Trump said he’d encourage Russia

[TexasTiger 12,950]

To do whatever the hell they wanted to. 
 

[I_M4_AU 7,857]

Sounds like an ultimatum to pay up or suffer the consequences.  Ah, the art of the deal, I wouldn’t think you would understand.

Edited February 11 by I_M4_AU

[AU9377 4,969]

1 hour ago, I_M4_AU said:

Sounds like an ultimatum to pay up or suffer the consequences.  Ah, the art of the deal, I won’t think you would understand.

No.  That sounds like kissing the ring, which Trump still has no problem doing when the ring is on Putin's hand.  It is nothing short of a spit in the face of the men and women who gave their lives for the ideals this country stood for in 1945.  It is short sighted self serving cowardice.

[I_M4_AU 7,857]

4 hours ago, AU9377 said:

No.  That sounds like kissing the ring, which Trump still has no problem doing when the ring is on Putin's hand.  It is nothing short of a spit in the face of the men and women who gave their lives for the ideals this country stood for in 1945.  It is short sighted self serving cowardice.

Don’t hold back…let it out.  Let the hate out, it does no good to keep it in.

Edited February 11 by I_M4_AU

[TexasTiger 12,950]

2 hours ago, I_M4_AU said:

Don’t hold back…let it out.  Let the hate out, it does not good to keep it in.

Sounds like a confessional. 

[homersapien 11,388]

Imagine what Reagan would say about Trump's statement.

Edited February 11 by homersapien

[I_M4_AU 7,857]

4 hours ago, AU9377 said:

No.  That sounds like kissing the ring, which Trump still has no problem doing when the ring is on Putin's hand.  It is nothing short of a spit in the face of the men and women who gave their lives for the ideals this country stood for in 1945.  It is short sighted self serving cowardice.

One of the ideals that came out of WWII was to stand up to Nazis or anybody that would attach defenseless people.  We have done that by and large, but the waters are being muddied in the Middle East with this administration.

Biden is tying military aid to articles of war and requiring Israel to prove, in writing, they are not committing war crimes.  It is interesting he is trying to tie the hands of the very people that were prosecuted in WWII.  Seems at odds with what we fought for and is short sighted to pander to the voters in Michigan, does it not?

[AU9377 4,969]

10 hours ago, I_M4_AU said:

Don’t hold back…let it out.  Let the hate out, it does no good to keep it in.

Go ahead... be proud of the man.  Pretend that you agree with the things he says.

[I_M4_AU 7,857]

11 hours ago, AU9377 said:

Go ahead... be proud of the man.  Pretend that you agree with the things he says.

I don’t agree with everything he says, some of the crap he comes up with is mind boggling.  He is like a petulant teenager just saying stuff to get a rise out of people.  HIs action speak a different story though.

Are you proud of the actions of the current administration?  Are you supportive of the way he is trying to handcuff Israel in their conflict with Hamas?  Basically choosing sides.

[auburnatl1 4,966]

3 hours ago, I_M4_AU said:

 Are you supportive of the way he is trying to handcuff Israel in their conflict with Hamas?  Basically choosing sides.

You can support Israel but push back on Netanyahu”s tactics - he’s quickly fading in his own gov and polls. 
https://m.jpost.com/israel-news/politics-and-diplomacy/article-786414

 

[AUFAN78 3,911]

 

[I_M4_AU 7,857]

1 hour ago, auburnatl1 said:

You can support Israel but push back on Netanyahu”s tactics - he’s quickly fading in his own gov and polls. 
https://m.jpost.com/israel-news/politics-and-diplomacy/article-786414

 

Do you honestly believe if Gantz was leading Israel’s IDF that if would look any different?  A softer, gentler war on Hamas?  Just because some a slight majority want Gantz doesn’t mean Netanyahu is a radical war monger.  Did you read the part about wanting Haredim to be drafted?  Haredim are the conscientious objectors of Israel; does this sound like a country that is not taking this conflict very seriously and will see this to the end no matter who is in charge?

Netanyahu is just the left’s scape goat.

