During his presidential campaign – and ever since his inauguration – President Trump has constantly called on the other members of NATO to increase their financial contribution. At the time Trump took office, only three of the 29 NATO nations were meeting their agreed-to funding of two percent of Gross Domestic Product. As with the UN, the United States was the only nation carrying a disproportionate percentage of the alliance budget.
In typical fashion, Trump was pretty rough on our NATO allies. He treated them like the deadbeats they were.
That got our pin-stripped pants folks in the international relations community all a twitter – so to speak. They accused Trump of violating diplomatic norms – bullying our friends. They accused Trump of trying to destroy NATO as a gift to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The complainers broke down into two camps – those who simply hate Trump and those know-it-alls in the diplomatic community who had been calling on the other members of NATO to increase their contribution – but did nothing about it. Consequently, it never happened. Doing nothing, after all, is the diplomatic norm in their world.
So, what is the situation today?
Weeeeell, the number of nations meeting their commitment has increased from three to eight – and most of the other nations have increased their contributions. In a recent press conference, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg reported an increase in NATO income of $130 billion since 2016 (the year Trump became President) – and said that there still needs to be more improvement in member nations meeting their quotas.
Stoltenberg said that increases in member contributions were necessary because of more dangerous international conditions, terrorism, and new military technologies. But … he said that such increases should NOT be because Trump called for them. They had nothing to do with the guy who had been bullying and threatening them, according to the Secretary General.
Now let’s get this picture straight. For decades, the American diplomatic establishment has been trying to get our NATO allies in meeting their financial obligations without any success – even as international conditions became more dangerous, terrorism resulted in a Caliphate off the shore of Europe and military technologies improved immensely. NATO could keep pace with those past events thanks to the misguided generosity of one nation – America.
Democrats and their media allies have been quick to take up the narrative set forth by Stoltenberg. If you start with the argument that nothing Trump does will have good results, it is easy to assume his pressures on NATO had nothing to do with the improvements in funding. But that is preposterous.
In an odd analysis, former General Mark Hertling – a consistent Trump critic – derisively said that the NATO leaders only playing up to Trump so that he would not grouse so much about the funding shortfalls – another example of who Trump Derangement Syndrome addles the left-wing brain. Of course, there were placating Trump. That is called a victory – something Hertling should understand.
The only thing that changed in terms of NATO funding between now and then has been the election of Trump and the public shaming (bullying, if you prefer) he bestowed on our allies. And as far as that nonsense about helping Putin, Trump actually strengthened NATO, added to the membership rolls and sent military aide to Ukraine – a nation eager to join NATO and avoid being Putin’s next conquest.
Though lost in the fog of impeachment – intentionally, to be sure – the increased funding of NATO is a “yuge” victory for Trump, the United States, and the free world. Mark up one more for The Lipper.
So, there ‘tis.
If I were in charge, I would pull out of NATO entirely, screw them if they can’t keep up with the amounts they are supposed to pay for their own protection. I’m pretty tired of taking all the ugly girls to dinner when it’s supposed to be, pay your own way……the U.S. is not here to support all the deadbeat countries around the world…….
In fairness Obama at least told NATO that they needed to meet their fair share of the budget but then failed to follow through with any enforcement. Trump did what it takes to get many deadbeat countries to cough-up their contributions. Trump should get the credit for initiating the change in the status quo in NATO. Unfortunately the reduction in the US budget contributions will be offset in the future by Pelosi and her cronies attending the conference in Spain to discuss how we can give more to the Climate Change hoax – world taxation. While Trump is trying to get our money back the Democrats are looking for ways of spending money we do not have. Sad!
NEITHER NATO THE U.N. OR THE COMMIERAT PARTY IN THIS COUNTRY WILL ACKNOWLEDGE THE S8CESS OF PRESIDENT RUM TO GET THESE POND SCUM PARASITES AND DIDELING DOLTS OF THEIR WORTHLESS BACKSIDES AND STRENGTHENING MEMBER NATIONS IN COMMON SENSE FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY. However, it has NOT been lost of the voting constuencies of this country what he has been able to accompish despite total obstruction and acts defined as either seditious or treasonous by U.S. Code Chapter 18 which also gicves the PENALITIS for those found guilty of such acts in THIS country and under ITS laws; not the U.N.s or NATO’s ; neither of which would exist were it not for U,S. intervention and their saving grace in two World Wars and the Cold War! So, if these back stabbing buffoons choose not to acknowledge Trump for forcing their hands, so be it but, American Voters KNOW why this HAPPENED and it WILL be reflected in the landslide election result a year from now that will destroy the democratic party criminals and our false friend “allies!”
He’s the best, why doesn’t our left wing news cast report it on the daily news, like NBC, ABC,
CBS, the Communist news network (CNN) ?
People in the “KNOW” are well aware why the member nations ramped up their contributions. President Donald J. Trump can mention their lackadaisical attitude about their support and it makes them look cheap worldwide, therefore they increase their payments somewhat. Let’s watch closely to see if they continue. WE GIVE OUR PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP for his unique LEADERSHIP!