The tricky part is when that something is "Provide the energy resources that keeps the Western world's consumer economies and heavy industries going, so that global markets can be flush with cash and easy credit"

For instance. how do you suppose the Poles feel about Nord Stream 2?

How do you suppose Ukrainians, ones so eager to join the European Union, feel about Germany and France looking at Russia and basically saying "Well...but....oil pipelines....and, Hm, so, do we really not sell those Mistrals?"

All the outrage - the justified outrage - that should be felt by Americans and Europeans and their governments' endless tolerance of the Gulf Arabs for the energy they produce while our domestic capacity and research into alternatives is always in short supply....

...that outrage was sorely lacking over Ukraine. Frankly, I have so little faith in the European project and in NATO I think that outrage will be lacking now.

None of our leaders ever made moves on Turkey. Everyone knows what's happening, and nothing is done. You know why? Same issue of dependence; look at how much of the alliance's troop strength and global position depends on Turkey. Will European nations vastly step up their defense spending to eliminate that compromising feature of the alliance?

Will we in the US really start calling on politicians to pressure the Saudis to stop funding radical Wahabbist imams? Will both Europe and the US renew and increase funding and expansion of energy alternatives so our dealings with the Middle East as a whole don't see our lauded principles of Western civilization compromised by the need for energy/credit flow? The response to the Russians murdering their way across Eastern Ukraine was and is shameful - are Ukrainians less European when they bleed out and die than French people?

Or does the paperwork of membership in the EU mean they were basically no more than the fraway foreigners ISIS kills?

It's easy to say in light of the cowardly and savage attacks against France that the Gulf Arab states and radical Sunni Islamist terrorism ideology is bad and all, but belling the cat is not so simple.

Putting the bell on requires mettle, and expense, and I do not see a Europe that when tested before has much in the way of collective martial (Ukraine crisis) or economic interest (Greek crisis) that results in a European people who can solve European issues.