This has produced a torrent of prog chatter on both sides of the Atlantic trying to show how President Trump has destroyed the Western alliance, something, of course, which Putin and Russia have long sought.
I will use a highly technical, quasi-legalistic diplomatic term in response to Merkel, et al: Crap!
If anybody has destroyed or at least seriously degraded the Western alliance it is Merkel and her progressive ilk. It is they who have opened the flood gates to a torrent of jihadis and produced the security and demographic nightmares that characterize today's Europe.
It is, of course, the EU which has for years sought to degrade NATO, and promote the EU as a political, military and economic rival and alternative to the "Anglo-Saxons," going so far as to produce even its own currency, the Bernie Madoff-like euro.
As I noted many years ago --2011, to be exact--
The EU as currently structured is a scheme that has as its political purpose to reestablish Europe as the center of the world, and dim the light of those braggarts with their Coca-Cola, cowboys, Hollywood, aircraft carriers, and comic books on the other side of the Atlantic. Many years ago, as the EU monster was growing and making ugly noises, I told a German diplomat friend that "France sees the EU as an anti-American project led by French politicians, protected by British troops, and paid for by German taxpayers." That was in the early 1980s; I wasn't too far off.Except for a handful of Europeans, the UK, Greece (surprise!), Estonia, and Poland (of course), the rest are not meeting their defense commitments. The Germans and the French did not like the blunt Trump telling them this in his blunt way.
If you go to the EU's official websites you see lots of bragging about all that the EU has "done," e.g., ended the Cold War, brought peace to Europe, etc. It is written sort of like an Obama speech. It's, of course, rubbish. The EU has basically done nothing except create an enormous bureaucratic Frankenstein and come up with the ultimate Procrustean bed, the euro.
So as Germany goes into its election cycle, Merkel has decided to seek votes among the anti-American, anti-British slice of the electorate, and to endorse the revolutionary idea of Europe doing what it is already doing: going to hell real fast.
Merkel is committed to a Jack Kevorkian policy for Europe.
It's too bad that President Trump didn't put forward a simple proposition at the G-7 summit:
ReplyDeleteAs soon as every member of the G-7 is confirmed to be devoting 2% of its GDP to genuine military spending, he will submit the Paris climate accord to the Senate (as should have been done in the first place) along with a recommendation that it be ratified as a treaty.
Until then, the United States will suspend participation in the accord.
Now THAT would be a deal worth bragging about. Especially since the card up his sleeve is the knowledge that the Senate would almost certainly reject it no matter what.
Meanwhile European heads would explode. "What, you're linking preparations to avert what we fervently believe will be a long-term climate disaster to preparations for what we all believe (even if we won't say) might be a short-term or medium-term geopolitical disaster?"
Excellent comment, how soon we forget that international treaties must be verified by congress, not presidential decree.
DeleteThe Paris Treaty is yet another reminder of Kerry and Obama overstepping their authority.
..."too bad that President Trump didn't put forward a simple proposition at the G-7 summit:"
DeleteThing is, President Trump doesn't pussyfoot around, he's an asskicker! And that's the type of CinC the Majority of Natural Born Americans wanted on their Team, moreover he was elected by them!
Meanwhile, Marxist Frau Merkel, and her nanny dependent string of male EU-technocrats, have prepped Eur-ope for a death-dance into Islamic submission!
Too bad Angela(M) doesn't have a dog to kick around, her Freudian hysterics might have been manageable! Sadly though, the German Chancellor is deathly afraid of canines, and boogeymen too -- like Trump, Brexit, and Putin too, they BITE! Perversely, her s-p-e-c-i-a-l girlymen, like the recently crowned French actress Emmanuel Macroon, well, they just LICK, and purr Yes Maman...
On Watch~~~
"Let's Roll"
Agree with comment 99%. 1% disagreement is at this point Senate could do anything just to spite Trump. Also, his campaign promise was to pull out. There may be ways to stay in and only pay lip service, Tillerson, is an advocate, as are other big oil companies (because they are heavy into natural gas). So Trump may go that route, again upon advice he can really skirt most of it. I hope he doesn't because he will never convince base it wasn't sell-out (to Ivanka).
DeleteOne possibility is he is using this to get leverage over MCConnell, from coal state, who has said he won't help on heathcare.
We'll soon know.
Er.... one problem with your idea: the Paris Climate accord is, to borrow Diplomad's fine phrase, crap. So why would we want to even dangle such a pile of economic and political feces in front of Americans?
DeleteSilent T
Oh dear, Merkel has got the nerve to talk about Europes defense, to take "our fate into our own hands ". When she has brought in a big dangerous Trojan horse, she has even saddled and shod it. And she made our gullible politicians do the same in my country. So we have problems, big problems. Will we go the way of Lebanon ?
