A conservative Latino’s view on politics…
It’s a wonder to behold, “Never Trump,” Democrats, liberals, leftists and the mainstream media (MSM) ignorance! They state President Donald Trump’s undermining NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) and continuously flatulate on how you and I must pay our “fair share,” while ignoring our allies that don’t. My friends, this is what we call “TDS” better known as “Trump Derangement Syndrome.” It’s a terrible disease. It removes all rational thought while consuming the soul. Turning it black with hatred. Where one can no longer rationalize common sense or truths.
Trump’s been stating since he ran for president, NATO needs to pay their “fair share.” He’s not the only president to say this, just the first to say it directly and sharply while in high profile public settings. Purposely done to shame our allies into keeping their promises. “We are allies, we are united,” but that doesn’t exclude them from paying their “fair share.”
Formed in 1949 with 12 founding members including the United States, United Kingdom and France, NATO’s currently a 29-nation coalition.
“NATO’s purpose is to guarantee the freedom and security of its members through political and military means.”
By Article 5, you attack one ally, you attack them all. It’s been acted on once – 9/11, 2001. The reality is that NATO was a need, created after World War II because Europe was too weak to defend itself against the emerging Soviet Union threat. We’ve always been the backbone of NATO, with our allies continuously taking financial advantage of that by using our military strength to build their economic power.
FAUX OUTRAGE AND OBAMA DOUBLE STANDARD
The faux outrage displayed by those with “TDS” is clear when you review headlines, editorials and op-eds in some of the nation’s most read newspapers:
- “President Trump Fails NATO” ~ New York Times
- “At NATO Headquarters, Trump Fails Another Leadership Test” ~ The New Yorker
- “Assailing NATO, Trump joins Kremlin in war on the democratic world order” ~ New York Daily News
- “NATO is based on credibility and trust. Trump has struck a blow against both.” ~ The Washington Post
Let’s take a walk down nightmare lane when leftist, Barrack Hussein Obama’s regime was in place. Warsaw, Poland, July 2016, speaking on NATO members not paying their “fair share” of 2 percent, Obama said, “Everybody’s got to step up and everybody’s got to do better.”
There was no media outrage. No talk of how Obama was declaring war on the democrat world order. No talk on how Obama was failing a leadership test. Quite contrary, they were full of worship with his “leading from behind.” “But, but, but, William, you don’t understand. He spoke eloquently. He treated them with respect, dignity, and class!” To those critics, I ask, “Where did that get us?” Like George W. Bush before Obama, nowhere!
Like Democrats, all our allies ever give us, is lip service, but Trump’s changing that. The MSM wonders why conservatives have no faith in them? The hypocrisy in ignoring Obama when he criticized NATO with eight years of “leading from behind,” validates our “fake news” belief and MSM bias favoring Democrats.
DEFENDING NATO BUT WHERE’S GERMANY AND FRANCE?
While most agree with Trump, we can’t say NATO allies are delinquent. The 2 percent agreement only came about in 2014, during the Wales summit. They’ve until 2024 to hit that goal but there’s no penalty for not reaching 2 percent. By allowing them, at our expense, to grow economically and not paying their “fair share” they’re like a drug addict, dependent on us and no wish to stop.
As it stands right now, only the United States (3.5 percent), Greece (2.7 percent), Estonia (2.1 percent), the United Kingdom (2.1 percent), and Latvia (2 percent) are at or over the 2 percent margin. While the U.S. and UK are world powers, only the U.S. can bear long-term military actions. Where’s Germany and France – the other two world powers? They can contribute 2 percent quickly but instead continuously feed their unsustainable social programs at the cost of their military and our capital. Don’t believe me?
NATO RUNS SHORT ON BOMBS
In April 2011, The Washington Post reported during the Libyan Conflict that NATO founding members – France, UK, Belgium, Norway, Denmark and Canada ran short on precision bombs. To make it worse, while the U.S. had bombs to spare, they didn’t fit on ally planes. Translation – American boys had to do a bulk of the flying because NATO allies couldn’t do the job. Sure, The Washington Post spews “fake news,” but here, they were spot on:
“Less than a month into the Libyan conflict, NATO is running short of precision bombs, highlighting the limitations of Britain, France and other European countries in sustaining even a relatively small military action over an extended period of time, according to senior NATO and U.S. officials.”
