Thomas P.M. Barnett :: Weblog

Why do the French need a high tech, global deployment military capability if the US becomes a Leviathan Force "gun for hire"?

Can France operate outside of the EU in the future? France will need to use their veto power at the UN for any shared military goals they might have WITH the US, instead of AGAINST us, to even get the US to accept their Euro funds to hire our military, as we become more pacifist hamstrung and our dollar shrinks. A reversal of these US trends is possible but not likely.

It is hard to imagine future deployments of the US military. Where and on what proof of terrorism culpability and with what UN approval, could such action take place in this political and economic environment at home, and with a required G20 global test? How can we create a System Administrator force with US volunteers?

Our lack of political will, and budget, to deploy a Leviathan force will leave only enemies and so called allies to deploy both types of forces. Think Hamas and read your Quran.

For Tom's vision to materialize we need a great used car salesman to sell our grand strategy (unless Dr. Barnett decides to seek public office to raise a real, global "consciense of democracy and women's liberation").

Those French, that some Americans seem so ready to mock, have been right about a lot more things that those same Americans are willing to admit. You ask, "what should we do?" I ask, "what do they know (or admit) that we don't (or won't)?"

I was going to comment some kind of imagined "political will" without which we will be left with "only enemies and so called allies" but just could not. I think it was the idea of selling a "used car" to the world ... I thought that car looked familar ...

"A France that doesn't see its (SysAdmin) military contribution recognized and appreciated by the Core ... "

The French political, academic and media establishments have kept a low domestic profile on the French SysAdmin skills and activities for decades because it does not fit the nation's self-imposed sophisticated civilized image to contrast it with its ruder EU and American Core 'friends.'

It also kept a low news profile on the daily French fighter strikes during Gulf War 1 and the ongoing strikes now in Afghanistan supporting JTACS.

They don't want too many loud attaboys from other countries.

The French were bitterly divided after WW II because some had worked with Germans during occupation.

Then they were forced to leave Vietnam, and they had bitter conflicts in North Africa trying to protect the property and rights of their colonists.

So there is a long history of domestic conflict over foreign affairs that causes French politicians to talk 'hands off' and hide their 'hands on.'

The French UN rep and foreign minister talked adamantly about blocking UN approval of the Bush I Gulf War I venture. Then the government changed pitchers and sent forces to help at the last minute. The French opposition along with a US IW effort were factors that caused Saddam to stay one day too long in Kuwait.

Watch what the French do, not what they preach.

Another aspect of this: with such a downsizing, their remaining Leviathan abilities are going to go first. The loss of equipment isn't so bad- we can give them some of ours, especially if we're upgrading our Sysadmin- but the loss of expertise can't be made up so easily.

Another irony about this situation. With a large population of ill-asssimilated foreigners, you'd think they'd be amping up the Foreign Legion (one historic institution for assimilation) to take as many of them as are willing.