On the avoidance of small wars

[JMA]

You're wrong on so many levels I'm really clueless about how to respond without writing a book chapter.

Well... just mention three levels where I'm wrong for starters

There's a common thread, though: You simplify too much and don't look beyond the surface.

On the contrary I suggest the tendency is to complicate matters... after all one has to find work for all the staff officers and think tank hangers on and university faculty... I mean if it really were that simple they would all be out of a job, yes?

The trick (learned in the military) is to cut through the crap and get to the crux of the issue. Not done anymore. There, my dear Fuchs, lies the problem.

I wrote here earlier that Europe wasn't really interested in Libya. Libya is unimportant, and we weren't really at war (Germany not at all). The air forces didn't even bother leaving the comfort of main air bases.
Europe cannot do interventions like the U.S. does them because nobody but the U.S. is so crazy to follow such a wasteful approach. If necessary, we could easily improvise and pull things off the old-fashioned way.
Nobody's going to improvise anything big unless there's motivation, though.

Europe is definitely interested in Libya (what with the oil and geographical proximity to Europe). what happened was that without the US holding their hand there were unable to intervene in Libya so when the US called the French and Brit bellicose bluff the house of cards that is the European military collapsed.

...but you are correct Europe (including Germany) can't state in interest when they are in no position to back it up with action (unless Uncle Sam is prepared to hold their hands). Europe can't do it... therefore they must maintain the pretense of it 'not being in their National Interest' (here that phony excuse a lot around here )

Yes, the US are known for a brute force and ignorance approach where they will rather use a sledgehammer to crack open a nut than use a small stone lying nearby on the ground. Do you really need to use a chain saw to cut off his arms and legs when a poke in the eye with a sharp stick will achieve the aim just as well?

A lot of that has to do with a lack of experience among the individuals concerned leading to a lack of confidence in turn leading to an over elaboration in planning by including too many contingencies. This is understandable given the number of politicians looking over shoulder of the military.

Big? What do you class as big?