Comments by "Paul Aiello" (@paul1979uk2000) on "EU Army: Is Europe Planning to Integrate Military Forces (or is it Just a Myth?) - TLDR News" video.

Honestly, I don't see what the problem is, there is nothing stopping an EU integrated military being part of NATO as is but it would have a lot more clout in that organization, I suspect the US is the one that doesn't want that to happen. Also, I think an EU military is very likely and not because we Europeans want it but because we will likely need it as the likes of the US and China become more unstable, reckless and aggressive, also they are going to continue to grow so if us Europeans want to protect out political, economic and social interest, we're going to need to integrate and pool more resources together or we could end up getting sidelined, basically, external pressures will likely push us Europeans into it and mostly the US, Russia and China will be the big reason for it, in that sense, Trump is doing wonders for the EU. So the real question is, when it happens, what form it takes, will some members be part of it or all and how much they integrate within in but I think it's just a matter of time especially with how the US and China are going, so us Europeans have two choices, either we get pushed around by the other big powers or we stand on our own feet. As for NATO, there is no reason why that can't stay around with the EU, US and other members involved that share common interest.
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@Ghreinos If anything, it's likely more risky having multiple armies than having one, more voice and more chance of conflict, a single EU army would likely add a lot more security to Europe, Russia for one wouldn't be able to play its games with some eastern European countries and the US would likely have to think twice about a lot of its policies around the world. In any case, the US, Russia and China are the main reasons why a European army will happen, especially if those countries keep playings games like they are doing, that is just building up support among us Europeans to make it happen.
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If we listen to sceptics, the EU's future is always uncertain going back decades and yet here it stands and continues to move forward lol. But honestly, Trump, Putin and China are doing wonders for the EU, them being so unstable, aggressive and reckless is showing us Europeans why the EU and unity among Europeans is so important and that is only likely going to continue with how things are going. We all know that Trump and Putin hates the EU and they hate it for a good reason because the EU allows Europeans to project power and to protect our interest, both of those leaders don't want that and want to pick on individual countries as they would be weaker than and more likely for them to get what they want..
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@mihaivlad1905 I have to agree, the US is becoming the biggest problem followed by Russia and then China but honestly, China isn't that much of an issue for Europeans, they are more of an issue to the US because of China growing as a power and threatening US power around the world which why should us Europeans care about that.
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@dutchman7623 The problem is that NATO is mostly under the command of the US and that was fine in the past but the US is becoming more aggressive, hostile and less reliable as a country and because of that, I suspect European countries will band together with an army in the same way they created the Euro which is the last thing the US wants, after all, the US want European countries to spend more but they don't want them combining their resources together.
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@epicjorjorsnake2525 I don't have a problem with the American people, just the government and it's policies around the world, that and their backers. As for the second world war, you don't honestly think the US entered the war to save Europe do you? I doubt they even cared back then, they entered out of self-interest, they knew that the war was going to get much bigger if no one puts a stop to the Nazi, the UK would likely have been easy pickings without US help and then the Nazi could put all their focus on the Russians, it's not hard to see that the Nazi would in time make the US a target. Lets look at it for what it is, the US doesn't like any powers rising that could become a threat to the US, in the 80's, Japan was becoming a threat so the US put them down, in the 90's and continuing, the EU became a threat, hence all the trade wars with the EU and US which by the way, the US has backed down on every single one, now there's China, it's clearly to see they were becoming a threat to the US so the US is going after them, regardless of system of government, the US will go after anyone that threaten the top spot, they'll go after India if they rise up, that's just how the US is and unfortunately for the US, they've taken on more than they can chew.
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@liberator101 The US, Russia and China are the ones showing a lot more hostile actions but I see Russia and the US as more of a threat to Europe than I see China, the US doesn't like any powers rising up regardless of system of government, recent history going back to the 80's show that with how the US put Japan down when they saw them as an economic threat in the 80's, in the 90's onwards, they've seen the EU as a threat because of its integration and expanding, the US have not been able to put the EU down so that one is still ongoing, as for China, that's a more recent one and mostly to do with its economic rise, I get the impression that if India was to rise as a power, the US will go after them as well, this is making the US seem the biggest threat to the world.
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@liberator101 Actually, if you check history, most wars are started by the Republicans not the Democrats, this has been one of the few with Trump that it's been relevantly peaceful in that sense but that is probably because Trump has to defend himself at every turn because of who he is. But out of interest, why would military operations start in December and with whom? that's highly unlikely, if anything, if the Democrats were to win the elections, they would likely want to calm things down with China whereas the Republicans are pushing the US into a new Cold War with China, hence the history of the Republicans in trying to start wars.
