Trump issues 'invoice' to Merkel over NATO funding

[Vylo]

I hear antagonizing the people you want to pay more money pays great dividends. Almost as much as threatening seasoned politicians with an obviously bluff ultimatum. Trump is turning out to be an awful deal maker.

 

[mark46]

This is fantasy.
Most NATO countries are most certainly not doing their share.

NATO Members’ Defense Spending, in Two Charts

A total of 5 countries including the US are meeting their obligations.

NATO benefits Europeans not Americans yet we make up the largest contributor to it.

It's time to drop out.

It is simply ignorance to think that Germany is not meeting obligations. As you say, we should pull out and not use hospitals, cyber sites and all the other German facilities we use.

 

[JGG]

Answer: Nothing. NATO was never about anything but maintaining US hegemony in Europe.

If that's the case, aren't we lucky that Europeans are supporting such an effort?

 

[wing2000]

Since much of it goes to defend or at least get involved with other nations wars you might have a point.

... a point which Trump, the candidate, also made.....which brings us back to:

Armoured said: ↑
So, if Trump is so worried about defence spending, how come he's increasing the defence budget?

 

[Gadarene]

lol

What's with all the people thinking that all it takes is a cloudy day for the Germans to call up Hugo Boss and ask if they still make military uniforms?

More that severe economic downturn risks that nation becoming more destabilised.

I mean take you guys, a few jobs go abroad and you vote in Twitler.

 

[Gadarene]

This is fantasy.
Most NATO countries are most certainly not doing their share.

NATO Members’ Defense Spending, in Two Charts

A total of 5 countries including the US are meeting their obligations.

NATO benefits Europeans not Americans yet we make up the largest contributor to it.

It's time to drop out.

Yup, Europe at war with itself or being taken over by Russia will have no impact on the US whatsoever.

Destabilising the largest economy in the world? Pffft America first amirite

 

[Armoured]

This is fantasy.
Most NATO countries are most certainly not doing their share.

NATO Members’ Defense Spending, in Two Charts

A total of 5 countries including the US are meeting their obligations.

NATO benefits Europeans not Americans yet we make up the largest contributor to it.

It's time to drop out.

If the concept of "forward defence" no longer appeals, sure.

 

[Armoured]

Answer: Nothing. NATO was never about anything but maintaining US hegemony in Europe.

There was this thing called the Cold War, maybe you've heard of it? If not, you could look it up, I'm sure it's mentioned on one or two websites.

 

[LoAmmi]

If it hasn't been mentioned, the German government is denying this happened. The paper should have checked with the government prior to running the story.

 

[KCfromNC]

I seriously expected this link to go to The Onion. I have a very hard time believing that even Trump is that much of an idiot. It sounds like something he'd do to a small contractor to avoid paying what he owed him.

What do you expect? That someone who was able to not too badly bankrupt an inherited small family business is qualified to lead America?

 

[Nithavela]

If it hasn't been mentioned, the German government is denying this happened. The paper should have checked with the government prior to running the story.

It propably didn't happen. If it did happen, both parties are denying it, and I haven't seen any real evidence for this happening, anyway.

In german news, by the way, this story is a complete non-issue.

 

[TerranceL]

What's it like in 2024, since you say they aren't meeting their obligations but the agreement was to have it by then. Do we have flying cars?

I wasn't aware we just joined nato. What alternate world do you come from? For the history of the alliance the United States has been the primary spender. That's not an equal alliance and when you consider it's not an alliance that we benefit from it's not one we need to be apart of.

 

[TerranceL]

lol yerself. What makes you think anyone thinks such a thing?

Because I've read your comment and the comments of other people in this thread.

Why is America devoting so much of its GDP on military spending when it already outspends everyone else?

Because we have congress critters who understand that if we stop they will lose jobs in their districts. It's how we have a military where were getting weapons that our generals don't want nor need.

 

[TerranceL]

It is simply ignorance to think that Germany is not meeting obligations.

And by ignorance you mean, "according to the data Germany isn't meeting it's obligations."

As you say, we should pull out and not use hospitals, cyber sites and all the other German facilities we use.

I'm almost certain that we have our own. Yep, there's a hospital a few miles from me. Amazing. How about we pull all of our bases out of Europe?

For decades Europeans have been ridiculing us for the amount of money we spend on defense, it's time for us to leave Europe and save some of that money.

 

[TerranceL]

Yup, Europe at war with itself or being taken over by Russia will have no impact on the US whatsoever.

Destabilising the largest economy in the world? Pffft America first amirite

Why does it fall to America to fight European wars?

 

[TerranceL]

There was this thing called the Cold War, maybe you've heard of it? If not, you could look it up, I'm sure it's mentioned on one or two websites.

Hows the cold war doing? Still cold? I'm told that the cold war has been over for a few decades now, so why do we need nato?

 

[Armoured]

Hows the cold war doing? Still cold? I'm told that the cold war has been over for a few decades now, so why do we need nato?

Look at the post being discussed.

 

[Armoured]

Why does it fall to America to fight European wars?

To stop them becomming American wars, is the theory.

 

[Nithavela]

It's bit strange to me that some people seem to think that europeans would be at each others throats the moment the USA pulled out of its bases in the EU.

 

[The Barbarian]

There was this thing called the Cold War, maybe you've heard of it? If not, you could look it up, I'm sure it's mentioned on one or two websites.

But it was Russia. Remember the Trump mantra; "Russia good, America bad."