Galt's Gulch
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NATO pledges to boost defense spending after stern words from Trump

Posted by $ nickursis 5 years, 9 months ago to Government
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I don't know that Trump did anything wrong here. In fact, it was more like having renters promise to pay 5% of the salary for rent and yet only cough up 2% and say they can't afford it, and expect you to pick up the tab. All the rest is theater mainly because the Dumbocraps do not have anything useful to add, nor have they done anything in the last 8 years. Amazing how the immigration thing went extinct in a week, and the Supreme Court and NATO became their complaint. Trump has no problem telling countries like it is, unlike any previous president.
SOURCE URL: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2018/07/11/trump-tangles-with-nato-leaders-in-testy-start-to-brussels-summit.html

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    Posted by freedomforall 5 years, 9 months ago
    Germany has been changing their energy use profile tremendously in the past 20 years. They have spent heavily on renewable energy production, but as expected they must still have other sources. They have ample coal resources domestically, but have reduced their coal generation due to their belief in the false global warming narrative. Their answer to this self imposed conundrum is to take the least costly (short term) solution that arguably carries the greatest security risk- buying Russia's gas. It is foolish to assume that this gas pipeline deal is simply a business contract without political implications. Trump and his advisers are correct to see this as a potentially dangerous issue that could place Germany in a position of being politically controlled by Russian interests (instead of being politically controlled by US interests.)
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    • Posted by $ blarman 5 years, 9 months ago
      Thus Trump's (ineloquent) description of Germany as a puppet to Russia.
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      • Posted by $ nickursis 5 years, 9 months ago
        He is blunt, crude and does not care if others get offended, in that he is not a fan of the politically correct gang. I think that is what a lot of people like about him, even when he does some cringeworthy escapades, he usually has a good point. In this case everyone screamed about how he couldn't be so "mean" to our allies, but his point worked.
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    • Posted by $ nickursis 5 years, 9 months ago
      There was a case with Ukraine, where they shut off supplies to them a few years ago. When countries have a large dependency on a foreign gas supply and have adapted to it, when it is removed it is a powerful economic tool and blackmail instrument. The point of their placing their security in Russias hands is pretty valid I think.
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  • Posted by Dobrien 5 years, 9 months ago
    "Trump has no problem telling countries like it is, unlike any previous president."
    It is a complaint that Trump doesn't act Presidential. I say good , I don't like any that have acted Presidential. Look at the results.#MAGA
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    • Posted by $ allosaur 5 years, 9 months ago
      To look presidential to the Left, a presidenti is to fawningly bow, apologize for the USA's very existence, toss around megabucks to appease and to allow all allies to run over us.
      Oh, yeah, and to let enemies laugh at us as they beat us in trade is to be Lefty/.RINO presidential also.
      Just ask Nutty Nancy and Sliding Specs Darth Schumer.
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      • Posted by $ Suzanne43 5 years, 9 months ago
        "Sliding Specs Darth Schumer"...now that's funny! The Left has disliked NATO for years. Now that Trump wants to make NATO accountable, the Left claims to be NATO's best friend. These idiots deserve Nutty Nancy and Mad Maxine.
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        • Posted by $ allosaur 5 years, 9 months ago
          And Woo-woo-woo-Warren and that Blumenthal creep~
          https://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/18/ny...
          It's Jackass Party voters who hang on to such clowns.
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          • Posted by Dobrien 5 years, 9 months ago
            Serial liar about his service. Perfect for those who speak highly of his fake past. The Dumbs have no scruples. Like Obozo and Hillrapeyuo Clinton neither are who they pretend to be.
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            • Posted by $ allosaur 5 years, 9 months ago
              When I saw Blumwnthal apologize for that lie on TV, he had surrounded himself with a handful of gray-headed American Legionnaires with stupid little smiles on their faces. Democrats all, obviously.
              I've always told people I was drafted into the Marines and became a supply clerk who never got out of the Carolinas between 1969 and 1971.
              I was glad too. I didn't want to get killed for a war that made no sense to me and that I was against.
              To say I fought in Nam would have dishonored myself and insulted those heroes who did.
              Me dino never called real Vietnam vets "baby killers' either.
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      • Posted by Dobrien 5 years, 9 months ago
        The are so used to trade and foreign policy that attacks the citizens of this great country and resembles a toilet flush.
        To me Trump is the opposite , a clean gushing mountain spring of cool fresh water.
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      • Posted by $ nickursis 5 years, 9 months ago
        Exactly, and I prefer Trumps blunt, "no you are not ripping me off' attitude. Most of his stuff is pretty accurate, even when on the surface, it seems "not nice".
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    • Posted by CaptainKirk 5 years, 9 months ago
      Wow, we elected someone who is doing what he promised... OMG we could actually be SAVED as a country.