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@TheExplorder The US won't leave NATO, that would weaken US interest in Europe a lot and I doubt they are that crazy to do that, they might be temped to leave if the EU becomes a powerful force by combining their armies together as that would weaken the US position a lot in Europe and in NATO. I agree with you that with how China is going, the EU and US should be working together, Russia I don't see as a threat, just a country that likes to lash it's tail around thinking of the glory days of the past, a bit like the UK with Brexit in that sense lol, China is the real power going forward and with how big they could become, I can see the EU or the US being able to match them on their own but together they might have a chance, especially with others around the world.
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@connla I suspect an EU military would likely happen in the same way the Euro did, voluntary by countries that want it to happen because of what you said, some members would block it no matter what so to allow it to happen, some members do it themselves, the others get left behind with the option of them joining at a later date, that's how I suspect it will happen, Germany, France, Italy, Spain are already likely candidate that would go for that. Basically, if it needs to happen, they'll find a way to make it happen.
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@connla Who knows, but it's clear there is interest in this from France, Germany and Italy, how that would work with the legal text with the EU system as of now, I don't know but the system is always changing and I suspect there are ways around that for countries that want to go at it with others but not all EU members are signed up for it yet. In the end, if it needs to happen, they'll find a way of making it happen, for now there is no real risk to Europe, but that could change with everything that is going on with the US and China and with Russia getting more bold, it's also likely that Europeans are going to have to do this just to protect our political, economic and social interest, otherwise we could get pushed aside, especially with how the US is going of late.
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@davidmurphy563 It also helps that when you get the likes of Steve Bannon, an American and Nigel Farage, A Brit trying to divide the EU and EU members up, they are actually helping the EU out with their actions because it rarely goes well when outsiders try to interfere, most of the locals don't like that, that's why I love what these clowns are doing as they are falling why into the EU's hands lol.
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@dutchman7623 They should fit right at home with an EU army with how well they pool resources already with NATO. I think we should also remember, NATO isn't likely going anyway even with an integrated EU army, the EU will just be one big part of it and not so many smaller European countries in NATO as we have now.
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@martinbury3418 And how would they do that?
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@buddy1155 Turkey could join the EU but the last 5 or so years, they've been heading in the opposite direction on that, the problem for Turkey in why it's taking them so long to join is because they are taking far too long to do a lot of the changes needed to join the EU but that was always going to be harder for them than a European country because of religion which tends to hold things back.
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@liberator101 It's all up in the air really and I don't know who is right or wrong but I do suspect if Turkey makes the right policies, reforms and all that, they could join the EU someday but under the current leadership, they are actually going backwards on that.
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@TheExplorder When I say a threat, there is limited damage Russia can do, they don't have the economy or population size to be a real threat and they depend too much on oil, gas and other natural resources which isn't a good sign. Russia reminds me of the UK that likes to think they still are a great power, lashing it's tail around but the truth is, the EU, US and China are the real powers of this world for now. But to be fair to Russia, they seemed worried about the EU because it keeps expending eastwards, that is likely going to continue because the EU can offer what those countries want, a better standard of living whereas Russia offers them threats.
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@TheExplorder The problem is that a lot will want to trade with China because of that massive consumer base so they are not as along as some think.
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@nickryan4975 If it wasn't for the US, Germany likely would have taken over Russia but the truth is, the Nazis would have fell in on its self even quicker having to deal with so many countries and people, it's not easy to control people with such harsh messures so they we're doomed to fail regardless of what help was on hand. At the end of the day, Hitler did need stopping because I doubt he was going to stop at Europe and Russia, he likely would have gone after the US as he would have seen them as a threat.
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@Dean Lion I wouldn't say they are falling apart but they are slipping, Russia likes to think of its self as a great power but they don't have the economy and people to back that up, the EU, US and China does and India could in the future if they get their act together on the economy. I don't see Brazil being a major power, they've still got too many problems to sort out, the population size isn't big enough and the economy is too small for them to really matter, real power is shifting from west to east, the Asian powers are likely to dominant in the future, they are getting their act together, they've got the population numbers and are quickly building on the economy. The US is by far the ones to lose out the most of all this, hence all the noise from them, the EU is a bit of an unknown because it's not all set in stone with that union as it can keep expending with new members, in 50 years time, the EU could be a lot bigger than it is now because it's expended with countless other countries and ironically, these bigger powers could push many smaller countries into the safe hands of the EU.
