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The 2% is not in any treaty. My understanding is that it is a goal and they have until 2024 to meet that goal. It is ironic that if what you say is true, then why did Trump tweet that our allies should spend 4% of GDP when we do not even meet that percentage? Does he not honor treaties? Why isn't he honoring the deals made?
'In 2006, NATO Defence Ministers agreed to commit a minimum of two per cent of their Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to spending on defence.'
The NATO 2% guideline was established in 2006. Then, in 2014 (under Obama), after 8 years of NATO countries leeching off of the US defense nipple, while defense spending of other NATO countries continued to decrease, another agreement was reached that requires these nations to increase their defense spending to 2% of GDP by, at the latest, 2024.
This did not erase or newly establish the previous 2% requirement that had been agreed to in 2006. In fact, it was an admission of their failure to comply and a recognition that they would continue to fail to meet the standard they had agreed to for fully another 10 years yet.
Does that mean that the 2% standard does not apply during this interim period from 2014 - 2024? No, it doesn't. The standard still applies, these countries are just failing to meet it.
So, what happens if they are still not meeting it in 2024, as if that were some sort of magic date? How can or will this requirement then be enforced? It can't.
And why should these countries be excused - or why should they even want to be excused - from making a sufficient effort to contribute to their own national defense starting right now? Some one please answer this one for me, because nobody has yet.
Trump is re-expressing a policy that has existed for decades in this country and has been repeated by Obama and Bush II before him. We have a $21 trillion national debt, which is growing rapidly, and as strange as this may sound to some people, we cannot continue to be the primary funder of Europe's defense now over 70 years after the end of WWII. It is absurd, and the European nations know it.
The 2% requirement is probably on the low side if the European nations of NATO are as concerned about a Russian military incursion as they appear to be. The European countries are the primary beneficiaries of this arrangement. They are comparatively rich countries that are supposedly examples to the world of all that is enlightened and desirable and advanced in the world.
Just because they are fiscally irresponsible is no excuse. They still have to provide adequately for their own self defense.
Enough is enough. And no, it is not OK to wait until 2024 to see what happens. They need to start doing this now, and should have been doing it all along.
Umm..Im just going on what the thread title states..that Trudeau defies Trump at NATO...so i dont know what the kool aid comment is supposed to mean..
The title says nothing about Trudeau defying Trump to upset him.
Trudeau is defying Trump's wishes -- but is it to upset Trump -- probably not....probably has more to do with budgets, policy, etc. in Canada and little to do with Trump.
NATO was formed after World War II on the principle of collective defense: An attack on one or more members is considered an attack against all. It's been invoked only once -- to help the US after the September 11 terrorist attacks.
For collective defense to work, the 29 members have to keep their armed forces in good shape, so NATO sets an official target on how much they should spend, which they call a "guideline." That stands at 2% of GDP.
There is no penalty for not meeting the 2% target. Each country decides how much it is going to spend and what it will spend on. If one country spends less or more than the guideline, other countries are not obliged to follow suit.
'In 2006, NATO Defence Ministers agreed to commit a minimum of two per cent of their Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to spending on defence.'
The NATO 2% guideline was established in 2006. Then, in 2014 (under Obama), after 8 years of NATO countries leeching off of the US defense nipple, while defense spending of other NATO countries continued to decrease, another agreement was reached that requires these nations to increase their defense spending to 2% of GDP by, at the latest, 2024.
This did not erase or newly establish the previous 2% requirement that had been agreed to in 2006. In fact, it was an admission of their failure to comply and a recognition that they would continue to fail to meet the standard they had agreed to for fully another 10 years yet.
Does that mean that the 2% standard does not apply during this interim period from 2014 - 2024? No, it doesn't. The standard still applies, these countries are just failing to meet it.
So, what happens if they are still not meeting it in 2024, as if that were some sort of magic date? How can or will this requirement then be enforced? It can't.
And why should these countries be excused - or why should they even want to be excused - from making a sufficient effort to contribute to their own national defense starting right now? Some one please answer this one for me, because nobody has yet.
Trump is re-expressing a policy that has existed for decades in this country and has been repeated by Obama and Bush II before him. We have a $21 trillion national debt, which is growing rapidly, and as strange as this may sound to some people, we cannot continue to be the primary funder of Europe's defense now over 70 years after the end of WWII. It is absurd, and the European nations know it.
The 2% requirement is probably on the low side if the European nations of NATO are as concerned about a Russian military incursion as they appear to be. The European countries are the primary beneficiaries of this arrangement. They are comparatively rich countries that are supposedly examples to the world of all that is enlightened and desirable and advanced in the world.
Just because they are fiscally irresponsible is no excuse. They still have to provide adequately for their own self defense.
Enough is enough. And no, it is not OK to wait until 2024 to see what happens. They need to start doing this now, and should have been doing it all along.
So what you posted still says by 2024.
And the American military budget is independent of how much the other NATO country tries spend. I doubt very much the US military spending would decrease if those other countries went to even 4% or higher. The two are independent of each other. The cost of NATO is shared by a different agreemwnt.
Your huge debt is the doing of your own government, not anything Canada or Germany has done. Fiscal responsibilities included proper taxation as well as spending.
I am starting to think the only reason that Trump brought this up again, in public and before the meeting, is to make this meeting all about him.
Whatever Trump wants or how much he insults and belittles our allies his cult still loves him. Wait until he has his one on one with Putin. Wonder how bad we are going to get played on that one?
After the tongue-lashing he gave Mutti Merkel for playing footside with Gazprom, I have a suspicion Putin may end up like Hillary.
Unfortunately Trump pledged to increase US military spending inside of Europe to induce NATO countries to live up to the agreement that they made...hopefully he stops this.
The NATO agreement stated that countries under 2%, which France and Canada both are, can't reduce military spending. They broke the agreement, our agreement should be done with too.
Let's cut NATO spending...cut our bases in the EU and take half the savings to reduce the deficit and take the other half to help our own people.
So, now cutting US military spending it suddenly a good idea
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