Freeloading Europeans.

Consider some basic facts: Europe has been riding on our economic coattails and sheltering under our defense umbrella since the end of World War II nearly 65 years ago. Our markets have been open to European goods, and our strong currency and relative affluence -- the product of our much-maligned free-market economic model -- have provided Europe with a ready buyer. . . .

While providing a huge market for Europe's goods, we've also substantially relieved the European powers of the burden of defending themselves. . . . "The U.S. last year spent about 44% more on defense than all other NATO members combined," Robert Wall recently noted in Aviation Week.

By assuming Europe's defense the U.S. has, in effect, allowed it the luxury of extremely expensive and ultimately unsustainable social-welfarism.

The great irony here is that the European model American leftists envy couldn't survive without its despised cowboy counterparty.

Why is it exactly that we still have military bases in Europe? Europeans clearly expect us to do the heavy lifting when things get ugly anywhere and their national pastime is to think of ways of making token military contributions when they do.

Remember the minesweepers the Germans sent during to the first Gulf War? How could we have done without them?

Here’s a thought. Maybe closing down our bases in Europe would help us save a nickel or two now that we’re experiencing some economic difficulties here at home. The Europeans could then show us how to have vibrant economies, support full blown welfare states replete with state of the art socialized medicine, and field potent militaries capable of fighting or mounting humanitarian missions anywhere in the world.

And the reason we don’t shut down over there is . . . what? Am I being too simple minded here?

"Europe Should Hope Obama Fails. The continent has been free riding on the strength of U.S. capitalism." By Jeff Durstewitz, Wall Street Journal, 7/11/09.