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Trump Complains America Leads Too Much, Wants Diminished Role in NATO
Washington Free Beacon ^ | March 21, 2016 | Stephen Gutowski

Posted on 03/21/2016 2:36:29 PM PDT by GodGunsGuts

Trump Complains America Leads Too Much, Wants Diminished Role in NATO

Calls America a 'poor country'

Republican front-runner Donald Trump expressed his distaste for how often America takes a leadership role in international affairs on Monday.

Trump was specifically upset with the role the United States plays in NATO.

“Ukraine is a country that affects us far less than it affects other countries in NATO, and yet we’re doing all of the lifting,” Trump told The Washington Post.

“They’re not doing anything. And I say, ‘Why is it that Germany’s not dealing with NATO on Ukraine? Why is it that other countries that are in the vicinity of Ukraine, why aren’t they dealing? Why are we always the one that’s leading, potentially the third world war with Russia.’”

Trump told the paper’s editorial board that the United States could not afford to play the same leadership role in world affairs it has played for decades.

“I do think it’s a different world today, and I don’t think we should be nation-building anymore,” he said. “I think it’s proven not to work, and we have a different country than we did then. We have $19 trillion in debt. We’re sitting, probably, on a bubble. And it’s a bubble that if it breaks, it’s going to be very nasty.

“I just think we have to rebuild our country.”

Trump then said that the United States is not rich anymore and, therefor, can’t afford to maintain its leadership role in the international military partnership.

“We certainly can’t afford to do this anymore,” he told the paper. “NATO is costing us a fortune, and yes, we’re protecting Europe with NATO, but we’re spending a lot of money. South Korea is very rich, great industrial country, and yet we’re not reimbursed fairly for what we do. We’re constantly sending our ships, sending our planes, doing our war games—we’re reimbursed a fraction of what this is all costing.”

Instead, Trump labeled America a poor country.

“I think we were a very powerful, very wealthy country, and we are a poor country now,” he said. “We’re a debtor nation.”


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; Foreign Affairs; Israel; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; Russia; US: New York; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: 2016election; cruz; election2016; europeanunion; israel; kasich; nato; newyork; obamas3rdterm; russia; trump; ukraine; waronterror
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To: GodGunsGuts

This is a reason to vote for Ted Cruz? Is it supposed to be “conservative” to think that the USA should be a lot more involved in stopping the Russians in Ukraine, when the Germans are doing nothing at all? I did not read of a single shot fired by a Ukrainian in defense of Crimea. Maybe there were shots fired but it never made any news I saw. So the “conservative” position is supposed to involve being more concerned about the defense of Crimea than the Ukrainians were / are? Similarly, we pay far more of our GDP on defense than does any other NATO member even though every one of them is far closer to Russia than we are. We even put more our GDP into defense than do Russia’s near neighbors the Baltics and Poland (which are great countries BTW!) - so once again Trump is correct that we are being asked to do more heavy lifting than the people with a far more immediate self-interest. NATO’s time has come and gone - but like any government program, it is very hard to shut down.


21 posted on 03/21/2016 2:45:11 PM PDT by Stingray51 (D)
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To: Happy Rain

Libertarians for Trump is now a thing: https://www.lewrockwell.com/2016/03/walter-e-block/libertarians-trump/


22 posted on 03/21/2016 2:45:21 PM PDT by Utmost Certainty (Our Enemy, the State)
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To: 20yearsofinternet

Agree.


23 posted on 03/21/2016 2:45:39 PM PDT by RushIsMyTeddyBear (Trump it is.)
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To: Happy Rain

What “conservative” politician made these statements and signed into law a bill that prohibited open carry?

“Americans don’t go around carrying guns with the idea they’re using them to influence other Americans. There’s no reason why on the street today a citizen should be carrying loaded weapons.”

“Everybody get ready to unload their guns now.”

He also signed a bill that legalized abortion on demand.

In addition, he also signed a bill that legalized millions of illegal aliens.

Guess who.


24 posted on 03/21/2016 2:45:42 PM PDT by r_barton
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To: GodGunsGuts
Most of NATO is now controlled by the pro-muslim communist female defense ministers of the former European nations.

Europe is kaput.

25 posted on 03/21/2016 2:46:07 PM PDT by meadsjn
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To: Happy Rain

Reagan’s America was facing Soviet Communism. We are not. The Cold War is over.


26 posted on 03/21/2016 2:46:12 PM PDT by Stingray51 (D)
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To: GodGunsGuts

What a misleading headline.


