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"Germany's laws prohibit incitement to hatred, Holocaust denial and personal insults—especially when amplified online. The country's courts have ruled that reposting defamatory content can also be a crime. The punishment for violating these laws can include jail time for repeat offenders. However, in most cases, judges impose a stiff fine and sometimes confiscate offenders' devices. German prosecutors told 60 Minutes that their work ensures democracy remains intact by preventing harmful rhetoric from spreading unchecked. Dr. Matthäus Fink, one of the prosecutors leading these efforts, told '60 Minutes' that many Germans are shocked to learn their online comments could be considered criminal. "They say, 'No, that's my free speech,'" Fink said. "And we say, 'No, you have free speech as well, but it also has its limits.' " 60 Minutes 16 FEB 2025
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@ValdeJorgensen No kidding! I'm an American Soldier with 29 years experience. I understand lethality as well as combat conditions and the skills necessary to survive. I worked with those supporting Soldiers, transportation, cooks and medics, that often found themselves in very serious combat conditions. While wise to do so, It is not true equality if men are expected to occupy those positions incurring 80% of the casualties, ie the infantry, Special Forces, combat engineers, etc, while "protecting" female Soldiers in much less lethal positions. Feminists have argued for years a woman can do everything a man can do. Now when that theory is put to the test requiring women to be conscripted for military service, women really can't. This is not an argument against women serving in the military but a reality check on the absurd claims advancing feminism.
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@dakaodo What personal experience with the military, combat support or logistics qualifies you to speak as an "expert" on "less physically imposing specimens", force multipliers and necessary skill requirements? Maybe personal experience with the "less physically imposing secimen"/ nerdly men. You are right there are many support personnel for the combat soldier. Many of those positions, helicopter mechanics, armor mechanics, ammunition loaders, construction, require total body strength and not just upper body strength to perform their tasks. Ironically, many of these supply and support, logistics, transportation, drone operators, counter battery etc positions are contracted out on the modern battlefield. Few of those contract positions are females.
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Finnish President Alexander Stubb, "As a Finn, I say slow down, calm down, take an ice bath, go in the sauna, reflect over the situation and find a solution. We human being over rationalize the past so we draw these examples, we overdramatize the present which we’re doing right now and, therefore, we underestimate the future. I think our problem in Europe quite often is we talk a lot and we do a little. Right now, the ball is in our court. We have to make ourselves relevant in these negotiations." Politico, Munich 15 FEB 2025
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@mugin11223344 I would agree with you but then we would both be wrong. Based on your comments, you are obviously not watching videos provided by frontline Ukrainian or Israeli Soldiers in modern combat. Your certainly not watching combatives training videos between male or female Soldiers. There is a reason you served in Armored infantry which uses armor or trucks to carry your food, ammo, wet & cold weather gear, mortar rounds, mortar tubes, base plates and etc. Depending on the mission, weather and duration, those airborne and regular infantry your armored infantry supported depending on the mission, weather and duration, carry 45-100 plus pound combat loads. All professional armies train hand to hand and close quarters combat because it still happens regularly in urban and modern battlefields. Most of my 29 years in the US Army were with airborne and infantry units. The ratio in the American Army is 19% female to 81% male. In 2020, 84% of females failed the US Army's infantry fitness test compared to 30%. The US Army implemented a new Army wide Physical Fitness test that raised female standards closer to male standards, and over 70% of the females failed compared to 20%. The Army lowered the standards again to retain females.
Any professional and modern Army conducts hand to hand training because no matter how rare it is victory came down to savage hand to hand or bayonet fighting.
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@sodaaccount Exactly, equal work for equal pay. In the US military, women were always paid equal pay but have never had to provide equal work. Quickest way to get women' equal pay is fill the dangerous jobs, oil rigs, construction, and waste removal hence most of the highest paying jobs with 50% females. These dangerous jobs are why male deaths account for 90% of job related deaths. Like the combat arms in the military, it will never happen. As the egalitarian countries of Sweden and Finland demonstrate, when given a choice women choose nurturing jobs like nursing, childcare, and elder care jobs. Unless your proposing the government chooses peoples jobs like communism, it will never happen.
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As an American, I'm grateful for NATO's support after 911. Also, many victims who died in the twin towers in NYC and on the planes were Europeans. It was much more than an attack on one NATO country. The presence of over 300,000 American troops during the height of the Cold War and over 100,000 troops stationed there currently, especially in Poland and the Baltic States, over NATO's 75 year existence, is a major profit for all European NATO countries enjoying 75 years of peace.
Some historical context to why America invoked Article 5 assistance. At 911, the US AWACS fleet consisted of 28 AWACS aircraft and 3,400 personnel, engaged in four different theaters of operation globally in support of American military assistance commitments to other allies including Europe. The United States requested NATO deploy its AWACS to reduce the operational pressure on the US AWACS fleet, allowing them to continue to conduct much-needed training and maintenance. On 8 October NATO agreed to provide five NATO AWACS and crews in support of the anti-terrorist campaign. Operation Eagle Assist ended on 15 May 2002. In more than seven months of patrolling the skies over the United States, the E-3A Component flew 447 sorties with a total of 4,719 flying hours. The majority of these flights went to the East Coast, and other flights guarded major cities, nuclear power plants, bridges or major sports events.
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@KURENANI After 31 years of marriage, three sisters, three daughters, mother, working for and with multiple women, I rarely found women pushed to do anything. There were certain obstacles to women historically enjoying equal opportunity. Much of what you call stereotypes are natural feminine and masculine traits. In the egalitarian Slavic countries, Sweden and Finland, women given maximum encouragement and opportunity to do whatever a man does, women eagerly gravitate toward more nurturing and caring professions like nursing, teaching, day care, etc and away from more dangerous professions filled with men. Also, in America women in their 30's, 40's and 50's lived "stereotype free lives" pursuing education and careers first for decades as feminism taught, who now express remorse at not prioritizing relationships, marriage and families. Many of these are highly successful women but they feel empty and unfulfilled. The number of women suffering depression and loneliness is spiking. Those feelings and desires are not imprinted by society but inscribed by the Creator in every cell in their bodies. Given another 10-20 years, I believe there will a resurgence of more feminine and masculine roles. No amount of time will enable women to fight in sustained combat like a man.
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As a recently retired American Soldier, 29 years of service, with two assignments in Germany 2013-2017, including on the Commanding General's U.S. Army Europe's staff officer's staff, I admire and honor Secretary General Stoltenberg's incredible diplomatic skills, intellect, integrity and personal sacrifice.
Ashamedly, DW's correspondent joins the majority in the western media trashing President Trump's justified criticism of most NATO countries lack of defense spending for decades. She implies President Trump is the source of almost every NATO issue from Stoltenberg's contract extensions to complicating the selection of a successor. In her outburst, ie sudden release of emotion, DW's NATO correspondent ignores decades of every American President since President Eisenhower berating the majority of European NATO nations for their consistently reckless cuts in defense spending and manufacturing capabilities. The EU gladly left it to the American taxpayer to make up the difference like America covering 70% of NATO's expenditures in 2022 according to NATO. Recent historical events vindciate President Trump for all his "outbursts". Rarely one to learn from their mistakes and heed any American President's warnings, Europe to this day sends millions of Euros in oil and LNG profits to Russia. Ignoring President Trump's valid criticism that Russia used those European Euros to ramp up its defense modernization & capabilities, most EU countries cut their military forces and capabilities for decades.
As Stoltenberg's stellar service demonstrates, as well as history, there is no room for EU politics nor identity politics to determine the best candidate to replace Stoltenberg. Determine the most qualified candidates and then select the best candidate. I favor Kaja Kallas not for her sex which should not matter. Instead, she brings a much neglected Baltic focus too often ignored because of Western Europe's indifference towards the all to real Russian threat. Like Stoltenberg, she has a proven depth of geopolitical knowledge and ability to work with other nations as demonstrated during her time as Estonia's MP in the EU parliament and as Estonia's current Prime Minister. Of all the Europeans, those NATO countries bordering Russia and once occupied by Russia have no illusions Russia's imperial plans. They also know from decades of experience the difference between wise prevention and provocation. The Lithuanian Foreign Minister, Gabrielius Landsbergis, is another wise choice. Candidates from nations whose defense spending does not fulfill NATO's agreed on 2% should be disqualified on principle.
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A former Clinton advisor, Sean Penn, summed up the debate well. "ABC’s Bias Deprived Voters of a Fair Debate They called Trump out on every falsehood but let Harris get away with one lie after another. The moderators, who were supposed to be neutral referees, had decided in advance they were going to “fact check” Mr. Trump but not Ms. Harris. She enlisted every charge ever leveled against Mr. Trump, regardless of the truth. When referees put their thumbs on the scale, the game changes. The results have to be thrown out, we are robbed of our time, and democracy is drained of its meaning. A presidential debate shouldn’t be a staged wrestling match. It should feature two candidates on a level playing field so voters can make up their minds free of interference. Anything less makes a mockery of our institutions." 12 SEP 2024 WSJ
Supposedly, Ryan fights disinformation and yet no stories about Kamala Harris's multiple lies during the debate but Ryan fact checks President Trump's immigrants cat eating claim. Trump's claim was based on multiple stories and police reports of residents in Springfield, Ohio. According to DHS IG, Kamala lied about being in the US Capital on January 6 when she was actually at the DNC HQ.
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I served as an American Soldier on two senior US Generals's staffs in Kaiserslautern & Wiesbaden, Germany, 2013-2017, I understand host nation's cost sharing and actual costs to the American taxpayer. I believe America has benefited from the NATO alliance like post 911 and am grateful. Lets compare without complaining Europe's contributions with America's.
Even while enjoying the tremendous economic benefits of over 100,000 American Soldiers and their families as well as the taxes of thousands of EU national workers paid by America, Germany reimburses a fraction of the billions of taxpayer dollars for these expenses. Like most American Soldiers, my German rent was three times the local German's rent in the same area.
According to NATO, why is 20 of 31 nations failing to fulfill their commitment of 2% for almost 10 years acceptable but America failing for 5 months to fulfill her commitment to Ukraine some unspeakable failure? Several dear Ukrainian friends are in Ukraine so I understand the urgency.
During NATO's 75 years, America ALWAYS fulfilled her commitment resulting in Europe's longest time of peace. According to NATO, America paid 70% of NATO's financial expenditures in 2022 alone.
The 911 terrorist attacks occurred in America and also killed 133 citizens from 12 other NATO countries. It was an attack on more than one NATO nation.
Operation Eagle Assist ran 7 months, 9 October 2001-16 May 2002, To date, 830 crew members from 13 NATO nations patrolled US skies. Since NATO's creation, America flew tens of thousands of combat, refueling and reconnaissance air patrols over Europe. These were supported by hundreds of thousands of American airmen, planes equipment and weapons costing the American taxpayer trillions of dollars.
According to the World Institute for Economic as of January 2024, EU support to Ukraine=$90B including $10 billion for military aid & 70 billion finances to Ukraine government. Uk provided about $15 billion in military and some humanitarian aid while the US provided $42 billion in military aid, $20 billion financial and $8 billion humanitarian or $70 billion total. Once America resolves several critical issues through the democratic process and passes an expected $61 billion aid package, total US aid to Ukraine will jump to $131 billion total.
My Danish friend, when can America expect the EU will get its house in order and provide the remaining two thirds of the one million artillery shells it promised to Ukraine last year? North Korea with an economy a fraction of the EU's possibly Denmarks provided Russia with 1 million artillery shells.
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@ImperialDiecast Telling you avoided the question about your military service on the frontlines in Ukraine. I have made three trips to Ukraine before the third invasion. Even if asked rather smugly, you raise valid questions you are unwilling to ask others. During my 29 1/2 years of US Army service, I did combat tours with the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, Band of Brothers, De-Militarized Zone Korea (1997-1998), 82nd Airborne Division (1999 Kosovo) and 101st Airborne (Air Assault) Division, two tours to Iraq (2003, 2005). While grateful for US Air Force air support, the vast majority of hundreds of combat missions were without it. Your turn, tough guy! Besides playing war on your Play Station sitting on your momma's couch in her basement, what is your combat experience?
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Bret's comments to the religious people and the conversation about the hopeless state of affairs in western civilization remind me of a wise man's words. “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.” And when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, for he was teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes." Matthew 7:24-29. Western civilization developed and the Enlightenment happened because of its foundation on Judeo-Christian values and God's foundation. Atheists in the west merely repeat the massive mistake of secular humanism and communism-there is no God and man has replaced him. As the millions of deaths under communism reveal the same tragic results as any false religion. Jesus is the only sure foundation on which to build one's life and any civilization.