ReplyDeleteLebanon was always heterogenous but the Christians were the majority up to the 70s. There used to be charter-trips to Beirut because of the night clubs, the casinos.The food was world class. Then more and more Muslims arrived, the Palestinians, the Syrians etc., and very soon there were never ending civil wars. Needless to say, the Muslims, of various sects, are now the majority group. And society has changed, really changed. Imagine, looking for a nightclub in Beirut today. Would be interested to hear if anyone here has visited this country lately.
Swedishlady
You are so right, SL. Beirut was the "Paris of the Middle East". Now, not so much. Yes, I think Merkel/Germany and many others in Europe have already "taken their fate into their own hands" (it has nothing to do with Trump) and they will find, eventually, that maybe what they have signed up for is not what they really thought they were getting - but it will be too late. Somewhat analogous to the frog in a pot of water that is put on to boil....
DeleteActually, considering the way Paris is going, it may soon be the "Beirut of Europe."
DeletePerhaps your President had it right when he said that NATO was now out dated. It used to be a geographically limited defensive alliance, now it is operating out of area. Perhaps, instead of trying to get the Germans to spend more, you Americans should reduce your NATO-related expenditure to the German level. You could probably still afford some aircraft and ships in the UK plus some special forces to keep the army happy.
ReplyDelete"you Americans should reduce your NATO-related expenditure to the German level."
DeleteOr, perhaps, we should close our bases in Germany and drop NATO. We should support allies worth defending, not those that wish to destroy their selves from within for some perceived short term political gain.
Barry
The US could also be like the Canadians now or French after DeGaulle: still in NATO but have no forces actually assigned to it.
DeleteCanada (especially under Turdeau) can be criticized for many things, especially underfunding the military to the benefit of "social" programmes.
DeleteHowever your comment that Canada has no forces assigned to NATO is erroneous, and unlike the euro-weenies our forces will actually fight when necessary eg Afghanistan, Bosnia.
My understanding is that Canada doesn't fight in any offensive combat operations. Only U.S. and Britain. That everyone else has ancillary duties. They are not technologically advanced enough in control and command.(That budget thing.) But boy, that is beautiful new headquarters building. Correct me if I am wrong.
DeleteThen you are badly misinformed Msher.
DeleteAnd since you don't seem able to research such things Google Medak gap and Panjwaii amongst many others. Our forces are not yet the pony-tailed, 35-hour-a-week specimens that Germany, Netherlands and others provide.
Alan Cromwell
DeleteOk, 50% apology. I didn't know you did any offensive combat. Here's why 50% is withheld. I still believe only Brits can be integrated into U.S. combat operations, as only Brits have advanced enough command and control technology. Neither battle you linked to was a combat operation with U.S. And whether I'm right or wrong on that, you aren't meeting NATO committment level of expenditure. You're paying only .99% of GDP. That's really low.
http://www.businessinsider.com/nato-share-breakdown-country-2017-2
I found that figure by research.
What is status of Canada pulling out of Five Eyes? Is that for real, or only for public consumption? That would seem to me to be huge deal for Canada. How will you replace that? I have actually researched this issue, and within the several half-hour-long efforts I was willing to give to it, found nothing helpful.
If Merkel is right and Europe has decided to take its defense into its own hands, then Trump's NATO visit was the high spot of his trip ... not the nadir. Now Germany has, without a shot being fired, accomplished all that the Third Reich couldn't. Too bad that it is committing cultural suicide at the same time.
ReplyDeleteExactly. It's a stretch to find a presidential foreign trip in which so much was accomplished in such a short time,
DeleteThe roots were laid for real progress.
What?... Europe defend itself?? Who'd-a-thunk?
I will say this about Merkel's speech, it was a public acknowledgement of an end to an era. Reelected or not what was before is over.
ReplyDeleteMr. Mad's quip about the EU really was right on. Now many members realize that they were just the "modest dress" to conceal the Salome.
Perfect, Dip!
ReplyDeleteBarry
I have a further thought. Perhaps the Trump Doctrine can be best described as, "We have stopped buying our allies."
ReplyDeleteGood thought.
DeleteBarry
I imagine that Greece meets its quota because of relations with its "NATO ally" Turkey.
ReplyDeleteI hope to see the remaining British troops removed from Germany PDQ. After all, who could complain at the removal of unreliable troops? Why wait for 2020?
(WKPD: Following the 2010 Strategic Defence and Security Review, the permanent deployment will end by 2020. As of 2015, there were 5,200 troops still in Germany.)
It's hard to see a case for any British troops on the continent at all, except those used to defend Gibraltar from our "NATO ally" Spain. So I'd bring back the army and RAF from Cyprus too.
Though, come to think of it, "continent" is hardly the word for Cyprus.
DeleteOn further thought: we could return Gib to Morocco, in return for a decent price, and bring our forces back from there too.
DeleteIf Europe is to be enveloped in a bloody world shaking piece of shit it will, much more often than not, be launched from Germany aka East Germany now slopping over all.
ReplyDeleteAll that has happened vis-a-vis America and Britain is the pretense is gone.
