NATO warned to start paying its bills

Curious Cdn

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Despite his vocal opposition of the status and importance of NATO (probably because the Russians want him to find a way to fragment and destroy the organization), Donald Trump accused a number of countries for not keeping up with the Americans when it came to military spending.

But wait a sec.

Maybe … just maybe … we should be pressuring the US to cut their military budget by 50%. What a novel idea, right?

In 2016, the US spent $600 billion on its military. This doesn’t include the hundreds of billions for other activities like the NSA, CIA, etc etc etc.

I'm thinking Trump is just being a salesman for the US Military suppliers..........

The Americans spend $600 billion a year on their military because, presumably, they believe that it is in their interest to do so. NATO is a separate issue. The alliance is a mutual defence pact, not a machine for world conquest or control. It was never meant to be thus. NATO members should be spending more (certainly we should) because there is a growing probability that we will have to defend ourselves in an increasingly unstable world. One of the sources of that instability is an increasingly unstable United States of America.
 

Cliffy

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Video Shows Trump Listening to G7 Speech, Can You Spot The HUGE Problem?

[youtube]O2JzV5-bM-Y[/youtube]


Donald Trump Caught Pretending to Listen Without Headphones at G7 Summit 2017 Italy. Looks more like he is asleep
 

taxslave

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Video Shows Trump Listening to G7 Speech, Can You Spot The HUGE Problem?

[youtube]O2JzV5-bM-Y[/youtube]


Donald Trump Caught Pretending to Listen Without Headphones at G7 Summit 2017 Italy. Looks more like he is asleep

COuld be whoever is speaking is speaking English.
 

Bar Sinister

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Video Shows Trump Listening to G7 Speech, Can You Spot The HUGE Problem?

[youtube]O2JzV5-bM-Y[/youtube]


Donald Trump Caught Pretending to Listen Without Headphones at G7 Summit 2017 Italy. Looks more like he is asleep


I doubt that he would understand what is being said even if he was listening. Apparently his attention span is five minute at best.

The Americans spend $600 billion a year on their military because, presumably, they believe that it is in their interest to do so. NATO is a separate issue. The alliance is a mutual defence pact, not a machine for world conquest or control. It was never meant to be thus. NATO members should be spending more (certainly we should) because there is a growing probability that we will have to defend ourselves in an increasingly unstable world. One of the sources of that instability is an increasingly unstable United States of America.

The only current threats that NATO members face come from terrorists, not other nations. As a result there might be a need for NATO to change the way it spends money, but an increase is certainly not merited.
 

Curious Cdn

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The only current threats that NATO members face come from terrorists, not other nations. As a result there might be a need for NATO to change the way it spends money, but an increase is certainly not merited.


That is not correct. Our new Baltics allies are directly threatened by the Russians, who badly want their empire back. During the Soviet Union era, countries like Latvia were intentionally colonised by ethnic Russians who's presence is significant enough that they form the majority in lots of parts of the Baltics. They are a possible motivation for the Russians to re-take the place. That reason is precisely why they just bit off a big piece of the Ukraine. This is not fiction. There is a war going on now in Ukraine and it is not the first such conflict in the old Russian empire.
 

Bar Sinister

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That is not correct. Our new Baltics allies are directly threatened by the Russians, who badly want their empire back. During the Soviet Union era, countries like Latvia were intentionally colonised by ethnic Russians who's presence is significant enough that they form the majority in lots of parts of the Baltics. They are a possible motivation for the Russians to re-take the place. That reason is precisely why they just bit off a big piece of the Ukraine. This is not fiction. There is a war going on now in Ukraine gland it does not the first such conflict in the old Russian empire.

The Russians are a paper tiger. Even without the US and Canada NATO outspends Russia by about five to one. In fact Russian military spending is so low that many members of its armed forces are very poorly trained. The Russians may talk like a great power, but they are careful not to push their luck against anyone who might actually fight back. You might note that the Russians thought Ukraine would collapse under Russian pressure, allowing Russia to annex most of Eastern Ukraine, but even that weak nation was able to hold off the Russians.