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Finnish President Alexander Stubb, "I think our problem in Europe quite often is we talk a lot and we do a little. I agree with Vice President JD Vance that free speech needs to be the core values of what we do, who we are and our values. We might have slightly different views on how it is conducted but that’s part of free speech." 15 FEB 2025 The CBS News piece showcased how German authorities crack down on online speech deemed harmful or offensive under the country's stringent speech laws. The report documented early-morning police raids targeting individuals suspected of posting content that could incite hatred, including insults and even memes. Dr. Matthäus Fink, one of the prosecutors leading these efforts, told '60 Minutes' correspondent Sharyn Alfonsi that many Germans are shocked to learn their online comments could be considered criminal. "They say, 'No, that's my free speech,'" Fink said. "And we say, 'No, you have free speech as well, but it also has its limits.'" 60 Minutes 16 FEB 2025 Americans Shocked by '60 Minutes' Report on German Speech Policing
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Most Americans support giving Ukraine additional military support. They do not support endless military aid for a war President Biden has yet to declare a Ukrainian victory is America's policy and how this is achieved as General Ben Hodges, former US Army Europe Commanding General, repeatedly states is critical for sustaining the American people's support for Ukraine.
The Republican led US House passed a combined aid packaged in December 2023 that included bipartisan supported reforms to asylum processes and funds for securing America's southern border through which 8 million and growing illegals crossed in the past 3 years. Biden threatened to veto this bill and his democrat colleagues in the US Senate defeated it. The same Biden whose idea of supporting Ukraine as Russia's imminent third invasion loomed offered President Zelensky a flight out of Ukraine! The same Biden who delayed for months and years in some cases, F-16's, ATACMs, American armor, Ukraine's request for military assistance.
EU countries and the UK with stricter immigration policies than America resulted in Poland closing its borders with Belarus when Russia tried to flood Poland with illegal immigrants ignore this same threat American national security. Europeans depend on America for defense manufacturing because they gutted their own defense manufacturing capacity for the past 30 years to inflate government pensions, raise their standards of living and pursue green agendas. Germany produces two tanks a month and needs 7 years to produce the artillery ammunition Ukraine fired in one month during the height of its counteroffensive last summer.The British military—the leading U.S. military ally and Europe’s biggest defense spender—has 150 deployable tanks and a dozen serviceable long-range artillery pieces. In 2022, the British military considered sourcing multiple rocket launchers from museums to donate to Ukraine!
Like 300,000 American troops stationed in Europe during the Cold War (over 100,000 since 1991) over 10,000 American Soldiers stationed in Poland since the war began in Ukraine also excellent for the Polish economy. This includes an American armored brigade & combat aviation brigade, America's Fifth Corp Forward Headquarters in Poznan, missile defense system in Redzikowo, equipment & ammo depots in Powidz.
What does 20 NATO allies' failure to fund their defense with 2% of its GDP after committing to do so in 2014 say about their credibility and commitment to NATO's collective defense?
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I respect Sean and have personally benefited from his material. Based on my personal life experiences, counseling couples for over 30 years and a wide array of public resources, the fact is many women divorce good, faithful men looking for their next "meal", ie next best man, that Disney movies, education, feminists and their female friends told them exists. They also told them not to be a victim of "toxic masculinity" and life is too short. Additionally, a "tidal wave" of "no fault" divorce laws swept through most states and most family courts ironically often find the man at "fault" in divorce cases. Read the popular women's magazines, like Vanity Fair, Cosmopolitan, Vogue, for the past 50 years, watch Hollywood movies & TV shows trashing all men. Listen to an ever increasing number of women sharing their regrets online for divorcing their good and faithful husband. Most women may not pursue divorce for "sport" but they do so for purely selfish reasons. Almost all women gladly allow their non-abusive and faithful husband to be ravaged by the family court system for their personal gain. Also, there is ample evidence of as many unfaithful wives as husbands and in some cases evidence of even higher rates of unfaithfulness among women and yet the unfaithful wife gets the same outsized benefits through the family courts as the abused wife.
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@cinderellaandstepsisters Promisisng to pay and paying are two different things. When the Cold War ended, European governments slashed their military budgets and spent several trillion dollars on social programs—a popular policy with voters when Europe faced few external threats and enjoyed the security protection of the U.S. Now, European nations find it difficult to end those benefits, even as the war in Ukraine revived Cold War-era tensions and the U.S. shifts its focus to China. Most are failing.
That means—despite promises to raise military spending—defense ministers say they are not getting what they need. In Germany, Europe’s largest economy, military bases are crumbling. Germany's army numbered half a million in West Germany and 300,000 in East Germany during the Cold War, but today has just 180,000 Soldiers and a few hundred operational tanks, compared with more than 2,000 Leopard 2 main battle tanks it had in the late 1980s.
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For 80 years, Europe needed to get its act together. President Stubb's European plan is President Trump's plan already in motion: 1 pre-negotiations, US began in Munich, Saudi Arabia, multiple conversations with EU, Ukraine & Russia. Second phase ceasefire, for weeks President Trump attempted with Zelenskyy including signing the rare earth mineral agreement. After multiple closed door meetings with Zlenskyy agreeing with US leaders to sign a minerals deal, Zelinskyy days later claims to reject or make new demands. The third phase: US mediates between Ukraine and Russia. Nothing is done without Ukraine. Like the EU, President Zelenskyy talks of more war with the US paying the bill. In addition to the $175 billion in five US Congressional appropriations bills in aid to Ukraine, $106 billion directly to Ukraine, are US billions of dollars of Presidential . Additionally, US sent since August 2021, $27.688 billion from DoD stockpiles. The US provides spaced paced technology Europe cannot provide totaling billions of dollars in operating costs for satellites, GPS navigation and encrypted communications. Europeans do not want to talk about the total costs of support because it would reveal how far they lag behind after decades of defense cuts.
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When the Cold War ended, European governments slashed their military budgets and spent a windfall of several trillion dollars on social programs—a popular policy with voters when Europe faced few external threats and enjoyed the security protection of the U.S. Now, European nations find it difficult to give up those peacetime benefits, even as the war in Ukraine has revived Cold War-era tensions and the U.S. shifts its focus to China. Most are failing.
Despite promises to raise military spending—defense ministers struggle to get what they need. In Germany, Europe’s largest economy, military bases are crumbling and the army, which numbered half a million in West Germany and 300,000 in East Germany during the Cold War, has just 180,000 Soldiers and a few hundred operational tanks, compared with more than 2,000 Leopard 2 main battle tanks it had in the late 1980s.
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@PaulWarrenTop Not saying Poland is comparable. You ignore the fact almost 2/3's of NATO, 20 countries, reneged on spending 2% of their GDP as they committed to do so in 2014 after Russia's three invasions of Ukraine. According to NATO documents, America covered 70% of NATO's financial expenditures in 2022 alone.
According to the Polish Ministry of Defense website, America's most resent demonstration of her commitment to her allies. Over 10,000 American troops are stationed in Poland including an Armored Combat Brigade and a Combat Aviation Brigade, a missile defense system in Redzikowo, ammo and equipment depots in Powidz, the American Fifth Corps Forward Command HQ in Pozdin, establishment of the first US Army Garrison in Poland on 21 March 2023 and multiple combat air patrols over Poland. Additionally, American F-16's are stationed at Powidz Air Base in Poland. At Poland's request American F-15 Eagles and F-22 Raptors conducted NATO air policing missions over Poland in November 2022.
What about Polish hedging with the growing number of Polish border protests preventing shipments of critical military supplies into Ukraine and economically vital Ukrainian exports via Poland?
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Having completed two combat tours in Iraq (2003 & 2005), I can confidently say the justification for America resuming war with Iraq was to force a truly evil man to comply with the treaty conditions he agreed to end the first Gulf War. Totally agree with how we fought it, failed to define a clear exit strategy and disastrously creating another socialist parliamentary form of government. The resumption of the Gulf War is no different than stationing 300,000 plus American Soldiers in post WW2 Germany primarily to prevent the resurrection of nazism. As the current concerns of growing anti-semitism in Germany and Europe 75 years after D-Day confirm. Certainly, the threat of Soviet communism became the central role of those American Soldiers but not the exclusive role. From 1980 to 1988, Saddam Hussein's nearly 8 year war after invading Iran resulted in over a million Iraqi and Iranian casualties primarily from chemical weapons. In 1988, he killed thousands of Kurds with chemical weapons. On 2 August 1990, he invaded Kuwait resulting in 1,000 Kuwaiti deaths and 300,000 fleeing their country. America established no-fly zones in Iraq after the Gulf War to protect the Kurdish population in the north and the Shia Muslim population in the south from attacks by Saddam Hussein's Iraqi regime, preventing the brutal suppression of these groups including the use of chemical weapons against the Kurds in the past. The current Iraqi government is hardly the highly destabilizing threat to the region that Saddam was or a modern day Iraq led by Saddam's evil sons, Oday and Kusay would be.
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@Blanka1100 As an American Soldier, I am grateful for Poland's increasingly strong contributions to NATO and Ukraine. My point is while the Foreign Minister calls on America to do more for Ukraine touting Poland's efforts, he would do well with the American people comparing Poland's efforts with America instead of only mentioning invoices for Polish troops, Poland's most recent percentage of GDP for defense and recent Polish contracts for advanced American weapon systems. Percentage of GDP: America's 6% GDP for 75 years compared with Poland's 2% of GDP average beginning in 2015, invoice for 2,500 Polish troops annually to Afghanistan compared with an invoice for 10,000 American Soldiers in Poland, and Polish military contracts for Abrams tanks, Patriot air defense and F-35's fighters (All top military technology America spent trillions of dollars researching & developing) compared with America's millions of dollars pumped annually into Poland's economy also good for Polish business as those 10,000 American Soldiers spend on the local economy, local nationals on American bases pay, etc. According to Polish government information, Poland spent 2% annually for defense 5 times over 15 years 2009-2022, 2.1%, (2015), 2% (2018 & 2019), 2.2% (2020 & 2021) and 2.4% (2022). From 2000 to 2011, Poland spent 2% once in 2007.
Poland is a great ally and strong force for NATO's collective defense. America demonstrates her commitment to Poland and NATO always meeting her NATO commitments and putting American lives on the lone stationing 10,000 American troops in Poland in addition to the 100,000's of American Soldiers in other NATO countries.
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You ignore 64 years of the counter-culture's war on authority and masculinity to ask why a man must remind a woman he is the man. Having to show you are better is reminding the woman you are the man. Every month, tens of thousands of women knowingly leave or divorce much better, wealthy, highly competent, strong leading men only to quickly regret it but rarely admit it. Millions of dysfunctional children raised in overwhelmingly single mother homes attest to how few women ever admit their man was a better leader in the home. After retiring with 29 1/2 years of military service I can confirm the counter culture's/ feminist's question all authority is radically transforming the greatest Army the world ever knew. The most junior enlisted Soldiers, especially females, consistently question and attempt to destroy extremely successful, competent leaders, especially heterosexual, white male leaders. Older veterans are shocked at how little of the military discipline and authority you describe remains in the US military. Proven, highly competent male leaders even at the highest ranks deal with the persistent threat of false sexual harassment, equal opportunity, hostile environment or other "toxic leadership" claims by junior soldiers. In the Army I joined, leaders rarely pulled rank because every Soldier fulfilled their oath to follow the lawful orders of their leaders unless the order was illegal, unethical or immoral. A man proving he is better to a woman is the equivalent of pulling rank-ie gold medal vs silver. This is why the majority of strong, competent and successful western men are checking out of dating all together or dating westernized women wherever they are found and seek more feminine, cooperative and submissive women from other cultures. While healthy men seek self-improvement, the average man doesn't get into a relationship with a woman for the same competition they face in the world. They look for rest and peace at home.
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When you think of a DMZ, think of the border between West Germany and communist East Germany--1,381 kilometers (858 miles) long and with Czechoslovakia approximately 815 kilometers (506 miles) long from 1949 to 1990. America and a smaller NATO than today kept the peace for the 40 plus years during the Cold War. Furthermore, a much larger, stronger Soviet Union than a weakened Russia today did not cease hostilities post WW2. The land blockade of free west Berlin is one example. For the past 75 years, the US and her NATO allies showed how a ceasefire and demarcation line are enforced for in Europe even in the face of Russian attacks and aggression. During Trump's first presidency, no US ally was invaded, no new war began and Putin respected Trump's "red lines". The third invasion of Ukraine is clearly the result of an inept, weak American president, Joe Biden, who Jake declared his unwavering support for his reelection as president.