27 posted on 03/21/2016 2:46:15 PM PDT by hotsteppa
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To: GodGunsGuts

This is the primary reason that the neo-con artists are foaming and frothing at the mouth over Trump. They’re afraid that when they inevitably start howling for yet another was in the Middle East, a President Trump might not be so willing to send American men and now women, too, to die in a yet another war that has nothing to do with our own interests.


28 posted on 03/21/2016 2:46:18 PM PDT by euram
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To: Stingray51

It’s Pro-Cruz in the sense that Cruz would be a continuation of Neocon Bush foreign policy.


29 posted on 03/21/2016 2:46:33 PM PDT by Utmost Certainty (Our Enemy, the State)
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To: Happy Rain

Cruz is no where near Reagan. Cruz is for Bush Republicanism. He is nothing other than what has ruined us for years.

A vote or Cruz is a vote for Bush.

No thank you!


30 posted on 03/21/2016 2:46:40 PM PDT by dforest (Ted took your money and is laughing all the way to Goldman Sachs)
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To: Happy Rain
Cruz supporters are Reagan Conservatives...meaning a strong military and a secure world for freedom.

Again, I must have missed something. Did Trump declare that we needed a smaller military and a less secure world?

31 posted on 03/21/2016 2:47:05 PM PDT by johniegrad
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To: meadsjn

32 posted on 03/21/2016 2:47:14 PM PDT by dfwgator
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To: GodGunsGuts
"The great rule of conduct for us in regard to foreign nations is in extending our commercial relations, to have with them as little political connection as possible. So far as we have already formed engagements, let them be fulfilled with perfect good faith. Here let us stop. Europe has a set of primary interests which to us have none; or a very remote relation. Hence she must be engaged in frequent controversies, the causes of which are essentially foreign to our concerns. Hence, therefore, it must be unwise in us to implicate ourselves by artificial ties in the ordinary vicissitudes of her politics, or the ordinary combinations and collisions of her friendships or enmities. Our detached and distant situation invites and enables us to pursue a different course. If we remain one people under an efficient government. the period is not far off when we may defy material injury from external annoyance; when we may take such an attitude as will cause the neutrality we may at any time resolve upon to be scrupulously respected; when belligerent nations, under the impossibility of making acquisitions upon us, will not lightly hazard the giving us provocation; when we may choose peace or war, as our interest, guided by justice, shall counsel.” -----G. Washington's farewell address
33 posted on 03/21/2016 2:48:08 PM PDT by JohnKinAK
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To: Utmost Certainty

Yes! Thank you for posting the truth!


34 posted on 03/21/2016 2:48:19 PM PDT by dforest (Ted took your money and is laughing all the way to Goldman Sachs)
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To: DeathBeforeDishonor1

If you feel strongly about your future and your country you will fight if not dont look to us to fight your battles


35 posted on 03/21/2016 2:48:20 PM PDT by ronnie raygun
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To: GodGunsGuts

I remember George W. Bush promising in a campaign speech that he would not engage in “nation-building” and using that term specifically.

Times change. Needs change. Circumstances change.

But it would be nice to take care of our own for a while.

Let nations build themselves. They can use our Constitution for a template.


36 posted on 03/21/2016 2:49:12 PM PDT by LachlanMinnesota
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To: Stingray51

This is a reason to vote for Ted Cruz?


Of course, don’t you get it? If Donald Trump doesn’t want to further bankrupt the country and send troops to die in social experiments cooked up in posh lounges by “conservative” Washington think-tanks, he obviously hates the troops and the military.


37 posted on 03/21/2016 2:49:17 PM PDT by 20yearsofinternet (Border: Close it. Illegals: Deport. Muslims: Ban 'em. Economy: Liberate it. PC: Kill it. Trump 2016)
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To: GodGunsGuts

I agree with him. It’s past time that the Europeans paid their fair share.


38 posted on 03/21/2016 2:49:30 PM PDT by PapaBear3625 (Big government is attractive to those who think that THEY will be in control of it.)
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To: GodGunsGuts

If he proposes leaving the UN, Ill man his phone banks.


39 posted on 03/21/2016 2:51:34 PM PDT by Salvavida (The restoration of the U.S.A. starts with filling the pews at every Bible-believing church.)
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To: GodGunsGuts
Trump is right! What the Hell are we still doing in South Korea protecting them when they can do the job themselves and have had 70 years to do it??


40 posted on 03/21/2016 2:51:53 PM PDT by CodeToad (Islam should be banned and treated as a criminal enterprise!)
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