      I don't understand the complaints either. And the STUPIDITY of Germany getting rid of Nukes, to become dependent on a pipeline.
      Bug dig deeper, and Trump called out the PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATOR as the person who is personally benefiting from this bad
      decisions. GOOD FOR HIM!
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      • Posted by $ nickursis 5 years, 9 months ago
        Exactly, dig deep and you will find connections to connections and all the politicians mixed into it. The Cabal is strong and tied into most deals and agreements. Those it cannot stand, it just ignores, exactly what our country has done for the last 20 years.
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  • Posted by $ jbrenner 5 years, 9 months ago
    While there are some things to dislike about Trump, one thing I do thoroughly enjoy about him is that he doesn't allow the looters to fake reality.
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    • Posted by CaptainKirk 5 years, 9 months ago
      When you see Trumps Children you realize he did a pretty good job. Especially compared to Hilton, or Chelsea Clinton. Most kids who grow up with means, amount to nothing. Do nothing, learn nothing. Look at his charity. It gave > 100%... Clintons gives < 10% preferring to spend it all on luxury stuff for them...

      I grew up on the free lunch program. I am sooo MUCH BETTER OFF than that... But my daughter is in school, she is working 2 jobs, and for 3 months her car was stalling, leaving her stranded... Where she learned to safely get to the side of the road, and call AAA... (or wait it out, some relay was overheating)... The mechanic couldn't find the issue until the 3rd time. When he kept it and let it run for hours until it stopped, found it in 5 minutes. Fixed it done.

      What did she learn? A Car is only good if it is reliable! That, we count on things to work JUST RIGHT every single day, and when they don't, you have to be able to handle it. If you don't have the phone number or the address of where your next appointment is, on you, or in your phone, etc. Then what do you do when the car conks out. You better be calling people to let them know. And texting...

      BUT the funny part was when her best friend said "So, now that your car is dying, you're going to get a new car!!! ".
      My daughter said "Girlfriend... have you MET my father?!?"

      And she's right, SHE can't afford a new car. I could buy her 3, but that is no way to raise a young adult who respects what they have!

      And she called, just just got ANOTHER job... BTW with the QuickBooks Certification I had her get at while learning QB to help do my books.

