Astonishing Vista of Europe

On occasion I have been known to hike up the neighboring mountains (especially to one of those hidden waterfalls up 4 or 5 miles from the beach). From those steep mountain ridges here on Oahu one can see magnificent vistas - the waves, the sea, little neighboring islands... It is almost overwhelming to see from a distance what is usually only seen from up close. This distance creates a unique perspective for observation and for astonishing insights.

It is from this distance of the islands that I make an astonishing observation. An article cited by lgf from Mark Steyn paints a picture of reality that is terrifying:

’It’s a different kind of war,’ says Kerry. ‘You have to understand it’s not the sands of Iwo Jima.’ That’s true. But Kerry’s mistake is in assuming that because it’s not Iwo Jima, it’s somehow less of a war. Until recently we thought of ‘asymmetrical warfare’ as something the natives did with machetes against the colonialist occupier. But in fact the roles have been reversed. These days, your average Western power — Germany, Canada, Belgium — is utterly incapable of projecting conventional military might to, say, Saudi Arabia or the Pakistani tribal lands. But a dozen young Saudi or Pakistani males with a little cash, some debit cards and the right phone numbers in their address books can project themselves to Frankfurt, Ottawa or Antwerp very easily and to devastating effect. That’s the lesson of 9/11.

What really is terrifying is that the European powers have for so long relied upon NATO and the military strength of the U.S. (and on the economic commitment of the U.S. through NATO), that they have miniaturized their defense and military capabilities. There is not a single western European country with the ability to project military might. Granted, they can join with the U.S. and make a bold stand (as with our true friends, the Brits), but individually they project military impotence. And the likelihood of them coming together to form a united military front, independent of the U.S. is laughably small.

By allowing the U.S. alone to make the military investments of the last several decades, they have cast themselves in a traditionally effeminate role - relying upon the strong, powerful hero to come to their aid. They are totally incapable of playing the traditionally "masculine" role of defender, because they have no strength. They cannot play the role of "alpha-male" in a heirarchichal world because they have willingly conceded the alpha role to the U.S. And now they are overcome with jealousy.

From my distant perspective, it is perfectly understandable why they shrink from conflict, why they would rather talk than act, why they would rather ignore offence and "just try to get along." These are traditional strategies of the weak. And they are weak, and they are vanquished, and they have long-ago conceded the alpha role.

Kerry, and the europhile Democrats are proposing effeminate strategies for the U.S. while the U.S. is the only global superpower. Kerry proposes appeasement and wishes to change from the masculine, Bush approach of projecting might to join the pitiful, helpless, cackling hens of Europe.

Talk about transgendered, and I can finally see it from way over here...