Europe currently lacks military muscle because it made a decision a half-century ago to be protected by the US and devote the saved resources to building up its welfare state. This strategy – which worked well for decades – always carried the risk that at some point America’s resources might be tied up elsewhere, leaving Europe under-protected.
欧洲目前缺少军事实力，因为它在半个世纪前做出决定让美国保护，并且将节省下来的资源用于建立自身的福利国家。这一战略几十年来一直奏效，但是却有风险，那就是美国的资源有可能被困于其他地方，让欧洲不能得到有效的保护。这一风险由于伊拉克战争而成为现实。