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Neither can even get required troops there much less supply them. Germany is like other NATO members other than US to never have meet the NATO requirement to spent 2% of budget on military. Paper tigers.
So if you don't spend 2% of your GDP on the military = paper tiger? Brilliant logic. Germany is the 7th largest military spender in the world. (UK is 6th, France 5th.)
Republicans have truly swallowed the propaganda "we have to defend Europe as they don't have militaries anymore" en masse.
What's currently happening in Libya and Iraq hopefully is a lesson to all the Western World which should just realize that many countries all over the world aren't ready for democracy and that military intervention just causes further unrest destabilizing them.
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Originally Posted by improb
Also, we should just realize where our real enemies are located, most of the funding for ISIS comes from the Gulf States and particularly from Saudi Arabia, those countries hardly do anything to stop it and one of them is even amongst USA's largest allies.
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Originally Posted by paull805
Saudi did fund them but now they have created a monster that is closing on their border and they are fighting them. Crazy I know.
Guys, so-called defense stocks have been on a sharp upward trend since 2012, beating index averages - fighters, sovereign or otherwise, in the so-called Middle East are among their biggest customers - and the price of oil whipsaws about every 10 years or so. Also, very recently, alternative energy stocks are on the rise, despite the drop in oil prices.
And they are dicking around with Russia and Iran, Nigeria and Venezuela.
Ask yourself this question and figure it out:
What is better than to have your fractious enemies fight amongst themselves and they all pay you to do it while they spend their main asset and source of revenue at a decreasing price, while you take your time and develop alternatives to that main asset?
Countries have no friends, only interests. Ask Henry.
But, yes, there is the risk that one of the monsters grows out of control. Ask Frank and Joe.
People keep saying this, but really, some countries are just friends.
They are extremely few and far between, most of them are left-wing countries in Latin America. The rest pretend they are good friends, but deals have been made in the background
They are extremely few and far between, most of them are left-wing countries in Latin America. The rest pretend they are good friends, but deals have been made in the background
I think Western/Nothern European countries are all more or less friends, and Canada and America, or even Taiwan and Japan.
... most of them are left-wing countries in Latin America ...
If they are such good friends, after almost 200 years, why do they not have even merely free trade, let alone integrated production and capital markets? With a few exceptions involving Brazil and Argentina, individually their major trading partners are the United States and the European Union, and going forward it probably will still not be each other but China (and in some cases it already is). Yeah, they all speak the same language: circles.
Friends are friends, until they aren't. It happens. It happens all the time. Just for example, Cuba is about to back-stab Venezuela.
If they are such good friends, after almost 200 years, why do they not have even merely free trade, let alone integrated production and capital markets? With a few exceptions involving Brazil and Argentina, individually their major trading partners are the United States and the European Union, and going forward it probably will still not be each other but China (and in some cases it already is). Yeah, they all speak the same language: circles.
Friends are friends, until they aren't. It happens. It happens all the time. Just for example, Cuba is about to back-stab Venezuela.
This is true. I suppose we can look back to the Sino-Soviet Split, Sino-Koreanic split as well, etc. Friendships don't last forever, and are fueled more by external forces (the enemy of my enemy is my friend)
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Originally Posted by Greysholic
I think Western/Nothern European countries are all more or less friends, and Canada and America, or even Taiwan and Japan.
Not really. In the end of the day, they all look out for their own self-interests first. Same with Canada and the US. We've been rivals for a very long time, it's only since WWII that attitude has changed. But, the Canada-US relationship is based more on symbiosis (合作關係).
Taiwan and Japan? I need more information on this.
This seems to provide a balanced view of Taiwan-Japan relations. But, again, as I stated before, this friendship is also partly fueled by convenience. Japan needs just ONE country in Asia to like them, Taiwan needs security against China. South Korea has enough to worry about North Korea, so it can't help Taiwan out. I don't think this is any different, really, between US-UK relations. Former colony-master turned enemies turned friends. If China wasn't so belligerent with Taiwan and let Taiwan live in peace, I don't think Taiwan would be as good as friends with Japan as it is now
Last edited by theunbrainwashed; 03-12-2015 at 11:33 AM..
Reason: Added link
Not really. In the end of the day, they all look out for their own self-interests first. Same with Canada and the US. We've been rivals for a very long time, it's only since WWII that attitude has changed. But, the Canada-US relationship is based more on symbiosis (合作關係).
Taiwan and Japan? I need more information on this.
Canada let lots of the airplanes fly into their airspace back in 911. If that's not a friendly, even brotherly gesture, I don't know what is.
Everybody looks out for their own self-interests first, but they can still be friends. I look out for my self-interests first but I have several pretty good friends. It's not like any sacrifice is necessary in a healthy relationship.
As for Taiwan and Japan, I'd say we're friends. When Japan had their god-awful earthquake and tsunami back in 2011, Taiwan, an island with only 20-something million people, donated more money than any other country in the world, including America. Japan has been thanking us ever since. I'd call that friendship, more than cooperation or anything else.
Canada let all the airplanes fly into their airspace back in 911. If that's not a friendly, even brotherly gesture, I don't know what is.
Everybody look out for their own self-interests first, but they can still be friends. I look out for my self-interests first but I have several pretty good friends. It's not like any sacrifice is needed.
As for Taiwan and Japan, I'd say we're friends. When Japan had their god-awful earthquake and tsunami back in 2011, Taiwan, out of ~200 countries in the world, donated the most money. Japan has been thanking us ever since. I'd call that friendship, more than cooperation or anything else.
The same thing happened with us and Canada and the UK. But, those are humanitarian tragedies. They are not the same as geopolitics. Haiti is not a friend of the US, but we helped them the most when the Haiti earthquake struck. Politics and friendship don't always mix, and the former often influences the latter. As I said before, the UK and US were former colonial masters and subjects, then cautious enemies for 200 years, and now best friends. This will most likely change in the future. As we say in the US, money talks, bull**** walks.
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Germany is the 7th largest military spender in the world. (UK is 6th, France 5th.)
