Both NATO and the EU want to spend a €100 billion on defense — and that’s leading to clashes between the two Brussels-based institutions.

The European Union is donning its camouflage pants and flexing its muscles on defense. NATO isn’t happy.

For years, the two Brussels-based institutions have barely communicated when it comes to defense, except for some military cooperation in areas like the Balkans — because they haven’t had to. Defense was NATO’s turf (it is a military alliance, after all), while the EU dealt with trade, farming, climate change and things like standards for heritage cheeses.

It was summed up by a catchphrase popular in military circles: “The U.S. fights, the U.N feeds, the EU funds.”

That’s now changing.

  • @Docus
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    237 months ago

    EU is an American construct? Please elaborate.

    • Flying SquidM
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      117 months ago

      The rest of the world is merely a dream in the American consciousness. Here, I have a comic book by Neil Gaiman that will explain the whole thing.

      • gregorum
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        7 months ago

        Solipsism: Me and My Imaginary Friends

    • @GreenTacklebox
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      -47 months ago

      Sure! The EU started out as an independent organization dedicated to serve European countries but over time Western powers infiltrated it and made the EU subservient to the USA. Even if countries left the EU now many of the countries that are in it still have governments that are more than happy to bow to whatever the USA wants. Until the electorate of those countries realizes this and rebels against their governments (not specifically violently) they won’t have governments that serve them.

      • @[email protected]
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        37 months ago

        Western powers, plural? Who would that be besides European countries? I hate to break it to you, but Canada can barely infiltrate a barn.

        • @GreenTacklebox
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          07 months ago

          Correct about Canada. The USA keeps them down too.

      • @Docus
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        -17 months ago

        Sure, the US told the subservient EU to implement GDPR, DMA, food standards,…