Trump changes politics world wide, creating chaos and increased chances of war

[kan...@aol.com]

https://newrepublic.com/article/207218/donald-trump-global-leverage-foreign-policy

Bull. China shop. 

Trump has become such an unreliable ally that countries all over the world are hedging their positions. Canada, several Euro nations, Australia, etc, are all cozying up to China to some extent. Not totally abandoning the US; but lowering their total reliance on us. 

Couple this with Russia and China both giving various help to Iran and you're looking at the evolution of a world-wide conflict, some military and some political. Russia is helping Iran with intelligence; and Trump continues to cozy up to Putin. 

The pieces are in place to blow the Iran conflict up into a much larger conflict. 

And we have Trump and his team of ignorant incompetents leading the so-called diplomacy parade, along with Hegseth and his "warrior mentality". Not looking good for the home team. 

I'll  predict it getting worse before better. And now I can actually place a bet on this kind of stuff. 

[B Keg]

Good relationships with allies should be based in mutual respect and strength instead of just how much we can subsidize their defense budget. 

War is not increased with strengthening alliances. 

Be nice, even when you don't want to!

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[kan...@aol.com]

So you're suggesting (PLEASE don't deny it) that Europe isn't a source of good alliances? Or did the "subsidize" line apply to Israel? Please clarify. 

But Europe is our best group of allies, along with Canada, Australia. The whole money thing you talk about is a Trump invented line of bullshit. He'd extract money from his mother if he could. He DID take it from his daddy. If Trump keeps bad-mouthing our allies like he does, we won't have ANY. And that does not help our long-term outcome. Bull/China shop. The one good thing that he actually did do is get NATO nations to increase their contribution to the military alliance. 

That's ONE. 

[B Keg]

I didn't say that

But the money thing is real our NATO allies have consistently under performed on their obligations to spend a certain amount of their GDP on defense. Trump wasn't the first to point it out but he was the first to call them to the carpet on it. 

Be nice, even when you don't want to!

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[kan...@aol.com]

"Good relationships with allies should be based in mutual respect and strength instead of just how much we can subsidize their defense budget. 

War is not increased with strengthening alliances."

This IS what you said. So who were you referring to? Europe and Israel are IMO the only candidates for the "their defense........". 

This is one of those comments of yours where the intent is obvious and the denial is expected. 

I interpreted you as saying that some allies of ours don't have mutual respect and strength and get their defense subsidized. So WHAT did you mean if not that? 

Over to you. And WHO did mean when you said it? 

Glad you're not writing material for Trump. He ruins enough relationships on his own without your help. 

And yes, Trump did get commitment from NATO mates to cough up more money. And he pissed them off at the same time. And he threatened to not honor the mutual defense provisions. And he FORGOT that the ONLY time the mutual defense pact was enacted was when WE were attacked. Maybe you could remind Trump of that FACT. Europe/NATO came to our assistance when it counted. So there's that. 

Seems to me that NATO showed us plenty of mutual respect. We should return the favor, instead of maligning them at every opportunity and trying to steal some of their territory. 

[B Keg]

Yes mush if Europe has for a long time taken advantage of us economically by not paying thier fair share of our common defense. This is not news to you. Other presidents have made attempts to get the needle moving in the right direction Trump did it. We may not like the words he used to get it done but he did get it done. Stop crying like a little bitch at every little thing Trump does; it has gone beyond boring to pathetic. 

Be nice, even when you don't want to!

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[David Fairchild]

So now you want the U.S. to spend less on the Department of War? I am very confused with your world view, BKK.

[B Keg]

How did you pu

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[Brian Kegerreis]

Dave,

Where did I suggest that the US spend less on defense?

On Thu, Mar 12, 2026, 10:15 David Fairchild <dfairc...@gmail.com> wrote:

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[David Fairchild]

BKK, why would we need to spend the same amount if Europe began "paying thier fair share of our common defense"?

[kan...@aol.com]

Dave, same advice I give to G when BK digs his rabbit hole even bigger. Stay away from the edge. 

Brian, once again you don't respond to what was asked. Instead with the name calling. I'm not whining. 

I pointed out the TRUTH that the only time that the NATO mutual defense agreement actually came into play was after 9-11. What's whiny about the truth? 