ReplyDeleteBritain spent centuries containing French and/or Germany. It was the policeman of the world with an empire full of jewels, while the French and Germans had mostly dregs. I was a student in Paris around the time de Gaulle pulled France out of NATO in a snit over Britain’s superior position – while Parisians were having a love fest with Germans visible anywhere in Paris. I saw the Continental elites consumed with jealousy over their non-importance in the world. The EU was formed in large part to counter the U.S., Britain’s successor as global superpower, and compete with it, and it was run by Germany to dismantle Britain and take away its voice on the world stage. (The EU, not Britain, would have the voice.) The continental elites never accepted the Anglo-saxon capitalist model, instead with huge moral superiority operating a “social democrat” model (as Trump pointed out, made possible by our paying for their defense). France had collaborated with the Soviets after its pull out from NATO. (And according to Gen. Groves, head of the World War II Manhattan Project, had threatened to during the war if it was not given access to the bomb. Fascinating little-known fact. According to Groves, many of post D Day American actions were to keep continental stores of uranium out of hands of the French.) The Anglo countries had beaten Germany in two world wars, bombing it to rubble in the second.
As the daughter of an English maternal family and of an American U.S. GI who spent WWII in an air squadron bombing Germans, I have been asking since the Lisbon Treaty on British blogs why the Brits thought either France or Germany was a friend, much less an ally. Germany wanted protection while the Soviet Union was still a threat. Period. That’s as far as it went.
Bottom line: what I saw in Paris in the 1960's is now out in the open. It’s not that I’m some kind of genius. It’s that if you looked at the right times and at the right things, it has always been there. Now the pretense is gone and Merkel (and Macron) are saying what Paris and German establishments have always thought. That this is a fundamental change wrought by Trump is true, but not as claimed. What is true is that he – with Brexit - wiped away the pretense.
En même temps Msher, maybe I saw you on the boulevard? I was an American sailor ashore, cast adrift in the French "culture". Didn't notice too many Germans, but there were some sneaky-slick anti-American Frenchmen, who seemed quite curious to learn all they could about US Submarine Ops. and US Bases. The lovely women however, were warm, welcoming, and open-minded, and even more so along the Rivera!
ReplyDeleteForeshadowing todays French News, even way back then, the Muslim NO_GO Zones were Security and Personnel safety issues for the USN. On one particularly joyful late night, leaving the local Bistro, Deux Magots? I was sending fond farewells to my adopted French fried friends of the evening, was then that I caught the shadow of two swarthy types fall in behind me as I departed... My fur stood up, alerting me to take evasive maneuvers. A quick trot, a left and a right, into garden, circle around under the staircase and Voila, there were the feet and legs of my 2 trackers, acting confused and loudly exclaiming, in Arabic, "where did he go"?! I waited in a crouch for them to make their next move, as I prepared my defenses, unsheathed my TL-29, don't ask, I'm still sworn to the 'silent service', although I did come away with less damage than I incurred during a street fight in Marseille with a Foreign Legionnaire! What saved me, was that he was way drunker than I was! Anyhoot I bet you have a few sea stories too - Thanx for your insightful and instructive recollections, although you've left me wondering - were you an art student, an Au pair, or what were you studying 'Overthere' during the '60s?
OW~~~
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MBpyuYgfCWA
OW
DeleteP.P.P.S., I enjoyed your reiminiscence. What time period? Were you there when a sailor on a U.S , I think carrier, accidentally emptied fuel tanks and USN spent summer cleaning oil off French beaches on Cote d'Azur?
Ow
DeleteP.p.p.p.s. "Silent service" is subs. They are a reading hobby of mine. Awesome things. Imho, ultimate deterrent of MAD. Did you ever sit under polar ice? I won't ask about tapping phone undersea phone cables..
In the same time frame you were M!
DeleteYes, I remember the oil spill in the Med, it was a "bird farm" aka an SS submariner's Target, with the unfortunate but memorable nickname, Chancre La, ;) ... No I wasn't a 'nookie poo' but was a WWII era diesel boat sailor, who happily, and 'without malice or forethought' chased the Russians all over the Atlantic Ocean!
Here's a link from one of the crew who apparently cleaned up the spill that you recalled! OW~~~
"I’ll call this story the “Shangri La oils the French Riviera” I know there are some out there other than me who will remember."
http://cva38.havoc-creative.com/2013/04/oiling-the-beach/
Ow
ReplyDeleteI was a political science student.
I only know Paris which as a physical city, I love, but whose inhabitants I do not. That is based on living with both a socialist working class family and a grand titled family on the right, plus some visits as a tourist, and how Parisians generally act (superior) and that they culturally worship -Sartre and Camus, both whom I call spiritual nihilists, and deconstructionism of everything, which is pure nihilism. Elevating nihilism as your cultural and spiritual pinacles, imho, speaks to basic rot of the soul. I guess mere tourists only notice magnificance of physical city and its various cultural treasures, but don't have reason to notice underlying character. Most of my impression are from the time living and studying there - and a time which may have been unique because of de Gaulle's action re NATO. And maybe things have changed. (But, as evidenced by Macron,I don't think so.)
