Posted on 02/27/2022 4:44:40 AM PST by BlackAdderess
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has announced sharp hikes in the country's defence spending.
Speaking at an emergency session of the German parliament he said €100 billion ($113 bn) will be added to Berlin's military budget this year.
It means Germany will now spend more than 2% of its annual GDP on defence, a longstanding NATO target the country has previously failed to meet - despite pressure from the US, and in particular former President Donald Trump.
(Excerpt) Read more at bbc.com ...
Get them goose steps limbered up!
Seriously, it’s about time.
We basically pulled most of our forces out in the 1990s.
Believe me, I was there, and that was my job. Close down bases and reallocate or dispose of electronic communications and computer equipment.
Mind gets very clear when the bear is breaking down the door...Trump was right.
That it does!
They can increase their military spending all they want, but it won’t mean a thing without power. They need to be putting their nuclear power plants back online quickly.
Some people who are still fighting WW2 will fret about Germany rearming.
Re- militarize Germany
What could possibly go wrong
“It means Germany will now spend more than 2% of its annual GDP on defence, a longstanding NATO target the country has previously failed to meet - despite pressure from the US, and in particular former President DONALD TRUMP.”
Now that Trump is out of office, I guess it’s ‘safe’ for Germany to start thinking about their own defense, I guess.
In any case, this one of my 3 responses to Ukraine that would get Putin’s attention, so it’s a start, a small start, since Germany is only one medium-sized country Europe.
In case people here are wondering what the other two are (starting with the above)...
1) Massive increase in military spending (still need the rest of Europe and the US/Canada to join them)
2) Drill baby, drill, and resumption of nuclear power (nothing on that)
3) Flipping governments in Cuba and/or Venezuela (unlikely, but it will get Putin’s attention)
So, finally, a small start in the right direction. But much, much, more needed - with Germany’s move, we’re maybe 10% of the way there (to the point where Putin respects the West).
Better late then never, but it is still to late and its crickets. The fact is Germany is with most Central/Western Europe is weak and even I see it here in Belgium, people want to live in a bubble and be complacent, living on the social benefits, Putin knows that and people wonder why he feels emboldened. It will take a hell of a lot to get Europe as a Whole to man up so to speak, thankfully Eastern Europe is not like that, but still so much they can do.
Now all he has to do is use the increased defense spending to buy German men of fighting age the pair of balls they lost over the last several years while they feasted at the social welfare trough
Ukraine needs boots on the ground. Not more weapons.
They could always afford it, but were just being cheap, lying bastards while giving lip service to the “goal”.
Pledge in one hand and poop in the other…
I don’t think they’re the same nation that followed Hitler into hell.
It is very expensive to restart a nuclear power plant, but it is doable. They could replace the energy equivalent of the Nordstream II pipeline.
Scholz has the advantage that he can blame his predecessor of the opposing political party for the error of shutting them down.
The earth really seems to be moving (politically) in dramatic fashion from the war in the Ukraine. It might be under real consideration.
West Germany was fully remilitarized from 1965-1995 to provide enough of speedbump to page one of the WARSAW pact stated doctrin. East germans were equiped and trained to cannon fodder, russians were to be held in reserve on the ground. There were zero problems with any sort of non commercial ambitions, they were there to get ran over slow enough so all of the all european air power could show up and have a good day, before MAD kicked in.
The Germans pre and post reunification are navel gazers.
It is about germany, but in the same way the US is focused on being liberal harder. Austria remains tourist Austria, surely holding cards next to vest. Italy remained unstable and dirty as ever.
Thank you Vladimir Putin.
Your plan continues to work to perfection.
lmao...genius my ass
100,000 attended an demonstration in Berlin, in support of the Ukraine, right down the big avenue in front if the Bundestag.
Politicians are probably tripping over themselves to get in front of the surge in public opinion - something the Russian planners may not have appreciated in their assessments, because it is less of a factor in Russia.
They will not follow now, they will lead in Europe
We’ve just seen an almost 180 degree swing in German foreign and defense policy
This is being widely acclaimed as a “ blow” against Putin
However, if the JV team running the Biden admin thinks they are going to use Germany as another tool against Russia ( as they’ve done with Ukraine)…I think another reckoning may result in time
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