and now you're upset, lmao. Pull back, see what happens, but please don't send nukes.

[@OllamhDrab]

The arrangement paid off for some time, too bad the US used the profits for feeding the ultra-rich instead of investing in the people and nation like Europe by and large did. Then no one would have been so resentful as to believe more greedy bad guys and fascists are 'populists' or will somehow benefit us, either.

[@alansmith4655]

You it's designed to be this way. If you think US hegemony wants Europe to have no dependency on the US, you are wrong.

[@BedanTV]

Europe demolished by 2 world wars... had to rebuild. US soil was not even thouched. Why do we always have to finance the war machine... why should we prepare... noone wants WW3 more than US and Russia

[@stefthorman8548]

​@@alansmith4655ok? Trump told you to get your shit together, but you people said no.

[@The_Lunch_Man]

As a Canadian, complacency is going to be the death of us all.

[@stillbrian9448]

European countries used to run the world, now we barely manage as a continent union

[@gonoisy]

I must say, I have truly enjoyed this slight departure from the norm, the frank and passionate discussion is very welcome, would love to see more like this.

[@combatwombat2134]

For several years I've been actively advocating for Europe to try and ramp up defence spending, to do more for NATO and we should be actively looking towards doing what we can to turn Europe into its own superpower. It has more than enough capacity and capability to do so. I wholly sympathise with the US mentality that we have been dragging our feet and they have been shouldering far more of the weight. Now, I know it behooves the US to sell us their kit and to maintain military bases, but the mentality that we should constantly shovel more and more responsibility to the US is wrong and I'm ashamed of it as a European. It is time for Europe to sharpen its claws and show its fangs. The US is entirely allowed to forge a more isolationist mentality if that's what their people want; Europe can and SHOULD be ready to do the same.

[@kurtwicklund8901]

You don't need NATO you need a federal European military. One Navy not.32 tiny to medium navies. And so forth.

[@combatwombat2134]

@kurtwicklund8901 I disagree on not needing NATO as I think a united front like that is more suitable for our requirements, but in principle I agree that Europe has its own capability outside of NATO.

[@landenjones9374]

​@@combatwombat2134 why does it "behoove" the US to sell Europe there military tech and gear.

[@tomaskinoshta7589]

The USA plan is Europe pays more, but still obeys its master aka the USA. just like what the USA does to Japan.

[@combatwombat2134]

@@landenjones9374 I would call tens of billions of dollars a year a benefit. It maintains the industrial base to a wider degree that domestic only does, which brings jobs and funding both of which are a responsibility for the American government.

[@jeffdriscoll9503]

Excellent and spot on. 2 things to think about 1. What would have happened if Ukraine was taken in 3 days - Moldova falls months later, Georgia taken, and Belarus integrated? No Finland and Sweden in NATO, Hungary reactionary. Would Russia already have attacked Baltics, would we now be in WW3. Has Ukraine saved us from WW3. 2. Aid to Ukraine, and helping them win, can save us trillions. They survive and end up part of NATO, it's a bonus of them with us and not against us. we do not end up with Russia sending 30m unhappy Ukrainians at us who can only be controlled at the end of a gun

[@freedomfighter22222]

Europe is literally the most rapidly militarizing world power and has been for the past 3 years, It is also far stronger militarily than Russia already(larger army, larger airforce and larger navy), so I don't know what people are pushing Europe having to "rearm" for. Europe spends much more on its military than Russia does, including by PPP and has done so for the past 30 years. Europe absolutely is able to defend itself, Russia failed to topple Ukraine with its 300k military and you think Russia would pose a threat to the 1.5m Europe had at the time? A Russian attack on the baltics would have been completely out of the question, mostly because Europe already had a much larger and vastly more capable military than Russia to begin with, and because Europe would obviously have reacted even more aggressively to a Russia that annexed all of Ukraine.

[@brianfreeman8290]

Well said, Simon. Utterly brilliant and with a definitive final summary. We should get stuck in. We should be proud to serve under Poland's leadership.

[@Francois_LHC_]

Hello, French guy here! The problem with the EU military is that every country's army has different tactics with a large variety of equipment. These tactics depend on military goals which are different for every country. An EU army needs a common goal and unified tactics to have a standardized international army.

[@SolarityTechnology]

I would love to see this, I am concerned during an incident the status quo means a splintering of nations and not coming to the aid of others. Granted I know I have a lot to learn about Europe.

[@AL-lh2ht]

Buddy never heard of NATO

[@commieswine]

NATO holds large scale joint military training events. Plus matching calibers of all size of arms from pistols to artillery. We could definitely iron out your concerns as well as place the right militaries at what they are best suited for.

[@Matthew10950]

Doesn't NATO make a priority out of standardization? At the very least they should service as a cadre to build on.

