> the digitalization of everyday life took longer, whereas everyone and their dog in the US had a smartphone and social networks from day 0.
This very much depends on where in Europe you were living. In parts of the Nordics (at least Sweden and I think Finland as well) cell phones were very common already in the 90s, and a few years later smart phones as well. I don’t even remember when it wasn’t possible to handle taxes, banking and similar stuff with an app or online. We also had social networks but I guess most died when Facebook arrived here. The US are usually ahead of us in consumer products, but to say that all European countries are bad at all kinds of innovation is quite exaggerated.
Two countries in Europe have nuclear weapons (several have nuclear power though). Sweden for example had a nuclear weapons program that was shut down in the late 60s (guess which country strongly wanted us to shut it down).
I think most European countries cut down too much on the defence after the Cold War, but it seems we are about to fix that. But it’s not like the US gave away fighter jets and other weapon systems for free. Several European countries spent lots of money buying US planes and other stuff.
> unsuccessful in influencing the EU to fund its own defense
We did cut down too much on our defence, especially after the Cold war (not all European countries though, like Finland). But, many European countries have bought plenty of expensive US military equipment like fighter aircraft, helicopters, anti aircraft systems, etc. It’s not like those were a gift.
I personally am not afraid of russia successfully invading my country, especially considering how much men and equipment they lost in Ukraine. But if the war in Ukraine would end on Russian terms, they might get more stupid ideas later after rebuilding their military.
So you mean we should be happy with peace on russian terms and rewarding them for invading their neighbour? Russia is very much weakened and probably would like this though.
So you believe Trump when he said that the US has given more support than Europe? He was corrected several times but continues saying it, and I see several comments about it here as well. I agree about satellite reconnaissance and such systems though. Several countries wants to give fighter jets, and Sweden wanted to give Gripens but someone convinced them to pause those plans.
But for how long will you be able to have the strongest and most modern military in the world if you start losing money because of trade wars and/or other countries stop buying US weapons and so on? I believe it won’t be good for your economy, or ours, if we stop being friends and allies.
You weren’t alone in Iraq and Afghanistan. Also, fighting against talibans and Iraqi rebels is a bit different compared to the war in Ukraine so I’m not so sure your US troops are more “warfighters” than the European troops.
You entered ww1 in 1917, almost at the end of the war after German submarines attacked American ships, if I remember correctly. So the US tried to stay out for quite some time.
Who are “they”? Several European countries have nuclear power (together with some other source as well of course) and are planning to build more. It will probably take a long time though.