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Alarm Grows Over Weakened Militaries and Empty Arsenals in Europe
Wall Street Journal ^ | December 11, 2023 | Max Colchester, David Lunow, and Bojan Pancevski

Posted on 12/12/2023 10:19:52 AM PST by Ultra Sonic 007

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To: Kazan

If we get in a fight in the Pacific with the chicoms we will be hard pressed to fight a war to a draw. The warcons, Democrats, deep state, neocons, RINO’s etc... have seriously depleted the military not just in munitions but personnel as well with their war 24/7/52 and woke policies.

My late uncle was on occupation duty in Japan in June 1950 with the 24th Division, when the Norks invaded South Korea. His unit was the first deployed and he barely missed death with Task Force Smith because his company was held in reserve. When he exited the ship after crossing the Sea of Japan he was carrying an M1 carbine and he was handed 2 rds and told try not to use them and he’s like WTH! Luckily while moving towards the enemy they were given more ammo.


21 posted on 12/12/2023 11:01:12 AM PST by sarge83
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To: Reverend Wright
America has turned into a server farm with nukes, with no industrial capacity for peer war.

That must be why the Russians rely on integrated circuits from American suppliers smuggled into Russia to build their weapons systems.

Without US technology the Russians wouldn't have most of their radar, cruise missiles, loitering drones, or artillery control systems.

22 posted on 12/12/2023 11:03:01 AM PST by freeandfreezing
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To: Ultra Sonic 007

Read this morning that the ~100 Billion dollar plus up to Israel, Ukraine etc. also includes 18 Billion for US replenishment of armaments that were lost in Afghanistan and given to UKR.


23 posted on 12/12/2023 11:05:28 AM PST by Gaffer
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To: Drew68
The last US troops that saw actual combat in Iraq and Afghanistan are now pushing retirement age, if not already retired from the military.
Is okay. The trannies & LGBwhatevers will take up the slack on proper pronoun usage and virtue signaling.

On fighting and military cohesiveness, not so much.

24 posted on 12/12/2023 11:14:44 AM PST by citizen (Put all LBQTwhatever programming on a new subscription service: PERV-TThose look good)
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To: Ultra Sonic 007

“The West has hollowed itself out.”

The American taxpayer has protected them while they built high-speed railways and housing for immigrants.


25 posted on 12/12/2023 11:25:13 AM PST by dljordan
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To: Ultra Sonic 007

They chose wine and month-long vacays on the Mediterranean, assuming the US would always be there.


26 posted on 12/12/2023 11:34:13 AM PST by lurk (u)
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To: freeandfreezing

“Without US technology the Russians wouldn’t have most of their radar, cruise missiles, loitering drones, or artillery control systems.”


No. Russia is getting electronics from China. Just like Raytheon.

Raytheon’s CEO says they are dependent on Chinese subcontractors, and can’t decouple.

https://dailycaller.com/2023/06/19/raytheon-china-greg-hayes-decoupling/


27 posted on 12/12/2023 11:35:53 AM PST by Reverend Wright ( Everything touched by progressives, dies !)
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To: Ultra Sonic 007

First, no Toilet Paper.

Now, no 155mm Artillery shells.

Should have stocked up.


28 posted on 12/12/2023 11:36:50 AM PST by Scrambler Bob
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To: Drew68

“They’re building a million man army full of battle-hardened veterans trained on the battlefield against NATO tactics and equipment in modern ground combat.

The last US troops that saw actual combat in Iraq and Afghanistan are now pushing retirement age, if not already retired from the military. “


Yes. At this point Russia may well actually want US aircraft introduced into the conflict so they can refine their tactics against them.

Also. US combat experience in Iraq, Afghanistan - that’s not peer war. We know from Iraq/Afghanistan veterans that have volunteered in Ukraine: they say Ukraine is nothing like what they did in Afghanistan etc.

The only current US military with Ukraine experience is the small number of US special forces there now.


29 posted on 12/12/2023 11:43:50 AM PST by Reverend Wright ( Everything touched by progressives, dies !)
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To: JonPreston
If you look below this post of yours, you will see that the Hopelessly Stupid have arrived, and are poo-pooing the fact that the Russians have learned how to deal with NAFO, while our troops have become veterans of The Silly Walk.