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@Dean Lion I don't know about civil war but the rest of what you said is pretty much spot on, most birth rates in Europe and America are thanks to immigration and then having kids, westerners seems to not want as many kids as they did in the past, fortunately for the west, a lot of people want to live in those regions so it's not an issue but that can change in time. As for China, they are quickly becoming a big superpower and ironically, this Corona pandemic is speeding that up at a time when the US is messing up a lot. India have too many problems they need to sort out because they can show true signs of becoming a major power and many of those problems won't be easy to fix so the jury is out on India. The EU will likely keep expending with new members regardless and I think another 5 are joining the EU over the next 5 years.
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@Dean Lion Go on then, name these other nations that want to follow? There is no evidence that any others want to follow the UK, especially since Brexit happen and with everything else that's going on around the world with the US and China. I think you are confusing Europeans wanting change in Europe then wanting to leave, Brexiteers in the UK seem to think every slight disagreement is a brake apart moment lol, if it was that simply, the US and UK would have fell apart a long time ago lol. The reason westerners are not having as many kids is because of lack of time and so many things people want to do, kids are a big drain of peoples resources and many don't want kids because they want to enjoy life, it's a sad reality but as countries become more modern, kids become less important, after all, this is happening in pretty much every modern country, including none western ones. So let me get this right, going on your logic, the EU main purpose is to form a world government with the intention of destroying the white race? You do realize the EU was mainly created by that white race, none of what you said made much sense. As for the EU, what they actually want is a union that brings people together from all backgrounds, regardless of where they are from, the EU came about out of the ashes of the second world want to prevent another war from happening and it's been mostly successful on that, now its main purpose is to protect the peace, promote democracy, further integration and boost the economy as well as protect European interest, politically, economically and socially in a world that is becoming dominated by big powers.
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@Dean Lion You do realize that most Brits are not native to the UK land, I know most like to think we are Brits because we've been assimilation by the system but most have origins from other lands, migration is a natural thing that's been going on for a long time, the real key is that the people integrated in the system, that is where the real cracks are starting to show.
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@buddy1155 They can close the borders and likely would if Turkey played that kind of game, there is only so much EU countries can help those people but if won't let it become a free for all.
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@buddy1155 Oh don't worry, if they really wanted to get tough on it, they could, but they are being diplomatic about it for now, it wouldn't be that hard for them to set up a fortress Europe where it would be difficult for anyone to get in without permission but that is taking it to the extreme. For now, the numbers coming in they can handle so it's not as much of a problem for now but If Turkey threatens the EU with opening the flood gates, the rules of the game would change on the EU side which could create a humanitarian crisis of the making by Turkey.
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@buddy1155 A lot of things are against international laws and yet the big players still break those rules many times, especially the US and EU and in this case if there was a mass flood of millions of refugees trying to flood Europe, EU countries and the EU would have a legitimate right to get a lot tougher on this unless other countries around the world are willing to help. These laws are designed for modest amounts of people coming into a region, not millions and that is where the real problem is and why the EU and EU countries would brake international laws if it got to that point, either that or other countries around the world step in to help deal with the refugees.
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@mrplease66 You can't compare the EU to Australia, a country that is quite isolated in that region that is tiny compared to the EU, going on your logic, China should be able to bully the US as the EU and US are comparable in size.
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@mrplease66 For me, the US changed after 9/11, they used to say it won't change the way of life for the US but it did just that and for the worse and it's just been downhill ever since, especially when Trump entered the White House. A lot of countries and people around the world used to look up to the US but now a lot don't care about them and see them as a joke. Now I don't know what the future is but I'm quite sure it's not China, that system of government won't be acceptable to most of the world, the EU could be a good contender but they need to integrate more for that, the US might get it's act together with Biden in power but there is still a big divide in the US and a lot of Trump supporters still. I do think it's in the interest of both the EU and US to get on much friendlier terms now because like it or not, China is a rising power and I don't think either the EU or US alone is big enough to contend with that but working together, they should be able to keep them in check, especially as a lot of other countries fear China also so those would likely fall in line behind the EU and US.
