They just can't take a joke. The former president Donald Trump made a sarcastic crack about encouraging Russia to attack NATO members that didn't invest in their defense, and hysteria enveloped both Washington and Brussels. For some officials, the imbroglio appeared to signal the end of Western civilization. Even worse, Europeans realized that they might have to do more for themselves militarily. The continent's policymakers have begun thinking the unthinkable. Reported the New York Times, "European leaders were quietly discussing how they might prepare for a world in which America removes itself as the centerpiece of the 75- year- old alliance." What is the world coming to if European governments can no longer cheap- ride the U.S.? The horror!
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- United States of America
