LMAO wrote:DiamondGooner wrote:LMAO wrote:What? I know Europeans have different mentalities than us. I said if Europe wanted to be a superpower, not that they would want to.
That difference in mentality is why we have military bases all over Europe and spend so much on NATO.
Who is Europe?
Europe is a continent made up of countries.
If you're on about the EU then that is France and Germany, the rest of the EU won't fancy going from 2nd rate members to nothing but an after thought.
Also that's not why you have military bases all over the world, its because your one of the biggest countries and so have a bigger budget for defence / war than European nations do.
From context, Europe is the EU.
We have a GDP of $22.7T. The EU has a GDP of $17.1T. I don't want to hear this crap about the second largest economy and the third largest population in the world not having the money or the size for defense, especially when multiple EU countries have called for a unified military. They need to shit or get off the pot.
.......... again, the EU is not a country, its a trading bloc made up of countries.
The EU doesn't have $17.T, the countries (not states) combined do if that's what you're stating.
Your over estimating what the EU actually is, yes France and Germany bleat on about it becoming an actual federation but for 90% of its members the EU is and is supposed to be, just a trading bloc and mutual interest.
Like I said, I just don't think you get it from the perspective of independent countries, not states.
This EU Superstate has imo around 10% chance of ever becoming a reality, its basically France and Germany trying to revive the Holy Roman Empire of West Francia and East Francia, countries like Spain, Poland, Italy, Austria, Hungary etc will never give up their soverienty.