Comments on: Bedpans and boot-polish http://fistfulofeuros.net/afoe/bedpans-and-boot-polish/ European Opinion Mon, 13 Feb 2012 07:39:06 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Mrs Tilton http://fistfulofeuros.net/afoe/bedpans-and-boot-polish/comment-page-1/#comment-2197 Mrs Tilton Tue, 20 Jan 2004 19:19:24 +0000 http://fistfulofeuros.net/wordpress/?p=261#comment-2197 Scott, that's a fair assessment of the current strategic position of the German military, and what you propose is exactly the goal towards which it is working. So far as I know, however, the defence minister hasn't made an all-volunteer army part of his plans and is indeed against the notion. If civil sevice is abolished, though, it's not likely he'll have much choice in the matter. Scott,

that’s a fair assessment of the current strategic position of the German military, and what you propose is exactly the goal towards which it is working. So far as I know, however, the defence minister hasn’t made an all-volunteer army part of his plans and is indeed against the notion. If civil sevice is abolished, though, it’s not likely he’ll have much choice in the matter.

]]> By: Scott Martens http://fistfulofeuros.net/afoe/bedpans-and-boot-polish/comment-page-1/#comment-2196 Scott Martens Tue, 20 Jan 2004 18:05:42 +0000 http://fistfulofeuros.net/wordpress/?p=261#comment-2196 Since there is growing discussion of a European military somewhat freer of American attachments, does it seem probable that this is part of an effort to raise the German army's ability to project power? Until the end of the Cold War, the German military was built around a single strategic plan: defence against invaders from the east. A large conscript army and reserves that knows little more than how to fire an anti-tank gun made a certain amount of sense in that context, but surely doesn't now. You can't send reservists and conscripts to overseas wars, while the public is rarely very bothered by sending professional soldiers abroad. Since there is growing discussion of a European military somewhat freer of American attachments, does it seem probable that this is part of an effort to raise the German army’s ability to project power? Until the end of the Cold War, the German military was built around a single strategic plan: defence against invaders from the east. A large conscript army and reserves that knows little more than how to fire an anti-tank gun made a certain amount of sense in that context, but surely doesn’t now. You can’t send reservists and conscripts to overseas wars, while the public is rarely very bothered by sending professional soldiers abroad.

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