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Is NATO Worth Preserving?
Townhall.com ^ | April 14, 2016 | Victor Davis Hanson

Posted on 04/14/2016 5:17:57 AM PDT by Kaslin

Donald Trump recently ignited another controversy when he mused that the North Atlantic Treaty Organization was obsolete. He hinted that it might no longer be worth the huge American investment.

In typical Trump style, he hit a nerve, but he then offered few details about the consequences of either staying in or leaving NATO.

NATO is certainly no longer aimed at keeping a huge Soviet land army out of democratic Western Europe, as was envisioned in 1949.

The alliance has been unwisely expanded from its original 12-nation membership to include 28 countries, absorbing many of the old communist Warsaw Pact nations and some former Soviet republics. NATO may have meant well to offer security to these vulnerable new alliance members. Yet it is hard to imagine Belgians and Italians dying on the battlefield to keep Russian President Vladimir Putin's forces out of Lithuania or Estonia.

Today's NATO pledges to many of its newer participants are about as believable as British and French rhetorical guarantees in August 1939 to protect a far-away Poland from its Nazi and Soviet neighbors.

No NATO member during the 40-year Cold War invoked Article 4 of the treaty, requiring consultation of the entire alliance by a supposedly threatened member. Turkey has called for it four times since 2003.

(Excerpt) Read more at townhall.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial; Foreign Affairs; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: defensespending; donaldtrump; election2016; europe; nato; vdh; victordavishanson
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1 posted on 04/14/2016 5:17:57 AM PDT by Kaslin
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To: Kaslin

No. Next question.


2 posted on 04/14/2016 5:20:13 AM PDT by central_va (I won't be reconstructed and I do not give a damn.)
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To: bestintxas; COBOL2Java; DuncanWaring; EXCH54FE; ExTexasRedhead; FreedomPoster; Gondring; Kennard; ..

Victor Davis Hanson Column


Please Freepmail me if you want to be added, or removed from the ping list

3 posted on 04/14/2016 5:20:54 AM PDT by Kaslin (He needed the ignorant to reelect him. He got them and now we have to pay the consequences)
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To: central_va
No. Next question.

I second the motion.

4 posted on 04/14/2016 5:21:29 AM PDT by exit82 ("The Taliban is on the inside of the building" E. Nordstrom 10-10-12)
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To: exit82
Trump is so smart

NATO as Robert Gates also said the current form isn't working while lying Ted Blames Trump for the Terror attack for rasing the question in Brussels.

That's why I will do as Senator Ben Sasse of Nebraska owned by the Ricketts Family said I find another Conservative than Lying Ted.

5 posted on 04/14/2016 5:25:12 AM PDT by scooby321
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To: Kaslin
Yet it is hard to imagine Belgians and Italians dying on the battlefield to keep Russian President Vladimir Putin's forces out of Lithuania or Estonia.

The Belgians and Italians have more at stake fending off Russia than we do. And yet we are expected to pick up the tab and shed the blood to protect those simpering socialist cowards. A pox on Europe. The Eurowimps can lick the mud off of Putin's boots for all I care.

If Europe ever calls for America (and my sons) to help defend themselves from the Muslims that THEY invited in, my answer will be to extend my middle finger to Europe and send my sons out of the country.

Turkey has called for it 4 times...

Screw Turkey. Never trust the Turks. They are Christian-genociding Muslims. Not one drop of American blood should spilled even to save a million gallons of Turkish blood.
6 posted on 04/14/2016 5:29:04 AM PDT by baltimorepoet
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To: central_va
No. Next question.

Because the U.S. without allies is stronger than the U.S. with allies?

7 posted on 04/14/2016 5:29:27 AM PDT by Lower Deck
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To: baltimorepoet

That Turkey was allowed into NATO is an affromt to decency. World geopolitics yeah I know, but the soviets are gone.

Time to kick them out. Let them get back to murdering their ethnic and religious minorities.


8 posted on 04/14/2016 5:33:24 AM PDT by T-Bone Texan (Don't be a lone wolf. Form up small leaderlesss cells ASAP !)
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To: Kaslin
Using NATO forces outside of Europe has not always been productive. It was helpful in Serbia, of questionable utility in Afghanistan, and completely disastrous in Libya.

