Josef Joffe

-Josef Joffe's "The Limited Partnership" About US-Europe relations in the 80's. Published in 1987. First chapter talks about the euromissiles crisis in the early 80's. Argues that nuclear weapons are inherently political items and that the behavior of Europe had a lot to do with trying to get the US committed to European security, but also trying to keep the Soviets relatively happy. Argues that public opposition to the weapons was shallow and was not a Protestant North v Catholic South split (the opposition was very strong in Britain, Holland, West germany and Scandinavia) but rather a split between countries where the social democrats did not (north) v. did (France and Italy) have communists to their left. The absence of a political competitor to their left, gave the social democrats of northern European a position whereby they could try and capitalize on the pacifist issue. Argues that conventional deterrence is a bad idea as nuclear deterrence was working very well. Go in detail through why 'no first use' rearwardism and forwardism are all bad idea for NATO defense. Last chapter is a gem, explains how the EU was made possible by US security guarantees to European states vis a vis each other. Shows how European nuclear deterrence doesn't work without the US. Argues that neo-isolationalism is bad for the US as it would allow the Soviets to shift resources to the Pacific.… (mehr)