It's sad to see the Germans, who generated the most competent fighting troops in the world between 1870 and 1945 acting like uber-liberal pussies hiding from the righteous fight. Having served along the Bundeswehr, it has nothing to do with the courage and ability of German soldiers - their professionals remain among the best. It has everything to do with a German society so degenerate that it stands for nothing other than entitlements and social degeneracy. Chancellor Bismarck would be appalled at the lack of intestinal fortitude among the German Volk.
I'm still amazed that the German side of my family did their military service without complaint, considering the large socialist streak prevalent among them, but they're a dying breed - socialists who understand that their society flourishes because hard men (and women) are willing to do hard things to make it so.
Mark, what I find strange about the German response is that it is in answer to a question from a Canadian. In WWII, Canadians were cited by the Germans as being the most capable enemy. According to the German leader at the time, Germany could have won the war with German leadership and Canadian soldiers. Of all the people that they could relate to, you would think that the Germans would be more open to serving alongside Canadians, considering their knowledge of our history.
Of all people, humans are the funniest. Political hides must be worth a fortune nowadays.
It has nothing to do with personal cowardice or being pussies. Post-war Europe has devolved steadily over sixty years into a rote, rigid ideological pacifism. Not fighting anywhere, anytime for any reason has become their equivalent of Mom and Apple Pie. I can't recommend this book highly enough as an explanation of how it happened and a disturbing proof that the protection of democracy and freedom and the prevention of genocide really does sit on the shoulders of the Americans and the Anglosphere.
[External Link]
Not to argue with your hypothesis, Peter, but France has had no such issue with getting their hands bloody (since the end of WW11), especially in Africa.
Whenever there's been 'trouble' on the 'Dark Continent' my first reaction has always been "How's France involved?"
Some general examples that come to mind:
-First Indochina War
-Algerian War of Independence
-Suez Crisis
-Chadian-Libyan Crisis
`69-72
`78-79
`83-87
-Congo
-Rwanda
-Cote d'Ivoire '02
-Gulf War
Feel free to add to the list, I'm sure there's more instances where attempted coups etc. were either attempted or quashed (with France's assistance).
As any European will tell you, France is always first to proclaim total fealty to the European ideal, and will then do whatever it thinks is good for France.
You are right about their shadowy, never-ending African activities though. I think they believe the independence of their former colonies was an April Fool's Day joke.
"Post-war Europe has devolved steadily over sixty years into a rote, rigid ideological pacifism. Not fighting anywhere, anytime for any reason has become their equivalent of Mom and Apple Pie."
While Dan makes a solid argument for the exception with regard to France, I think Peter's statement above is bang-on.
For confirmation of this mindless, amoral, hard Left abhorrence of the projection of western military force, one need only look at public opinion in Poland, in relation to that country's involvement in the NATO mission in Afghanistan:
[External Link]
"72 Percent of Poles Oppose Afghan Mission."
The poll was conducted in October 2007. Poland is supposedly one of the "New Europe," pro-American nations who "get it," when it comes to the imperative that Islamic extremism be aggressively confronted.
The Poles don't "get it," and when one considers the unimpeachable righteousness of NATO's presence in Afghanistan, coupled with the fact that Poland has suffered hardly any loss in Afghanistan (at the time the poll was taken, Poland had lost exactly one man in combat), well, maybe it is time to write Europe off.
Paul,
What's the source for "Germany could have won the war with German leadership and Canadian soldiers"?