Really? It seems more that you are consciously attributing your own unacceptable thoughts, feelings, or behaviors to others.
There is no vaccine for stupid, you're out of luck.
Insulting one's allies - to what end?
- Thread starter Sarkus
- Start date
You folks played your part. Won't pay your NATO way, won't appreciate the significance of American cemeteries in Britain and the EU, North Africa, the Western Pacific, etc.
30 countries in NATO, the US pays 16% of its costs.
No more.
We'll now do just 1.35% of GDP, just like Canada.
Germany and the US contribute the same (15.8%) while other countries slightly less to the common NATO budget. It is the defense spending where the US dominates the NATO military budget. But, what the fuck else is a country that accounts for 40% of global defense spending larger than the next nine countries combined going to do with it? What wars is the US fighting?
It's funny, long ago you used to be able to support your arguments with facts and evidence. You're not even a shell of your former self. It truly is amazing how much influence Fox News has on the elderly.
Pinball1970
Valued Senior Member
The NATO budget is c.$4bn. Of that, the US contributes c.20%, Germany 15%, UK and France c.10%, then down to Italy at 8%, Canada 6% etc. The contributions, with the exception of the US, are predominantly based on size of GDP of each country. And as a % of GDP, the US is one of the lower contributors to the NATO annual budget. For example, the US GDP is c.9 times that of the UK, but only pays c.twice the contribution to the NATO budget. Doesn't look like the US is paying its fair share, right?
However, this annual budget is administrative. NATO, remember, does not have a military of its own. If you feel the US should pay 1.35% of its GDP to this annual budget, though, please do let them know, as that would represent 100x the overall NATO annual budget.
What you're clearly getting confused about is the requirement for NATO members to spend at least 2% of their GDP on their own country's national defence. This is not the same as the NATO annual budget.
The US spends c.3.4% of its GDP on defence, and is lower than Saudi Arabia (7%), Israel (5.3%), and even Poland (3.8%).
UK is around 2.4%, France at 2.1%, but the likes of Germany, Spain, Italy are all languishing at c.1.5-1.6%, so would seem to be non-compliant with NATO membership. I do believe that they are all looking to address that shortfall at the moment.
But, sure, maybe the US drops its spending to just 1.35% of GDP. This would be a cut of almost $600bn. But what are you going to cut? I mean, you could certainly stop investing in all the high-tech gear you seem to love, all the nuclear deterrents, and slash the hardware budgets and upkeep costs. Or maybe you could slash the 1.3 million active personnel to something lower, like 500,000? I mean, suddenly making 800k+ redundant would be well in keeping with Musk / DOGE / Turnip's agenda, right?
But then you wouldn't have the means to assert your "authoritaaaah" (no prizes for knowing the reference) around the globe. Which you Americans do seem to love.
But, hey, thanks for playing. Perhaps you want to collect your participation medal on the way out?
I don't think I've encountered anyone likening Trump to Cartman, but there's enough commonalities there that I think someone could do something with it. I would, but I'm working with a 15 year old MacBook and I'd have to do a bunch of updates and all that. Could go old school animation, I guess, but that's a lot of work. There's always excuses.
I'm not one to push the similarities beyond being stupid and fat and a bully (or at least a wannabe bully). Given enough time I'm sure someone could come up with a thesis on any deeper similarities.
You clearly have internet access, thus access to Fox, 24/7.
You clearly have failed to stop it.
You clearly support the idiots in power, their thoughts, motives and actions. Chaos, loss, destruction are all the rage now. Creature comforts?