Ever since World War II ended, the leaders of Western Europe have operated like our cartoonish avian friend. As a result, the only European nation with a truly significant military is Russia, although the efforts of Switzerland, the U.K., and France haven't been trivial.
One supposes the others believed the United States would defend them, so they didn't need to spend the money and inconvenience their people. Now war has again broken out between European nations and none of the neighbors could intervene if they wanted to.
For decades, U.S. presidents have pestered NATO partners to pull their weight for the common defense. For as many decades they have made polite noises and spent their time and money elsewhere.
Now they are faced with an actively belligerent Russia while the U.S. is governed by a sad, tired old political hack. Joe Biden didn't amount to much when he still had all his marbles. The spectacle of him abandoning our Afghan ally cannot reassure NATO's other member nations.
Note to Francis Fukuyama: That "arc of history" stuff is bunkum. History appears to be very much alive and thirsting for gore. Perhaps it was on sabbatical when you declared it dead.
