This is a Middle-East battle I can support

As someone who currently lives in a city that he loathes for the time being (Johnny Damon just has a knack for hitting key hits in ALCS games in New York), I ran across this article and was reminded that the more we fight over stuff like this, the better.

It's time for Europe and NATO to step up

NATO and I agree with General McChrystal that perhaps the only winnable strategy in Afghanistan is one that involves a major counterinsurgency effort. I also agree that President Obama should approve General McChrystal's troop request of 40,000. However, I do NOT agree that all of those troops should be American.

NATO defense ministers comprising leaders from many of our allies have apparently voiced their support. Here's my message to them:

If you believe this mission is the right one and needs to be resourced more fully, then by all means send in the troops. But nicey nice Barack doesn't come for free. He comes at a price to you, to NATO, to Europe and the rest of the world. If you don't want the U.S. to be a bully single-handedly going around the world telling other countries what to do, then it's time to step up and become a part of the solution - and that includes military help.

The left in Europe agonized over the genocide in Darfur and Rwanda, yet most European countries wouldn't ante up the troops to stop the violence. The U.S. was just as bad on the genocide front but we made the right call in Bosnia and in Somalia (just because we had trouble in Somalia doesn't mean it wasn't the right thing to do).

In his address to Congress in November of 2007, President Nicolas Sarkozy of France said, "Let me tell you solemnly today: France will remain engaged in Afghanistan as long as it takes, because what's at stake in that country is the future of our values and that of the Atlantic Alliance. For me, failure is not an option. Terrorism will not win because democracies are not weak, because we are not afraid of this barbarism. America can count on France."

If the election of President Obama means the era of the unilateral superpower is over, then it's time for Europe to step up and embrace its new role and act on its words.