I understand the rest of France does not like Parisians either, thinks them "très snob." So my discussion relates only to Parisians. However, in terms of "France," when spoken about as a country, only Paris counts as all policy (except as to wine?) is made there.
P.S., living in Paris a mere 25 years after end of German occupation and seeing their dislike of Americans and Brits and comfort with and hospitality to Germans, I had distinct impression that the Occupation had not been seen all so horrible until late towards the end, when the Germans, under pressure, got much harsher. I think a Résistance in Paris is mostly movie fiction, and what there was were Communists who cared about helping the Soviets. I could be completely wrong about this. It is based only on what I saw 25 years later.
P.P.S. Maybe I am completely wrong. Other American students I spoke to who were living there at same time, picked up little of what I did. But they also seemed to not have noticed, or given thought to, anything I did.
I just listened to an audio book titled, "D-Day Through German Eyes," and your observations about French and Germans during the occupation sound correct.
DeleteGermany and Austria have been reproducing below replacement level for more than 40 years. Unlike Britain, France, and Ireland, they're not near replacement level. Unlike Russia, they've seen no notable improvement in their fertility levels in the last 19 years.
ReplyDeleteImport enough people who have a drive in life (religion) that makes them want to have children, and you'll get an increased birth rate.
DeletePerhaps that's Merkel's grand strategy on taking in so many refugees? To get birthrates up to the french-slum-propped-up levels?
Not true of Austrians - the country's population is at a new record high.
DeleteIn truth, there are only five nations that can trust each other. When I say nations I mean the people, not the ruling classes. The ruling classes are subject to bizarre notions, such as believing that France is not an enemy country as far as England is concerned. Unfortunately, demographic changes are undermining the relationship between the five Anglo nations.
ReplyDeleteYou complain about Europe not taking defence seriously - not spending enough on defence, relying on the US, not supporting cranky boots-on-the-ground invasions of the ME - while in the same breath complaining when Europe takes defence seriously - "run by France, defended by Britain, funded by Germany", Merkel not to be talked off the ledge.
ReplyDeleteThis isn't just Trumpian incoherence, it's head-on contradictory.
The European political and military project was nought but a French wet dream while Britain was in the EU, and America also by proxy of Britain.
And the necessary economic, social, and political foundation for a collective defence alliance of the West was in place by the same UK / US-proxy being in the EU.
Fact is, you, yes YOU, have fragmented the Western alliance allowing our enemies to pit us against each other and defeat us in detail.
The Trumpeteer and Brexiteer fraternity has ensured that the two golden goals of Anglo-American foreign policy since time began, maintained by the blood and sacrifice of our forefathers over centuries, have now been lost: -
(1) Preventing a hostile independent (from us) continental European empire.
(2) A Western military alliance dominated by us.
You muppets.
SoD
Anonymous at 3:18 a.m.
DeleteYou clearly haven't followed the EU carefully, have you? You are in fantasy land and you have completely misinterpreted what happened.
Do you know anything about the EU and what it has been doing? 1) How they were spending Europe's money, that besides the extravagant NATO hq palace, there are two different EU headquarters palace complexes in two different places, with the entire apparatus having to move itself each year back and forth between the two places. How huge the bureacracy in Brussels is, and the never-ending, costly supposedly social justice and greenie requirements it is imposing on members. 2) How France and Germany were using it to destroy Britain, how Btitain in the EU was increasingly decimating its military and has lost most of its capabilities. 3) How anti-American EU policies already were tosard American business. 4) How it has started forming a "European Army" for purposes unknown, yet members aren't meeting NATO obligations. 5) How it, along with us, has meddled in East European elections and it is the imperial empire builder, forcing reactively a more and more aggressive Russia - in Putin's place, I would have taken back the historically Russian Crimea to protect my Black Sea coast, too. 6) How it is importing terrorist migrants at a suicidal rate, as well as legal immigrants at a rate whereby demographically at some point Muslims will be majorities and increasingly are already big enough voting blocks that they must be pandered to - the policies of the EU will necessarily be increasingly even more anti-American regardless of what the U.S. does or doesn't do. 6) How the EU is already unsustainable because of the destructive effect of the euro on the southern countries and the discord over immmigration with the Eastern European countries. Do you know anything about reality as opposed to your theoretical world?
And Brexit is a given, happening despite Obama's meddling to stop it and BEFORE Trump was even elected. You seem somehow to think Trump was responsible for that and that he should somehow undo it or somehow act as if it hadn't hapenned. And the EU had already expressed its rejection of a Brexit Britain. Why are you railing against him for a choice British voters made, a choice he had nothing to do with? Are you suggesting Trump should force the British government to ignore the vote of the British people? (It may be doing that on its own.)