The fact NATO couldn’t sustain a short-term military action without the U.S. speaks volumes, proving NATO has no “collective defence.” The U.S. is all they’ve got and without us, they’re like my Labrador Retriever – all bark, no bite. The truth is, NATO without the U.S., can’t carry out their “military means.” Trump recognizes this. After the failure of “leading from behind,” increasing Russian and Chinese expansion and continuing terrorism, Trump understands, the wisdom of “peace through strength.”
The Federal Republic of Germany? They refused to take part in the Libyan Conflict. So much for the richest European country helping their allies. In their defense, the Libyan Conflict was a catastrophe by Obama and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton that did nothing but destabilize the region. This also answers the question, why France – who left NATO’s military command in 1966 – returned in 2009.
Another example of “all bark, no bite.” Germany’s submarine fleet. As of late 2017, they have six submarines compared with 66 for the United States. That’s fine, except the fact, not one submarine was serviceable!
NORD STREAM 2 PIPELINE
NATO’s creation was to keep the emerging Soviet Union threat in check. That threat no longer exists – Ronald Reagan finally destroying them – but Russia lives on. Despite the belief of Trump’s critics, Russia’s nuclear arsenal makes them a legitimate world power.
The Nord Stream 2 pipeline between Russia and Germany is a brilliant move by Russian President Vladimir Putin to grow Russian influence economically and geopolitically. It could give Russia leverage if there’s a disagreement over pricing or – heaven forbid – hostilities with Germany. It also deals a big blow to Ukraine; a country Germany supposedly supports.
To make it worse, there’s no need for the Nord Stream 2 pipeline with the original Nord Stream pipeline already in place. The problem Russia sees with that? It goes through Ukraine, making them a “transport” power player that hasn’t and refuses to succumb to Russia’s will. However, much of the natural gas Ukraine transports to southern Europe is Russian.
In a sense, Russia’s trying to cut out the middleman with a new pipeline. Since the Russian invasion and takeover of Crimea, Ukraine is partially dependent on the international community for financial support. The new pipeline could cost them around $2 billion in yearly losses.
Trump was making sure the U.S. and Europe were listening when asking the German’s, why they’re working with and supporting their rival. At the same time implying, they’re undercutting Ukraine and NATO. With the U.S. paying the most in NATO, and Germany creating a partnership with NATO’s chief adversary you can see Trump’s point. While political theater, it’s a shot across the bow.
What’s lost on the MSM and Democrats was Trump clearly pointing out crony capitalism. You see, former German Chancellor Gerard Schroeder stands to profit personally, and one must wonder about current chancellor Angela Merkel. Although, nothing points toward personal gain, political theater or not, Germany’s making Russia stronger financially and militarily at our expense.
EUROPEAN COUNCIL MOCKS
European Council President Donald Tusk, mockingly tweeted, “Dear America, appreciate your allies. After all, you don’t have that many.” Tusk shows his elitism, arrogance and belief in superiority. Our allies look for our leadership and human decency to help in times of need and to keep us all safe when others can’t. The Libyan Conflict, Kosovo War, and Operation Desert Storm proved that.
Do we really need “Eddie Haskell,” a brown-nosing bully as a friend? Tusk’s comment shows a passive-aggressive streak that’s typical of Europe toward the U.S. However, to keep the world a safer place we tolerate these Eurocentric beliefs.
Former president, Teddy Roosevelt said of diplomacy, “Speak softly, and carry a big stick.” Trump believes we need to maintain that “big stick” and speaks loudly to make sure our allies help uphold it. It’s working as NATO members are listening and responding. Something not done under the last two presidents, despite eloquent requests and backroom diplomacy. The MSM would rather create faux outrage because they fear public support for Trump. They can’t afford that as they seek to destroy him by falsely making him an ally of Putin.
The irony is that most of these so-called experts and analysts have never served, don’t understand what readiness for war means and have forgotten the lessons history taught us. Specifically, “The more we sweat in peace, the less we bleed in war.” Luckily, we finally have a president that does and who’s doing something about it.