      That's what we have lost more than anything else in my view... Those chances to make mistakes, and suffer... In order to learn to make better decisions... In a word: RESPONSIBILITY.
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    • Posted by $ nickursis 5 years, 9 months ago
      There is always some things to not appreciate about a person, When they have no apparent faults or shortcomings, look behind the doors and windows, where they are hidden, and nasty. Clintons being a prime example.
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  • Posted by freedomforall 5 years, 9 months ago
    The statists (both Dems and GOP) want to maintain the status quo which keeps them in unconstitutional control. Any change that might in any way threaten the existing unconstitutional power sharing agreements is met with wailing and harsh irrational criticism by their MSM agents.
    I don't know if Trump is really pursuing the goals that he claims, but the known enemies of the people appear to be very upset by Trump's actions. I view that as a good thing as far as it goes.
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    • Posted by $ TomB666 5 years, 9 months ago
      We generally are unaware of the dealings going on behind the scenes. My brother (now deceased) was suckered into running for a congressional seat in California in the late 1970's. As people running for office do he thought he had a chance to win - until he approached the chairman of the local party who informed him they (Democraps) did not want to win that seat. It was part of the deal with R's to keep that seat so they could maintain the 'balance.' Current politicians have worked out a system to keep the spoils amongst themselves so an outsider like Trump really upsets their plan. Only rarely do 'we the people' actually throw a wrench into their plan by electing someone not of the anointed class.
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      • Posted by $ nickursis 5 years, 9 months ago
        I had a similar experinece about 10 years ago when asked to run for State Rep by the Republicrats, until they had me come to a party grilling session, and told me I had to sign a paper promising to support all their specific policies, and I told them I would represent the people of my district, and if they wanted what they wanted, fine, otherwise, sorry. Needless to say, I was not invited back, and then registered as Independent.
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  • Posted by evlwhtguy 5 years, 9 months ago
    I held my nose and voted for Trump because he was better than the alternative.....I can't believe how fabulous he has turned out to be.. What a fricking Rock Star! Who would u thunk it....a president who tells our "Partners" to "Get with the program" instead of kissing behind.
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  • Posted by Herb7734 5 years, 9 months ago
    We shall see if their pledge means something other that diddley squat. Trump has a way of getting what he wants in a negotiation. It's not always apparent, however, what he actually wants. In most negotiation one should always ask for more and settles for less which what he wanted to begin with.
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  • Posted by BCRinFremont 5 years, 9 months ago
    A big part of the devolution of Europe into feckless socialism is due to the U.S. allowing them to avoid spending money on defending themselves. After 2 world wars, this may have been reasonable. Europe used the largess of this windfall to fund Socialism. As usual, “other people’s money”, i.e. U.S. dollars, is running out and Socialism fails. The interesting conundrum is that Europe and the one world order folks do not see that trying to destroy the U.S. will speed up their own demise. Who will fund Europe’s defense when the U.S. turns socialist? Alas, Europe may return to warring feudalism or just be taken over by the first country to offer capital for control. China?
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    • Posted by mccannon01 5 years, 9 months ago
      Nicely put, BCRinFremont. History may well repeat itself in Europe in the most nasty way. Recall in the '20s & early '30s when the National Socialists and the communists (actually the Soviet Socialists) battled over who would loot the Wiemar Republic... and eventually the rest of Europe and each other. Turn off the US wealth (the "other people's money" from the EU perspective) pouring into Europe and I'm sure we will witness the giant looting riot all over again. Hopefully, the Trump era will set the tone for the US saving itself before getting sucked into the socialist doom spiral.
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  • Posted by $ blarman 5 years, 9 months ago
    This is also the way to hurry the downfall of socialism. Nations can not spend as much as they do on social welfare programs without taxing their people to the point of slowing their economies and taking money away from the legitimate uses of government such as maintaining national identity (borders & security). By pressing the socialist nations of Europe to "provide for the common defense" they must necessarily decrease social spending (a good thing) or go bankrupt. Though I am hesitant to credit Trump for such a farsighted move, I will definitely support the intent!
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    • Posted by mccannon01 5 years, 9 months ago
      Agreed, blarman, but defense isn't the only factor. The increasingly socialist EU is starting to need other peoples money more and more and had a pipeline to the tune of $150 billion trade dollars annually from the US and Trump is squeezing down on that one way flow as well. It's going to be interesting to see how this turns out. MAGA!
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      • Posted by $ blarman 5 years, 9 months ago
        I agree. What is also interesting is that they are more than willing to place tariffs and import restrictions on US goods, but object when we do it to them! Try exporting cheese to the EU - it can't happen. Same with wine. Even automobiles are a tough sell.
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        • Posted by mccannon01 5 years, 9 months ago
          Being a free market type I liked it when Trump made it clear he would prefer no tariffs between trading partners. However, being a pragmatist he realizes you can't deal fairly with a trading partner that smiles in your face and stabs you in the back. Eventually you need to put on some armor or you'll be bled to death. As the US has become more socialist itself, it is sinking into debt and is in no position to finance the rest of the world's love affair with other people's money via trade deficits and other handouts. I voted for him because I concluded he could begin to reverse the trends leading to our own financial disaster. So far so good, but it's going to be a close race to see how much Trump can pull off.

