During a WWII speech to the U.S. Congress, Winston Churchill observed that "The proud German Army has once again proved the truth of the saying, "The Hun is always either at your throat or your feet...." (he was quoting someone else, by the way)
Right now, it's looking like the German military is a fairly fat, lazy lapdog, sleeping down at its master's feet, sad to say. Can't there be a happy medium with them? That'd be a good start. (Eh, it'd serve 'em right if they end up being invaded by the Poles. Heh.)
“Fighter jets and helicopters that don’t fly. Ships and submarines that can’t sail. Severe shortages of everything from ammunition to underwear. If it sounds like an exaggeration to compare Germany’s Bundeswehr to ‘The Gang that Couldn’t Shoot Straight,’ look no further than the army’s standard-issue assault rifle, Heckler & Koch’s G36. The government decided to scrap the weapon after discovering that the gun misses its target if it’s too hot. . . . Given Germany’s size and economic might, Berlin’s attention to security is surprisingly shallow; citizens and politicians alike often seem oblivious to the challenges the country faces. Though Germany faces growing security threats from both Russia and China, one wouldn’t know it hanging around the German capital. Much of the media now portrays the U.S. as a security threat on par with Russia. Public attitudes have moved in a similar direction. Security discussions are driven by a handful of like-minded think tank analysts who seem to spend most their time on Twitter.”"
"Politics is just show business for ugly people."
Right now, it's looking like the German military is a fairly fat, lazy lapdog, sleeping down at its master's feet, sad to say. Can't there be a happy medium with them? That'd be a good start. (Eh, it'd serve 'em right if they end up being invaded by the Poles. Heh.)
“Fighter jets and helicopters that don’t fly. Ships and submarines that can’t sail. Severe shortages of everything from ammunition to underwear. If it sounds like an exaggeration to compare Germany’s Bundeswehr to ‘The Gang that Couldn’t Shoot Straight,’ look no further than the army’s standard-issue assault rifle, Heckler & Koch’s G36. The government decided to scrap the weapon after discovering that the gun misses its target if it’s too hot. . . . Given Germany’s size and economic might, Berlin’s attention to security is surprisingly shallow; citizens and politicians alike often seem oblivious to the challenges the country faces. Though Germany faces growing security threats from both Russia and China, one wouldn’t know it hanging around the German capital. Much of the media now portrays the U.S. as a security threat on par with Russia. Public attitudes have moved in a similar direction. Security discussions are driven by a handful of like-minded think tank analysts who seem to spend most their time on Twitter.”"
"Politics is just show business for ugly people."