-1 upvotes, 4 direct replies (showing 4)
View submission: De Gaulle watching the current situation
He wasn't right 80 years ago, we've enjoyred 80 years of relative peace and US-led Western supremacy since then, and more importantly we've had extremely successful counter-proliferation of nuclear weapons thanks to it.
Had we all taken De Gaulle's approach, we'd be looking at a world full of nuclear capable states and all the flashpoint potential that comes with it.
As a race we've only aquired the potential to make ourselves extinct since WW2 and that hasn't happened largely because of a US-led, unipolar existance.
We can be as full of ourselves as a continent as much as we like and as critical of the current US administration as we like, but De Gaulle was wrong and merely extending the timeline for his prediction doesn't change anything.
Comment by HyperPedro at 10/03/2025 at 16:39 UTC
7 upvotes, 1 direct replies
You don't get De Gaulle thinking. He made his decisions based on History. And the USA had a long tradition of isolationnism. That is why they waited till 42 to go to Europe and they did it only because they were attacked by Japan. At the time, nobody had a crystal ball and could predict 80 years of relative peace (cold war included) in Western Europe. All he knew is that at some point, the USA would leave the continent. That is what he said to Eisenhower when they talked about nuclear weapons. He said he knew Eishower would come to help because he knew what was at stakes but he had no guarantee about his successors due to his knowledge of American History. The 80 years you are talking are just an anomaly in European history and all he wanted was to have France be prepared the day the Americans would decide to leave Europe. And not too depend on the Americans in case Moscow wanted to drop a bomb on Western Europe because the USA have a very favorable geographic position which puts Europeans in a situation of extreme weakness against Moscow. Strategic thinking is about being able to answer to different paths in History, not going all in on 1 option expecting it will work forever.
Comment by Hyrikul at 10/03/2025 at 16:24 UTC
5 upvotes, 1 direct replies
Illegal war, French-bashing propanda, backstab for Aukus submarine.. Lot of stuff didn't go well, but it was cool for you because you were their most loyal vassals and on their sides, now they don't care about you neither, it hurt, isn't it?
Comment by asreagy at 10/03/2025 at 16:09 UTC
5 upvotes, 1 direct replies
Danm… You guys have the US bootlicking down to an art by now, huh? Drool Britannia, you gonna need all that extra saliva.
Comment by Hyrikul at 10/03/2025 at 16:23 UTC
2 upvotes, 0 direct replies
Illegal war, backstab for Aukus submarine.. Lot of stuff didn't go wrong, but it was cool for you because you were their most loyal vassals, now they don't care about you neither, it hurt, isn't it?