Warmongers.

This is coolbert:

The proverbial guns or butter? 

Gonna need to spend a lot more money and soon!

"NATO Countries Have Heavily Cut Troop Levels"

From Zero Hedge BY TYLER DURDEN JUN 01, 2022.

"NATO countries have significantly reduced their troops in recent decades."

"As Statista's Martin Armstrong shows in the infographic below, based on NATO data, Germany and Italy have reduced their troops the most, by 65 percent compared to 1990."

"But other countries with large troop contingents have also reduced them significantly, including France, Spain, the United Kingdom, Turkey and the United States."

END of the Cold War; END of NATO. So must have been the mentality.

Just look at that graphic. In a thirty year period since the end of the Cold War those major players the NATO alliance have cut their active-duty military manpower some of them by two-thirds! That would include all service, ground, air, sea. USA slightly manpower reduced by slightly greater than one-third. American commitments on a world-wide basis necessitating lesser of a reduction in total force strength.

"With the war in Ukraine, NATO countries are expected to increase their troops again in the coming months and years."

ALARM BELLS GOING OFF ALL OVER THE PLACE IN THE CAPITALS OF THE VARIOUS CONSTITUENT NATIONS OF NATO NOW!

"According to media reports, defense ministers from the 30 NATO countries have tasked the alliance's military leadership with developing plans to strengthen deterrence and defense against Russia."

You can foresee: # 1 Conscription. # 2 Spend more money. # 3 Atomic weapons. None of those will be palatable in the social welfare-states  nations of the European Union. Especially # 3.

"When you are talking conventional [arms] you are talking expensive!" - George Shultz.

The mental wherewithal exists to proceed? I am skeptical.

coolbert.