Now it is time for me to do the dreaded, and give Donald Trump some credit.
I like what he is doing with immigration in the United States. The democrats literally left the doors wide open under Biden, and slightly less under Obama. Biden’s was obvious, Obama’s not so much. The trend inside the United States was moving toward lawlessness.
Now I am finding out, due to threats from Russia and Trump’s erratic behavior – that several European nations had stopped defending themselves, altogether.
So apparently many countries decided that NATO would be their protector, or they would do without one.
📊 NATO Spending Before Trump’s Push
- NATO set the 2% of GDP defense spending benchmark at the 2014 Wales Summit, with a goal of compliance by 2024.
- By 2016–2017, only a handful of countries were meeting the threshold:
- United States (~3.6%)
- Greece (~2.4%)
- United Kingdom (~2.1%)
- Poland (~2.0%)
- Estonia (~2.0%)
- All other NATO members (20+ countries) were below the 2% mark, some significantly (e.g., Germany ~1.2%, Canada ~1.0%, Spain ~0.9%).
What does that tell us? Most of Europe, having suffered many wars had decided that defense is not a priority. Now I get why Trump was so pissed during his first term.
The reason this is before us today is because I happened to notice that France and Germany are reinstating volunteer military service, and it left me dumbfounded.
It is still not clear to me how any responsible country on this earth would do that, and I am a pacifist. As a veteran during times different to today, I clearly state that defense is a deterrence. I reject Trumps notion of a Department of War.
Putin could very well, do you – before you get a chance to get caught-up.
Who thought that a good idea? Inquiring minds want to know.
“Like other European countries, Germany ran down its armed forces during the peacetime years of the 1990s. During the Cold War it had an army of almost half a million.
Compulsory military service in Germany was ended in 2011 under former chancellor Angela Merkel.
But now, in the face of perceived threats from Russia and heavy pressure from Germany’s traditional ally, the US, Friedrich Merz has pledged to rebuild the Bundeswehr into Europe’s strongest conventional army”.
The primary problem facing these restart-ups is the social attitudes of young people. This is an entitlement generation.
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ckg9drg8pg1o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss
…..and for France:
Europe owes a debt of gratitude to both Trump and Putin. Military service will reinstate a wholesome dimension to your societies. Cause some of y’all are losing your way. You can redirect the energy being wasted forming right/left wing groups. Turn that into “National Pride”.
Seriously, you should thank them.