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Amazing how shocked Europeans and European media are to hear President Trump was and is right that most European NATO allies failed for over 30 years to provide adequate funding, ie 2% of GDP, for defense. In fact, most cut their defense spending from 3% to 1.3% at the end of the Cold War and their defense manufacturing capabilities. Every American President since Eisenhower criticized Europe for not doing their fair share for the collective defense. How did most of Europe respond? Now, only 11 of 32 NATO countries spend at least 2% of GDP. West Germany had 7,000 battle tanks by the 1980s; reunified Germany has 200, only half are likely operational, according to government officials. “Although NATO countries’ combined economic and industrial might dwarfs that of Russia and its allies, we are allowing ourselves to be outproduced,” said Anders Fogh Rasmussen, the former NATO Secretary-General. The U.S. accounted for nearly 70% of NATO’s defense spending in 2022.
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@automnejoy5308 I risked my health and life for 29 years as an American Soldier to defend my wife, 4 children and country. I have permanent disabilities after such military service including three combat tours and parachuting from airplanes. Once a child is born, much of the demand shifts dramatically to the father who is expected to work providing a home, clothing, medical care, food, education and even luxuries. In a dangerous situation threatening a man's family, most women, children and society expect a man to risk their life and health so they may survive. You won't hear, men and children first on a sinking ship or building on fire even in the most egalitarian society. When a woman cannot carry the same weight in a combat load as a man, the men will pick up that woman's weight in addition to their fair share. The top 20 jobs with the highest on the job injury and death rates are 95% male. Hardly safe and cushy jobs. In the US military, all of the military branches have 68% or much higher percentages of men vs women.
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@automnejoy5308 Not complicated-equal rights means equal responsibilities. Not identical but equal. Never said nor believe any woman should suffer the loss of rights. The facts are the overwhelming majority of western military forces are male, 68-85% and 95% of war casualties are men. In the west, 100% of males must register for military conscriptions or suffer legal ramifications. The loss of life results in the loss of all of men's rights American men who fail to register for selective service at their 18th birthday is a felony punishable by up to a $250,000 fine and/or 5 years imprisonment. They are also barred for life from federal employment and federal loans. Whats the equivalent for a woman failing to get pregnant and carry it to full term? Nothing. The need for two incomes is the result of exploding government programs including rapidly exploding numbers of programs to support single mother families. Increasing numbers of women choose to be single. A little less than half, 46.8% of the American women population were childless In 2020
The most dangerous job, logging, was 33 times more dangerous than the average job nationwide. Additionally, many of the most dangerous jobs earn average salaries that are below the May 2019 annual mean wage of $53,490. Of the individuals who work in the four most dangerous jobs (logging, pilots privately planes, derrick operator at oil, gas mining, roofers) more than 90% are men. The Logging Industry workforce in 2021 was 7.41% woman, and 92.6% men. Consequently, across all occupations, men are much more likely than women to be killed on the job. In 2017, for example, 4,761 men were killed at their workplace, compared to just 386 women. According to the Center for Disease Control, This report "maternal mortality rates for 2018 and 2019 (2). In 2020, 861 women were identified as having died of maternal causes in the United States, compared with 754 in 2019 (3). The maternal mortality rate for 2020 was 23.8 deaths per 100,000 live births." Most western countries are experiencing population losses for several years now as birth rates plummet.
As of 2021, the average life expectancy at birth in the United States is 73.5 years for men and 79.3 years for women. This is the widest gap between the two genders since 1996.
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@automnejoy5308 A $53,000 annual salary is more than enough for a family of two particularly in States with no or low state taxes. Unfortunately, high tax states and destructive regulations like California, Oregon and Washington drive logging jobs out of their states and the raise the cost of living dramatically. I live in the state of Texas with no state income tax and where they encourage oil exploration, drilling and exports. $53,000 goes further than $70,000 thousand in California. While waiting to come on active duty and living in New Hampshire vs Massachusetts, I supported a family of 6 with pay below the official poverty line while paying for my wife and my student loans. When my wife became a stay at home mother, the expenses dropped.
Several two parent families discovered after the expense for a second car, childcare, work clothes, higher tax bracket, etc were deducted there really wasn't a significant financial advantage to two incomes.
The number of childless women in their 30's and 40's is rapidly increasing as are the number of women discovering freezing their eggs is often not successful.
After several years of dramatically missed recruiting goals in all five military branches, restoring the draft in peacetime, like Denmark and Germany are planning to do, is a very real possibility soon in America. The average draft age is 18-26 years of age. Many American women are waiting until their 30's to start families, single or traditional.
In America, heart disease and cancer are the top 2 leading causes of death for men and women. In 2020, there was a total of 1729 prostate cancer deaths (36.2 deaths per 100,000 men), 1463 breast cancer deaths (19.8 deaths per 100,000 women), and 766 uterus cancer deaths observed (10.3 deaths per 100,000 women). In comparison with the expected deaths (per 100,000) during the same period, the numbers of excess deaths and the excess death rate by prostate, breast, and uterus cancer were 610 (55%) prostate cancer deaths (12.8 deaths per 100,000 men), 443 (43%) breast cancer deaths (6 deaths per 100,000 women), and 154 (25%) uterus cancer deaths (2 deaths per 100,000 women). Millions of medical studies funded with taxpayer money for women's health while men's health issues, suicide & prostate cancer, receives minimal funding.
The third leading cause of death especially for men, is unintentional injuries-falls, fires, etc. The fourth through tenth leading cause of death are strokes, lung diseases, diabetes, the flu, suicide, kidney disease and Alzheimer's disease. Depression is one of the most important risk factors in suicide. Unfortunately, male depression is under-diagnosed because men are less likely to seek help and because men don’t always develop standard symptoms, such as sadness, but instead are more likely to experience fatigue, irritability, sleep disturbances, and a loss of interest in work and hobbies.
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The better question is what is Germany and Europe going to do after 10 years of war in Ukraine on Europe's front porch? Finnish President Alexander Stubb "As a Finn, I say slow down, calm down, take an ice bath, go in the sauna, reflect over the situation and find a solution. We human beings over rationalize the past so we draw these examples, we overdramatize the present which we’re doing right now and, therefore, we underestimate the future. Politico, Munich 15 FEB 2025
I think our problem in Europe quite often is we talk a lot and we do a little. Right now, the ball is in our court. We have to make ourselves relevant in these negotiations. " 15 FEB 2025
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Talk is cheap and Biden, the Democrats and most of Europe, cannot bring themselves to declare they want Ukraine to win this war decisively and quickly provide them with adequate quantities of the military aid, weapons and ammo. Where are the F-16's? Where are the HIMARS, ATACMs and patriot missiles needed years ago? Where is the remaining two-thirds of the EU promised 1 million artillery shells last year? This war could have ended already and much if not all of occupied Ukrainian territory liberated had Joe Biden offered Ukraine more than a plane ride out of Ukraine for President Zelensky after Russia's third invasion in February 2022 and delayed critical military aid for months and years. General Ben Hodges, former U.S. Army Europe Commanding General, stated for much of the past two years: Joe Biden must state clearly and repeatedly that it is America's policy that Ukraine wins this war. Joe Biden must explain to the American people why a Ukrainian victory is critical for America and lay out a plan to achieve that victory. Ukraine needs the adequate supplies of ammo, ATACMs, F-16's and long rang HIMARS. Biden has done none of these critical actions necessary for Ukraine's victory.
The truth is the Republican led U.S. House of Representatives passed a combined aid package for Ukraine, $61 billion, Israel and Taiwan in December 2023. President Biden threatened to veto it and the Democrat led U.S. Senate defeated it.
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Always fascinating to hear the same British who cannot find the political will to meet their bare minimum NATO article 3 treaty obligations-2% of GDP for defense, giving advice to President Trump on executing American foreign, domestic and national security policies. For years, Biden-Harris refused to sanction 7 financial institutions critical to Russia's oil/ LNG exports. What an absurd "straw man" argument that Trump owes Putin anything for his election. The same Trump who opposed Nordstream 1 & 2 pipelines and EU purchase of Russian LNG/ oil and sent hundreds of American Soldiers and Javelin anti-armor to Ukraine, indebted to Putin. Furthermore, America's economic and military strength are the foundation of the rules based world system. With America's national debt exploding past $34 trillion and its interest payments now exceeding America's annual defense budget, both America's economic and military power are in grave danger of rapidly diminishing. Those billion dollars sent to Ukraine in actual dollars, $106 billion according to the US Government, and billions of dollars in donated equipment are added to the national debt. Meanwhile, American stockpiles of critical equipment, US Air Force will retire 1,000 planes in the coming years, and munition stockpiles drop to dangerously low levels. The US Navy's anti-ship missile stockpiles will be completely depleted after only a few days of combat with China. This is would lead to America losing any war with China whether Russia is defeated or not.
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The modern workplace &society no longer need men's brawn with the invention of the combustible engine and yet most of the highest paying jobs are almost all male workers. The highest paying jobs are also the most dangerous like oil rig roughneck jobs, construction, waste removal, auto mechanics. Also, true of the trades like plumbing, electrical, masonry, carpentry which are suffering laborer shortages after decades of emphasizing college degrees over manual labor. Even after the combustion engine all these jobs requiring male brawn are critical to modern societies and to women enjoying the modern conveniences. The issues with the UK military recruiting is similar to the US serious recruiting problem that most likely will lead to the resumption of a draft including women: widespread perception wars are primarily toxic men's fault men especially toxic masculinity, emphasis on diversity over the best qualified for selection and promotion and the western notion that diplomacy & global interconnectedness removes the threat of war. Having served 28 in the US Army, lots of combustible engines, male brawn (think 100 lbs combat loads ruck marching) is still critical on the 21st Century battlefield ( US Army 82%.male to 18% female). High obesity rates are certainly contributing to a rapidly shrinking pool of eligible recruits.
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Today, Russia, China and India are all ranked as more potent military powers than the U.K., the highest rated European military, while South Korea, Pakistan and Japan are ranked above France, the second-highest rated European power, according to Global Firepower, a website that uses public data to publish an annual ranking of military strength.
South Korea' military is equal size—roughly half a million personnel—as the U.K., France and Germany combined.
For years, Europe ridiculed President Trump as reckless for speaking the truth about Europe's, especially France & Germany, gutting their militaries and defense spending. NATO countries dismissed President Trump's call for them to do their fair share spending at least 2% of GDP on defense. Now Trump's divisive words are brilliant when a French President says some thing similar as President Trump said for years. Same Europe, different year!
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"If chance be the father of all flesh, disaster is his rainbow in the sky, and when you hear, State of Emergency!, Sniper Kills Ten!, Troops on Rampage!, Whites go Looting!, Bomb Blasts School!, It is but the sound of man, worshipping his maker." Chance by Steve Turner, English journalist
Loss of God, morality and happiness
And in our search for morality and happiness outside of God, we have effectively lost all three--God, morality, and happiness."
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The US can send all the aid it can to Ukraine; as Lieutenant General Hodges, US Army retired, repeatedly says, President Biden must declares Ukraine's victory in this war is America's policy and lays out the plan to achieve this otherwise the war will continue endlessly. As America borrows another $1 trillion every 90 days to fund the budget short fall, according to Lieutenant General Glynn, USMC, during testimony on 17 April 2024 before Congress, the US Marine Corps annual budget is $50 billion compared with the $61 billion in new aid to Ukraine in the US House's recently passed bill. American military leaders for over a decade emphasized the US can no long fight two sustained wars at the same time. America must prepare for an imminent war with China in the South China Sea, while supporting Israel in its ongoing war sending more aid to Ukraine than the US Marine Corps' annual budget. For over two years, President Biden refused to send Ukraine long range ATAACMs, F-16's and enough Patriot air defense batteries. Biden's lie repeated by Times Radio and most western media is he needed additional funding from Congress. Without additional funding from Congress, he sent short range ATACMS in March 2023.
