Uh Oh: US Walks Out On South Korea Talks Over Military Cost-Sharing

Hotair ^ | 11/20/2019 | Ed Morrissey

[Mariner]

“It does seem like a lot. $5B/28,500 = $175,000 per soldier.”

Our real costs are easily 4x that. Easily.

And that does not even include the cost of keeping the sea lanes open. And that is the absolute bedrock of SK security.

[billyboy15]

Trump has said it all along. Then world has been taking advantage of us for decades, literally picking our pockets.

Libs are madly trying to figure out how they can blame Trump because S Korea won’t pay.

[Yo-Yo]

Do you for one second believe that South Korea would willingly go over to China?

Before that ever happened, they would probably enter into a mutual assistance treaty with Japan and possibly with Taiwan, Indonesia, or even Australia and/or New Zealand, forming a new and meaningful “SEATO” organization.

[catnipman]

it’s simple, SK: you no payee, we no stayee ...

[Dr. Sivana]

I read elsewhere that this is a dress rehearsal for the big fish ... Germany.

[entropy12]

Why should South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Germany etc should pay anything for the military protection we give them? We have good credit, we can borrow more money, load it on to the national debt and protect all these countries. Because we are the mighty Super Power! Who gives a damm if our kids and grand kids will be burdened with more national debt which is going to obliterate their economic viability. So long as WE don’t have to pay the debt let us keep protecting all our Allies out of the goodness of our hearts and because we are THE SUPER POWER!

[MacNaughton]

Isn’t the left of center RoK administration working hard towards reconciliation/ re-unification with the NorKs? Careful what you ask for.

[USS Alaska]

The top U.S. negotiator, James DeHart, said the U.S. side decided to cut short the negotiations on Tuesday morning, the second of two days of planned talks. In a rare public show of disunity between the allies, he blamed South Korea for making proposals that “were not responsive to our request for fair and equitable burden sharing.”

“As a result we cut short our participation in the talks today in order to give the Korea side time to reconsider,” he said in a statement. “We look forward to resuming our negotiations when the Korean side is ready to work on the basis of partnership, on the basis of mutual trust.”

The question is, "Are we protecting the sokoe's border or are they protecting our border?

Do we need them or do they need us?

POTUS is tired of the USA pissing our tax dollars away when the countries we are protecting are living off of the back of US tax payers {me and you}.

THANK GOD FOR PRESIDENT DONALD JOHN TRUMP!!!

[NEMDF]

Wait for the media to turn this into:
POTUS is trying to bribe another country by threatening to draw down troops, unless SK will pay more.

[Scarpetta]

This is great news! I’m sick of milquetoast, mealymouthed diplomacy, even with our so-called staunched allies. America is no longer the world’s doormat.

[rightwingcrazy]

Maybe the South Koreans have been getting advice from Democrats promising an end to Trump. No more Trump, no more pressure.

[SeekAndFind]

RE: Marcos flew to Beijing(Peking) after Viet Nam fell. What did it get him?

Well, he was ousted by a coup and a People’s revolution 10 years later. In the end, he ended up in Hawaii and died there.

[odawg]

Wait just a minute. According to the current new wisdom unveiled at the impeachment hearings, when a more powerful leader requests something of a less powerful leader, it is not a request, it is an order.

[Grimmy]

I’d be surprised if South Korea went ‘all in’ with China.

*************

If South Korea doesn’t have large deposits of rare earths used in the manufacturing of electronics, China doesn’t want to own or have anything to do with South Korea, except maybe just enough to tweek our nose.

China’s moves in Africa and, more recently Greenland, are all about global control of the supply of rare earths for electronics manufacturing.

[dfwgator]

China and South Korea have one thing in common, a fear that if North Korea deteriorates, both countries would be flooded with millions of refugees they can’t handle.

[Sacajaweau]

Think about how much our soldiers contribute to their economy before you chalk us up as thieves. Remember, we have plenty of artillery that goes with those soldiers.

[Roman_War_Criminal]

China and S Korea might eventually go to war over the cobalt, manganese, nickel, copper and aluminum metal deposits worldwide to produce those lithium ion batteries that their tech companies are hedging bets on.

[DoodleDawg]

China and South Korea have one thing in common, a fear that if North Korea deteriorates, both countries would be flooded with millions of refugees they can’t handle.

At least South Korea has a couple of million land mines between them and the hungry horde. China doesn't.

[subterfuge]

Dealing with the South Korean government is difficult if not impossible at times. I’ve done it with a DOD contractor I worked for. They are notorious for demanding more just when deal seems to be done. Eventually you have to walk away from them because they won’t stop doing it.

[DoodleDawg]

If South Korea doesn’t have large deposits of rare earths used in the manufacturing of electronics, China doesn’t want to own or have anything to do with South Korea, except maybe just enough to tweek our nose.

Reason enough. If South Korea decides they can't depend on us then China may be their only option. For South Korea, moving closer to China places China between them and North Korea. For China, South Korea is an affluent trading partner to sell to and buy from.