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@kevinlspg3135 The EU isn't perfect but with how the world is shaping up and how the US has been going over the last 2 decade, the EU actually looks quite good in many areas like workers rights, food standards, privacy laws and countless other things that even the US is slipping on but who knows, maybe Biden can change that but I have my doubts because the problems in the US are more deeply rooted in their society that won't be easy to fix. Like you, I don't see Russia as an enemy, Putin might see the EU as an enemy because of EU expansion in the east but the EU and Russia could make natural allies and Russia could in the longer run even become an EU member. If the US and EU are smart, they would work a lot more closer together to keep China in check because it's expected that China will have the world's biggest economy by 2028 and they are likely going to keep growing from there on, in the longer run, the EU and US on their own won't be big enough to contend with China and with some of the aggressive moves that China has done, the EU and US will likely have to work closer together to protect western values, this doesn't mean China is an enemy but if left unchecked, they likely will become more aggressive in the region and around the world as they are already showing signs of that. But in the end, the EU isn't going to fall apart like some want, the reason is self-interest, Europeans know that without the EU, it's a lot harder for European countries to protect their political, economic and social interest, something the UK could find out the hard way in the coming years, basically, the world is quickly changing with mega powers or blocks of countries joining force, in that world, countries like the UK would have little to no power compared to those other powers and that could be the main reason the UK ends up rejoining the EU once they get a taste of life on the other side and see the grass isn't greener.
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Jack Jack History isn't relevant to the here and now, beside, going on what we are seeing from many governments in the EU countries and with the US and UK, the Germans look far more level-headed when it comes to running a government, I'm British and even I would have more trust in the Germans then I would in the UK government with this bunch of clowns we've got running the show. Beside, you do realize that the EU isn't ran by Germany? they are just one player in it, a big one that gives them a lot of clout but still one player in the game.
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@paulcarroll6995 They might not have a say in it if it's done like the Euro were members that want to be part of it can join it voluntarily which is very likely how they'll do it because it's unlikely they'll get all 27 members onboard but they'll likely get the big players like Germany, France, Italy and Spain onboard. More importantly is that it will need to happen at some point, Europeans are going to have to stand on their own feet, the US is going off the rails whiles the US and China are becoming more aggressive, these political realities will likely push for an EU army with support from the European people which ironically is doing quite well in a lot of EU members already. If Europeans really want to protect their political, economic and social interest than more integration is likely needed or we are just going to get push aside just like the UK is becoming now thanks to Brexit. But don't worry, it would likely be a defensive force or peace keeping force, after all, the kind of rules that will be placed on it by the members that form it will make it very difficult to use it in a hostile way like the US currently does with it.
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@paulcarroll6995 That's unlikely considering not much can get done at an EU level without a lot of EU members being onboard so that makes it almost impossible for it to become France's African corp, I also suspect that it will be designed with peacekeeping in mind and defence, not to be used in any aggressive way or it would be very difficult to use in an aggressive way. Basically, designed to protect EU countries and peacekeeping missions around the world but not to project power around the world like the US likes to do, the first two would likely get a lot of support from Europeans, the last one won't.
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@Matthew Challacombe Well yes I do but I also see that same problem for elected governments doing the same thing, besides, do you realize that the EU formation is in flux and changing all the time? Basically, the EU would have to become more directly elected before members hand over those kinds of keys but before that can happen, we need more pan-European politics.
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@tantecosenelmondo2350 I think there is a misunderstanding about euroseptics, there are euroseptics like the ones in the UK that want nothing to do with the EU and wished it would die but then there is euroseptics which are most across Europe that don't want the EU to disband but want it to change, hence the reason why the UK could never get any support from a single EU member and why none wants to leave the EU or Euro, a lot of people confuse their disagreements with policies and how the EU runs to actually wanting to leave the union, especially British and American euroseptics but then they seem rather desperate on that. I agree about what you said about the EU doesn't get any credit for all the good it does but it does get all the blame for unpopular policies, I've seen that play out in the UK for decades now and it's no wonder the public have such a view on the EU when much of the media and governments don't highlight the good things the EU does but are quick to show the negatives. As for Poland and Hungary, they can leave at any time but the problem for them is that they don't want to leave, for one they benefit a lot from EU membership, two, they would become a plaything for Putin if out of the EU and three, support isn't there among the public for them to leave regardless of what the governments of the two countries think but I do think the EU will play a hard line with them if they push their luck too far. It's interesting you should talk about propaganda because that is something the EU doesn't really use and many could see that as a weakness because a lot of others that don't like the EU does use propaganda, maybe some laws on the media and accountability should change to make them more honest because that is where the real propaganda is.
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