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Remember these same European NATO allies ignored every American president for 75 years criticizing them for doing so little for their own collective defense while sending billions of Euros in profits to Russia for LNG & oil. Also, if millions of abled bodied Ukrainians living inside and outside Ukraine refuse to join the Ukrainian fight for independence, America can send all the weapons it can to Ukraine her victory will take many years to defeat Russia. While Ukraine helped his political opponent, Joe Biden, become the US president, President Trump sent hundreds of American troops and the first lethal aid. Boris Johnson said, "If Trump had been in the White House, I don’t think Putin would have been so reckless and criminal as to invade Ukraine. Never forget, it was Trump, not Obama nor Biden, who gave the Ukrainians the Javelin anti-tank weapons that were so crucial in the Battle for Kyiv in 2022. Trump already has a record of making decisive military intervention on behalf of Ukrainian democracy. At present, the Russians are using air-launched glide bombs to do significant damage to Ukrainian positions. But the Ukrainians can’t fire back because the U.S. won’t let them use the ATACMS." DailyMail 21 July 2024
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@damianlipiak112 I admire Poland's commitment to national defense and NATO. She is a great example for most of the rest of NATO. You know Poland is paying for American troops stationing expenses how?
Likely, Poland paid for the construction of the bases and supporting infrastructure. Which Poland will own whenever the American Soldiers withdrawal. It is impossible for any foreign country to pay American Soldiers' salaries, family separation pay and other additional expenses associated with deployed Soldiers like medical care. In serious cases, this often provided by flying the American Soldier back to the American military hospital in Germany and providing for temporary housing and food.
Based on my experience in Europe as a commissioned officer on two American General's staffs, one responsible for all American logistics, including transportation & maintenance, in Europe and the other the Senior Commander of the US Army Europe, I am confident America paid the vast majority of the 100's of thousands of dollars to ship 87 Abrams tanks, 162 Bradleys, 24 Apache Helicopters 38 Blackhawks, 12 Chinook heavy lift helicopters from the United States. I am confident Poland is not paying the millions of dollars for monthly maintenance let alone replacement costs for all these multi million dollar weapons systems. This American taxpayer would be overwhelmed with joy if I'm wrong.
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MrButtlover Another armchair general who can only imagine Poland pays the millions of dollars for just the 5,600 to 8,600 American armor & aviation brigade Soldiers' pay, family separation pay, and medical expenses. Poland is not paying the millions of dollars for shipping, maintenance, operating and replacement costs of over 200 M1 Abrams tanks & M2 Bradlys & 200 helicopters.
"Poland plans to spend nearly $300 million to upgrade several military sites used by U.S. forces in the country, a move expected to eventually improve the quality of life for soldiers deployed there. The projects are part of a bilateral defense security cooperation agreement that requires Poland to pick up a large amount of the infrastructure costs needed to support U.S. troops in the country. The largest initiative calls for $93 million to be spent on a new Army barracks and a dining facility in Powidz
The living conditions at the base are among the most austere for troops carrying out missions in the central European country. Other projects include a $35 million rotary wing apron in Powidz, fuel storage and rail improvements in Swietoszow, and aerial port and taxiway upgrades in Wroclaw. The Poles also will spend $16.2 million to establish a “company operations facility” for U.S. special operations troops doing missions in Lubliniec, a town in the south-central part of the country." Source - Stars and Stripes
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@damianlipiak112 "Poland plans to spend nearly $300 million to upgrade several military sites used by U.S. forces in the country, a move expected to eventually improve the quality of life for soldiers deployed there. The projects are part of a bilateral defense security cooperation agreement that requires Poland to pick up a large amount of the infrastructure costs needed to support U.S. troops in the country. The largest initiative calls for $93 million to be spent on a new Army barracks and a dining facility in Powidz. The living conditions at the base are among the most austere for troops carrying out missions in the central European country. Other projects include a $35 million rotary wing apron in Powidz, fuel storage and rail improvements in Swietoszow, and aerial port and taxiway upgrades in Wroclaw. The Poles also will spend $16.2 million to establish a “company operations facility” for U.S. special operations troops doing missions in Lubliniec, a town in the south-central part of the country." Source - Stars and Stripes
Poland does not pay the millions of dollars for the 5,600 to 8,600 American armor & aviation brigade Soldiers' pay, family separation pay, and medical expenses. America does. Poland is not paying the millions of dollars for shipping from the US to Poland, maintenance, operating and replacement costs of over 200 M1 Abrams tanks & M2 Bradlys & 200 helicopters. America does!
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President Trump is doing what an overwhelming majority of Americans, over 77 million, elected him to do-end this war. Willy, former Australian infantryman, "You may be morally right but morals and principles don’t win wars especially against an enemy who doesn’t care how you feel, they don’t care how you see them and whole heartedly rejects your entire world order. This idea because we are right with our principles and ethics and morals, therefore, we will ultimately win. It doesn’t add up when you are fighting an enemy who doesn’t care how you feel, how you see them and fully rejects your own ideology. 25 FEB 2025 Anyone paying attention to UN Security resolutions for the past 60 years knows they are not worth the paper they were written on. With good friends still living in Ukraine, Russia's slow but steady gains on the battlefield and an unsustainable, exploding US national debt, the best way to ensure Ukraine's existence is an enforced ceasefire and peace agreement negotiated between Ukraine and Russia.
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@cyan_oxy6734 Never said all America does is selflessly saving everyone's butt's. You offer a typical rewriting of history worthy of the most liberal mind indoctrinated in university. Europe is of course never to blame for any troubles in Europe, ie Balkans, Kosovo and Ukraine. You may not be saying America is bad but you are repeating the blame America for almost everything that is bad in the world. Lets start with the American victory in the Cold War 1947-1991, or 33 years ago, resulting in 75 years of unprecedented peace in Europe. At the height of the Cold War in 1962 when the Berlin Wall went up, more than 400,000 U.S. forces were stationed across 100 communities on the European continent. After the Berlin Wall fell, the average was 109,452 troops per year 1996-2000. With the resulting collapse of the USSR, eastern Europe and some former Soviet Republics including Ukraine regained their independence thanks in large part to American troops and nukes without a violent war. In 1994, most European countries including the wealthiest rewarded America with paying 75% of NATO's financial expenditures while they cut their defense budgets, military forces and manufacturing capabilities. Like the Balkans, Kosovo was not prevented by America's allies either. America surged from an average of 63,000 Soldiers in Europe to 74,000 (2022-2024). Based on most of western Europe's indifference towards Russia's two invasions of Ukraine and annexation of Crimea, willingness to pump billions of Euros into Russia for cheap LNG and weak military forces, Poland, the Baltic States and much of NATO's eastern flank want the reliability of American troops permanently stationed in their countries vs other NATO allies. What is delusional is your lack of awareness of America's consistently saving Europe's the middle east and South China sea allies collective butts while they divert defense dollars to fattening government pensions and social programs. In 2014, 3 of then 28 NATO allies paid what the the current and incoming NATO Secretary General admits 2% of GDP or bare minimum for defense. Ten years later, it is 23 of 32 NATO countries.
Shared "core values" are only as good as a nation's political and military will and means to defend them. Whoever educated you did a real disservice to you.
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Typical European farcical talking points that Biden and Democrats are poor victims of those mean Republicans daring to include immigration reforms and funds to defend & secure America's southern border while millions of illegals cross it for years, including military aged males from China, Iran, Russia, etc & 10 IEDs confiscated in Tucson, Arizona just this week, in a bill with billions of dollars for Ukraine to defend her borders. The outrage! More like cracks growing in liberal British talking points describing Republicans as destroying everything by building border security and tightening asylum standards while compassionate Democrats allow the human tidal waves destroying support infrastructure and cities to continue unabated. Never underestimate a liberal's impulse, especially European liberal, to distort the truth for real or imagined political gain.
The same British whose military, even as Europe's largest defense spender, has only 150 deployable tanks and perhaps a dozen serviceable long-range artillery pieces. Typical Europeans who cut their defense spending from 3% of GDP during the Cold War years to 1.3% while America accounted for nearly 70% of NATO's defense spending last year demand America spend billions of dollars more in Ukraine too. Pretty cheeky if not condescending! To quote a British professor, "Europe has systematically demilitarized itself because it didn’t need to spend the money, thanks to the lack of an apparent threat and U.S. military dominance around the globe, said Anthony King, a professor of war studies at the University of Warwick. “They have basically gone to sleep.” Wall Street Journal 8 December 2023
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Fascinating the rewriting of history and ignoring of the UK's and Europes dramatically pulling back from NATO. President Trump like many American military officials and political leaders have long urged Europe to carry more of the military burden, including every American president since Dwight D. Eisenhower but President Trump is a threat to Europe's security. In 2014, NATO allies agreed to move toward spending 2% of economic output on defense within a decade. In 2023, only 11 of NATO’s 31 members are expected to hit the target, according to NATO. President Trump's issue with Angela Merkel was her willingness to provide Russia with billions of Euros in oil and gas profits with Nordstream 1 & 2 that it used to build the military destroying so many Ukrainian lives, villages and cities. But a President Trump is a threat to NATO and Europe's defense?!
Unlike the UK, a crucial member of NATO, and western European countries, Poland, Finland and the Baltics—all sharing or near borders with Russia—moved the fastest to build up their militaries. Poland said it wants to spend more than 4% of its annual economic output on defense next year, almost double what it did in 2022. Poland could have the strongest conventional forces in Europe in two or three years, said Bence Nemeth, the academic program director of the Advanced Command Staff course at the Defense Academy of the U.K.,
As President Trump warned: UK's overall army size is expected to shrink to 72,500 full-time troops from a previous target of 82,000. It is replacing its 227 tanks with 148 more-modern versions, but those won’t be deployed until 2027. Of its existing 227 tanks, only 157 can be deployed within 30 days and perhaps only 40 are fully functioning and ready to move, military analysts said. WSJ 8 DEC 2023
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"European countries have ceased to be great, historical powers, and, this being the case, that Europe’s influence on world events is minimal. While I, like many, considered the former President’s victory the likelier outcome, I was still nervous about the possibility of an upset by Vice President Kamala Harris, and a German friend of mine told me to relax, saying that, after all, it’s “only politics.” And I pointed out to him that in his country, politics is indeed only politics, while in mine (US) politics is a matter of life and death around the world, reminding him that because President Trump lost in 2020, Russian forces were encroaching upon eastern Europe, with deaths well in excess of a hundred thousand, over a thousand Jews were slaughtered in Israel, and Afghan women were enslaved and Afghan gays stoned to death. Europeans can easily point fingers and say that such-and-such would be better and accuse Trump of callousness or cruelty, while the reality that always rests on the shoulders of a world leader with actual power—not to mention on the shoulders of those in the actual heat of battle—will dictate more clearly that, as always, Machiavelli was right. Moral purism feels good; it is a type of drug, a luxury item that men with responsibility cannot afford." Benedict Beckeld What Europeans Don't Understand About Trump Merion West 1 December 2024
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@SorbusAucubaria You make some valid points that the United States has a large influence in the World in general and NATO specifically and NATO provided minimal support exercising article 5 after the 911 terrorist attacks. Like most Europeans, you conveniently ignore the more critical issues. Where was all this European and Finnish concern for the past 70 years? Why is Finland joining NATO now to face a Russian threat that is a fraction of the size of the Communist Soviet threat? America has an major influence in the world by most countries requests, Finland & Sweden are the latest joining NATO, because America paid for Europe's freedom with the blood of tens of thousands of Americans in two world wars and the Cold War. Why do you ignore the benefit of 300,000 American Soldiers and nuclear weapons in Europe during the Cold War and since its end? World Wars that Americans did not create and many Americans believed were of Europe's making. Europe, like Finland now, unable to defend itself from a Russian threat much of their making, significant defense spending & manufacturing cuts and billions of Euros in LNG/oil purchases sent to Russia, once again calls on America to make up the difference. All this while Europe raised expensive government pensions, unsustainable socialist programs and green agendas cutting their electricity generating and manufacturing capacity.
I did two tours in Iraq. I will always remember the gratitude of Yazzidi's, Kurds, women and children sometimes gassed with chemical weapons and always treated worse than animals by Saddam. Those middle east borders by the way were drawn primarily by European colonists.
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@CaminoAir Complaining about offense in political discussions is like complaining about bruises in a rugby match. Also, interesting to hear from the Irish, a non-NATO country, discussing what a fair share of Europe's collective defense looks like. Also, enlightening to hear you assuming the "moral high ground" with the resurgence of troubles in Northern Ireland again. That "language" you dismiss as right wing talking points is from several European officials like the Dutch Admiral Rob Bauer, British General Patrick Sanders, Eva Hogl, Germany's parliamentary commissioner for armed forces, several Baltic State & Polish leaders. Conveniently, you moved from the rational discussion of the facts to the emotional name calling and hurt feelings. The best way to honor the brave sacrifices of Americans, Canadians and Europeans is to stop repeating the same mistakes leading to war. If the truth offends you, imagine how offended the growing number of American taxpayers and grieving family members of American Soldiers are with the repeated European excuses for the past 75 years. While stationed in Germany, 1999 and 2014-2017, I witnessed that European "egalitarianism" in Kosovo and in discussions with Dutch, French and German military leaders dismissing Russia's two invasions of Ukraine as a Ukrainian problem like the Syrian refugees were a Syrian problem.
