Trump: Don’t pay? Russia can do whatever it wants to a NATO member

and allowing Putin to win in Russia only emboldens China. Want to prevent war with China, crush Putin

 

that is incorrect

Chart: Where NATO Defense Expenditure Stands | Statista

 

I am a person that will acknowledge Trump for the good things he did. He pushed to allow importation of prescription medicines from Canada. He targeted Chinese theft of industrial/defense technology.

And this abandonment of NATO, with his history of attacking our military, security, judicial, and electoral systems, is just absolutely despotic. There is a BIG difference between shaking things up and self serving behavior that risks the security of our nation. In my decades loving and serving my country, I have never feared for the republic because every President, Republican or Democrat, acknowledged their role as servant to our democracy. Until now.

 

The agreement only requires countries to contribute, it is recommended to contribute 2% of GDP, but there is no law that it has to be 2%. They are all contributing.

 

This will likely be another nail in Trump's political coffin. If the republicans don't elect Haley to oppose Biden, expect a major trouncing by Biden over Trump. Trump is just too dangerous to allow back in the White House.

 

Here's a crazy idea. How about WE massively reduce our ludacris military spending?!??!! It is absurd...it's like Goliath doing additional bench presses. Who cares. David isn't going toe to toe with Goliath. BIG GOV insanity. The sheep love their 11 aircraft carriers.

 

And where do you stand on sending over $100 billion to Ukraine?

 

I am against it.

 

I agree that our defense spending is incredibly bloated and wasteful. We spend 40% of all defense spending worldwide, and more than Germany, Russia, China and 9 other countries - combined.

AND when you have the opportunity to support edge democracies (Ukraine, Taiwan) as they bleed your military rivals in a theatre that is strategically valuable, you take it. If you want to be a “cheap hawk”, leaning on our allies and these proxies are the cheapest way to do so. U.S. Allies Key to Deterring Russia, China, Financially a 'Mixed Bag,' Experts Say - USNI News

Not to mention that if you believe in democracy, we should strategically support those efforts as feasible… while also ceasing the waste we currently have with large defense contractors who are grossly politically connected.

 

NATO is an economic alliance. There is no distinction between military and economic in this case. It's also why we even care about Taiwan, it's all about the $$$, otherwise, goodbye Taiwan.

 

Plenty on the left supported Germany or at least wanted to stay out if it.

I doubt you really find one Pub who wants Putin to “take Europe”.

The hyperbole is duly noted.


For the record this is yet another example of Trump being an idiot.
So wish he would just go away.

 

Since Russia invaded Ukraine, NATO funding by member nations has been increasing reaching a median 1.87% of GDP. NATO is becoming stronger, that's a good thing. What Trump's motivation is is anybody's guess.

NATO Details Leap in Member Defense Spending Ahead of Summit | Air & Space Forces Magazine

 

It’s not nonsensical when you consider his goal is ruling the US in perpetuity as an autocracy.

 

How can you tell Trump's comments were inexcusable and indefensible? They're not mentioned on the Fox website.

 

Pushing back against hostile commie or authoritarian regimes is both in everyone’s economic interests and the morally correct thing. There’s not even a tiny bit of doubt when it comes to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine or the frozen conflict in Korea. I mean hell, just look at the economic disparity between South Korea and the “hermit kingdom”.

When you look at Tawain’s history, the current regimes claims are murky at best. Other than Geography what is their legal claim? It would basically be like the United States just taking over Cuba because it’s close to FL.

 

Dropping by...

When you wonder why we are so closely absorbed by US politics, these sort of comments are what is collectively scaring the hell out of us across the globe.
Yours,
The rest of the planet.

 

Good question….

“It is still a mystery as to why Trump feels so inexplicably bound to Putin, and wedded to his flattery, or even success. It is a riddle we may only understand in the fullness of time. Is it a warped attraction to a “bad guy,” a crush on Russia’s deeply patriarchal culture, or something more darkly tied to Trump’s personal history itself?”

Trump’s incendiary NATO remarks send very real shudders through Europe | CNN

 

I suspect it’s perhaps less intentionally malicious, although perhaps not any less scary: a childish obsession with anything he perceives as being “strong.”

Note that he loves describing things as “strong” or “powerful,” and seems to be generally attracted to things he thinks are strong even if they don’t have any conceivable benefit for him (see, e.g., Kim Jong Un, or his obsession with generals in his first term - at least right up to the point that a given general publicly disagreed with him).

This seems to fit within that broader trend. That being said, it ought to go without saying that communist or post-Soviet strongmen are not folks American presidents ought to be admiring, no matter their motivation.

 

The US has a long reach over the entire planet. We WILL face more areas of political conflict and battle or be impacted by the outcome. Cutting off our European allies to score a few political soundbites will come back to haunt us. We, and especially maga, are stupidly thinking more and more short term. ie what sounds good without much thought, or what might make us more comfortable today. It’s basic demagoguery.

 

We are saying the same thing. If Taiwan was as poor as Cuba, we would not be concerned at all with Taiwan at all. Sad but true.