And Merkel seems most upset by Trump's attitude towards the Paris Accord a set of energy requirements which is making energy probitively expensive and that are based on no scientiffically demonstrable evidence of need therefor and/or effectiveness thereof. And which as Merkel herself said are the primary mechanism towards globalization- i.e., a supranational government where decisions would be out of our hands. That is not an "alliance." And in fact, its true ideological purpose is to strip industriaized Western countries, especially the U. S., of their power and transfer wealth to the emerging countries. The Climate Acccord, besides, has nothing to do with a military or economic alliance. It was tried in Kyoto - the U.S. didn't join. Yet this wonderful European-American kumbaya you say Trump supposedly ruined was, according to you still in place. If it existed without us signing up for Kyoto, why would it disappear because Trump rejects the Paris Accord? And we don't even know for sure yet that he is going to. (I hope he does.)
What you describe as Trump destroying no longer existed. 100 more pages could be written about reality as opposed to your fantasy. What Trump did, as Diplomad wrote, was to take a shot making them admit what reality has become and shock them back into some semblance of the benign Western world order you fantasize still existed. He was trying to achieve what you ignorantly and hysterically accuse him of destroying. You have it all backwards.
Shorter version:
DeleteHow dare you Americans cut off our welfare and demand we pull our own weight.
Barry
..."The European political and military project was >>nought<< but a French wet dream while Britain was in the EU, and America also by proxy of Britain." - Anon 3:16 aka Scotty McMuppet In the Black Trunks. Msher in Pink Bermadoos
Delete1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10
HOLY COW! Ist Round KO!
She knocked the snot outta the Scot!
Ah cmon Howard he headbutted himself!
"Trumpian incoherence, it's head-on contradictory."
Look at the film Angie see he took a heckuva shot Yeah I saw that Howie! 'a shot making ...reality'
On Watch~~~ Ringside~~~
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W9q7mvc6bsY
As usual with someone who is losing an argument, you extend the scope to other matters to dilute your failings.
DeleteLet me answer your points that are relevant to the defence and military subject matter: -
2) How France and Germany were using it (EU funds) to destroy Britain, how Btitain (sic) in the EU was increasingly decimating its military and has lost most of its capabilities.
Britain has outpaced EU GDP growth for many years. How can you argue France and Germany were using EU funds to destroy Britain, if Britain was consistently outperforming the EU?
Britain has funded its military to greater levels than France and Germany and most other EU / NATO members …
http://money.cnn.com/2016/04/15/news/nato-spending-countries/
Any degradation in the capability of the UK military – late aircraft carriers, no aircraft for the aircraft carriers, all modern destroyers in dock due to design malfunctions, high ratio of REMF’s to teeth arms, more horses than tanks, more Brigadiers than tanks – are all consequences of the UK’s domestic policy and nothing to do with the EU.
The cost of leaving the EU, including all the institutions that we will have to replicate in Britain to replace the shared usage of the equivalent EU institutions that we had with 400+ million fellow Europeans, will mean that there will be LESS funding available for the British military outside of the EU.
Additionally, the economic contraction of losing our biggest market will raise less tax revenue for all purposes, including the military.
(4) How it has started forming a "European Army" for purposes unknown, yet members aren't meeting NATO obligations.
The EU was unable to proceed with an EU army on account of British influence and veto actions, backed up by American proxy support of the UK.
Of course, the EU would want to develop a military, what continental sized power wouldn’t? But the exact point is that with the UK on the inside, and the US on the outside, the trojan / proxy strategy worked for years to contain any move forward by the EU on notions of an EU military.
Now that Britain has done its diplomatic “Dunkirk”, and America has willingly dismounted the trojan / proxy, Merkel has been presented with the prize of continental European domination, with added militarism – by the very powers in whose interests it is NOT for Germany, or anyone, to have such dominion, except with us – UK and USA – equally politically and militarily involved.
Handed over on an effing plate! After all the sacrifice.
Merkel must be wondering how such good fortune could possibly come her way. She has all the cover to re-forge the once forbidden sword without criticism of militarism because her erstwhile defenders have done a runner. Now she can merely let the people of Europe anoint her …
"I did not steal the crown. I found it lying in the gutter, and I picked it up with the sword. But it was the people who placed it on my head." – Bonaparte
5) How it, along with us, has meddled in East European elections and it is the imperial empire builder, forcing reactively a more and more aggressive Russia - in Putin's place, I would have taken back the historically Russian Crimea to protect my Black Sea coast, too.
There are two ways to look at it: Rules based system, or, interests based diplomacy / conflict. Neither favours us – UK and US - working with Putin on anything, including Crimea and Eastern Europe.
From a “rules based system” perspective it is clear he and his regime are pathologically unable to obey a “rules based system”.
From an “interests based system” perspective it is in our interests to bring Eastern Europe into our orbit and deny it him.
QED.
TBC ...