          Having had work contracts in China I've seen how obscenely expensive anything made in the US is over there. It isn't all tariffs, either, as they have a whole tool box of tricks to keep out US goods. The painful thing is, like the EU, our own politicians helped them all along the way... until Trump.
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          • Posted by $ blarman 5 years, 9 months ago
            Precisely. We can either enable their continued looting of our wealth and intellectual property or take a stand and say "We're done with this business arrangement. Time for you to step onto an equal playing field." And that applies to every single one of our trading partners, not just the EU or China.
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        • Posted by $ nickursis 5 years, 9 months ago
          That is the point of the whole tariff war, to show how bad they are for all participants, since NONE of them will negotiate in good faith, he had to hit them over the head to show how bad it can get. It will be rough for a while, but I see it all being hashed out in the next 6-12 months, and everyone cheering the "new world economy".
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          • Posted by mccannon01 5 years, 9 months ago
            Agreed, but I hope you're correct about the 6-12 months prediction. Our socialist "trading partners" NEED the cash even more than we NEED to keep it at this time, so that puts us in a slightly better position. IMHO, the US's capitalist wealth creating engine is still functioning in spite of the drags placed on it over the decades while theirs is really starting to sputter under the socialist stress. China blew their engine out decades ago and got so bad they had to revert to the Stalin solution (guns and gulags) to pretend socialism/communism actually worked. But now they are attempting to kick start a new pseudo-capitalist engine as much as a top down totalitarian regime can attempt such a thing and they NEED our money to do it. Turn off the US cash spigot and I figure it'll be back to the Stalin solution for them unless...

            True story while I was working in China: A few of my Chinese coworkers went up to the roof of the factory we were at for a smoke break and at the time I liked a cigar from time to time so I went up to join them. We were warned before we went over there that political conversations were forbidden, but this was a rare moment when a few of us were just relaxing and the subject came up regarding how well the people of China were doing in this city. I mentioned I hadn't expected to see such prosperity in shops and businesses run and actually owned by private individuals. A friend about my age said these things are all recent because there were many days as he was growing up when all he got to eat for the whole day was a single sweet potato. After the death of Mao things started getting better and people were more free to start their own businesses. He also whispered to me if the leaders in Beijing ever tried to reinstate the old communist rules, the people would put their heads on a pole and "they" know it.

            Side story: I was sitting at an outside table in Beijing having a beer (good beer there!) within sight of the famous giant picture of Mao. One of my Chinese friends, who noticed me staring at the portrait, leaned over and said some officials wanted to take it down to signify the move away from Maoist China. However, local shop owners complained loudly that it was a big tourist attraction and they would lose business if it was taken away. Who'd have guessed the big commie's picture was being kept around to sell more beer and tourist trinkets! LOL!
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            • Posted by $ nickursis 5 years, 9 months ago
              The China thing is a study in greed, they are surely part of the Cabal (since they and Russia now have Presidents for life, which is a key step in total control) and communium was never a money maker. Now mix communisium (basically just a dictatorship wrapped in dogma) with capitalism and shake well, and you have the totalitarian 1 world government building blocks you need. Someone, somewhere is really serious about this happening, and their plan is changing constatntly, the U>S> is getting sidetracked off the road to a ruler for life (which I think Hillary may have thought, or been told, she would get) and so they will just surround us with the rest, look at Europe, Canada and Mexico, and a lot of SA countries going to the left side. It is a money wallpapered revolution type event. A lot of the tariffs and customs I have no doubt are being skimmed to pay for either a lot of peoples dachas, or something big somewhere's. Maybe the secret space fleet....
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  • Posted by seez52 5 years, 9 months ago
    I'll bet he's never been a member of very many "boards". When you say what you mean and expect action you don't get invited to be a part of very many. Good for him. He's doing exactly what's needed!
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  • Posted by $ AJAshinoff 5 years, 9 months ago
    I have no problem with his as long as our contribution to the alliance is of equal measure to each other member. His call for them to "pony-up" only means no more riding on our coattail, pull your weight.
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  • Posted by CircuitGuy 5 years, 9 months ago
    "I don't know that Trump did anything wrong here"
    I have only read the headlines, but I don't either. I've long wondered why everyone asks "what's the US going to do" about the latest military crisis in the world. President Trump is talking about it aloud. It seems long overdue to me.

