Posted on 06/03/2016 8:00:01 AM PDT by Hojczyk
Even Barack Obama has been tiring of European uselessness. He recently admitted that he had to threaten to end the “special relationship” with Britain before David Cameron agreed to spend the Nato minimum on defence. Even then, Mr Cameron used smoke and mirrors, counting military pensions and intelligence in the total figure.
So at a time when the US stumps up 72 per cent of total Nato spending, the puzzle is not why Americans should be growing fed up with it all. The puzzle is why their patience (and generosity) has endured for so long.
Does that all sound too crazy? Trump loves crazy. It’s not clear why, if elected, he would not follow through on what he proposes. He has given clear notice: that he thinks America “can’t afford to protect the world any more” and is looking for excuses to withdraw. So a man who stands a terrifyingly high chance of being the next American president is ready for the quick end of Nato. The question is: are we?
(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...
Frankly I’m amazed the American People have been patient for this long.
The Cold War ended a quarter-century ago. Why are we paying their defense bills for them? So that they can provide “free college” for their children and hand out generous welfare to Muslim immigrants?
Would have thought we’d have pulled the plug long before now.
They will not give up the free lunch without a fight. Europe has had the freedom to indulge itself in socialism because it hasn’t had to pay for its defense, the Donald will threaten to end that free lunch. They will scream loudly about “security” but it’s about what it’s ALWAYS about.....money.
Thomas Jefferson took on the Barbary pirates without any help from the Europeans who had it their own prisoners. The Germans still take off the whole month of August while we defend them. Pretty good deal.
“Soft power” will solve conflicts. Good luck with that.
The snotty Europeans would not be able to afford their social programs but for US.
Screw ‘em. Let them fend off the Russians by themselves. The Muslims will probably take them over, anyway.
Are we abandoning “Peace Through Strength” out of spite? Will these policies make war less likely or more likely?
Christians would actually be better off under the Russians.
We have been in Korea too long. Are we going to be there forever?
And Canada lived under the protection of our Strategic Air Command (SAC) throughout the Cold War without it costing them a penny.
Grow up mafia boy. The neocons are of a 90’s origin. The movement has outlived its’ usefulness. The Soviets were an existential threat and required most of the measures taken at the time in the 50’s and 60’s particularly.
The Euro’s are not only ungrateful but have increasingly lectured us on our crudity and the fact that we are Americans. They are now either the second or third largest (collective) economy in the world. They need to either take care of themselves — which I doubt that they will do as they are thoroughly feminized — or pay for us to do it.
Respectfully disagree. Our presence around the world has provided a huge deterrent against militant forces. If we withdraw all hell will break loose. ...although I’m not making a judgement about what is the right thing to do, just pointing it out.
Certainly Europe, Canada and S. Korea have been under our umbrella of protection and has enabled them to spend a lot of money on other things, like social programs. This is partly why it’s a fools errand to point to Europe and say “they get free stuff”. Yeah they do, let’s see how well that works out in the long run, especially if we do withdraw from strategic areas (like Europe).
And Germany is planning to cut its military. They don’t do any fighting anyway.
Ding, ding, ding - we have a thread winnah!
True... but it took courage for Frazer Nelson to even bring the subject up... there IS hope.
It’s a good piece aside from the usual attacks on Trump as ‘crude’ - the usual fall-back position of enervated Brits. They wouldn’t know a real man if they fell over him; look what they say about Gordon Ramsay!
Trump wants people to pay; he doesn’t say we should pull out.
The Main check on Russian expansion is at the present vodka
Mother Russia can’t handle all the alchoholic men and lacks the resources to expand. She is very sick
If I’m understanding you correctly, it seems to me we are in agreement.
Maybe I wasn’t clear enough in my post, but I have no disagreement with what you say.
“Our presence around the world has provided a huge deterrent against militant forces. If we withdraw all hell will break loose...”
I agree.
I’m not advocating withdrawing from the world scene, just make a move when it makes sense - and do it right. With the technology we have there should not be any decades-long wars, imo.
You probably know more about Korea than I do, but it seems hard to justify occupying the DMZ (if I can call it that) for so many years.
How do you figure?
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