SoD
I wasn't aware I was losing an argument. I stand by my original points.
DeleteYou hate Brexit, think it somehow hurts Britain. I think the Lisbon Treaty was treason, and you are deluded. Britain handed itself to Germany without a shot being fired, except that yes Germany controls the Continent. And in my opinion it was controlling Britain, and Brexit was its only chance to escape German hegemony and the suicide Merkel is leading the Continent to. And I think you are deluded if you think Britain had any influence within the EU. It was Germany/France's doormat.
One clarification: I didn't mean EU was spending money to destroy Britain. I meant it is wasting Europe's money on lavish salaries, pensions and benefits for a bloated bureaucracy which in palatial buildings issues stifling, nonsensical regulations. It's those regulations which are destroying Britain. Plus the money the EU extracts. And how about taxing Britain because its GDP was good to help France whose socialist economy is in the dumps?
I think you have no idea what Islam really is and the hold it has on its adherents. You know what the polls show as to sympathy for terrorism. And those numbers are only those those willing to admit that to pollsters. And 2nd generation is more radical than the immigrant generation. So much for "exposure." Britain is being colonized and you have no clue. And, in case you didn't notice, Trump made nice (sort of) with Muslim countries.
I don't think Putin is anyone's friend, but I think he is a rational actor. The EU is pushing into his back yard, which I believe Bush 41 promised Gorbachav NATO/Europe wouldn't. If Continental countries are so afraid of Russia, let them start thing paying for some defense. U.S is some overwhelming percent of NATO budget? Well let Continent pay up. Trump didn't walk out of NATO incidentally. He just asked Europe to pay a fair share. Merkel was one who said Europe was on its own.
I have no idea why you think I'm a coward or following any herd. I do my own analysis and come to my own conclusions, for better or worse.
I may get to the rest later, but I just simply disagree with you, think you are deluded and hysterical. And imagining things: I was losing the argument?
Uhh.. no... there are large swathes of followers of Islam emigrating to europe and america... and those people are, in general, *not* secularizing. It's actually a rather indecent suggestion.
DeleteThese people are just fine as muslims, apparently until they run across videos by one deceased person named Anwar al-Awlaki.
best of luck selling your conspiracy of "bring them in and they'll adopt our ways"... nope... europe is dependent upon them for cheap labor and housing market prop-ups. There's no larger goal to it.
“I think you have no idea what Islam really is and the hold it has on its adherents”
Delete“followers of Islam emigrating to europe and america... and those people are, in general, *not* secularizing”
Do either of you actually know any Muslims? Have you shared any meaningful time with them? Or do you achieve your knowledge of them via the media?
If you did, you simply wouldn’t conclude such things.
When it comes to violent extremists, let’s not forget any power is capable of grooming its fringe of nutters into a violent faction.
Let’s remember the Lord’s Resistance Army and its leader Joseph Kony …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lord%27s_Resistance_Army
Now imagine you Christians being tarred with his brush in received wisdom. How does that feel?
And remember the Stern gang, and its “Jewish 911”: The attempted bombing of London by aircraft flown from France …
http://www.birminghampost.co.uk/news/local-news/plot-bomb-london-thwarted-heroic-7411721
And recall that American nutters abound, just waiting to be activated by one or other power …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_school_shootings_in_the_United_States
Should I believe that all Americans murder their children?
Or maybe the USA solved the problem by enrolling all the nutters in drone school? ...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civilian_casualties_from_U.S._drone_strikes
Whatever you believe in and grant powers to, there’s always nutters who will spoil your day and induce the less intelligent to conclude that all adherents to your worldview are nutters.
SoD
It’s hardly minutes or hours from Trump’s NATO debacle and the newly militarized EU had already grasped Americas greatest enemy / opponent to its bosom …
Deletehttps://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2017-05-31/eu-leaders-turn-to-china-after-trump-visit-clouds-u-s-relations
And the same newly militarized EU has nicked the “Empire 2.0” ambitions of Brexit Britain out from under her nose …
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2017/05/30/as-merkel-seeks-allies-elsewhere-modi-visits-berlin-bursting-with-friendliness/?utm_term=.516c471ec8c4
The Western alliance: The tacit agreement that Germany shall not re-arm and activate a European empire hostile to the UK / US in exchange for Anglo-American defence, that’s kept us safe for 70 years against far greater foes than Islamist terrorism, has been broken by the Brexit Trump axis.
Nice job, muppets.
SoD
To Anonymous at 3.44 am
DeleteI am going to reply with a repeat of a post I wrote elsewhere. It was addressing the supposed distiction beteeen "radical" and "moderate" Muslims. But it says everything relevant in response to your ignorance re Islam.
There is no such thing as "radical Islam." All Islam is based on the Koran. The Koran requires jihad and killling of infidels, and provides the biggest inducement of all: forgiveness for all prior transgressions and eternal life in heaven if killed ("martyred") while committing an act of jihad. The latter is why Muslims celebrate before suicide bombings and celebrate, not grieve, when a loved one is killed while carrying out a terror attack. Sharia and a world caliphate are the desired end game on earth or a jihadi-created apocalypse where....here, I get a little confused, but where something splendiferous happens to adherents.
