Is a Chinese or Indian American 20, 25, or 30 year old faced with the prospect of dying for the EU going to join up? Or go live a happy life in Ningbo or Hyderbad? And those are the relatively successful immigrant/minorities. What will your average Colombian or Brazilian 25 year old do? Sign up to fight in the Balkans? Or go live a happy life in Rio well away from potential radioactive fallout zones? Not to even speak of Mexican 25 year olds or Black 25 year olds who already have a strained relationship with the US government as it stands.
Now there will always be some people who choose not to fight, but the past 40 years or so we have fostered an atmosphere where we have greatly increased the number of people likely to fall in that camp. At least in the US. It'd be foolish to assume that in a nation of immigrants, people would not exercise the choice to return to their nations of origin faced with the prospect of a (likely nuclear eventually) conflict with Russia. Especially when we'd want to put most of those very people on the front lines of that conflict.
This. Our leaders are morons. They’re not going to be able to draft their star demographics to fight China/Russia, they’ll all just go home.
Also from the immigrants I know most would HAPPILY stand up for freedom and Democracy. Despite how shit we treat immigrants almost all are way better off here. There's a reason people are fleeing in record numbers. An all out global conflict just increases this exponentially.
Not to mention it's already great way to get legal papers. US army, France foreign legion, etc.
Though it is gross how we have treated some who have served for the US; the second they commit a petty crime they are deported. They should have the same rights and serve in jail here and then release here. Especially given the huge issues & obstacles our vets face.
Are you actually suggesting most first/second generation immigrants would tolerate the US regime drafting their children, and not just immigrate home?
“Europe” will fight to the last American.
You have a continent fat on decadence and social programs that has neglected military for 50+ years, content to let others protect them.
Germany has less than 20 functional attack helicopters ffs. Russia is garbage but come on.
But yeah, Europeans by and large lack the mindset of traditional Americans, who look at military service as a right of passage. It's been fascinating to talk with Europeans about the present situation. Most of them still really don't understand even the short-term ramifications of the current conflict, nor do they understand the underlaying causes.
That all said, I'm not sure where the next generation of American warfighters is going to come from. After the überbungle that was the withdrawal of Afghanistan, every person I know currently serving wants out now.