Oh yes, I forgot. Low knowledge MAGA-ites hate the truth. It unnerves them. 

Keep your stupidity in mind when Europe, Canada, Australia, Japan and others start cozying up to China. Some of them already are. Maybe when it happens you can explain how this is Biden's fault, or Obama's. I, however, will invoke REALITY and lay it at Trump's swollen feet. 

Still curious who it is that doesn't respect us and doesn't have appropriate strength. I'll assume you mean Europe until you say otherwise. 

As the saying goes, "With friends like this (Trump), who needs enemies". 

Trump literally doesn't care about typical alliances. If allies can't give him money or prizes (Nobel comes to mind) he doesn't give a shit about them. Hence his unsavory relationship with Saudi Arabia. They gave Jared 1-2 BILLION. Go figure. 

[Brian Kegerreis]

Dave, answer my question first. 

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[Brian Kegerreis]

How many different ways do I need to repeat that for decades much of Europe wasn't living up to its agreed upon spending levels for defense. Many presidents tried to get the needle moving. Trump did it. Now we may not like the way he did it but do it he done did. 

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[kan...@aol.com]

Brian, once is more than enough. I knew it before you spit it out to us. 

As you said with the cave article, it's not news. 

What IS news is the way that Trump continues to disparage NATO, and various Euro nations. How about wanting to seize/buy Greenland? That doesn't seem somewhat disrespectful to you? How about if Denmark wanted to have Maine back; since they were here before the Brits? 

And his snarky shots at Norway for not giving him the Nobel Peace Prize? How fucking stupid does one have to be to know that the Nobel committee is not a gov't agency? He's a fucking moron, a bull carrying around his own China shop. He shows it every day, every time he opens his yap. 

As for DF, I can provide the answer. NATO costs aren't rising, right? So if Euro kicks in more dollars, then it follows that the US can kick in LESS. Hence the comment of the US spending less. Period. Q.E.D. 

Dave? How'd I do? 

[David Fairchild]

Ken, Yes, spot on too, "As for DF, I can provide the answer. NATO costs aren't rising, right? So if Euro kicks in more dollars, then it follows that the US can kick in LESS. Hence the comment of the US spending less. Period. Q.E.D. " Well said.

So, BKK, does this answer your question? If so, why would we need to spend the same amount if Europe began "paying thier fair share of our common defense"?

[B Keg]

So why try to make that my idea? If you want to argue that for yourself thats your choice? You guys are terrible mind readers. 

Be nice, even when you don't want to!

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[David Fairchild]

Okay, BKK. If Europe were to pay "thier fair share of our common defense" what do you think the U.S. should do vis a vis its military spending? Specifically,  should it increase, decrease, or keep the same its defense spending and why?

[Brian Kegerreis]

Keep the same because that was our obligation. Now once every one is paying their fair share we can look at the total bill and adjust towards a more realistic budget either up or down based on projected defense needs.

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[David Fairchild]

What is our obligation? Do we have a specific dollar amount or share of GDP that must be spent in Europe based on NATO agreements and for what length of time? If so, do the other nations have similar obligations? And if they do, and they are in breech of the terms of the agreement, then why would we still be bound to our end? 

[kan...@aol.com]

https://www.cnn.com/2024/02/13/politics/fact-check-trump-nato

Dave, there are lots of articles about NATO and spending. This one is pretty good. It does double duty by explaining spending issues as well as letting you know about Trump's (and by extension BK's) bullshit analysis. The 2% of GDP expected from each nation is a non-binding commitment. And nations are improving their spending. Is it because of Trump? Somewhat; but stats show a LOT of increased spending when Putin took Crimea. So there's that. And the 2% is not money given to NATO; it's money spent on each nation's military preparedness. Each country also gives money to NATO HQ; and this spending is pretty fairly distributed. 

So you can read some facts; or you can listen to BK channel Trump's bullshit. Up to you. But in NO WAY do NATO nations owe the US money. And Trump isn't the first POTUS to confront NATO about their defense spending. Bush 43 did it. Obama did it. Biden did it. Did Trump get more than the others? Or did Putin's belligerence do it? The highest year over year increase occurred when Putin took Crimea. So there's that.