    I dream of US going back to mostly an armed militia of citizens and a limited standing army for things like missile defense. Other countries could do likewise. Regardless of how far we dial in back, I don't understand why US has to carry most of the burden of policing the world. President Trump is the only president in my lifetime I can recall asking this aloud.
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  • Posted by starznbarz 5 years, 9 months ago
    Im starting to warm up to this Trump guy... he seems to be staying Constitutional - so far. I read a piece written on the subject by Karen Vaughn, a very stand up lady, Ill post the text as a discussion in a short. She gets it exactly correct.
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  • Posted by term2 5 years, 9 months ago
    Europe has its wealth and freedom to lose by having Russia take them over. Russia isnt going to take over the USA- its too far away to actually control on an ongoing basis.

    So, defense against Russia is much more important to Europe than to the USA. Russia could destroy the USA, but not really take it over. The people here are much too difficult to control (at least the deplorable half) than socialist europeans. In fact the Soviet union couldnt even melt the satellite countries it DID control into mother Russia.

    Imagine the USA trying to take over any one of the European countries and managing it like a colony !!! Pretty much impossible.

    Therefore, Trump is right that the other local countries should be shouldering the burden for local defense. Why do we spend $700 billion to defend them.

    Merkel is kind of an idiot making big deals from Russia. Maybe she wants to be part of Russia like she wanted to be part of the middle east.
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    • Posted by $ nickursis 5 years, 9 months ago
      I am sure there is a lot more to all this than what we see. The whole point of Q is that it is an incredibly huge collection of interests that have allied to craft the world in their vision, and to hell with what people want. The only way to do that is to have absolute control in all aspects, and look at what they have done: Europe is almost a socialist dictatorship, with bribes factored into most every system, and an iron wall around it's markets. The US open market has facilitated their rise, by providing money in outsized proportions to them. The problem is Q has gotten the goods on a huge chunk of it, and has the details (like the bad Chinese electronics in aircraft), and has started to let that out in the real world while actually fighting back, hence the JFK incident.
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      • Posted by term2 5 years, 9 months ago
        I agree we are being spoon fed only what suits the hidden agendas. If it doesn’t make sense. It’s probably serving a hidden agenda. Tariffs are basically salted taxes that benefit the government that assessed them, and are assessed on items users need. No sense in picking HTS codes that won’t vring in money. Trade wars benefit governments and are paid for by citizens- how stupid us that !!
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        • Posted by $ nickursis 5 years, 9 months ago
          And it has been that way now for going on 30 years in one form or another. The EU has been especiallaly egregious. If you want to see just how much they have imposed go here and you will see they have a tariff on almost ANYTHING:

          https://ec.europa.eu/taxation_customs...

          Look at here and realize they are aligned to the "World Customs Organization" and you begin to see the "one world order" threads being strung about. No free trade exists, it is, as you said, a way to fund their social agendas. Main reason the Cabal is fighting back so hard. Even our farmers are whining, when they really just need to go find other markets.
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