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"Prudence in our foreign policy is not an abandonment of our values It is the common sense understanding that while we remain the wealthiest country on the earth our wealth has never been unlimited and our power has never been infinite. Placing our core national interest above all else is not isolationism. It is the common sense realization that a foreign policy centered on our national interest is not some outdated relic." Marco Rubio, US Senate confirmation, 15 JAN 2025 The level of Jake's arrogance condescension, contempt and sense of moral superiority, is epic. He thinks Pete Hegeseth (Defense Secretary), Senator Marco Rubio (Secretary of State), Governor Kristi Noem (Dept of Homeland Security), Mike Waltz (Trump's National Security Advisor) need to shut up and let the same "adults in the room" responsible for the disastrous Afghanistan withdrawal, the 10 year war in Ukraine, the October 7th massacre, war in the vital Red Sea commercial shipping lanes and China gain control of the US Panama Canal make the decisions!!
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With respect, James Gilmore needs to understand: For the First Time, the U.S. IS SPENDING MORE ON DEBT INTEREST THAN DEFENSE The Fed’s new “higher for longer” rate stance spotlights a looming problem for the U.S. economy: the growth of the federal debt. More on: Economics Budget, Debt, and Deficits U.S. Economy Federal Reserve Federal debt as a percentage of gross domestic product (GDP) is, at 97 percent, at an all-time high. And with annual budget deficits running at crisis-era levels—6.2 percent in 2023, a forecasted 5.6 percent for 2024—that debt is set on a relentless upward path. Council on Foreign Affairs 23 MAY 2024 AMERICA IS NOT READY FOR A MAJOR WAR, says a bipartisan commission The United States must increase spending to levels not seen since the Cold War to deter the threats of China, Russia, Iran and North Korea, said the leaders of a bipartisan commission examining the National Defense Strategy. US Dept of Defense 19 SEP 2024
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"From this day forward, our country will flourish and be respected again all over the world. We will be the envy of every nation and we will not allow ourselves to be taken advantage of any longer. During every single day of the Trump administration, I will, very simply, put America first. We have a government that has given unlimited funding to the defense of foreign borders but refuses to defend American borders or, more importantly, its own people." President Trump, 20 JAN 2025 "Under President Trump the top priority of the United States Department of State will be the United States. The direction he has given for our foreign policy is clear. Every dollar we spend, every program we fund, every policy we pursue must be justified by the answer to one of three questions. Does it make America safer? Does it make America stronger. Does it make America more prosperous?
Prudence in our foreign policy is not an abandonment of our values." Secretary of State, 15 JAN 2025
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@karolinawww6834 Much of what you say is true. Also, true and ignored by the Foreign Minister is those expenditures do not cover a fraction of the trillions of dollars America spent researching & developing these weapon systems and the cost of keeping these defense manufacturing factories running and making up the difference until Poland finally met its 2% GDP spending on defense commitment, only 5 times 2012-2022. While America always fulfilled her commitment spending 6%, $1.573 trillion, 2022, or more of its GDP for all of NATO's 75 years and covered 70% of NATO's financial expenditures, 20 of 31 NATO countries still do not since 2014.
Any money Poland spends on these expenditures and will be more than repaid as those 10,000 American troops stationed in Poland pour millions of dollars into the Polish economy through rents, maintenance, local national workers salaries, etc.
America will be just fine. You mean Europe won't be safe especially as long as 20 of 31 NATO countries continue to fail to minimally meet their 2% spending commitment and Europe continues to send billions of Euros to Russia in oil/ LNG profits.
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Never in my life would I expect to hear LTG Ben Hodges enabling any failing commander to shift blame for their leadership failures by blaming other leaders. The leader of the free world & Commander in Chief of America is Joe Biden. As Democrat President Truman said, the buck stops here. For the past 2 years, General Hodges wisely said, Biden must consistently state America's policy Is Ukraine's victory over and spell out the strategy to achieve it. Biden has not done either. Republicans, the party of President Reagan trust but verify, and a few Democrats whose constituents suffer the tragic effects daily of an open border, want to trust President Biden's commitment to victory while verifying whether his commitment to the cause is real with a specific plan. Why should any American believe Biden supports Ukraine defending its borders when he won't defend America's? Also, there is a growing mistrust of President Biden's commitment to victory because of his consistent lack of such a clearly stated policy and demonstrable trickling of critical weapons systems Ukraine needs and requested for the last 22 months. With Democrat majorities in the US House & Senate, JFK's party we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and the success of liberty, neither Joe Biden nor Democrats supplied Ukraine with long range ATACMS, air defense, aviation and artillery rounds as Ukraine requested. Hearing Biden statements yesterday shocked General Hodges because the overwhelming evidence for the past 22 months demonstrates to any intellectually honest observer Joe Biden's complete lack of commitment to Ukraine's victory as well as many Democrats playing politics with Ukrainian lives. By consistently providing Biden and Democrats who defeated the latest Republican House bill with billions in additional aid to Ukraine & Israel with political cover, General Hodges repeating democrat talking points and taking cheap shots at Republicans ensures more gridlock in Congress. This will result in even more suffering by innocent Ukrainians and Israelis and Americans suffering the effects of an open border and exploding national debt. That's not the kind of leadership nor discernment many have come to expect from him.
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This American eagerly welcomes a UK commitment to really fight Putin. Unfortunately, as General Sir Patrick Sanders, the UK Chief of the General Staff, reveals what that British "commitment to fighting Putin" looks like in reality. Defense spending as a share of U.K. GDP halved since the mid-1980s to around 2.2% while the overall army size will shrink to 72,500 full-time troops from a previous target of 82,000. The UK will replace 227 tanks with 148 more-modern versions in 2027! NATO lives in dangerous times primarily because of the 20 "problematic states" like Germany, France, won't raise their defense spending to 2% GDP after promising to do so in 2014. Most NATO countries continue to ignore very American Presidents' call since President Eisenhower for NATO to spend more on their defense. Those "non-state actors" include any British or European voters and elected leaders willingly ignoring the very real threat of Russian aggression for decades like its two invasions of Ukraine in 2014. According to Eva Högl, the parliamentary commissioner for Germany’s armed forces, presented her report in early 2024: that German military bases lack armaments and ammunition and functioning toilets and internet. One attack helicopter unit waited over a decade to be fitted with helmets. The Republic of Korea's military, where the Cold War never ended, is equal in size to the British, French and German armies combined. WSJ 9 DEC 2023
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Like Poland, America demonstrates its commitment to her allies and it applies the lessons learned from war. Over 10,000 American troops are stationed in Poland including an Armored Combat Brigade and a Combat Aviation Brigade, a missile defense system in Redzikowo, ammo and equipment depots in Powidz, the American Fifth Corps Forward Command HQ in Pozdin, establishment of the first US Army Garrison in Poland on 21 March 2023 and multiple combat air patrols over Poland. Additionally, American F-16's are stationed at Powidz Air Base in Poland. At Poland's request American F-15 Eagles and F-22 Raptors conducted NATO air policing missions over Poland in November 2022.
The fact America stationed several nuclear weapons, over 300,000 American troops at the hight of the Cold War (over 100,000 troops today including an armored brigade & combat aviation brigade in Poland) in Europe for the past 75 years demonstrates America not only learned but prevented a Europe rapidly disarming itself from relearning the painful lessons of history.
I don't remember any Polish military trainers joining the American, Canadian and British military trainers in Ukraine that President Trump initiated. That training is resulting in some of Ukraine's greatest achievements in the ongoing war.
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After nearly 3 years of overwhelming evidence to the contrary, Ryan assumes that Biden-Harris actually want Ukraine to win this war. For months and years, Biden-Harris denied and eventually trickled just enough for Ukraine to fight while placing destructive restrictions on Ukraine's use of these weapons.
Hardly a fantasy, the A-10, like Reagan's strategic defense initiative created the Patriot missile systems of today, was a very efficient and cheap response to the overwhelming numbers of Russian and Warsaw Pact armor and troop numbers. Instead of building costly numbers of tanks and military forces, America built on the strengths of a defensive force vs offensive while enjoying 75 years of peace through strength and credible deterrence. Following your rational, America should never have built any air bases in Europe nor stationed any planes there during the Cold War since they would be destroyed in the first hours of any Russian invasion. As history reveals, these air bases & planes like the vastly out-numbered Soldiers contributed to over 75 years of peace in Europe to this day.
Ukraine denied Russian planes air superiority in Ukrainian skies and at least a couple hundred kilometers inside Russia. If Ukraine used her existing fighters plus the increasing number of F-16's for cover for the A-10's strafing large Russian armor and supply columns, defensive lines and large Russian troop concentrations, it would have as devastating an effect as it did Iraq and Afghanistan.
The US used napalm for close in support in open fields as well as thick jungle in Vietnam with deadly effect.
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Keir Stramer is not capable of leading Europe against Putin and yet Ben Hodges believes Kamala Harris was capable of leading the United States. The same Kamala whose disastrous leadership kept the US border wide open enabling 10 million illegal border crossings including 150,000 military aged males from countries hostile to America. Kamala, Joe's lead on coordinating with NATO to prevent Russia's third invasion, was another failure. Joe Biden & Kamala Harris did not have the political will to help Ukraine win, to defend sovereignty and protect freedom of navigation. During Trump's presidency, no US ally was invaded, Ukraine was given decisive lethal military aid and Putin, Iran and Xi respected Trump's "red lines". Dishonorable that Ben Hodges, US Army General Officer, knowing President Trump's accomplishments continues to push the American and European left narrative that Trump will abandon NATO and Europe. What is also true, Hodges talks 70% of the time like a democrat politician and 30% like a professional Army officer. This is why he is more comfortable living in Europe than his homeland, America.
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@SiliconCurtain For over a year, spun any event that President Trump and Republicans hate Ukraine and want her to fail. Without US aid, Ukraine will most likely fail. I close my eyes and I honestly cannot tell the difference between never Trump BBC, CNN, PBS, CBS, etc. Why do people supporting Ukraine think it's wise to insult President Trump and the over 77 million Americans who elected him to end this war? Instead of listening to both sides of an obvious disagreement, they pour gas on the fire destroying any chance for a sustainable peace in Ukraine. Secretary of State Rubio, "Security guarantees are contingent on peace. Everyone’s saying security guarantees to secure the peace. You first have to have a peace. We don’t even know if the peace is possible and this was understood by the Ukrainians.
It was explained to them repeatedly. Here is our strategy-we’re trying to get Putin to a negotiating table. Let’s not rehash. Everyone knows the history here, the back and forth We all understand that but the question now is can we get them to a table to negotiate? That’s our goal.
Don’t do anything to disrupt that and that’s what Zelenskyy did unfortunately. He found every opportunity to Ukraine-splain on every issue. Then he confronts the Vice President when the Vice President says, the goal here is diplomacy. He immediately jumps in and challenges the vice president, well what kind of diplomacy?
We all understand that Putin is not going to be an easy negotiator in this regard. We all get that but we have to start the process to see if something is even possible. I honestly am puzzled I just don’t understand the Biden administration berated Benjamin Netanyahu and the Israelis. Put all kinds of conditions and pressure on them to try to get a ceasefire. In this particular case, we’ve been nice by comparison and all we’re trying to do is figure out whether a peace is possible.
All these other things people keep bring up that’ll have to be a part of a negotiation. Right now there is no negotiation. Shouldn’t we at least try to see if there is a way to end the war in a way that’s acceptable to both sides and is enduring and sustainable? How is that a bad thing? I really am puzzled why anyone thinks that trying to be a peacemaker is a bad thing. It’s only a bad thing when it’s Donald Trump trying to do it. It’s absurd to me." ABC 02 MARCH 2025
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During (Ukraine's) vaunted 2023 counteroffensive, Ukraine was well supplied with advanced U.S. and European military hardware and stockpiles of munitions. But it could only muster about 50,000 soldiers, including nine U.S.-armed and -trained brigades, against Russia’s 350,000 soldiers, who were entrenched behind layered defensive lines and fortifications such as “dragon’s teeth” and minefields. Without enough people, Ukraine’s surge stood little chance at reclaiming all of its lost territory, no matter how much offensive materiel was available. Today, Ukraine’s manpower shortfalls are deeper. It was foreseeable from the war’s early days that Kyiv would run out of people to serve in its army. With a much smaller population than its Russian adversary and a conscription age for men of 27 (now lowered to 25)," New Missiles Won’t Change Ukraine’s Broken War Math
Jennifer Kavanaugh Defense Priorities 21 NOV 2024 Foreign Policy
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Leaving President Trump with severely depleted American military stockpiles and a national debt, $34 trillion, whose interest payments exceed America's defense spending, is a gift??!! Recall days before Putin invaded Ukraine, Biden assured the world that a “minor incursion” by Russia was no big deal.
