I've been in the middle of an online discussion with a younger Spanish friend in which I backhanded his suggestion that America should care  (and defer ) more to what he called our  "European allies". I suggested , perhaps impolitely, that when  Europe undertook a greater role in its own defense I might consider giving it any respect or consideration at all--but at the moment  I cared little for European opinion.Interestingly, the Guardian's Martin  Kettle makes much of the same point today in discussing the present defense challenges facing the EU and NATO:For years now, Nato nations have been committed to reach a minimum defence spending target of 2% of GDP. Yet 20 of them, including Canada, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Spain, have fallen far short. Among the six that have reached the target, the shares of four (including Britain and France) are in decline. Inevitably, that means the US carries ever more of the load and becomes...(Read Full Post)