These Kind of Allies?

Although Finland is not a member of NATO, and is not considered a "major ally" by the likes of John Kerry, this article describes fairly well the state of the rest of the European militaries.

HELSINKI (Reuters) - A number of Finnish conscripts have been excused their full term of military service because they are addicted to the Internet, the Finnish Defense Forces said Tuesday.

Doctors have found the young men miss their computers too much to cope with their compulsory six months in the forces.

Europe has made a conscious choice in the post-war era to in effect get rid of their armies in favor of "multi-lateral institutions", and the protection of the United States. And now that the protection of the US is no longer necessary, Europe sees international relations only through those institutions that it created. Through these institutions Europe seeks to control the power of the US which, as Robert Kagan pointed out in Of Paradise and Power, sees security residing in more that just the vague notions of international law but also through the application of force when necessary. It should be obvious that law must be backed by force if it is to be respected. And it is this force part of the equation that Europe lacks.

Mark Steyn looks at this Meaningless Multilateralism that has so captivated the Democratic Party - at least in this war. Writing about NATO he says:

In other words, if a military alliance means a press release and a black-tie banquet for Bush, Chirac, Schroder and co once a year, Nato works fine. If a military alliance means functioning armed forces capable of fighting side by side and killing the enemy, Nato is a post-modern joke. The big burly Fijians who've done such a splendid job guarding currency convoys in Iraq have made a greater contribution than many of America's supposedly "major" allies.

The plan seems to be

Bribe Chirac and Schroder with taxpayer dollars and a couple more summits to swank around at in the hope of getting them to promise military contributions they don't have? Even by Kerry's standards, this is lazy.

Whether Europe and the Democratic Party chooses to admit it, we are in a war for our survival. Yes we need allies in this war, but they should at least be serious in their intent.

If Bush survives the Blairization of his war presidency and wins in November, he needs to embark on a campaign of gently putting to sleep America's pantomime alliances. The US requires real allies with real assets: Meaningful multilateralism.