And to answer you question; I support Israel getting rid of Hamas and not stopping until they do.  They are tired of these terrorists alway taking pot shots at them, while weak Joe enables them.

[AU9377 4,969]

6 minutes ago, I_M4_AU said:

Do you honestly believe if Gantz was leading Israel’s IDF that if would look any different?  A softer, gentler war on Hamas?  Just because some a slight majority want Gantz doesn’t mean Netanyahu is a radical war monger.  Did you read the part about wanting Haredim to be drafted?  Haredim are the conscientious objectors of Israel; does this sound like a country that is not taking this conflict very seriously and will see this to the end no matter who is in charge?

Netanyahu is just the left’s scape goat.

And to answer you question; I support Israel getting rid of Hamas and not stopping until they do.  They are tired of these terrorists alway taking pot shots at them, while weak Joe enables them.

I support Israel, but there is nothing wrong with pushing for a 2 state solution or pressuring them to finish this before they lose all other international support.  Israel has every right to respond with overwhelming force, but there is a point of diminishing returns.  Everyone needs to be smart enough to gauge when that point has been reached. 

[AU9377 4,969]

43 minutes ago, AUFAN78 said:

 

Little Marco basically saying that daddy is misunderstood.  OK

I am not convinced to this day that Trump actually understands that NATO countries don't have a set amount that they are obligated to send somewhere.  They simply pledge to spend a percentage of their GDP on defense. 

Edited February 12 by AU9377

[auburnatl1 4,966]

5 minutes ago, I_M4_AU said:

Do you honestly believe if Gantz was leading Israel’s IDF that if would look any different?  A softer, gentler war on Hamas?  Just because some a slight majority want Gantz doesn’t mean Netanyahu is a radical war monger.  Did you read the part about wanting Haredim to be drafted?  Haredim are the conscientious objectors of Israel; does this sound like a country that is not taking this conflict very seriously and will see this to the end no matter who is in charge?

Netanyahu is just the left’s scape goat.

And to answer you question; I support Israel getting rid of Hamas and not stopping until they do.  They are tired of these terrorists alway taking pot shots at them, while weak Joe enables them.

60 years ago it was fatah, then the plo, then 10 other titles since then. Now it’s Hamas. 5 years from now a new name. 

I agreed with the first 45 days and decapitating what they could and delivering a devastating message.  But this is now officially bad ass wannabe nuts. 28000 Palestine’s killed - mostly collateral.  This is way way past symmetrical. And long term will create 10 times more problems than it solved. 

And we”ll be the ones dealing with the mess. Ie “mess” - Israel has a population of less than 10m surrounded by Arab countries of over 200m (plus Turkey is teetering)- Americans have no clue the tinder box Israel is playing with.

[I_M4_AU 7,857]

14 minutes ago, AU9377 said:

I support Israel, but there is nothing wrong with pushing for a 2 state solution or pressuring them to finish this before they lose all other international support.  Israel has every right to respond with overwhelming force, but there is a point of diminishing returns.  Everyone needs to be smart enough to gauge when that point has been reached. 

Two state solution?  I know Israel would be one state, pray tell who would be the other if Hamas is still around?  It seems this weak administration doesn’t realize your enemy has to be beaten before you let up.  Like Afghanistan, Hamas will hide in their tunnels until the West forces Israel into a cease fire and then come out waving their Hamas flags and declare victory.

Why do you think terrorism flourishes?  Why do you think Ben Laden said America doesn’t have the stomach for war?  How do you be *smart enough* when you are fighting a foe that is more focused on their mission than you are?

[I_M4_AU 7,857]

1 hour ago, auburnatl1 said:

60 years ago it was fatah, then the plo, then 10 other titles since then. Now it’s Hamas. 5 years from now a new name. 

I agreed with the first 45 days and decapitating what they could and delivering a devastating message.  But this is now officially bad ass wannabe nuts. 28000 Palestine’s killed - mostly collateral.  This is way way past symmetrical. And long term will create 10 times more problems than it solved. 