[@ryeguy7941]

Not to mention language issues.

[@stephenboon7129]

Europe seems to be doing the same thing it did before WW1 and WW2. "What, war? No it's fine, the Poles and the French would stop them. It's not that serious. Now, anyone for tea?"

[@Rezlusiowa]

In the end no French no brits helped out and yet we, Poles fell behind the wrong side of the Berlin wall thanks to so called "allies"

[@bristoled93]

@@Rezlusiowa UK went to war with Germany for invading Poland.

[@lector-dogmatixsicarii1537]

@@Rezlusiowa The Brits))) with hands in pockets at 10 Downing were using Poland to start a war for their internationalist banking interests. It's wild when you connect the dots with the French, Anglos, US, and Soviets. They played on Polish impulsiveness and greed of the period. It's even more wild when you find the plan was for the Soviets to steamroll across Europe after this Alliance exhausted European armies in another WW1. Not much has changed in the schemes, just some details pushed around with the advancement of the plot. Almost all nations have this sort of "Allied" leadership now. You can predict what is coming down the pipes if you know a bit of esoteric history on these matters.

[@emberphoenix2922]

Damn...... That last 45 seconds hit hard 😬 but you're 100% correct!

[@grantpeters7958]

I watch your videos from rural NY and really enjoy your content. If I didn’t watch I can’t say I think much about Europe unless planning a vacation.

[@5MURF1NAT0R]

Been a listener of all Simon's channels for years. I'm also a resident in 'rural' (northern) Michigan and just hearing him mention the region made me smile.

[@TealWolf26]

Me too. I just wish it were under better circumstances. The mitten will rise again.

[@kellscorner1130]

Amen fellow Michigander.

[@jakdmavika9233]

While you are both heretics by dint of the state you unfortunately call home, I salute you for the mention.

[@dasmoools606]

Given I'm an ex-Royal Marine. Honestly, looking at the current abysmal state of the UK's Military, its depressing. We're doing more budget cuts, cutting back on more, our tier 1's still retain themselves, but when you have the Royal Marines starting to show degredation, thats an issue, RM's are commonly SFSG or at least operate as such. Not to mention we've handed russia access to the Challenger 2 and its modern systems, we put a tank into the hands of the Ukrainian's whom use them as if they're the same thing as a Leopard or an Abrams. C2's just aren't designed for the types of engagements they're putting them into and never will be, they were made to be frontline spall units, basically.. lots of armor and a big gun, they aren't fast, they're slow and very heavy, because they're weapons to be used as extreme ranges. Anywho, lets talk about our Navy! Oh wait.. nevermind, we.. the island nation.. we the nation that created the modern warship, we the nation who created the most powerful naval might on earth and then taught the US and Japan how to 'be gud wid boats' ..now have what is effectively just a coast guard. Wow..

[@nixusthefurry]

Oh bruh , i live in the UK and im angry as hell on your behalf too. Im sick of egomaniac pacifistic europoors just expecting the US (who they love to shit on all the time btw) professing how enlightened and modern they are yet wouldnt be able to fight anything larger then a terrorist cell. Pathetic. Weakling behaviour.

[@Andy-vh2ue]

as an American, I grew up reading about the Brits naval prowess during our wars, and how strong of a naval force they were. The empire the sun didn't set on. I wish they still had that navy. The Battle of Jutland sized navy would be amazing in current times with our own issues of a smaller and smaller naval force.

[@ramanchaudhary2518]

They seem to be needing cannon fodder now that their ads reintroduced white british men

[@The_Cokester]

Europe should be a powerful ally of us in the US. Not a liability that needs protecting. Simon is the most American sounding person in Europe.

[@Oliver-cv6pv]

Europe should not be an ally nor an economic partner of the US, i want Europe to be independent and free of American influence, I neither want Europe to have business with the us.

[@salex01_]

But that is true. If you think about it we should be the major partner in the alliance. We have more people and a higher GDP (PPP, not nominal). We should be the most powerful military entity on the planet but here we are. Biting our nails because some midwestern farmers prefered the unpredictable convicted criminal russian agent while our leaders are still trying to remember where they left their balls

[@ThwipThwipBoom]

@@Oliver-cv6pv That's completely unrealistic. The world is globalized whether you like it or not. Even if Europe does finally become independent, it will still reply heavily on the USA for trade and military alliances.

[@AFFoC]

American sounding is really not a compliment, mate.

[@ThwipThwipBoom]

@@AFFoC Yes it is

[@madisonmcclure8243]

It’s always inspiring to see nations rising up to invest in their own self-sufficiency, whether that’s in the commercial sector, public infrastructure or defense plan. It’s easy to look down on nations that are overly reliant upon their allies for sustainable protection and growth. But everyone can respect those who work out their own way. Those are the sort of people you want to make pacts with.