Replies

reckless yes, but dangerous no

If Trump hyperbole really threatens NATO, then there’s not much to NATO.

First of all, NATO is a Senate-approved treaty. As a Senate-approved treaty (not an executive agreement), it isn’t clear if a President has the power to break a [Senate-approved] treaty without the approval of Congress:

“Presently, there is no Supreme Court ruling on whether the President has the power to break a treaty without the approval of Congress; it remains unclear which branch of government is empowered by the Constitution to terminate a treaty, much less the procedure for doing so.”

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_Clause

Second, since making his reckless statement, Trump has dialed it back. He says he’s trying to invigorate NATO. He says that because of his, shall we say, rhetoric, the European members of NATO have promised to meet their obligation.

Everybody should bear in mind that Trump isn’t a politician or a diplomat. He’s a businessman. In particular, a deal-maker. He’s always looking for a better deal, whether with positive or negative inducements.

Also, what Trump says about NATO is correct. The Europeans have been getting a subsidy from the U.S. for years. That was o.k. during the immediate post-war people, when Europe was in shambles; and, even later, facing a huge USSR and Warsaw Pact.

Nowadays, the democracies of Europe are wealthy and the Warsaw Pact and even the USSR are gone. Russia is a pathetic country compared to what had been prior to 1991. The ratio of NATO to Russia is more like 10-to-1 than 1-to-1. If each of the NATO countries does its share, we will have no problem with Russia no matter that Putin is delusional. It’s only when the Europeans allow themselves to be weak, thinking we will defend them, that NATO will be weak because us won’t defend a bunch of sniveling cowards that won’t do squat to defend themselves.

I myself have had it up to here with Iraqis, Afghans and others who think uncle sap will defend them. They won’t defend themselves against ISIS or the Taliban, the heck with them. Ultimately, Biden’s is the one who is playing Putin’s game by allowing the Europeans to shirk their responsibilities under the NATO agreement.