And we”ll be the ones dealing with the mess. Ie “mess” - Israel has a population of less than 10m surrounded by Arab countries of over 200m (plus Turkey is teetering)- Americans have no clue the tinder box Israel is playing with.

This almost sound antisemitic.  As Americans should back the people who attacked civilians without mercy, or back the country that was unmercifully attacked?  Is there right and wrong anymore?  Who sets the standard?  The people in Dearborn?

60 years ago there were no sneak attacks into Israel.  Israel is trying to survive against those 200m Arab countries.  Is there any moderate Arabs in the world? Or when push come to shove do Muslims revert back to extremisits?

Who said anything about symmetrical?  If the Palestinian people want to end the killing, turn over the leaders of Hamas. It all ends.

Are you in favor of the genocide of the Jewish people?  Israel is not trying to end the Palestinian people, just their leadership.

[I_M4_AU 7,857]

 

Why is it that the only nation backing Hamas openly is Iran?  Not Jordan, Eygpt (Mexico) or any other Arab country?

[aubiefifty 16,807]

yahoo.com

 

Why Trump’s comments on NATO are drawing international backlash

Kate Murphy

4–5 minutes

---

Former President Donald Trump is drawing international criticism for his comments on Saturday about the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Here’s what he said and why it’s making U.S allies nervous.

While speaking at a rally in Conway, S.C., on Saturday night, Trump suggested the U.S. shouldn’t help NATO allies that don’t contribute enough to defense spending from a potential Russian attack.

Trump claimed that during his presidency he spoke with the president of "a big country" and said he would "encourage" Russia to do whatever it wants to NATO allies that don’t pull their weight.

"You didn’t pay? You’re delinquent?" Trump recalled saying to the unnamed NATO ally. "No, I would not protect you. In fact, I would encourage them to do whatever the hell they want. You gotta pay. You gotta pay your bills."

There aren’t any membership fees for those in NATO. However, NATO nations have agreed to spend at least 2% of national GDP on defense, and many of them do not.

🛡️Why it matters

The head of NATO’s military alliance and the White House argue that Trump’s comments about NATO are a threat to the security of the alliance.

“Any suggestion that allies will not defend each other undermines all of our security, including that of the U.S., and puts American and European soldiers at increased risk,” NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said in a written statement.

The White House also issued a statement on Saturday in response to Trump’s comments. “Encouraging invasions of our closest allies by murderous regimes is appalling and unhinged — and it endangers American national security, global stability and our economy at home,” said White House spokesperson Andrew Bates.

The comments have added to uncertainty about what Trump might do if he’s elected to the White House in November. During his presidency, he expressed that he thought NATO allies take advantage of U.S. strength without giving anything in return, and while campaigning in 2016 he threatened to pull out of the NATO alliance if elected.

🤝What NATO is

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization was founded in 1949 by 12 countries, including the United States, to counter the Soviet Union amid rising Cold War tensions.

“NATO’s purpose is to guarantee the freedom and security of its members through political and military means,” according to the NATO website.

One of the most notable parts of the founding treaty is Article 5, known as its mutual defense clause, which means all allies commit to help any member who comes under attack.

In a reassurance to NATO allies, White House national security spokesman John Kirby reiterated President Biden’s serious commitment to Article 5 during Monday’s White House Press briefing. “We will defend, if needed, every inch of NATO territory. That’s what the commander in chief of the United States ought to be saying when it comes to NATO,” Kirby said.

Article 5 has only been activated once, which was by the United States following the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

🌎NATO member countries

NATO currently has 31 member countries, including the United States, Canada and European nations. The newest NATO member is Finland, which joined in April 2023 after Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Sweden is waiting for its membership to be approved.

NATO member countries. (Mahmut Resul Karaca/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

💰NATO defense contributions by country

NATO allies are committed to spend at least 2% of their Gross Domestic Product on defense in order to ensure their military readiness. The goal is voluntary, and there is no debt or “delinquency” indicated, despite what Trump stated in his comments.