Not So Scary: This Is Why Russia's Military Is a Paper Tiger | The National Interest Blog
 

Curious Cdn

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The Russians are a paper tiger. Even without the US and Canada NATO outspends Russia by about five to one. In fact Russian military spending is so low that many members of its armed forces are very poorly trained. The Russians may talk like a great power, but they are careful not to push their luck against anyone who might actually fight back. You might note that the Russians thought Ukraine would collapse under Russian pressure, allowing Russia to annex most of Eastern Ukraine, but even that weak nation was able to hold off the Russians.

Not So Scary: This Is Why Russia's Military Is a Paper Tiger | The National Interest Blog

The Russians are a paper tiger? That's exactly what Hitler thought.

So far, they are getting their own way.
 

Murphy

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I'm sure we need another medium sized conflict to get some of the deadwood to pay up. Canada included.

I know that Trump expects everyone to kick in, but there is an advantage to being one of the few to ante up all the time. You get to call the shots more often than not.
 

tay

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Video Shows Trump Listening to G7 Speech, Can You Spot The HUGE Problem?


Donald Trump Caught Pretending to Listen Without Headphones at G7 Summit 2017 Italy. Looks more like he is asleep


Hillary Clinton doesn't have the strength or stamina to be president. Jeb Bush is a low energy individual, but Hillary is not much better!

https://twitter.com/realdonaldtrump/status/683377290282156032


Hillary Clinton does not have the STRENGTH or STAMINA to be President. We need strong and super smart for our next leader - or trouble!

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/674578580681134080
 

Blackleaf

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Even without the US and Canada

Want to see how Canada ranks in NATO defence spending?

2011



 

Curious Cdn

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I'm sure we need another medium sized conflict to get some of the deadwood to pay up. Canada included.

I know that Trump expects everyone to kick in, but there is an advantage to being one of the few to ante up all the time. You get to call the shots more often than not.

You have to wonder if, over all, it is to the US's advantage to have an unarmed neighbour next door.

It certainly isn't to our advantage beyond the extra bit of treasure that we can horde by having another country defend us.

We are still a colony. Grown-up countries defend themselves.
 

MHz

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Did the US have a UN mandate to overthrow Iran in 1953.
NATO has done more for the US than it has for any other country. How much in arms sales has the US gotten because the buyers were NATO members who also had to upgrade systems that were still unused so why would an upgrade be needed?

This is just setting the tone for when he does his UN speech. NATO will become the EU Military arm and the UN will move to Jerusalem and be used to push forward a global government with guess who at the helm.

You have to wonder if, over all, it is to the US's advantage to have an unarmed neighbour next door.

It certainly isn't to our advantage beyond the extra bit of treasure that we can horde by having another country defend us.

We are still a colony. Grown-up countries defend themselves.
I'm pretty sure any attack will have Canada as a secondary object. We have our tundra to keep us save from invasion from the north. Tundra isn't considered a nation treasure yet. The danger is we back the dark horse out of misplaced loyalties. The worst is we become a big refugee camp, back to the Jungle is worse than back to the stone age.
 

Curious Cdn

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I'm pretty sure any attack will have Canada as a secondary object. We have our tundra to keep us save from invasion from the north. Tundra isn't considered a nation treasure yet. The danger is we back the dark horse out of misplaced loyalties. The worst is we become a big refugee camp, back to the Jungle is worse than back to the stone age.

The Permafrost is melting rapid!y and pretty soon we'll be defended by thawed out Mastadon poo, everywhere, and forty feet deep.
 

tay

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Want to see how Canada ranks in NATO defence spending?

We are all aware of how much each Country spends. What the debate is should those Countries pay more to create profits for the American Military or should we pay the same and spend that money on things that will help the citizens of those Countries.......
 

MHz

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The Permafrost is melting rapid!y and pretty soon we'll be defended by thawed out Mastadon poo, everywhere, and forty feet deep.
. . . . and the point of letting that national security topic out into the public serves what purpose?? Do you know how mant enemy vehicles that would have swallowed up??? HuH, I can't hear you!!
 

Cliffy

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Isn't it funny that some clown who is infamous for not paying his bills should lecture others about paying their bills?