This is the religion of almost EVERY Muslim. A few want to change it (El Sisi, e.g., of Egypt). But most buy it hook, line and sinker. Many openly admit to preferring Sharia law, and it is quietly in force already in many Muslim enclaves in Europe and Britain. Most though, luckily, are not devout enough to disrupt their own lives with murder, terror and getting martyred and/or are too sqeamish to be willing to kill. And they may indeed like some or many of the Western pleasures. Those are the "moderates" or "ordinary" Muslims. BUT: 1) As polls show, significant numbers, sometimes as high as 60%, admit to sympathizing with those who do murder and carry out terrorist acts, or at least "understanding" them. And if that many are willing to admit that to a pollster, imagine what the real percentage of sympathizers really is. 2) Given this sympathy, plus fear of reprisal, most Muslims will not report those they know are planning terrorist attacks and will shield them afterwards. And 3) Muslims are subject to being shamed or threatened into fulfilling their religious duty by those more devout, who the Koran tell must make bad Muslims fulfill their Muslim duties. Refuse and you are subject to being labelled an "apostate" yourself and being killed.
This is the terrifying truth that is being covered up. Use of terms like "radical" and "Islamist" are misleading in the extreme. The beliefs are the same. Just luckily, most Muslims prefer to lead their own lives without disruption, leaving jihad to their brethren, who they fully support. And they understand that they are achieving jihad a second, relatively peaceful way: by colonization. They are making Western societies accomodate and even adapt their norms and customs and they are gaining converts especially in minority communities and among prison populations.
Everyone asks why the silence of all those "moderates." Well, maybe some very real and very understandable fear of reprisal. But mostly because most so-called "moderates" hold the same beliefs as the terrorists.
Just because Jesus advocated violence rather than peace ...
Deletehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Not_peace,_but_a_sword
... doesn't make all Christians murderers like Joseph Kony. Nor does it make them interpreters of the bible in the way that Kony interpreted it.
Just because the French revolutionaries murdered thousands doesn't make all Libertarians and Republicans murderers. Not does it make them interpreters of Liberty and Republic as the French revolutionaries interpreted it.
Can you give me an example of any book that was written that was endorsed by power that wasn't whipped up into a murderous frenzy by that power recruiting the nutters from the fringe at some point in the book's ideological history?
Just calm down, Dear. Be cool and practical. Nutters of both factions go there, ordinaries come here. Nutters of one faction kill nutters of the other faction over there, because remember the one great thing on our side: They hate each other more than they hate us.
Leverage the "bait and bleed" strategy ...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bait_and_bleed
... and put your feet up. In a couple of decades they'll wipe each other out over there. They're only going through their growing pains, like Catholicism and Protestantism went through in the Wars of Religion. Once 1 in 3 of them was pushing up the daisies they decided to stop. So it will be with the two radical factions of Islam. There's nothing we can do but wave the nutters farewell, maybe help them with the air fare if they're a bit skint, and welcome the ordinaries.
I'm going to put the kettle on, fancy a cuppa anyone?
SoD
Be practical? I am. "Dear?" You are the one who posted in hysteria about what you think Trump has wrought. And that being patient thing: apparently you haven't noticed they are blowing us up, shooting, stabbing, beheading us, running us over and colonizing us. So you are going to be patient until what?
DeleteYour last post reached a level of obtuseness which cannot not be real. You've reached caricature, in addition to ostentatious condescension. Not consistent in attitude or content with earlier posts. Which means you are a troll and all of this has been a wind up game. Ok, it's been fun, whatever floats your boat.
"they are blowing us up, shooting, stabbing, beheading us, running us over and colonizing us."
DeleteWell, your own toddlers are doing more of that nasty shit than the terrorists ...
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/feb/08/trump-muslim-terrorists-gun-violence-america-deaths
... yet you don't seem that concerned about them?
"Your last post reached a level of obtuseness which cannot not be real. You've reached caricature, in addition to ostentatious condescension."
I haven't upped the ante in any of this. Just drifted gradually up - or down - to your level.
"Which means you are a troll and all of this has been a wind up game."
I'm the real deal. Whether you think it trollish or not is up to you. I don't do snowflakery, so apologies if I touched you up in your safe zone.
"Ok, it's been fun, whatever floats your boat."
It has, there, agreed!
TTFN.
SoD
"Do either of you actually know any Muslims? Have you shared any meaningful time with them? Or do you achieve your knowledge of them via the media?
DeleteIf you did, you simply wouldn’t conclude such things.
"
Right, we should believe your conclusions, based on the same mythology as flying rainbow colored unicorns.
I have traveled for 40 years, including many trips to muslim countries, and count among my friends many muslims.
