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Is Europe’s ‘insolvent’ foreign Policy a Threat to U.S.Security?
europe’s reliance on U.S.military might creates “unearned security,” echoing historical U.S. vulnerabilities and inviting aggression, experts warn. As transatlantic tensions rise, a call for European rearmament grows louder.
The Lippmann Gap: A Historical Parallel
As Europe grapples with geopolitical instability, some analysts are invoking the wisdom of Walter Lippmann, a prominent American journalist and political thinker. In his 1943 book, U.S. Foreign Policy: Shield of the Republic, Lippmann “persuasively argued that foreign policy ought to be balanced—that is, a state’s foreign commitments must match its power.” When a nation’s aspirations exceed its capabilities, a hazardous “Lippmann gap” emerges, inviting external threats and internal divisions.
While Lippmann initially applied this concept to the United States, some observers now argue that Europe’s foreign policy is, in Lippmann’s words, “insolvent.” The continent’s commitments and aspirations, they contend, are “clearly not backed by any real ability to promote them—or, when needed, defend them.”
Europe’s Reliance and the Cost of ‘Unearned Security’
For decades, Europe has enjoyed relative peace and prosperity under the security umbrella provided by the United States.From the Balkan conflicts of the 1990s to the fight against ISIS in Syria, the U.S. has consistently intervened to protect European interests. More recently,Washington has been working to secure the Red Sea shipping route,a vital artery for European commerce,against Houthi attacks.
This dependence on U.S. military might has created what Lippmann termed “unearned security.” The danger, according to Lippmann, is that “unearned security” can have a “pernicious effect on the state
