Pascal Lottaz in a Neutrality Studies podcast published 6 hours ago said something I thought was very interesting

'Today funnily enough US imperialism was so successful at integrating the EU and European elites into this superstructure that they've built that all of those kind of worries [about a nuclear war in Europe] are completely gone because the allegiance of these people is not anymore to the country. It is to the cause of the group of the West. Mr. Merz he knows he can go back to Blackrock and make much more money or he can go and and work for one of the big international organisations, right? I mean, the these people do not need to care anymore. And actually just today, on Twitter again, Merz said like my primary concern is not the economy of Germany. My primary concern is what's what's happening in Ukraine. It's like really you as a chancellor of Germany you say that? But can you just imagine how deep in their brains this is now? It is crazy.'

I think this is probably right and I think the CIA Young Leaders Program is part of the reason why leaders in European countries see their allegiance as being to the West (the West being a term which became outdated after the end of the Cold War) rather than to their nation. 

This applies to Nicusor Dan in Romania, in England to Andy Burnham and Kemi Badenoch, and the list is endless. 

The European Economic Community, which is now the European Union, was itself an American idea intended to prevent war in Europe and unite Europe against a communist foe. Harold Macmillan was a true believer but originally supported the project because he knew the Americans wanted him to. 

Neagu Djuvara told me that the biggest difference he had seen in his lifetime was that in the 1930s nobody in Europe gave any thought to America. He might have added, or I add anyway, that since 1945 Europe has been ruled entirely by the Americans and the Russians. 

It turns out that even the end of the Cold War did not end the struggle between Americans and Russians over Europe. England, France and Germany seem to have no agency. 

During the Cold War this was less apparent than it should be now but it doesn't seem to be very apparent to a lot of people even now. 

I just watched a curious clip on the British conservative TV channel GB News. It was a fierce angry argument between two men, both of whom thought that young British people should be prepared to fight Russia, but one of whom thought that other considerations were also important before we do so. 

This is former British Conservative politician Matthew Parris. I often disagree with him but I agree with him here.