Is NATO on Life Support???

Hoid

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Oct 15, 2017
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Here's hoping.

NATO is the very first thing Canada should withdraw from on the road to national independence.
 

NZDoug

Council Member
Jul 18, 2017
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Big Bay, Awhitu, New Zealand
The war is over, unless NATO starts one.
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"Washington (CNN)The Trump administration has moved to substantially cut its contribution to NATO's collective budget according to several US and NATO officials, a symbolic move that comes as many continue to question President Donald Trump's commitment to the transatlantic alliance as he prepares to attend a summit to mark its 70th anniversary in London next week.
Previously the US provided some 22% of NATO's direct funding, which covers the cost of maintaining the NATO headquarters, joint security investments and some combined military operations.
It's a largely symbolic move as NATO's direct budget is relatively small, at about $2.5 billion, and is separate from national defense budgets that NATO recommends should stand at 2% of GDP.
US defense officials tell CNN that the Trump administration sought to reduce its contribution to about 16%, bringing it in line with Germany's, which provides 14.8% despite the US having a larger economy.
US and NATO officials told CNN that the other NATO members are expected to make up the shortfall.
Trump has long slammed NATO allies, particularly Germany for not meeting the 2% NATO defense spending target, which only eight of 29 members currently meet. All members pledged to reach the 2% level by 2024 but not all of them currently have plans to do so. Member countries have boosted defense spending considerably in recent years, something Trump has claimed credit for.
NATO officials including the Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg have also credited Trump for the rise in spending, with an extra $100 billion spent since 2014 but have also acknowledged the increased threat from Russia following its seizure of Crimea and other factors have helped to prompt the increase.
"All Allies have agreed a new cost sharing formula. Under the new formula, cost shares attributed to most European Allies and Canada will go up, while the US share will come down. This is an important demonstration of Allies' commitment to the Alliance and to fairer burden-sharing," a NATO official told CNN.
more
https://edition.cnn.com/2019/11/27/politics/trump-nato-contribution-nato/index.html
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I think the world should refuse any contributions towards NATO until Trumps gone.
 

Twin_Moose

Hall of Fame Member
Apr 17, 2017
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Here's hoping.
NATO is the very first thing Canada should withdraw from on the road to national independence.

So we should walk away from an entity we helped create so that we didn't have to spend through the roof to protect our own country, with which we received many benefits and accolades. Yeah OK makes sense, pfffft Hoid give your head a shake, let France or any other European country pull out to save money, we pull our support, Let them sink or swim on their own or pay through their teeth for any help given to them.
 

Curious Cdn

Hall of Fame Member
Feb 22, 2015
37,070
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The war is over, unless NATO starts one.
..........................
"Washington (CNN)The Trump administration has moved to substantially cut its contribution to NATO's collective budget according to several US and NATO officials, a symbolic move that comes as many continue to question President Donald Trump's commitment to the transatlantic alliance as he prepares to attend a summit to mark its 70th anniversary in London next week.
Previously the US provided some 22% of NATO's direct funding, which covers the cost of maintaining the NATO headquarters, joint security investments and some combined military operations.
It's a largely symbolic move as NATO's direct budget is relatively small, at about $2.5 billion, and is separate from national defense budgets that NATO recommends should stand at 2% of GDP.
US defense officials tell CNN that the Trump administration sought to reduce its contribution to about 16%, bringing it in line with Germany's, which provides 14.8% despite the US having a larger economy.
US and NATO officials told CNN that the other NATO members are expected to make up the shortfall.
Trump has long slammed NATO allies, particularly Germany for not meeting the 2% NATO defense spending target, which only eight of 29 members currently meet. All members pledged to reach the 2% level by 2024 but not all of them currently have plans to do so. Member countries have boosted defense spending considerably in recent years, something Trump has claimed credit for.
NATO officials including the Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg have also credited Trump for the rise in spending, with an extra $100 billion spent since 2014 but have also acknowledged the increased threat from Russia following its seizure of Crimea and other factors have helped to prompt the increase.
"All Allies have agreed a new cost sharing formula. Under the new formula, cost shares attributed to most European Allies and Canada will go up, while the US share will come down. This is an important demonstration of Allies' commitment to the Alliance and to fairer burden-sharing," a NATO official told CNN.
more
https://edition.cnn.com/2019/11/27/politics/trump-nato-contribution-nato/index.html
..............................................
I think the world should refuse any contributions towards NATO until Trumps gone.
NATO hasn't started one, yet. Except for during the messy break up of Yugoslavia and the invocation of Article 5 by the Americans that sent NATO to Afghanistan, NATO has avoided war for 75 years which has to be some sort of a record in Europe.
 

Blackleaf

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Oct 9, 2004
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Remainers often say that the EU has kept the peace in Europe.

Leavers then correct them and tell them that it's actually NATO which has kept the peace and that the EU actually STARTS wars in Europe, like the one in Ukraine.
 

NZDoug

Council Member
Jul 18, 2017
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Big Bay, Awhitu, New Zealand
NATO hasn't started one, yet. Except for during the messy break up of Yugoslavia and the invocation of Article 5 by the Americans that sent NATO to Afghanistan, NATO has avoided war for 75 years which has to be some sort of a record in Europe.
Too bad America can't say the same.
NATO has been Americas arm to re-inforce itself with its bullying tactics in the name of Truth Justice and the American way, resulting in theft of the worlds resources and clients for the Military Industrial Complex.
The sooner its gone, the better.
 

Hoid

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Oct 15, 2017
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NATO hasn't started one, yet. Except for during the messy break up of Yugoslavia and the invocation of Article 5 by the Americans that sent NATO to Afghanistan, NATO has avoided war for 75 years which has to be some sort of a record in Europe.
And Vietnam and Korea.

Those weren't wars.
 

Curious Cdn

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Feb 22, 2015
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Too bad America can't say the same.
NATO has been Americas arm to re-inforce itself with its bullying tactics in the name of Truth Justice and the American way, resulting in theft of the worlds resources and clients for the Military Industrial Complex.
The sooner its gone, the better.
You are overextending.
 

Curious Cdn

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Feb 22, 2015
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And Vietnam and Korea.
Those weren't wars.
NATO wasn't in either. The only NATO countries in Vietnam were the US and France ... who left NATO in 1966.

The Korean war was a United Nations action, not NATO.
 

Blackleaf

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NATO wasn't in either. The only NATO countries in Vietnam were the US and France ... who left NATO in 1966.
The Korean war was a United Nations action, not NATO.

France is in NATO again but, unlike Britain and America, she won't commit her nuclear-armed submarines to the alliance.

In other words, our neighbour is, as she eternally is, useless.
 

Curious Cdn

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Feb 22, 2015
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Britain, Greece, Turkey, Canada, Germany, Belgium, Italy, Luxembourg, Iceland, Norway, Portugal, Holland .... not one of them went to Vietnam.
 

Blackleaf

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Britain, Greece, Turkey, Canada, Germany, Belgium, Italy, Luxembourg, Iceland, Norway, Portugal, Holland .... not one of them went to Vietnam.

That's because none of those countries were obliged to go to Vietnam, dim bulb.
 

Blackleaf

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Vietnam was not the aggressor against the USA. It did not attack the USA. Therefore NATO wasn't obliged to help the USA. The Americans wanted the British to aid them, but the British said "No, thanks."
 

Blackleaf

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And the Americans were in Vietnam to try and sort out French f#ck ups.

And the British, of course, didn't fancy having to bail out the French... again.
 

Blackleaf

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I think the only countries who meet the NATO defence spending targets are the United States, Great Britain and little Greece and Estonia.

Canada lags behind Greece and Estonia.