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Status:
"“If a thing loves, it is infinite.”"
(set 3 days ago)
Location: Great Britain
27,180 posts, read 13,461,836 times
Reputation: 19501
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jackwinkelman
How about the complete statement:
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump said NATO was obsolete because it had not defended against terror attacks, but that the military alliance was still very important to him, The Times of London reported.
Isn't it the intelligence agencies and police who defend against terrorism attacks rather than the military and NATO.
The Military can react to a threat, but the actual prevention and defence is usally the result of careful painstaking intelligence gathering.
The world has changed as has the nature of the threats against us and our allies. NATO started in part as a response and a united front to the Berlin Wall and communist aggression in parts of the world. NATO is an alliance not a military. NATO countries agreed to fund 2% of their GDP for military spending so they will have forces available if needed. Only 5 of the 28 NATO countries are doing that.
The US spends more on its military than all the other NATO countries combined. Trump is correct to question its current purpose and why only 5 NATO countries are spending their fair share on military spending. These other countries need to pay up or perhaps a complete restructure and revamping of NATO reflecting the current world threats is in order.
We are protecting both our strategic and trade interests in many cases.
1. Europe... largest trading partner
2. Middle East.... obvious reason oil.
3. Japan ...... Major trading partner and strategic location for bases. Koreas and China
4. Australia..... South China Sea and trade
All of these pay a percentage of basing cost, anywhere from 30 to 70%. Japan is around 70% if I remember correctly.
Would you send your son to die for any of those causes?
Status:
"“If a thing loves, it is infinite.”"
(set 3 days ago)
Location: Great Britain
27,180 posts, read 13,461,836 times
Reputation: 19501
Quote:
Originally Posted by jackwinkelman
The world has changed as has the nature of the threats against us and our allies. NATO started in part as a response and a united front to the Berlin Wall and communist aggression in parts of the world. NATO is an alliance not a military. NATO countries agreed to fund 2% of their GDP for military spending so they will have forces available if needed. Only 5 of the 28 NATO countries are doing that.
The US spends more on its military than all the other NATO countries combined. Trump is correct to question its current purpose and why only 5 NATO countries are spending their fair share on military spending. These other countries need to pay up or perhaps a complete restructure and revamping of NATO reflecting the current world threats is in order.
EU Countries (including Britain) collectively spent $226.73 billion in 2016 on Defence which is more than three times as much as Russia which spent $66.4 and more than China with a Defence Budget of $215 Billion. Whilst as I have already pointed out many countries including Germany are gradually increasing defence spending year on year with a view to meeting the 2% GDP level.
As well as Afghanistan, the French launched Operation Serval in relation to an Islamic threat in Mali and there have been other operations by European countries.
Whilst European Intelligence and Security Services also work closely with their American Counterparts with the aim of combating terrorism and Cyber threats.
Last edited by Brave New World; 01-20-2017 at 06:48 AM..
So, in other words, it could be said the rest of the world is actually in agreement with Trump about the benign intent of Russia while America is the only country suggesting an increase in NATO spending to supposedly protect Europe from this benign entity?
Have I got that right?
Who is it exactly forcing the U.S. to perform this confusing dance?
Would you send your son to die for any of those causes?
Good question.
The way to end our wasteful foreign wars is for the president to collect donations from every citizen that wants us to go to war. And the president could only go to war using the funds contributed.
EU Countries (including Britain) collectively spent $226.73 billion in 2016 on Defence which is more than three times as much as Russia which spent $66.4 and more than China with a Defence Budget of $215 Billion. Whilst as I have already pointed out many countries including Germany are gradually increasing defence spending year on year with a view to meeting the 2% GDP level.
As well as Afghanistan, the French launched Operation Serval in relation to an Islamic threat in Mali and there have been other operations by European countries.
Whilst European Intelligence and Security Services also work closely with their American Counterparts with the aim of combating terrorism and Cyber threats.
As of now only 5 countries are there. Germany has been in NATO since 1955 and just now they are trying to meet the goal?
Its always the USA that gets stuck with this. I see no reason not to revisit our commitments with NATO and get them all to comply.
I'm often surprised at the stances that left-wing people take. The U.S. leaving a military pact? One that promises we would join in on a war if one of the member states was attacked? You'd think they would be dancing in the streets over that. But no, they don't like it.
Putting America first, and worrying about this country instead of others? Instead of doing something like, say "nation-building" in Iraq? You'd think they would love it, but no, they're against it. I dunno.
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