30 posted on 12/12/2023 11:44:19 AM PST by kiryandil (China Joe and Paycheck Hunter - the Chink in America's defenses)
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To: Reverend Wright
The only current US military with Ukraine experience is the small number of US special forces there now.

"retired" US special forces.   

31 posted on 12/12/2023 11:47:15 AM PST by kiryandil (China Joe and Paycheck Hunter - the Chink in America's defenses)
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To: Kazan

But,but it’s only 5% of our defense budget...
It creates jobs for Americans...
Wait for it the shills will be posting their talking points shortly...


32 posted on 12/12/2023 11:53:05 AM PST by Right Brigade (It was better before they voted for whats his name,this must be the New World)
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To: kiryandil

The Zeepers tell us there are no US forces on the ground in Ukraine, even though there was lots there before 2022.

But the Regime tells us “No US forces in Ukraine.”

And we believe them !


33 posted on 12/12/2023 12:01:27 PM PST by Reverend Wright ( Everything touched by progressives, dies !)
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To: Ultra Sonic 007

Yes. This is the 1930s all over again with the added flourish that the West appears to actually WANT to commit suicide.


34 posted on 12/12/2023 12:02:53 PM PST by Bernard Marx
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To: Reverend Wright

“”””””All these NATO countries promised defence spending increases after 2014. None did.
The same countries promised defence spending increases in 2022. It’s not happening.””””””


“Just three countries met the target in 2014, but that number increased to seven in 2022”

https://www.congress.gov/118/bills/sres491/BILLS-118sres491is.pdf
“Whereas, while three members of NATO met the 2 percent
of GDP defense spending target in 2014, NATO reports
that as of July 2023, 11 allies met the 2 percent target,
and all 31 allies met the goal to allocate at least 20 percent of defense expenditure to major new equipment”


35 posted on 12/12/2023 12:29:23 PM PST by ansel12 ((NATO warrior under Reagan, and RA under Nixon, bemoaning the pro-Russians from Vietnam to Ukraine.))
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To: ansel12
I count nine. Problem is, most of them are the smallest countries in NATO.

Six of the nine are: Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Croatia, Slovak Republic, Greece

36 posted on 12/12/2023 12:48:17 PM PST by Reverend Wright ( Everything touched by progressives, dies !)
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To: Reverend Wright

The official number is 11 as of July of this year, with more on the way, and all NATO countries meeting the goal of at least 20% on major new equipment.

https://www.congress.gov/118/bills/sres491/BILLS-118sres491is.pdf
“Whereas, while three members of NATO met the 2 percent
of GDP defense spending target in 2014, NATO reports
that as of July 2023, 11 allies met the 2 percent target,
and all 31 allies met the goal to allocate at least 20 percent of defense expenditure to major new equipment”


“Whereas 19 NATO allies have a plan to meet or exceed
NATO’s 2 percent of GDP defense spending target by
2024, and an additional seven members reportedly have
plans in place to meet the target between 2025 and
2030”


37 posted on 12/12/2023 12:53:39 PM PST by ansel12 ((NATO warrior under Reagan, and RA under Nixon, bemoaning the pro-Russians from Vietnam to Ukraine.))
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To: ansel12

If the large countries in Europe actually met the two percent requirement, they wouldn’t need the USA to defend them from Putin.

But it is never going to happen.

NATO is a Potemkin Alliance with about three out of 32 functional militaries of any size.


38 posted on 12/12/2023 12:59:32 PM PST by Reverend Wright ( Everything touched by progressives, dies !)
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To: Reverend Wright

You have a number of posts like this on the thread, ignoring facts and posting your personal propaganda statements.


39 posted on 12/12/2023 1:02:30 PM PST by ansel12 ((NATO warrior under Reagan, and RA under Nixon, bemoaning the pro-Russians from Vietnam to Ukraine.))
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To: ansel12

This is the kind of games these guys play to “increase” their spending.

“In Canada, for example, both the Canadian Coast Guard and veterans’ pensions were recently included in the country’s calculation of military spending.”

“Canada has quietly and consistently lobbied major NATO allies for months to expand the definition of what it can include under the military alliance’s defence spending benchmark, defence and government sources have told CBC News.

The notion of being able to include what the country spends on space, cyber and artificial intelligence (AI) research has been an important topic of conversation, ...”

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/canada-nato-spending-definition-1.6901473


40 posted on 12/12/2023 1:09:06 PM PST by Reverend Wright ( Everything touched by progressives, dies !)
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