Euro crisis: US General Martin Dempsey warns of unrest

I have to say this came as a bolt from the blue to me:

The top US military commander, Gen Martin Dempsey, says he is concerned about "the potential for civil unrest" as Europe's financial crisis unfolds.

Gen Dempsey said it was unclear the latest steps taken by EU leaders would be enough to hold the eurozone together, adding that a break-up could have consequences for the Pentagon...

Not surprisingly his real concern is for US troops and joint US-European military projects:

...The US military has more than 80,000 troops and 20,000 civilian workers in Europe, many based in Germany.

Gen Dempsey also said he was concerned that an international project to develop the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter aircraft could be put in jeopardy if European national defence budgets were cut.

"It will clearly put [budgets] at risk if all the economic predictions about a potential collapse were to occur," Gen Dempsey said...

The General is undeniably unguarded in his comments, and it's quite unusual for the BBC to publish statements in such a raw fashion. Perhaps they think it's time people started preparing for the worst. The General may well be on to something here. Check out this article from a major UK broadsheet, posted hours ago:

Eurozone banking system on the edge of collapse

The eurozone banking system is on the edge of collapse as major lenders begin to run out of the assets they need to keep vital funding lines open.

Senior analysts and traders warned of impending bank failures...

The European Central Bank admitted it had held meetings about providing emergency funding to the region's struggling banks, however City figures said a "collateral crunch" was looming.

"If anyone thinks things are getting better then they simply don't understand how severe the problems are...

Many banks, including some French, Italian and Spanish lenders, have already run out of many of the acceptable forms of collateral such as US Treasuries and other liquid securities used to finance short-term loans and have been forced to resort to lending out their gold reserves to maintain access to dollar funding...

(first posted here)

It seems the General at least knows what he's talking about. But it still surprises me that it's the top US General who is voicing concern over coming civil unrest in Europe. No one in the echelons of power in Europe has even whispered a word...

reply to post by pause4thought


Good find, shame he's only interested in the F35 and the impact on the Industrial Military Complex,

Maybe they should cancel it and put the money into a tangible plan of re-generating the American civilian infrastructure" Roads, Rail, Homes, " etc etc,

Good see another name who doesn't give a Sh1t about civilians.

I will say that the Telegraph is a tad EuroSceptic, but they do balance out the EuroPhile BBC.. I usually feel that somewhere in the middle of the 2 is the truth.

What I missed was any here and now solutions to the crisis, which is rather worrying as I thought that was what this was all about.. and it is still unclear if all the Parliaments and referendums will vote in favour of this new intergovernmental treaty..

What if Ireland, a Eurozone country finds itself legally bound to go to referendum over this and they give yet another "no" ?

The whole thing seems very risky and dangerous and yet does little to provide any now fixes, so it is no wonder that a US General would be concerned about the US troops/civilians in Europe.

Not to mention the multi-national projects that are being worked out.. and I guess given Sarkozys comments and the growing dislike/hatred for Britain in Europe this puts the Anglo-French Military treaty at risk and by extension weakens NATO further.

Interesting times indeed.

Sorry for my meandering tuppence worth...

reply to post by kushin

...shame he's only interested in the F35 and the impact on the Industrial Military Complex...

I nearly put that in the OP! Then I thought well, he is the top General; what do you expect — compassion?

Maybe they should cancel [the F35] and put the money into a tangible plan of re-generating the American civilian infrastructure" Roads, Rail, Homes, " etc etc,

It's not about people. It's about the arms industry. "Don't you understand the first thing about life? (You need reeducation...)"




reply to post by thoughtsfull


You've got the picture — fudge, fudge, fudge, fudge... implosion.

Just remember Agincourt...

reply to post by pause4thought


Since I wear this tin foil hat *points up* it behoves me at this point to mention the Russian Military Textbook "The Foundations of Geopolitics" (1997) that lays out an interesting path..

According to this Russian Military texbook, Russia should work towards ensuring Germany gaining control of Europe along with it's sidekick France (as both have strong anti-Atlanticist traditions) while Britain should be isolated from Continental Europe.

One can't help but wonder if some one else has nabbed a copy and while reading it, thought, "hey that's a great idea" (in the same way the Nazis adopted the Heartland Theory) as it certainly feels there a game being played here..

Sorry if off topic

reply to post by thoughtsfull


I'm intrigued. Please elaborate. Do you think Russia still has an eye on western Europe?