It was not helpful in Serbia! It was disastrous. NATO was used to defend muslim jihadis and kill Christians!

9 posted on 04/14/2016 5:33:37 AM PDT by pgkdan (The Silent Majority Stands With TRUMP!)
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To: Kaslin

Without Trump in the race, illegal immigration would have been off the table in the republican race. No one would be talking about NATO. No one would be taking on Black Lies Matter (now even Bill Clinton is doing it.) No one would be opening their mouth to utter any criticism of Political Correctness.

Then some wonder why Trump gets so much coverage.


10 posted on 04/14/2016 5:35:24 AM PDT by euram
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To: Kaslin

Absolutely not. Any mutual defense treaty for Europe must be largely funded by Europe and Turkey should have NO place at the table. Scrap NATO and start over.


11 posted on 04/14/2016 5:36:30 AM PDT by pgkdan (The Silent Majority Stands With TRUMP!)
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To: Kaslin

Hell NO!


12 posted on 04/14/2016 5:38:59 AM PDT by HomerBohn (Liberals and slinkies: they're good for nothing, but you smile as you shove them down the stairs.)
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To: Lower Deck
Because the U.S. without allies is stronger than the U.S. with allies?

As currently constructed the US doesn't have allies...we are infected with parasites. NATO is completely one sided. The Europeans scoff at us, criticize us and blame us for everything wrong in the world, all the while demanding that we defend them at any cost should the need arise. Screw that!

13 posted on 04/14/2016 5:39:01 AM PDT by pgkdan (The Silent Majority Stands With TRUMP!)
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To: Lower Deck

The US will be stronger with allies who actually blow the dust off their checkbooks once or twice a century.

L


14 posted on 04/14/2016 5:47:19 AM PDT by Lurker (Violence is rarely the answer. But when it is it is the only answer.)
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To: Lower Deck
Because the U.S. without allies is stronger than the U.S. with allies?

There is a difference between one-sided obligations and allies. Most of the Euro-weenies are obligations and burdens. Britain is an ally.
15 posted on 04/14/2016 5:48:36 AM PDT by baltimorepoet
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To: Lower Deck

Becayse the US without foreign entanglements is better off that the US with foreign entanglements.
Besides, we spend more on defense than the next 10 countries combined. Just what does the rest of Europe bring to table? Bases in a war we don’t want to fight?


16 posted on 04/14/2016 5:55:10 AM PDT by Little Ray (NOTHING THAT SOMEONE ELSE HAS TO PAY FOR IS A RIGHT.)
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To: Kaslin
Is NATO Worth Preserving?
And take the UN with you too.
17 posted on 04/14/2016 6:00:52 AM PDT by oh8eleven (RVN '67-'68)
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To: Kaslin
Yet it is hard to imagine Belgians and Italians dying on the battlefield to keep Russian President Vladimir Putin's forces out of Lithuania or Estonia.

At this point it is hard to imagine Belgians and Italians dying on the battlefield to keep Russian President Vladimir Putin's forces out of Belgium and Italy.

18 posted on 04/14/2016 6:01:54 AM PDT by DuncanWaring (The Lord uses the good ones; the bad ones use the Lord.)
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To: Lower Deck
Because the US without allies is stronger than the US without allies?

Since the allies have welcomed with open arms invaders and have refused to defend themselves, yes. Besides that, a US without allies that defends itself from invasion would be stronger than we are now.

We've never answered what should've been the first problem that needed to be solved....why were all of those Saudis involved with 911 were in the US illegally, and what were we going to do to keep the US safe from within.

Face it. Globalism is a disaster.

19 posted on 04/14/2016 6:12:49 AM PDT by grania
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To: Kaslin

NATO needs to be renegotiated. The alliance is a vestige of cold war policy.

I read an article that stated the US provides 70% of the military budget. We are borrowing an unprecedented amount of money to fund stuff like this. Why are we paying for Europe to live in some kind of social wunda land? Now they are inviting a foreign invasion and expecting us to bail them out.

It’s time for the EU to put thier big boy pants on and learn how to defend themselves. 70 years is enough.


20 posted on 04/14/2016 6:13:16 AM PDT by PJammers (Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?)
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