Same General Ben Hodges disparaging 76 million American voters had no respect for the US Constitution voting for Trump. Hodges trashed President Trump as a horrible, reckless candidate for US President ignoring Trump's gift to Biden and the world from his first term--no new wars began, no US ally including Ukraine, was invaded and Trump's "red lines" were expected. For years, Hodges complained said Biden-Harris, his preferred presidential candidate, never publicly supported Ukraine's victory nor provided what she needed to win. Kamala promised to do nothing different. Definition of insanity is doing the something over and over and expecting different results. General Hodges confirms most US General Officers are politicians first and military officers a distant second.
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The US military messaging problem is if you are a patriotic, conservative, white heterosexual male you need not apply. As a recently retired, US Army, field grade officer with 29 1/2 years of military service, I can emphatically say the US military is governed at the highest to lowest lever by the woke, progressive, liberal agenda. I endured mandatory annual Sexual Harassment Response Program (SHARP), Equal Opportunity, ethnic & women pride months, toxic leaders and gay/transgender sensitivity training where the woke, feminist, progressive ideology was taught as US Army doctrine. Missed annual recruiting goals and the increasing numbers of veterans recommending against military service are the demonstrable results of this destructive agenda.
Every Biden-Harris defense budget cuts DoD budgets after inflation while diverting scarce dollars to woke/ progressive programs and the DoD going "green". The US Army has hollowed out Brigade Combat Teams. Soldiers no longer qualify on their weapons twice a year and increasingly even once a year due to dwindling small arms ammo stocks. Today's US Navy and US Air Force are the smallest, least trained and oldest equipment in over a century. In recent Congressional testimony, the US Air Force Chief of Staff testified the Air Force will retire 1,000 airframes including C-17 transports in the coming year and needs a budget for 340 new airframes a year to stay at the current level. Barely 100 airframes are financed in Biden's next fiscal year budget. USNI News US Navy reported Military Sealift Command drafted a plan to remove crews from 17 critical support ships due to skilled manpower shortages across the Navy. The US Marine Corps (annual budget $50 billion/ mil aid package to Ukraine $60 billion) has not budgeted to build the ships critical to its island hopping strategy to defend Taiwan.
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General Hodge' is brilliant and wise from years of experience as the US Army in Europe Commanding General. For 2 years, he consistently pressed President Biden and the West to state clearly a Ukrainian victory is America's policy and laying out to the American people how to achieve that goal. For more than two years, Biden and the west failed to do this. After months and years of Biden and the west denying Ukraine's requests for critical weapon systems and ammo essential for victory, Hodges still believes a Biden second presidency is better for Ukraine, NATO and American constitutional democracy.
A wise LTG Hodges consistently directs his harshest criticism not at Biden & Democrats who defeated the Republican bill with $61 billion in aid to Ukraine but at President Trump and the Republican led US House. President Trump was the first US President to put American "boots on the ground" in Ukraine sending military trainers and lethal military aid. The Republican led US House passed an aid bill last December with $61 billion in new aid to Ukraine. Biden threatened to veto it and his Democrat US Senate defeated this bill before Biden headed off for his Caribbean vacation. While Joe got sunburned, Republican negotiators worked through the holidays with the White House to find a compromise. Two months later, the Democrat US Senate passed a bill they new would not pass in the US House.
The level of intellectual dishonesty for a US Army general officer is shocking. It is absurd for Hodge's to say President Trump's words recklessly communicates NATO disunity while 20 of 31 NATO countries, including Germany & France, fail to pay the bare minimum of 2% of GDP. If 2% of GDP is as meaningless as the general says, why did NATO countries unanimously commit in 2014 to do so? What kind of military force would General Hodges have commanded if America funded it less than 2% of GDP? If Putin attacks a NATO country, he will do so believing he can defeat NATO militaries hollowed out by 30 years of reckless European cuts to military defense budgets, military forces and defense manufacturing capacity.
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European logic: It's certainly not 20 NATO allies, including Germany & France, failing for the past 10 years to fund NATO's collective defense by the agreed on minimum 2% of GDP casting doubt on NATO allies protecting each other. No! it is the Republican US House of Representatives insisting on any additional aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan includes bipartisan reforms of the asylum process and funds for securing the US southern border! Isn't this debate in Congress the democratic process the EU lectures everyone to respect?
I agree new aid is critical for Ukraine's defense, why did President Biden threaten to veto and his Democrat led US Senate defeated the Republican bill with $61 billion for Ukraine the Republican led House passed last December? Why have the Democrats offered a bill two months after the Republican US House bill was passed?
It's not Europe's actions for 30 years hollowing out their military forces, their defense budgets and their defense manufacturing capacity that dilutes the effects of the NATO expansion with Sweden's & Finland's admission to NATO that undermine trust in the notion of NATO's collective defense, No, it's President Trumps questioning whether nations meeting their collective commitment to defense spending should defend those who don't care enough about their own defense and the collective defense that does these things.
Certainly not EU promising Ukraine 1 million artillery shells and delivering only 200,000 that undermines trust in NATO.
Telling, an Austrian Colonel whose country is a non-NATO member, agrees President Trump's words and the ongoing democratic process in the US Congress on future aid calls into questions America's commitment to defend Europe. Austria spent ,77% on its own defense. I'm sure that reassures its fellow EU member states of its commitment to the EU defense. Sweden spent 1.3% of GDP and Sweden 2.3% while America who always spent 6% of its GDP on defense for 75 years.
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Democrats Obama & Biden did nothing after Russia's tow invasions and annexation in Ukraine. Democrat Joe Biden said days before Russia's third invasion and after he pulled the American troops President Trump sent to Ukraine, that a "small Russian incursion into Ukraine would be ok." Being a typical American liberal and democrat, Biden always approached the Russians during the Cold War and since with a risk averse, appeasement approach. When President Reagan announced his Strategic Defense Initiative, which eventually created the highly successful Patriot, THAAD and Iron Dome missile defense system, then Senator Biden criticized President Reagan for threatening to destabilize the Mutually Assured Destruction approach, and to re-igniting "an offensive arms race" In a 1986 speech, Senator Joe Biden claimed “'Star Wars' represents a fundamental assault on the concepts, alliances and arms-control agreements that have buttressed American security for several decades, and the president’s continued adherence to it constitutes one of the most reckless and irresponsible acts in the history of modern statecraft." Democrats, liberals and Joe Biden are always weak on defense and confronting authoritarians and terrorists.
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@marcinpok4264 I would agree with you but then we would both be wrong. Having worked for two US Army Generals in Europe, 2013-2017, I understand the difference between host nation financial support and the much larger unreimbursed expenses to the American taxpayer.
Poland will pay about $300 million for infrastructure like barracks, naval & aerial port improvements, etc. Keep in mind America pours millions of dollars annually into Poland's economy often employing Polish and other local nationals on for utilities, cleaning, shops, maintenance, etc.
Poland will pay about $300 million for infrastructure like barracks, naval & aerial port improvements, etc. The largest initiative is $93 million for new Army barracks & dining facility in Powidz, a major aviation and logistical hub for the U.S. military. Other projects include a $35 million rotary wing apron in Powidz, fuel storage and rail improvements in Swietoszow, and aerial port and taxiway upgrades in Wroclaw and $16.2 million to establish a “company operations facility” for U.S. special operations troops doing missions in Lubliniec. Source - Stars and Stripes
Poland will recover most if not all its expenditures through the millions of dollars injected into the local economies and Poland assuming control of these bases whenever the American forces withdraw.
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Here's the truth: Rare earth minerals are used in the manufacturing of aircraft engines for F-16's, missile guidance systems for ATACMS, HIMARs, Patriot missiles, range finders for M-1 Abrams tanks, Bradley fighting vehicles, and night vision goggles. No rare earth minerals, no production of US weapons. Secretary of State Rubio, Joe Biden had frustrations with Zelenskyy. There are newspaper articles out there about how he cursed at him in a phone call because Zelenskyy instead of saying thank you for all your help is immediately out there messaging what we’re not doing or what he’s not getting. Secondly, I was personally very upset because we had a conversation with President Zelenskyy. The US Vice President and I, the three of us and we discussed this issue about the mineral rights. And we explained to them we want to be in a joint venture with you not because we’re trying to steal from your country but because we think that’s actually a security guarantee. If we’re your partner in an important economic endeavor, we get to get paid back some of the money the taxpayers have given, close to $200 billion and we have a vested interest in the security of Ukraine. He said, ‘Sure we want to do this deal. It makes all the sense in the world. The only thing is I need to run it through my legislative process. They have to approve it.’ I read two days later that Zelenskyy is out there saying, ‘I rejected the deal. I told him no way that we’re not doing that.’ That’s not what happened in that meeting. So you get upset by somebody. We’re trying to help these guys.” 21 FEB 2025
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President Trump spoke several times with President Zelenskyy and the European allies and then made one call to Putin. President Trump made it clear that only President Zelenskyy and Putin will decide the terms for peace. China controls most of the rare earth mines in the world that are critical for manufacturing US weapons like missile guidance (Patriots, HIMARs, ATACMSs), range finders (M1 Abrams tanks, Bradley's), aircraft engines (F-16). and night vision goggles. No minerals, no weapons. US General Keith Kellogg, "If you think you’re going to kill your way out of this, you’re wrong because you have a lousy review of history. This is a nation, Russia, that were willing to lose 700,000 soldiers in 6 months in the Battle of Stalingrad." Munich 15 FEB 2025
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We agree on several points. Allies and Germans imposed restrictions on Germany after WW2. And yet a divided Germany overcoming the devastation of WW2 fielded a 495,000 manned army in the west and a 300,000 manned army in the east and spent over 3% of GDP. Today with the strongest economy in Europe a unified Germany has 183,000 Soldiers. Having used the peace dividends to pursue an aggressive green agenda, higher government pensions and standard of living, Germany produces only 2 tanks a month and only 200,000 artillery shells in its yet constructed new factory. This is the equivalent number of shells Ukraine expended in one month during its counter offensive last summer.
Germany agreed on its own to spend 2% on GDP in 2014, but still fails to do so like 19 other NATO allies after 10 years. This is not trying. It's more talk while expecting the American taxpayer to make up the difference after 75 years of always paying 6% of her GDP for defense. T America met her commitments while fight costly wars in support of other allies like the UN mission in Korea and the Gulf War. Imagine any EU country failing to pay its EU taxes or other commitments? Can America trust her European allies to be there in the current conflict with Iran & the Houthi's let alone a conflict with China when it could only deliver 200,000 artillery shells of the 1 million it promised Ukraine?
Finland and Sweden are great examples European socialist & environmentally friendly countries did on their own so why can't 28 unified European nations do the same?
You are absolutely right the best guarantee of peace is through our collective strength. Like a chain, NATO is only as strong as our weakest link. Right now, there are 20 weak links.
Germany, America and the west wisely attempted economic and political engagement with Russia after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Nord Stream 1 is understandable but Nord Stream 2 and other EU business with Russia was reckless. Golda Meir wisely said, "You cannot negotiate peace with someone who has come to kill you." Europe not only negotiated peace but paid the money to Russia build the weapon systems responsible for the death and destruction in Ukraine and threatening Europe.
President Trump was right about Nord Stream 1 & 2, 2% of GDP for defense, providing lethal aid & military advisors to Ukraine, and confronting Russia. He is mocked and dismissed today by Europe even more than he was during his Presidency. Ironically, President Trump's words already accomplished in the past year what every President since President Eisenhower failed to accomplish in 60 years-8 more NATO allies paying at least 2% and Europe actually planning to defend herself without America. I would call that a brilliant win, win for America, Europe and NATO. Unfortunate it takes such harsh & threatening language but a win is a win.