So, you can take a flying leap on your unicorn. Europe is not importing muslims willing to integrate. They are importing an invasion.
Europeans have become nothing more than socialist pussies, unwilling to confront the corrupt politicians selling them out.
I'll cheer your demise as it is clear it is what you desire. I have no sympathy for fools and idiots.
Barry
“Europe is not importing muslims willing to integrate.”
DeleteWhat do you mean by “integrate”, I wonder?
There are native folks of the West who, on a Friday or Saturday night, like to visit clubs where the setting is a dungeon, they are kitted up in gimp outfits, and are spanked by ladies wearing Nazi uniforms.
Now that’s not my game, doesn’t tickle my fancy whatsoever. But so long as the folks involved are of sound mind, not coerced, and able to withdraw when they want, I wouldn’t wish to stop them. Nor should any Western person.
If someone prays 5 times a day, doesn’t drink, wears traditional clothing, agrees voluntarily to submit to an authority, so long as they are of sound mind and free to withdraw from the arrangement, I wouldn’t wish to stop them. They are as integrated as I or any Westerner would or should wish them to be.
Devout Jews, Hamish, anarcho-syndicalist commune dwellers, Muslims, all are as integrated as anyone who wishes to live in a society based on Liberty can wish them to be.
Or do you think something different?
SoD
"Hamish", hahaha, autocomplete! "Amish"
DeleteSoD
"If someone prays 5 times a day, doesn’t drink, wears traditional clothing, agrees voluntarily to submit to an authority, so long as they are of sound mind and free to withdraw from the arrangement, I wouldn’t wish to stop them. They are as integrated as I or any Westerner would or should wish them to be."
DeleteYou are a waste of time. They are not and will not "integrate" as defenders of freedom and liberty. Their entire religious construct is opposed to liberty. Those that do believe in freedom and liberty are simply apostate. They kill each other in large numbers in their religious wars. They invade western countries and bring their criminal conspiracy with them. That there are some muslims that are good people does not change the truth.
Barry
Even the UK, I believe has massaged its military spending by including the pension provision in the figures it reports for military spending.
ReplyDeleteChrist, you mean the US doesn't? What dishonest accounting. Though I suppose one can't expect any better from Washington.
DeleteI am certain that the enormous defense budget Democrats rail against has a huge chunk of pension and dependent care and salaries included.
Deletedearieme: "Christ, you mean the US doesn't?"
DeleteDon't really see the point you're making, it appears that in 2016 the US defence budget was 3.5% of GDP.
a) that's far in excess of the 2% commitment NATO countries have agreed to.
b) Since the US is already over 2%, then we can overlook a little budget massaging.
c) The UK putting pensions into the 2% of military spending suggests that spending on actual military readiness is significantly lower.
Unless we're going to callup Captain Mainwaring agian.
Well since Germans are so determined to go their own way, Trump's first move would be to move all American bases and units to Poland where they are welcome and of more use against aggression from East or West.
ReplyDeleteSilent T
..."move all American bases and units to Poland...use against aggression from East or West."
ReplyDeleteDon't expect much military aggression from the West, or the Russians, that might be aimed at the USA, or Poland, at least not in the near term. Do however see the potential for the ChiComs, and or the NORKs to start acting frisky to test American resolve. Perhaps a better shift of Military assets, men and material, might be toward Guam, that is,if we are able to ensure the Island's 'positive bouyancy' to the Democrats (/Sarc).
Or perhaps the CinC can work a deal with Presidente Duerte for an extended and expanded long term lease of Philippine bases. Also, we might sweeten the pot by offering our expertise in solving their Terrorist and Illicit Drug traffic problems! Expect the Philippine people would feel safer with a US rapprochement versus Communist China thugs pulling their strings! Heck in recent history I believe, a good slice of US military pension checks were cashed in Manila banks!
On Watch~~~
"Let's Roll"
As someone who is both a qualified diplomat and a staunch supporter of Trump, I'd be curious to hear your read on this story, where he invites leaders to skip diplomatic channels and talk to him directly. It seems to me this is one of the strongest attributes Trump has. What do you think of the idea of direct leader-to-leader talk? Good idea or bad? Or just Trump's style? https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2017/05/31/trump-hands-out-his-number-urges-leaders-call-him/102340126/
ReplyDeleteMarkel claims to be a conservative ... but is a diversity/inclusion autocrat. And, like Putin, has a chimera ambition to resurrect the past. Too bad she is afraid of big dogs. Macron, like Trump, enjoys his ego being massaged ... but naively feels he can intimidate Trump with a white-knuckle handshake.
ReplyDeleteMerkel!
ReplyDelete"It's hard to see a case for any British troops on the continent at all, except those used to defend Gibraltar from our "NATO ally" Spain. So I'd bring back the army and RAF from Cyprus too."
ReplyDeleteDo you think the RAF and Army are in Cyprus to defend the Greek Cypriots?
Davod
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ReplyDelete