Posted on Vendredi 26 mars 2010
Mais qui va protéger nos voies de navigation?
Telle est la question qui, comme le rappelle le spécialiste des questions de défznse américain Max Boot, risque très bientôt de se poser au reste du monde et notamment à l’Europe …
Alors que se profile à l’horizon, avec le tout récent passage de la réforme de l’assurance-maladie salué par l’Europe unanime, un massif recentrage budgétaire du, jusqu’ici, chef de file et protecteur en chef du Monde libre …
Extraits :
« ObamaCare will likely continue the trend already evident during the first year of the administration—when, thanks to the bank bailout and stimulus bill, federal spending as a share of GDP soared to 24.7%, unprecedented in peacetime. If you add in state and local spending, the government as a whole consumes 37.5% of GDP, up from 34.7% in 2008. Prepare for those figures to climb further as government takes on new health-care obligations.
To consider the implications for defense, look at Europe. Last year government spending in the 27 European Union nations hit 52% of GDP. But most of them struggle to devote even 2% of GDP to defense, compared to more than 4% in the U.S.
When Europeans after World War II chose to skimp on defense and spend lavishly on social welfare, they abdicated their claims to great power status. That worked out well for them because their security was subsidized by the U.S.
But what happens if the U.S. switches spending from defense to social welfare? Who will protect what used to be known as the « Free World »? Who will police the sea lanes, stop the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, combat terrorism, respond to genocide and other unconscionable human rights violations, and deter rogue states from aggression? Those are all responsibilities currently performed by America. But it will be increasingly hard to be globocop and nanny state at the same time. Something will have to give »