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Lithuanian Defense Minister Dovile Šakalienė "I think we are in the beginning of a very difficult process, where we will have to find specific ways to generate strength. What is a good part of the message was reiterated all around the room, including the United States. And one of the elements which is going to be critical and as I understand also, there is an agreement in the room (NATO) that it’s necessary, are our own capabilities. How can we sustainably help Ukraine if our own defense capabilities are being developed slower than that of the aggressor? The size of the Ukrainian army and the size of our defense industry, of our own defence capabilities, they are not matching the speed of the Russian military industry, of the Russian transition from peacetime to wartime economy, of Russian assembly of troops at a quite threatening speed.
If we (Europe) want to stand strong by Ukraine and if we really want to stand strong in the face of Russia’s preparation for the next stages of imperial expansion, then we need to be armed to our teeth and probably more. And that needs to happen quite soon.
We had, in my opinion, one of the most humiliating situation the all of Europe was trying to find one million ammo rounds for Ukraine, all of Europe, that cannot be repeated.
We (Lithuania) are going to spend 5% to 6% from 2026 to 20230." Euro News 20 FEB 25
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Service is service! Consistently honorable military service is honorable service. Combat zone service as the Department of Defense describes combat zone service is honorable combat zone service. Where were all these "patriotic, Soldier loving libs" when Admiral Jeremy M. “Mike” Boorda, killed himself after accusations as the Secretary of the Navy wore a V for Valor device on awards on his military uniform. "Admiral May Have Been Entitled To Wear ‘V’ Decorations After All Admiral Boorda killed himself after questions were raised about two of his Vietnam-era decorations, may have had a right to wear the combat “V” pins after all, according to a 1965 Navy awards manual and interviews with former military officers. That dislcosure came as the military mourned the loss of Boorda, the Navy’s highest ranking officer, and struggled to understand the reason for his suicide. Boorda, 56, shot himself in the chest at his home in the Washington Navy Yard Thursday shortly after learning a magazine was questioning his right to have worn two tiny bronze pins normally awarded for combat duty. Boorda killed himself after leaving two notes expressing concern that the controversy over the “V” pins would destroy his reputation and damage the Navy. Reporters with a small news service that searched the awards record contended Boorda did not have a right to wear the pins, saying that his citations failed specifically to give him that right. However, the Navy awards manual issued in 1965, in the early years of the Vietnam conflict, appears to vindicate Boorda’s decision to wear the “V” pin on his Navy Commendation Medal. That was one of the two ribbons on which he wore a “V” pin for years until a query was made last year about whether he had earned it. The manual did not list the other decoration, the Navy Achievement Medal, as one for which the combat “V” would be awarded. But former chief of naval operations Elmo R. Zumwalt Jr. said Friday in an interview that he was confident Boorda also could properly wear the pin on that ribbon as well." Washington Post 18 May 1996
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@jaxvoice718 Fair enough. A couple of problems, while Europe takes its time to wake up, 30 years lately, to real threats, they expect America to respond within days when they awaken to the danger to their existence.
For the past 3 1/2 months, Americans are working through the democratic process for solutions to very serious national issues too-unsecured border, over 15 million and growing illegal immigrants and an exploding national debt. Almost every European politician, journalist and citizen consistently complain that there is not enough time for America's politicians to debate more aid to Ukraine. According to them, America must act now or Ukraine will fall and Russia will attack NATO.
Where was all this European concern for Ukrainians taking the brunt of Putin's wrath in 2014? Why did Germany over American objections complete the construction of Nord Stream 2 so they could pump even more Euros into Russia to create the weapons destroying Ukraine and threatening NATO?
I believe you that when Europe changes, you stick to it. That's what has so many Americans concerned that the Europe that changed funding its fair share of its own defense at the end of the Cold War, is not changing back to adequate funding for defense anytime soon.
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As a third generation Christian who has known, worked for and worked with Roman Catholics, I am happy whenever anyone comes out of the letter of the law which kills tradition and discovers the same grace a young priest named Martin Luther discovered in God's words. There are no human priests, only Jesus, and reading the Word of God will set you free. All that is necessary is cooperating with the truths the Holy Spirit and God's Word, the Bible reveals, with which you do not agree as well as the ones with which you do. While there are no middle men between God since Jesus, the Good Shepherd, is the only way, Jesus exemplified in his life and taught the importance of Christian fellowship in a local church. Megyn, I pray you pursue God as passionately as most women wish a good man pursued them. Any person may fail but Jesus never does.
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No mention of the democrat party elites and most media's "coup" that overturned 50 million Americans' votes for Joe Biden pushing him out and nominating VP Harris who never earned a single primary vote for president. Hodges has only praise for Tim Walz who when seconds counted as Minneapolis burned took days to supply law enforcement with the promised MN National Guard Soldiers. Disappointing, General Hodges, a senior US Army General Officer, does not explain to American military veterans the catastrophic consequences for Ukraine that Joe Biden and Kamala Harris never state as Hodges repeatedly said for two years that Joe Biden must state that Ukraine's defeat of Russia is America's national policy, lays out the plan to achieve it, and provides Ukraine years ago with all the means necessary to achieve this goal. General Hodges praises Tim Walz lied about his retired rank, serving in a Dept of Defense designated combat zones in Iraq and Afghanistan, and claiming to not know his unit was on deployment orders to Iraq (which he publicly acknowledges knowing in 2005 or long before his separation from military service) running for Congress, Governor and now Vice President of the United States. General Hodges certainly omits for political purposes the democrat led US Senate with Joe Biden's approval defeated in December 2023 the Republican, MAGA led US House $61 billion aid package to Ukraine bill within weeks of Speaker Mike Johnson assuming this position. Over the past two years, I only heard General Hodges grudgingly admit once that then President Trump sent Ukraine its first American lethal military aid, Javelin anti-tank weapons. As a US Army senior field grade officer, I always said US military General Officers like General Hodges chasing the next star or political appointment were almost always "stealth" politicians first and military general officers second.
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It's more important than a NATO quota, all NATO member states agreed unanimously in 2014 to spend 2% of GDP on defense. NATO Article 3: "Each NATO member country needs to be resilient in order to withstand a major shock such as a natural disaster, failure of critical infrastructure, or a hybrid or armed attack. Resilience is the individual and collective capacity to prepare for, resist, respond to and quickly recover from shocks and disruptions, and to ensure the continuity of the Alliance’s activities. Civil preparedness is a central pillar of Allies’ resilience and a critical enabler for the Alliance’s collective defence, and NATO supports Allies in assessing and enhancing their civil preparedness. Rooted in Article 3 of the North Atlantic Treaty, national and collective resilience are an essential basis for credible deterrence and defence, and are therefore vital to NATO’s efforts to safeguard its societies, populations and shared values." NATO homepage
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That political squabble is a porous southern border with millions of illegal immigrants including military aged males from China, Russia and Iran, and 10 IEDs smuggled across it by drug cartels and found in Tucson, Arizona this past week.
If NATO faces war with Russia in 3 years, Europe is to blame! In the decades since the end of the Cold War, weakened European armies were tolerated by governments across the West because an engaged America, with its vast military muscle, underpinned the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and defense policy in Europe. The U.S. accounted for nearly 70% of NATO’s defense spending last year. Much of Europe’s industrial capacity to make weapons has eroded over years of budget cuts, and turning that around is a challenge at a time when most governments face budget constraints amid slow economic growth and aging populations, as well as large political opposition to cutting back on welfare spending to fund defense.
Europe has “systematically demilitarized itself because it didn’t need to spend the money,” thanks to the lack of an apparent threat and U.S. military dominance around the globe, said Anthony King, a professor of war studies at the University of Warwick. “They have basically gone to sleep.” WSJ 8 DEC 2023
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Even with overwhelming evidence for the past 22 months of Biden's inability or more likely reluctance to do a better job supporting Ukraine, LTG Hodges clings to the notion Biden wants Ukraine to win. Having served under his command in Europe, I respect General Hodges's wisdom and yet his continued "overestimation" of Biden's leadership abilities and support of Ukrainian victory increasingly resemble his admitted overestimations of Russian capabilities during his command.
President Trump taps into what a large number of Americans, Republicans & Democrats, knew for decades and a few European academic, military & political leaders are admitting: "Europe has 'systematically demilitarized itself because it didn’t need to spend the money,' thanks to the lack of an apparent threat and U.S. military dominance around the globe, said Anthony King, a professor of war studies at the University of Warwick. 'They have basically gone to sleep.' In the decades since the end of the Cold War, weakened European armies were tolerated by governments across the West because an engaged America, with its vast military muscle, underpinned the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and defense policy in Europe. The U.S. accounted for nearly 70% of NATO’s defense spending last year. “The (German) armed forces are lacking in everything,” Eva Högl, the parliamentary commissioner for Germany’s armed forces, said earlier this year. The European Union looks unlikely to keep a promise to supply a million desperately needed artillery shells to Kyiv by this spring, achieving only around a third of that so far. North Korea, an impoverished dictatorship with a population of 25 million, has shipped over a million shells to Russia in the same period, according to Western officials and Russian government statements." WSJ 8 DEC 2023
For almost two years, Biden denied Ukraine's requests for critical weapons systems and ammunition stocks necessary for a Ukrainian victory than eventually sending just enough to guarantee a stalemate in the war. Biden ran for president on his track record of getting things done in Congress through bipartisan compromise and yet refuses to lead a coordinated effort to achieve a bipartisan compromise bill both and pass a Ukrainian support bill quickly. Instead, Biden for his own political gain warns of Ukraine's imminent destruction without renewed American financial support. Where are the long range ATACMS that could destroy the Kerch Bridge and critical Russian supply lines? How many tens of thousands of Ukraine casualties could have been avoided if even these ATACMS along with sufficient air defense systems were sent to Ukraine over a year ago? If there is any questioning of waning American support for Ukraine, the buck stops at President Biden's desk and the Senate Democrats willing to play immigration politics with Ukrainian lives.
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Agreed, it's unhealthy for the individual and society to fan the flames of real or imagined grievances between the sexes. To truly find a better way forward, requires addressing the "elephants in the room"-feminism, 80% of all American divorces, predatory pornography and the widening political divide among American men & women advanced by fairly intelligent if not ethical women as well as men. It reminds me of a story of a happily married husband and wife in their later years riding along in their vehicle with a front bench seat. It had been their practice for the woman to sit as close to her husband while he drove. Years laters, while sitting next to the passenger side door, she asked, "Why he was so far from her?" The husband said, "I never moved." That is not say there are not male actions and inactions contributing to the "battle of the sexes". Decades after many incredible victories for women like the right to vote, increasing access to universities and jobs often "closed" to women and major medical advances for women's health, there is overwhelming evidence of the woman's side becoming angry vitriolic and hate filled toward the majority of men who were often the primary basis for those advances. Too many disgruntled, despised men are repeating the mistake of employing the same sexist anger towards women. I would propose that group is not a majority. The majority of men are limiting or completely withdrawing from any interaction with women as much as possible. When these topics are addressed in the conversation like today, real progress might begin for men, women and society.
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May the light of Yeshua, the Messiah, who came to set His people free from sin, death and captivity always shine on you, all you love and all of Abraham’s descendants! “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned. You have enlarged the nation and increased their joy; they rejoice before you as people rejoice at the harvest, as warriors rejoice when dividing the plunder. For as in the day of Midian’s defeat, you have shattered the yoke that burdens them, the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor.” Isaiah 9:2-4 “ Jesus (Yeshua) spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” John 8:12
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False claims by military service members and civilians about one's military rank, combat zone service, abandoning your military post as a senior high ranking Non-Commissioned Officer and claiming awards, combat patches and ribbons denigrate military service. "At what point did military service become a liability?" When thousands of anti-war protestors, many future high ranking dnc party members and democrat government leaders, ie Slick Willie Clinton, Hillary Rodham Rodham Clinton and John Kerry, trashed American Soldiers and military service. John Kerry for political gain described American Soldiers serving in Vietnam as carrying out horrific war crimes worthy of Ghangis Khan. To this day, progressive run American universities ban or advocate banning US military recruiters on their campuses while more than a few "enlightened" students spit on them or yelled insults at them. How about democrats denigrating that candidate George W Bush enlisted in the National Guard with his daddy's help to avoid a combat tour in Vietnam. When is the last time you heard a democrat politician, especially a democrat president, openly advocate for young Americans to serve in the US military? The list goes on. No balls Walz is just the latest in a very long line of dishonorable democrat leaders!
