If European countries increase their defense spending by 500% and the U.S. abandons its role as the world's peace broker and police presence, whose weapons are they going to buy? It occurs to me that this is a long range plan to have all the NATO members buy US tech and hardware to the tune of billions upon billions. This goal would explain why Trump has allowed Russia to present a credible threat to Europe and how effective American tech and hardware can be in Ukraine as real world examples.

This would inject trillions over the next decade. Maybe that is the goal. Destabilize Europe so we can sell them the military solution. We allow Putin to flex so he can be their problem.

Oddly, there are some problems with this. We have abandoned our allies and made Ukraine and the war crimes Russia committed there a tool in our scheme.

Ukraine has been hugely innovative and the weapons of war have changed dramatically. The US was looking to sell tanks, planes, armored personnel carriers and artillery in a new world where drones have replaced all of those.

China is now onto this game and makes a nimble adversary as they develop alternatives to American tech that is more modern and cheaper. In retail war, China would love a head to head competition.

Ukraine has made military AI the next frontier. This is really dangerous for everyone. American military AI will be a big money maker until the world catches up and improvises ours.

Let's see what Trump says at the NATO summit.

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"One of the reasons why propaganda tries to get you to hate government is because it's the one existing institution in which people can participate to some extent and constrain tyrannical unaccountable power." Noam Chomsky.

War is a Racket

Major General Smedley Butler, two time medal of honor recipient

"War is a racket. It always has been. It is possibly the oldest, easily the most profitable, surely the most vicious. It is the only one international in scope. It is the only one in which the profits are reckoned in dollars and the losses in lives. A racket is best described, I believe, as something that is not what it seems to the majority of the people. Only a small "inside" group knows what it is about. It is conducted for the benefit of the very few, at the expense of the very many. Out of war a few people make huge fortunes."

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"Are you a Communist?"
"No I am an anti-fascist."
"For a long time?"
"Since I have understood fascism."

-Protagonist Robert Jordan, "For Whom the Bell Tolls" (Hemmingway)

Edited: 06/25/2025 at 11:05 AM by RustyTruck

Trump used the NATO summit to chest thump and claim great success. It was like that time we nuked a couple hundred thousand civilians in Japan...


"It was very, very successful," he told reporters. "It was called 'obliteration.' No other military on Earth could have done it."

"It was so bad that they ended the war. It ended the war," he said. "Somebody said, in a certain way, that it was so devastating, actually, if you look at Hiroshima, if you look at Nagasaki, you know, that ended a war, too. This ended a war in a different way, but it was so devastating."

The other NATO leaders have learned to humor him with only some minor eye rolling.

He is so desperate for approval and admiration.
It's almost like his daddy didn't love him.

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If I should ever die, God forbid, let this be my epitaph: THE ONLY PROOF HE NEEDED FOR THE EXISTENCE OF GOD WAS MUSIC - KV

And his representation of us on the world stage included other inappropriately puerile comments too:

"I came here because it was something I'm supposed to be doing, but I left here a little bit different," he said. He later added, "I left here saying that these people really love their countries. It's not a rip-off, and we're here to help them protect their country."

Immediately prior to the press conference, Trump met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Trump said they did not discuss a ceasefire in that country's war with Russia.

"I just, I wanted to know how he's doing. He was very nice, actually," Trump said. "I took from the meeting that he'd like to see it end. I think it's a great time to end it. I'm going to speak to (Russian President) Vladimir Putin, see if we can get it ended."

I miss the days when NATO leaders regarded Dementia Joe as a god. Everyone thought so very highly of our our senile president. And they surely would have regarded The Ditz as the best leader since Churchill or even Alexander the Great. And just think, you progs have the Great Mamdani waiting in the wings. After he destroys NYC, on to the presidency.

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I :heart; Q

Try to focus Tpap, one strawman at a time.

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"One of the reasons why propaganda tries to get you to hate government is because it's the one existing institution in which people can participate to some extent and constrain tyrannical unaccountable power." Noam Chomsky.

Normal people get what I am saying, JB. That's all that matters.

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I :heart; Q

Jesus Pabs, you're still going on about Brandon and Clinton?

Try focusing on this year.. there's plenty to cry about

I know you're old and have nostalgia for the past and all.. but do try and be here in the present.

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We have certain things in common Jeffrey..

>>As Trump flew to the Netherlands, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte sent a text message gushing about him being on the verge of a great achievement and saying, "Europe is going to pay in a BIG way, as they should, and it will be your win."<<

Trump is doing a Dutch victory lap. Our biggest defense contractors' executives are pricing palm beach oceanfront g mansions and gold toilets. It must be so exciting to know all that money is coming, ad long as you overlook the sea of blood it floated in on.

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"One of the reasons why propaganda tries to get you to hate government is because it's the one existing institution in which people can participate to some extent and constrain tyrannical unaccountable power." Noam Chomsky.

We all can see that Trump is getting played. The unfortunate part is that we are getting played right along with him.

Johnny is right, Trump is the reason they increased spending. They don't trust him. They have increased spending to protect themselves from poor US policy.

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I was right.