Thursday, July 12, 2018

Trump demands NATO alllies immediately meet 2% spending goal or "I'll do my own thing,"


And now off to meet personally with Vlad in Helsinki!

 #WINNING




13 comments:

lastgreek said...

LOL... NATO* allies should call the Orange Bloat's bluff.

* NATO: An American-dominated military organization.



Matt Franko said...

He probably doesn’t think NATO handled the Cold War victory very graciously...

IOW when you “win!” Trump probably doesn’t think the move is then to rub the loser’s nose in it... ie expand NATO to Russia’s borders.... you find a way to spin it “win/win” to make sure what has happened now (return to Cold War) doesn’t happen..

You guys who didn’t/wouldn’t vote for Trump are not going to understand any of this...

lastgreek said...

Matt, don't you think Trump is "rubbing the loser's nose in it" when he is demanding a doubling of military spending by NATO countries, not to mention Trump's plans for upgrading and expanding America's nukes? How do you think Russia will respond?

In any case, nothing more than Trump shilling for the likes of Lockheed (stock up 2% today).

You guys who didn’t/wouldn’t vote for Trump are not going to understand any of this...

You mean a grifter whose only honest dollar came from hosting a reality tv clown show? You're right, I wouldn't understand any of this :(

Tom Hickey said...

I think there are two (apparently opposing) issues here.

First, Russia is not the threat that the USSR was to US power and hegemony. Russian is primarily defensively postured. This implies that NATO is an anachronism and is no longer required for the purpose it was instituted and organized around.

Secondly, the US economy depends on military spending for growth, since it is bipartisan and defense spending is spread through congressional districts intentionally.

So, the challenge is to manufacture narratives that provide a rationale for maintaining and increasing military spending.

Matt Franko said...

Well Trump has to build up his own leverage now... he wasn’t president back in the 90s and 00s..

“This implies that NATO is an anachronism“.

Trump has said as much...

Matt Franko said...

“doubling of military spending by NATO countries,“

He wants them to increase purchases of US made weapon systems to balance the trade...

Iow Europe has 155b trade surplus with US so they can increase defense spending by 155b and buy US weapon systems then it would be even up...

OR

Just shut the whole thing down as you are beholden to Russia’s energy exports anyway...in that case US redirects current NATO fiscal resources to other needs...

He is giving Europe the choice...

Tom Hickey said...

Yes, he knows that but his domestic and foreign policy is basically arms sales and US energy sales along with opening up markets to US capital and disadvantaging competitors using US power.

So he is putting the screws to Europe to buy more US weapons and threatening sanctions on Nord Stream 2 to force US energy sales up in Europe.

Arms races with Russia and China are highly profitable to the US defense industry. So is sanctioning arms sales by Russia and China. He knows this too.

Understanding Trump's policy is simple. It's in the bookkeeping.

He is essentially using Mafia style blackmail to win by making offers that no one can refuse without consequences relating to bringing American power to bear.

Russia and China understand this and they will up the costs to see who is bluffing.

The US vassals will fold, that that have consequences in terms of governments falling, e.g., Macron and Merkel, whose popularity ratings are dropping precipitously.

Hey, we knew this would be an exciting reality show, didn't we?

Matt Franko said...

“Understanding Trump's policy is simple. It's in the bookkeeping“

That’s probably a fair statement ... that is Trumps training...

Matt Franko said...

“his domestic and foreign policy is basically arms sales and US energy sales “

That is just two options for the others to balance the trade... they can always go back to him with other ideas... what are their ideas?

Matt Franko said...

Or don’t zombies have any ideas????

Tom Hickey said...

i“Understanding Trump's policy is simple. It's in the bookkeeping“

That’s probably a fair statement ... that is Trumps training...</i

He ran the CEO president and deal maker.

That's how he is governing and it is driving the politicians and bureaucrats crazy, which the base loves.

Tom Hickey said...

The arms sales to the Pentagon are driving spending flows.

John said...

Right Tom, and it's presumably the only way to make a dent in the US trade deficit that Trump bangs on about. Hint: stop banging on about it and no one will bring it up!

The only stuff the US can sell to Europe is weapons. Other than US computer stuff, no one really buys American in Europe. But demand a minimum 2% spend on Nato, with the weapons coming from the US, then that trade deficit will narrow a smidgen. All of which will be advertised as "more winning", and his corporate military and energy base will reward him for rewarding them so stupendously.