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@kylie_h1978 Educate yourself before embarrassing yourself opening your mouth. "By forming a new command, NATO’s Arctic Command (ARCCOM), with the purpose of fostering discussion and deterrence in the High North, NATO can demonstrate its commitment to ensuring the region does not become a flashpoint for international conflict. This command would be structured in similar fashion to other tactical commands such as MARCOM, to concentrate the particular expertise, technology and strategy necessary to operate in this singular threat environment. In this manner, NATO will be able to safeguard the security of its northern borders and deter the expansion of future conflict into the Arctic." The Arctic Institute January 2023
NORAD is the bi-national Canada- U.S. command that continuously provides worldwide detection, validation and warning of a ballistic missile attack on North America and maintains continental detection, validation, warning and aerospace control of air threats to North America, to include peacetime alert levels.
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What is amazing is the debate whether Ukraine, a sovereign nation, is good because it is defending itself from Russia who invaded three times and forcibly annexed Ukrainian land. The multiple war crimes of Russia of summary executions of civilians and unarmed soldiers, raping of civilians, looting, bombing hospitals & bomb shelters, and targeting civilian infrastructure. The same Russian army reduced to shooting their own soldiers if they try to retreat or refuse participating in suicide missions. All actions most intellectual honest people with morals would describe as evil. Even more amazing, after MacGregor told us the Ukrainian army was destroyed in March 2022, September 2022, January 2023, May 2023 and other multiple times over the past 22 months, this defeated Ukrainian army drove Russia out of over 50% of the land it occupied and the might Russian Black Sea fleet cowers in the eastern Black Sea. There is no lowering of our goals since President Biden and most of our NATO allies have supplied Ukraine slow enough that there is now a tactical stalemate. Most intellectual honest people realize any Russian victory in Ukraine will only delay Putin's next land grab in the Baltics.
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Jake Broe, show us one tweet, public statement, comment Kamala Harris made about the war in Ukraine over the past 24 days she became the presumptive democrat party nominee for President of the United States. I'll show you 4 years of then President Trump's support of Ukraine-ie American Soldiers & Javelin anti-tank weapons. Ukraine's success in Kursk demonstrates how incredibly incompetent, fearful, destructive Joe Biden- Kamala Harris administration's and most of western Europe's approach to the war in Ukraine really is. For 2 1/2 years,, they trickle barely enough military aid to Ukraine "avoiding any provocation" of Russia. Every Putin threat of retaliation including the use of nuclear weapons were shown to be empty threats. Even after 2 1/2 years of empty Russian threats and Russia's bombing of a Ukrainian children's hospital, Biden-Harris and the west still trickle just enough aid and place absurd restrictions. Ukraine's highly successful driving Russians out of 50% of the Ukrainian territory it captured as well as the ease with which Ukraine invaded Kursk show this war could already be over with a Ukrainian victory at least a year ago had Joe and Kamala, who Jake Broe foolishly believes are the best American presidents for Ukraine's victory, stated Ukraine's victory is America's goal and provided Ukraine with all the necessary tools to achieve that goal without any restrictions. Do this day, Kamala Harris has made no statements to continue sending aid to Ukraine nor lifting these absurd restrictions.
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Jonathan always looks through a negative lens at President Trump. What was the transactional benefit to President Trump sending hundreds of US Soldiers and Javelin anti-armor missiles over most European allies' objections. Rare earth minerals defense applications are missile guidance & batteries (ATACMS, HIMARs, cruise, Patriot), fiber optics for defense communications, aircraft engines, range finders, lasers, night-vision goggles, precision weapons systems, etc. Almost all the US weapons sent Ukraine for 8 years. While China has control over almost all the other rare earth mineral mines worldwide.
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Typical Brit overlooking the day's headlines like the British Army shrunk to its smallest size since the Napoleonic wars and NATO has only 5% of the air defense systems needed to defend the eastern border. All of this is the result of the UK like most of Europe ignoring every American president for the past 75 years telling Europe they must do more for their own defense. Where was this passion by Piers, the British and most of Europe for 8 years after Russia's two invasions and annexation? Only now that Biden's botched execution of the war in Ukraine and the Middle East are the Europeans waking up to the very real possibility they have to defend themselves from a Russian military they funded with profits paid to Russia for cheap LNG and oil. Lieutenant General Ben Hodges, US Army, retired and former US Army Europe, makes the same points for the past two years: 1. President Biden must declare Ukraine's victory in this war is American policy. 2. Explain to the American people why this goal is in America's best interest. 3. Provide a plan to achieve this goal. 4. Quickly, ramp up America's defense manufacturing capabilities and rapidly provide Ukraine with all the necessary military equipment, ie F-16's, ATACMs, HIMARS, Patriot batteries and 155 Artillery shells. For 2 1/2 years, Biden has failed to do any of this. Brits having exhausted every option, always expect America to do the right thing and save them from their foolish choices.
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Finnish President Alexander Stubb "I think our problem in Europe quite often is we talk a lot and we do a little. Right now, the ball is in our court. We have to make ourselves relevant in these negotiations. As a Finn, I say slow down, calm down, take an ice bath, go in the sauna, reflect over the situation and find a solution. We human being over rationalize the past so we draw these examples, we overdramatize the present which we’re doing right now and, therefore, we underestimate the future." Politico, Munich 15 FEB 2025
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Interesting, while discussing women's most fertile time in her cycle effecting men's attractiveness to her, Louise states high testosterone levels leading to higher violent crime. Curious what critical studies support high testosterone leads to higher violence? Seems to oversimplify the other significant factors, fatherless homes, prevalence & glorification of violence in entertainment, increasing numbers of sexless males, anti-male culture contributing to higher violent crime rates today even with much lower testosterone rates. Most men during America's western expansion and WW2 were definitely high testosterone, masculine men. Some proposed the absence of women or low ratio of women to men that contributed to the prevalence of violence in the Wild West that dropped as more men married and the increase in families. Certainly avoids the evidence if higher rates of domestic violence among lesbian couples, the number of violent women on men domestic violence cases, the number of women committing violence in society in general. By definition, most women have low testosterone levels.
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Brilliant British mind summarizes this discussion well: "The depravity of man is at once the most empirically verifiable reality but at the same time the most intellectually resisted fact." Malcom Muggeridge. As a 62 year old, lifelong follower of Jesus male fascinating to compare your discussion with a reasoned, moral and "traditional wife & mother" with your discussions with Candace & Ella, porn stars, who rejected these proven virtues good for men and women. Sex addiction is no different than any other addiction, the delusion of limitless fun, pleasure and "living authentically" may persist for years or decades but eventually the consequences of rejecting God, the Creator's, healthy boundaries becomes self-evident to most. This rejection of God is always 100% disastrous for individuals, families, relationships and society.
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@MattyOfPassion You make valid points. You are now investing like crazy. Like Poland, the Nordic countries are a welcome addition to NATO. Trust is a two way street. The Nordics and you, like most NATO allies, apply these standards rigidly to the US but rarely to themselves. If you find it hard to trust after a "perceived American failure", imagine how most Americans perceive our European allies. For 75 NATO's year existence, America spent 6% of GDP, $1.573 trillion, and additionally covered 70% of NATO's financial expenditures in 2022. Meanwhile, most European countries slashed their defense spending, military forces and defense manufacturing capacity for 30 years. Like 19 of 31 NATO countries, Norway never spent 2% of its GDP even after all NATO allies committed to do so in 2014. While America made up the difference, European governments used that money to fatten government pensions and standards of living which will impossible to undo in the current economic climate. Every American President since President Eisenhower criticized Europe for falling to adequately fund their defense, they were all ignored for more than 60 years. Especially galling like Germany's Nord stream pipelines enriching Russia, Norway sold its top secret submarine base, Olavsvern, near Ramfjord near Norway's border with Russia. It's currently rented by a Russian front company. "Our military and civilian readiness has been badly weakened," says Anne-Margrete Bollmann, a former career military officer and now president of the Norwegian Defence Association. "Facilities have been closed, reserve capabilities have been reduced, readiness plans have been forgotten. Olavsvern is a prime example of a facility that has been lost," It is currently rented by a Russian company. Time will tell if Sweden & Finland become as trustworthy as its Nordic neighbors.
The fact is, no matter what America does now Europe will not only trust America to come save them but demand she does so.
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On 29 MAY 2024, the Financial Times quoted leaders saying Nato has 5% of air defenses needed to protect eastern flank. Lack of systems required in case of war lays bare vulnerabilities, according to alliance’s own assessments. One senior Nato diplomat said the ability to defend against missiles and air strikes was “a major part of the plan to defend eastern Europe from invasion”, adding: “And right now, we don’t have that.”
As eastern European NATO countries, Ukraine and Israel beg for more American missile defense systems, you repeat Senator Biden's "MAD" argument he used disparaging President Reagan's missile defense initiative (SDI) which produced the highly successful Patriot systems. In a 1986 speech, Senator Joe Biden claimed “' 'Star Wars'' represents a fundamental assault on the concepts, alliances and arms-control agreements that have buttressed American security for several decades, and the president’s (Reagan's) continued adherence to it constitutes one of the most reckless and irresponsible acts in the history of modern statecraft.” Like you, Biden claimed SDI would lead to a renewed arms race. In fact, President Reagan convinced the Russians/ Soviet Union to reduce its nuclear ballistic missile capabilities, ie MAD, after initiating his Strategic Defense Initiative. Typical Biden took credit for the Patriot missile defense for its leading role in preventing 90% of the missiles and drones with conventional warheads that Iran launched at Israel on 13 April 2024.
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Great display of modern, European, liberal whose first reaction to a political opponent is an emotionally based attack of their political opponent's character rather than deal factually with the historical record and substance of President Trump's policies proven right by three years of Biden's domestic and foreign policies. President Trump was vilified but correct as Dr. Fauci, WHO and in some cases the British NHS, as well as the American CDC now admit that the draconian COVID responses prevalent in Europe and adopted by the US health agencies and hospitals were not scientifically based but much like Ms Isabelle Horrocks' based on fear and non-factual claims. As President Trump stated, China produced, leaked and denied the COVID virus responsible for hundreds of thousands of deaths. President Trump was right in his peace & nuclear deterrence through strength with N. Korea. Under Biden's weak, appeasement like approach to Russian, Iranian and North Korean aggression and nuclear threats North Korea now openly threatens to use his nuclear weapons against America and the Republic of Korea, Russia's commenced its third invasion of Ukraine, Iran's Hamas proxies committed unspeakable acts against Jewish people not seen since WW2. In her rush to judgement of President Trump, she fails to grasp an impeachment of a President by the U.S. House of Representatives does not prove guilt. The U.S. Senate acquitted President Trump of both impeachment charges. Unlike President Bill Clinton, also impeached and acquitted, who upon leaving office plead guilt to lying under oath and obstruction of justice resulting in a massive fine and disbarment. President Trump was proven right about immigration & border policy with over 14 million illegal border crossings including 302,000 illegal crossings in December of 2023 alone. Biden has now vowed to resume rebuilding the border wall and tightening asylum and immigration policies like President Trumps. President Trump was right about the economic policies that lead to incredibly strong and American economy with the lowest jobless rates for all Americans especially minorities. President Trump was right about confronting Russian aggression in Ukraine sending lethal military aid, American military trainers and pushing for critical political & military reforms in Ukraine. President Trump was right about then VP Biden's active involvement in & benefiting from in Hunter Biden's corruption as a member of the Burisma board in Ukraine. The sheer hypocrisy of the Democrats' impeachment of President Trump for insisting on revealing VP Biden's criminal and treasonous enriching himself and his family through his political office. Ms Horrocks-Taylor, as President FDR famously said, "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself!"
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First and foremost, President Joe Biden, the Buck Stops Here party, failed for years now to offer Ukraine anything meaningful to defend itself while warning the world and Ukraine of Russia's impending invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Instead, Joe offered President Zelensky and his family a ride out before Kyiv fell. If Joe Biden provided Ukraine with tanks, fighters, air defense systems, HIMARs and ATACMS, this war could be over. For the past two years, LTG Hodges wisely said President Biden should repeatedly state Ukraine's victory is America's national policy and lay out the plan for victory. Instead, Biden and the Democrats while controlling both houses of Congress, repeatedly denied Ukrainian requests for critical weapon systems LTG Hodges's says are so critical for victory. Recently, US House Republicans passed a new round of billions of dollars in new aid with the requirement of Joe Biden to lay out a strategy for Ukrainian victory, ensure accountability of donated funds & equipment, millions for securing America's southern border and bipartisan support for tightening asylum requirements. Biden threatened to veto this bill and Senate Democrats killed it. Even then the Republican Congressional negotiators remained in Washington to this day to hammer out a bipartisan bill. Senate Democrats can't be bothered.
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