Intangible Burdens and ‘Real’ Burdens

Abstract

If the burdensharing debate were as simple as a matter of allocating proportions of the cost, one could argue merely about the devices for measuring the respective burdens. The debate, though, has never been that simple since it hinges upon a complex set of assumptions held by the parties to the debate. The intangibles of the debate, such as the questions of the inconvenience of low-flying aircraft or the disruption of everyday life during manoeuvres in Germany, are an important aspect of the debate but not subject to an obvious measuring criteria. Just as the costs implied by contributions made to the common defence are difficult to assess, so too are the benefits that derive from this relationship. All members of art alliance do not necessarily benefit equally and it follows that contributions should not be equal.