Posted on 08/17/2023 10:57:00 AM PDT by Mariner
BERLIN (Reuters) -The German government has retreated from a plan to legally commit itself to meeting NATO's 2% military spending target on an annual basis, a government source told Reuters on Wednesday.
A corresponding clause in a draft of the budget financing law passed by the cabinet of Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Wednesday was deleted at short notice, the source said.
The change means that Germany will be able to stick to its current pledge of meeting the 2% target on average over a five-year period.
This wording is softer than Scholz's original pledge in a speech on Feb 27, 2022, in which he announced a "Zeitenwende" or sea change three days after Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
(Excerpt) Read more at yahoo.com ...
Though I encourage the zealots to try.
He wouldn’t say that if Donald was the president.
Money laundering and empire expansion/resource control.
NATO should exist but without America
Exactly. They have their little EU, now.
I got one think that letting Germany remain weak is not a bad idea. The world spent much of the 30th Century dealing with a strong Germany.
Maybe Germany got smart and paid off a goon or thug at the State Department... or Hunter.
NATO Desperately Seeks OFF RAMP for Ukraine DISASTER!!!
by Dr. Steve Turley
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8-MKXBauj4&ab_channel=Dr.SteveTurley
NATO Suggests For First Time Ukraine Could Cede Territory
https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/nato-suggests-first-time-ukraine-could-cede-territory
Say it ain’t so, Joe!
20th Century, you idiot!
Maybe Germany got smart and paid off a goon or thug at the State Department... or Hunter.
Our ‘elites’ are climbing over each other to sell out the county. Who do you think pays for all those mansions clustered around DC - in some of the wealthiest ZIP codes in the country... Hunter couldn’t pay child support but he was renting a home for $20,000 A MONTH.
Ran out of other peoples money?
Have they ever met it? It would be interesting to know, since it took them almost 100 years to pay off their WWI reparations.
The first head of NATO said the goal is: "to keep the US in, the Soviets out, and the Germans down."
The US doesn't pay the vast majority of NATO defense because we are altruistic. Its the cost of keeping our empire, keeping the Europeans subservient, maintaining US $ hegemony especially against non-compliant challengers like Russians and China, and its the cost of keeping Americans afraid and the deep state in power.
Not to worry, Germans. There are 330 million American saps at the ready to cover your shortfall. I see the Finns are in line with their hand out as well.
Calculate the % of dollars that each country falls below their 2% threshold. That same amount is deducted from our committment.
Can I borrow the time machine? I have a hot date in Old Port Royal.
Just playing devil’s advocate here:
The U.S. needs to remain the leader of the free world. Part of that responsibility is to contribute the most to NATO’s budget. Those that don’t are not leaders. Being the leader affords us great advantages and maintains consistency in global strategy. Certainly, there’s a cost that we must bear, but that is the cost of democracy. We need to be ever vigilant in spreading and maintaining democracy because democracy is the lifeblood of our collective freedoms. NATO is one of the major organizations along with the UN that ensures democracy through our the world. We need to be the dominant leader of both.
We also bear the responsibility of defending Europe from Russian aggression. Ukraine is a perfect example how Russia will inch its way west, one nation at a time to restore the former territory of the CCCP. By leaving NATO we give Russia the green light to do exactly that. The European nations of NATO are simply not up to the task of defending themselves. They lack the will, the resources, the know how, and the money to do so. Thus, the responsibility falls upon America. That’s what a real leader does and it comes with prestige wherever Americans travel in the world. You personally benefit from that.
I’m sure many of you are old enough to have lived through the Cold War. The fear associated with that, particularly the threat of nuclear war is something that we never want to have again. We along with our European partners set a course long ago when the Soviet Union collapsed. We determined the best course was to essentially isolate Russia and deter most reintegration efforts to a state similar to or better than existing prior to the Russian revolution. In essence, it was best to maintain the Cold War status quo as this would at a minimum maintain a tenable peace in the West. In fact, we are able to expand our NATO alliance to ensure Russia is never aggressive again. That requires a strong leader like the United States.
Of course there is a business side of this. NATO is, for a lack of a better term, the military arm of global business. NATO ensures free and unencumbered trade between Western Nations. Without NATO, any despot, say a Vladimir Putin, could threaten free trade and cause economic calamity. Again, just as in the case of territorial aggression, trade aggression requires full support from America. In fact, without America, NATO stands no chance in stopping trade aggression.
This argument can be extended to just about any other interest that we share in common with our European allies, including diversity, equity and certainly inclusion of people of all races, gender and sexual orientation. Russia does not share our collective values and is literally a threat to all of these if we do not maintain an impregnable barrier between them and us.
NATO is that barrier and the U.S. is responsible for maintaining that barrier as the premier and dominant leader of the free world.
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What I just wrote is abject tripe that anyone with half a functioning brain could easily tear apart. Maybe someone can make a better argument for NATO than me because I think Europe is a big boy now and can take care of itself.
We should stop financing all of their socialist programs through paying the cost of their military. We simply don’t have the money to do so and quite honestly I don’t want to be like Europe. I’m American. I have America values and I like what used to be American culture. It seems every globalist leftist wants us to be more like Europe. I want nothing to do with Democratic Socialism. I write this based on a lifelong career in which I regularly worked and intermittently lived in multiple European nations. We don’t want to be them.
We should weaken our ties with Europe and keep things strictly business between us.
- That means they defend themselves. We can certainly aid them in that by selling weapon systems at profit. Call that a peace dividend.
- That means having fair trade, not free trade, with European countries.
-That means having our own culture and they have theirs - which is slowly eroding into an Islamic and African abyss.
We should differentiate ourselves as a the real leader of the free world. That is done by turning inward and becoming the best we can be.
First we need to ensure our own individual freedoms by fixing our government.
Second we secure our economic freedom by becoming an industrial giant that is able to manufacture all of the things a great nation needs. We become the dominant producer of petroleum and energy in the world and concurrently use that to power our manufacturing at such a low cost that all other nations cannot effectively compete.
Lastly, our military might should not be squandered on half baked wars around the world where have little or no national interest. The stronger we are and the more self sufficient we are at home eliminates interests in far away lands and any necessity to wage war. Our peace is what we care about. That is our priority. We keep America at peace by being strong and self sufficient. That begins at our borders, not borders most Americans cannot find on a map.
The combination of all of these things is what makes us a great nation and the leader of the free world. We lead by example. If others want to emulate us, then great. If others don’t, that’s fine too. A truly great nation has all the things it truly needs. We don’t need nations that don’t want to follow our example and we certainly should not be wasting our treasure on them.
You can take all that democracy crap and simply throw it out the window. We are a Republic. Now let’s stand on our own two feet and be the strongest we can be. It’s actually a good thing for us and our European friends, because there’s no one else showing Europe how it’s supposed to be done.
So much for everyone chipping in for Ukraine.
It always the US.
Uncle Sucker
Europe’s economy could go poof before the US economy. At least Germany tries to keep the budget and deficit inline. Here in the US we just double down on our out of control spending.
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