We all know some organizations and unions in which several nations are members, like NATO, EU, UN etc. In what extent do these organizations provide safety to their nation-members?
The reason I am asking this is because in Greece our military system is mandatory. Of course there is professional military career as a choice, too. However, Greece has many military camps. Almost every city has its camp. Furthermore, redundant hierarchy exists. That is, too many soldiers and military officers. Lastly, Greek governments spend a lot for military equipment.
Personally, I believe that this redudancy exists for political purposes. Politicians maintain this system for their personal political benefits. (Example: Young soldiers and military professionals desire to be transfered to their places to be with their families etc. Politicians helps them achieve this, in exchange with their votes. That's why governments refuse to merge camps together).
Other claim that we need all these, ,because of the geographical position of Greece. We are not geographically lucky like Sweden or Switzerland or Canada. Our neighbours have aggressive governments like Macedonia or worser Turkey. They use 2 arguments: a) In 1974 Turks invaded Cyprus and now the island is bisected. b) In 1996 Turkey attempted to possess a small, uninhabited island in Agean Sea ( The sea between Greece and Turkey). In other words, they support military spending to confront a possible war or invasion.
I really do not know what is wrong or right. I am trying to think more liberal and to support cut spending even in military, but I am not sure if is this a good or dangerous decision.
What do you think?
Being part of a union like the EU or worse an alliance like NATO: Ultimately membership in these organizations will be destructive to Greek people, provide no security and cost a lot of money or worse lives. Your own example of Turkey invading proves this point. Although both nations are NATO members, NATO did not come to the aid of the folks in Cyprus or Greece. Furthermore, the more aggressive nations in these organizations tend to bully the others and in the case of Spain the results were disasterous when the USA bullied Spain tinto the Iraq War and there were terrorist attacks there. And to make matters worse, all of the costs of being in such an alliance are hidden and a whole lot more expensive especially when it comes to allowing members to have bases or docking rights to ports and what not in Greece.
The Greek military does not exist to protect the Greeks from invasion, nor protect the people on some rock (Read Cyprus) that the Government conditioned (Read conned) its own people into some nationalistic frenzy to protect. The military really exists to squash any rebellion large enough to overthrow the Greek Government. So the Greek Military like all other militaries exists for CONTROL with some patronage as a side benefit. Take it from a Freedom Loving American where there are drones, possibly armed ones, are flying over US cities right now.
Mises had his job as an officer in the Austrian Army changed to the front with Italy for expressing this opinion: The fighting between Italy and Austria over some mountain areas was a giant waste of lives and scarce resources. The Austria people would be much better served by offering to buy the disputed property. Similary the Greek people and Turks for that matter would be much better served by having one side buy the island of Cyprus or some other rock and pay for any people who did not want to be Turks to be moved to another island or moved to someplace else in the area.
Think how much war costs in nominal terms: Iraq and Afghanistan directly costs the government of the USA over $1.75 TRILLION OR about 4 years of the output of the entire state of Ohio. And that is not even half of the real cost in ruined lives and helping veterans. And that is not even half of the lost opportunity.
For example, if Greece wants Cyprus it has to offer money to Cyprus government. Right?
Definitely, this will be absolutely refused by Greeks, because they will say: "Cyprus was a Greek part. We will not buy something that is ours."
Also, who can guarantee that by buying Greece the island of Cyprus, then Turkey will be ok? It is very possible that even after the buying, Turks may still be aggressive and a possible military invasion.
Therefore, we can not say that we do not need military services, equipment and soldiers.
Not quite. Some individual or group of individuals like a government can only purchase something by purchasing it from its rightful owners who are the individuals or groups of individuals who own the property. So the Greek Government would have to compensate EACH individual property owner for the rights to that property.
On Greek repurchase, the island can not be owned by the Greek Government or collectively by some Greek people. Cyprus has owners who have title to their property. Any other party wishing to exercise ownership rights would have to get permission from the legitimate owners. This includes the ability to demand rents (Taxes) from the people on Cyprus.
Regardless of what the people in Turkey want, for the Greek government to exercise ownership rights over Cyprus they would have to compensate the legitimate owners there. Of course some of these owners may want the Greek govenrment to be able to exercise property rights over them so that group can submit to partial Greek ownership of their own accord at zero price if the wish. All other property owners have complete rights to deman any amount of payment they wish. Some group of Turks have nothing to do with this.
On to a military: If that small group of property owners on Cyprus want protection from aggression by the Greeks then that is their business. The other property owners may not or may not feel the cost is worth it to fight Turkish aggression. That is their decision.
I understand your point that the Greek government instead of navigating this mess of property compensation could just walk in with guns and coerce the people on Cyprus to obey their dictats. Having a majority of people on Cyprus agreeing with the government in Greece does make using force seem more palitable but no majority can make theft moral. Besides it is just the same behavior that the Greek Government claims the Turkish govenrment is doing.
This issue is absolutely NOT unique to Cyprus, the Greeks and Turks. This was and continues to be a huge issue in many places like the Falkland Islands in the South Atlantic. It is also common for one group in an area to deny the legitimate property rights other indigenous people. Look to the situation with the Native People in the USA and Canada for example. (In fact this website has a great article on this very thing.)
The point is that to get the best resoultion to a govenrment claim has only one solution:That is the govenrment that values the property the most must purchase that property from the legitimate owners some of whom may want to sell to other governments. Otherwise you end up with the situation between Greece and Turkey where there is conflict lasting generations.