Quote from: bryant.coleman on July 27, 2015, 09:09:14 AM

Quote from: Blackeye433 on July 27, 2015, 04:27:08 AM

Hmm, even though Russia has been expanding their defense budget for a decade?
Perhaps, just perhaps, it's a reaction to that?

Russia increases its military budget and these are the results:

1. Largest armed forces in Europe (by strength)
2. Most powerful ballistic missile in the world (SS-18 Satan)
3. Most advanced air-defence system in the world (S-400 Triumf)
4. Most advanced main battle tank (MBT) in the world (T-14 Armata)
5. Most advanced nuclear submarine in the world (Project-885 Yasen-class)

And now, Europe increases its military budget, and these are the results:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2015/02/19/germanys-army-is-so-under-equipped-that-it-used-broomsticks-instead-of-machine-guns/

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/the-german-military-faces-a-major-challenge-from-disrepair/2014/09/30/e0b7997c-ea40-42be-a68b-e1d45a87b926_story.html

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/defence/11382875/After-years-of-military-cuts-can-Britain-still-defend-itself.html

While keeping military-industrial complex is paramount, it is afterall just another tool. Frankly, these days, that Europe is blatantly showing unwillingness to protect its own borders and citizens against unwashed (but yet unarmed) hordes from south, I am more and more sure, that any conflict with Russia would end in absolute disaster for Euros. NATO is on paper far stronger, than either Russia or China in manpower and tech, but its leaders are so weak and corrupt, they wouldnt dare to use force against anyone but their own citizenry.

Post WW2 West devolved into late Roman empire.