tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36227136.post2489007957095243113..comments2024-01-16T08:40:53.682+00:00Comments on <a href="http://www.openeurope.org.uk">Open Europe</a>: Mali and France: about that 'pact of European solidarity'...OEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00556463374230498875noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36227136.post-41851650188278932222013-01-31T04:57:05.491+00:002013-01-31T04:57:05.491+00:00Was it Mario Monti who predicted that Europe shoul...Was it Mario Monti who predicted that Europe should have a military "fight the resource wars of the Twenty-first century"Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36227136.post-83253507687339513312013-01-30T11:30:23.777+00:002013-01-30T11:30:23.777+00:00This proves the total incompetence and lack of sol...This proves the total incompetence and lack of solidarity. The UK is helping France unilaterally; so is Canada and the US. The EU is not worth a single penny. If evwer we put our defence into European hands it will be the end of our nation.<br />When the chips are down, we need our friends. We need the EU like a fish needs a bicycle.Rollohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18255460090580758354noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36227136.post-9881065984335692592013-01-29T20:24:10.609+00:002013-01-29T20:24:10.609+00:00According to abc news, the UK has committed 400 tr...According to abc news, the UK has committed 400 troops to Mali.<br /><br />To me, that looks to be because we can do it. Germany would debate something like this for weeks and Italy is in the middle of an election. Meanwhile the UK can always deploy troops rather quickly.<br /><br />jon liveseynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36227136.post-34861488496775641962013-01-29T14:28:59.334+00:002013-01-29T14:28:59.334+00:00Machiavelli wrote about states who relied on merce...Machiavelli wrote about states who relied on mercenaries and foreigners (rather than own citizens) to fight their battles for them. His view was that such states are doomed. Maybe that wasn't ever true or it is no longer true? I happen to believe that he was and is right about that.<br /><br />Then I read this:<br />http://www.afriquejet.com/20130129824/2013-AFCON-Mali-s-q-final-qualification-succour-for-beleaguered-nation.html<br />Country is almost overrun by rebels and Mali can afford to not have all their resources dedicated to fighting back?<br />If what Machiavelli wrote is true, then Mali is doomed.Jespernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36227136.post-3108889334905602322013-01-29T13:53:46.854+00:002013-01-29T13:53:46.854+00:00It might help if we were to be given a list of the...It might help if we were to be given a list of the obligations that comes with membership in the EU.<br /><br />Is sending soldiers to support foreign regimes one of them?Jespernoreply@blogger.com