Panic Fever
By Will Schruyver
As 2026 ebbs away, all of Europe is running a panic fever in the face of the creeping realization that the Americans intend to leave them to their own devices against the Russians — and, worst of all, against each other.
As for fighting the Russians, this is the plain reality: if the handful of intrepidly willing European nations were to start tomorrow, in earnest, to assemble the necessary forces and accoutrements for 21st century high-intensity battle, they could not, in five years, organize, outfit, and deploy an army of even 100,000 combat effectives — a number which would be swallowed up by a war for which their experience, training, tactics, arms, and logistics are woefully ill-prepared.
And even if they could assemble a rag-tag multi-national mob of 100k, they would be unable to position and sustain such an army to do anything.
The Russians can strike any target in Ukraine, much of Poland and Romania, and even well into Germany from Kaliningrad and Belarus.
A European army would not be permitted to mass near Russian forces. They would be torn to pieces in the attempt.
As for European air power, it is a mirage.
The supposedly mighty US Air Force gave its best shot, and launched a few thousand long-range stand-off missiles into Iran — to negligible strategic effect. Iran was not disarmed to any appreciable degree. In fact, they appear to be stronger now than when this war began.
Neither the Europeans nor even the Europeans and Americans combined could do anything meaningful against Russia, and they will lose aircraft in droves if they try.
Furthermore, the US has no meaningful intermediate range strike threat comparable to what Russia and Iran have demonstrated. And they won’t have one for some time to come.
US air defenses have proven embarrassing in terms of quality, and not even remotely sufficient in quantity even if they were effective.
Big league war consumes prodigious quantities of armaments.
And anyone paying attention has learned that — against the expectation of the vast majority of people — the US arsenal of unscalable hand-made boutique weaponry has not only performed poorly in its various roles, but the combination of wars in Ukraine and Iran has reduced US stockpiles to near-crisis levels.
Furthermore, the US Navy got run out of the Red Sea by the Yemeni.
Think about that.
They were quite literally chased away under fire, with empty magazines. Two carrier strike groups in succession. Amazing.
It is easily one of the most shocking developments of the past several years of war on this planet. The US Navy, by their own admission, was “traumatized” by the experience, which several officers claimed to have been the most intense US naval battle since the Second World War.
Against the Yemeni.
Again … think about that.
Because, shortly thereafter, someone somewhere decided, “Well, those Houthi fellas are a hard nut to crack. Let’s try the Iranians instead. All they know how to do is make rugs.”
And now, as we speak, there are two carrier strike groups cowering somewhere in the calm deep waters of the Arabian Sea, at least 1000 km distant from the Iranian coastline.
Closer in, there be monsters.
They can’t, and they won’t do anything meaningful from that position. They’re just hiding out and biding time until they get relieved.
Getting a US Navy warship smashed up at the hands of long-vilified and ridiculed Iranians represents an utterly unacceptable outcome for this war. It must be avoided at absolutely all costs.
You see, for a variety of complex reasons within the peculiar American psyche, the US Navy is the undisputed Master of the Seas. Losing a US warship to what they are predisposed to regard as an inferior race, would be considered an intolerable humiliation. Better to hide for now, and fashion a victory story ex post facto.
In any case, it should have long-since been evident to discerning observers that the global readiness of the United States to prosecute big league war anywhere at this time is already compromised, and cannot be reconstituted in even the medium-term. Very arguably not within a decade.
They have blown their wad. The US/NATO/Israel have managed to blow through a half-century of weapons development and production — and it’s all for naught.
The 20th century war-making stuff they have left is simply not suited to the realities of 21st century war. And they don’t have anywhere near enough of anything to fight a serious war anyway.
As I repeat incessantly: There are no easy wars left to fight.
So, yeah, I reckon the Europeans are sweating it out right about now. The empire is receding rapidly, and before long will irreversibly relinquish its capability to enforce rules, borders, and obedience to the “greater good”.
History suggests a Europe in such a scenario will not cohere in a harmonious fashion. It’s bound to turn ugly.
And thus, the panic in Euroland.
the soft currents of air carry the sweet hint of promise…Why Germany and Russia are talking after Berlin accused Moscow of h… – Video – DW News …and from the heavens Bismarck’s spirit is tempted to gloat… essay> Berlin Reopens the Moscow Channel – by The Duran Daily….https://theduran.substack.com/p/berlin-reopens-the-moscow-channel?r=onv0m&utm_medium=ios …not yet… Read more »