Thus Der Spiegel today. “Germany wants to strengthen its rôle in international affairs,” elaborates the newspaper. “But recent reports suggest the country’s weapons systems are in such disrepair that Berlin actually has very little to offer its partners.” A beaming photograph of Ursula von der Leyen, Germany’s defense minister, graces the article. Gung-ho as she is, her country has a long way to go to match its economic might and its military punch. After World Wars I and II, there are few surprises about the mismatch. The article focuses on many a recent discomfiture of the German military due to the poor condition of its weapons systems. “Disarmament through wear and tear” is the term that tells it all. But there is next to nothing in it regarding the way out of the mess. More important, there is not a word about the European Union’s defenses. The North Atlantic Treaty Organization is a shadow of itself, as well. Indeed, the subcontinent is as good as defenseless today. Long an American protectorate, it has been oblivious of so many signs of World War III on the horizon. I can well imagine Vladimir Putin reading the same article and chuckling to himself. “If I want to,” he mumbles under his breath, “I can take Berlin in five weeks.”