Nato's Failure is Europe's Shame

Yesterday Nato members failed to provide a single extra soldier for the Afghan operations. With 26 members (and 37 participants in the Afghan operations) one would think that 2000 extra troops would be an easy target but, alas most Nato members have once again shown the fair weather nature of their friendship.

The failure is also symptomatic of a major European disorder created by the European Union over the last few decades: Europe is inward looking and self obsessed. As a collective, it spends most of its time looking at itself, and fantasising about it's place in the world rather than assuming the responsibility that this would entail. This has created a Eurocentric view within the EU's member nations that has disconnected them with the rest of the world. When they do become involved it's as if they are doing so as a favour.

The world is passing Europe by.