The European Tribune is a forum for thoughtful dialogue of European and international issues. You are invited to post comments and your own articles.
Please REGISTER to post.
I presume that in the rest of Europe a similar process of gradual disengagement will take place.
I also doubt that large numbers of American military bases, outside the United States, can be maintained much longer. I can really see no advantage to the United Kingdom in continuing to be Airstrip One for the United States, for decades after the disappearance of any credible threat that needed to be countered. It appears essential for the Americans to call the forces home, to avoid a debilitating drain on their economy.
Just because we are used to permanent American bases, we forget how unusual it was historically for one power to retain peacetime bases in the territory of another.
I really think the UK needs a clearsighted leader who realises that elite fantasies of, as Harold Macmillan put it being "Greeks to the American Romans" or in Douglas Herd's phrase "punching above our weight", are complete nonsense. As to Tony Blair's insane dream, which appeared to be a willingness to spend unlimited amounts of blood and treasure in completely unnecessary wars which provided the United Kingdom with no benefit whatever, I only hope that future Prime Ministers draw the lesson that resources are not unlimited and that one country is unable to redress all the ills in the world.
by Frank Schnittger - Aug 1 20 comments
by Frank Schnittger - Aug 3 4 comments
by Oui - Jul 12 46 comments
by gmoke - Aug 1
by gmoke - Jul 31 3 comments
by Oui - Jul 19 70 comments
by Oui - Aug 92 comments
by Oui - Aug 714 comments
by Frank Schnittger - Aug 34 comments
by Oui - Aug 31 comment
by Oui - Aug 23 comments
by Frank Schnittger - Aug 120 comments
by gmoke - Jul 313 comments
by Oui - Jul 3016 comments
by Oui - Jul 30
by Oui - Jul 261 comment
by Oui - Jul 253 comments
by Oui - Jul 239 comments
by Oui - Jul 1970 comments
by Oui - Jul 1931 comments
by Oui - Jul 1691 comments
by Oui - Jul 151 comment
by Oui - Jul 137 comments
by Oui - Jul 125 comments
by Oui - Jul 1246 comments