(Tin hat not obligatory in this thread. )

Barroso is a Communist, so maybe the idea is to hook all the communists up together to take over Europe. Sorry , now I've got my Glenn Beck hat on.

en.wikipedia.org...

reply to post by woodwardjnr


Since when did Glenn Beck visit ATS… oh wait that is woodwardjnr.

I visited your link on that Eurocrat Barroso and found something quite interesting. Before 1976 he was associated with the Portuguese Workers’ Communist Party which advocates Communism, Maoism but then after 1976 he joined the Social Democratic Party which advocates Liberal Conservatism, Classical Liberalism, and Neoliberalism. It is quite interesting that so many of today’s ‘Third Way’/Neoliberal types were formerly associated with some form of Marxist politics.

Is that just a coincidence or a conspiracy? By the way everything seems to be going on over in Europe these days I would say it is a conspiracy.

reply to post by woodwardjnr


Many a true word is spoken in jest!








The question is: will it be the growth of antidemocratic forces or economic collapse that causes people in Europe to protest? Generals know about such things...

I'm not sure.. given that a strategy developed in Britain (Scotland really ) by one Halford Mackinder called the Heartland Theory was adopted by the Nazis as Game plan for conquest.

The main Russian premise revolves around creating situations that target and create anti-American feelings around the world (which is obviously happening) the main tools the textbook recommends to achieve that are subversion, destabilization, and disinformation (and we've seen a lot of that)

In Europe energy supplies should also be used as a tool to bully and pressurise other nations into compliance.. (we've seen that in use) Georgia should be split (we've seen that happen) and the US should be destabilised by assisting internal sources of discontent (we're seeing that) while all in all the USA should be used as the main scapegoat for the worlds problems (seeing that one)

All in all, quite an interesting read when you overlay it on the world at the moment.. been trying to find an on line version to post but can only find comments and reaction by people like the Hoover Institute.

www.hoover.org...

reply to post by thoughtsfull


I have to agree you can see a lot of those things unfolding. It is very real. Events in Greece and Italy seem to fit a pattern, in particular (-see Dictatorship in Europe — coming to a country near you?

No doubt David Rockefeller, at the top of the Bilderberg Group, and an avowed Communist (-see 'The True Story of the Bilderberg Group' by Daniel Estulin) has comrades in Russia. *Sorry, should I have removed the tin hat?*

The Euro will collapse within 6 months if not sooner. The UK has already started the wheels in motion by using a VETO which has caused the communist state to push through the treaty outside of the Euro effectivly pushing it upon the people anyway. It is a communist state and there will be violence on the streets should soverignty not be handed back to the member states. The UK should pull out now before the co-allition collapses.

reply to post by pause4thought


I was under the understanding that it was the Rothschild dynasty at the top of that particular table.

reply to post by pause4thought


Thank you for the videos.

Being in the US I keep close tabs about what it going on in our own political system, and how greed had rared it's ugly head into a system made up to see that those with political influence pocket as much money as possible not caring about who they bring down in the process.

Seems however our corporate media cronies don't keep us very informed about what is happening in our sister states (Europe) and the goings on their. We get only small glimpses as to the true nature of the problems our brothers and sisters face overseas, and the system is setup as to give us the idea that it's not going to effect us as bad as it is in Europe.

Fact is the people running the central banks in Europe are the same people running our own central banking system (the Federal Reserve) and though it may start in Europe, it will also happen here.

As Much as people want to disagree, the fact is Europe and The US are run very similar, and the people are not as different in their views as you may think. Both have the "sheep" who seem to think that their leaders can do no wrong.

This guy knew what would happen, yet the others scoffed at him. Now because of the political greed, chances are they too will see a depression like no other.

As for us in the US. The fact is if the Euro falls, there is a great chance our Dollar will as well.

Maybe we will all be buying and selling with the "yuan" soon?

Think of the planes! Save the planes! This guy has his priorities straight, who cares about people starving or being tossed from their homes.

Hellooooooo the people are already rioting or does Greece, Spain, Italy not exist to this guy?

Unfortunately it probably is going to happen sooner than most people think

Originally posted by pause4thought
I have to say this came as a bolt from the blue to me:

You are hopefully being ironic?
We have already seen massive unrest around Europe.
Nor is it a particularly unusual comment - we have already seen mainstream figures like Merkel allude to the possibility of war even. Kind of 'outdooms' civil unrest.
I'm just one of many who have been prepping for this scenario for months. Europe is pretty well stuffed as is US. 'Depression' is mild compared to what's coming. The situation will probably be particularly bad in those European countries which just gave control of their country to the EU. Wait till the people realise what has been done.