According to official NATO estimates for 2023, Poland, the United States and Greece are the top three defense spending contributors, exceeding the 2% GDP target. A number of NATO nations near Russia, such as Finland and Poland, are also exceeding those targets amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Most NATO allies, however, fall well short of the benchmark. Some of the members that spend below the 2% goal on defense include France, Germany and Canada. It's also notable that Iceland, a founding NATO member, doesn’t have any armed forces, which is why it doesn't appear on the graph below.

 

Defense spending by NATO nation; 2023 figures are estimates. (Graph source: NATO)

 

Cover thumbnail photo: Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP

[auburnatl1 4,966]

42 minutes ago, I_M4_AU said:

This almost sound antisemitic.  As Americans should back the people who attacked civilians without mercy, or back the country that was unmercifully attacked?  Is there right and wrong anymore?  Who sets the standard?  The people in Dearborn?

60 years ago there were no sneak attacks into Israel.  Israel is trying to survive against those 200m Arab countries.  Is there any moderate Arabs in the world? Or when push come to shove do Muslims revert back to extremisits?

Who said anything about symmetrical?  If the Palestinian people want to end the killing, turn over the leaders of Hamas. It all ends.

Are you in favor of the genocide of the Jewish people?  Israel is not trying to end the Palestinian people, just their leadership.

Dear lord. Again,  I worked for an Israeli based company for 10 years and for 2 of them lived in Tel Aviv - and still have a zillion friends there. I’m kinda pro Israel. But like the majority of Israelis - I think Netanyahu is an idiot who screwed up that the attack could happen at all and now is just running up a reactive body count that’ll come back to haunt them.

[I_M4_AU 7,857]

1 hour ago, auburnatl1 said:

Dear lord. Again,  I worked for an Israeli based company for 10 years and for 2 of them lived in Tel Aviv - and still have a zillion friends there. I’m kinda pro Israel. But like the majority of Israelis - I think Netanyahu is an idiot who screwed up that the attack could happen at all and now is just running up a reactive body count that’ll come back to haunt them.

Israel has eliminated 18 of the 24 Hamas leaders it has identified as threats.  Is this a good time to quit?  Are you saying the most of the Israelis you know were alright with being targeted by rockets, suicide bombers and the like?  They just thought of it as an inconvenience?  I find that hard to believe.

[auburnatl1 4,966]

44 minutes ago, I_M4_AU said:

Israel has eliminated 18 of the 24 Hamas leaders it has identified as threats.  Is this a good time to quit?  Are you saying the most of the Israelis you know were alright with being targeted by rockets, suicide bombers and the like?  They just thought of it as an inconvenience?  I find that hard to believe.

Yep, they love it. And have for their entire lifetime. Its a bit more complicated than that but I’ll pass along that all you have to do is just bomb the hell out of them (ah, a new strategy), hamas won’t reconstitute in 3 months into a even larger scale and threat, and it won’t possibly escalate into a much larger war.

Turns out if you don’t understand a problem, it’s really easy to solve.

Edited February 13 by auburnatl1

[I_M4_AU 7,857]

32 minutes ago, auburnatl1 said:

Yep, they love it. And have for their entire lifetime. Its a bit more complicated than that but I’ll pass along that all you have to do is just bomb the hell out of them (ah, a new strategy), hamas won’t reconstitute in 3 months into a even larger scale and threat, and it won’t possibly escalate into a much larger war.

Turns out if you don’t understand a problem, it’s really easy to solve.

I would believe Netanyahu understands the problem more than you, but that would just be a guess.  If you think Israel is just going to let some Hamas retreads in power, you definitely don’t have a clue.

[auburnatl1 4,966]

5 minutes ago, I_M4_AU said:

I would believe Netanyahu understands the problem more than you, but that would just be a guess.  If you think Israel is just going to let some Hamas retreads in power, you definitely don’t have a clue.

You win. Youre right - it’s simple.

[I_M4_AU 7,857]

Just now, auburnatl1 said:

You win. Youre right - it’s simple.

If it were simple it would be over by now.  I would just like to see the terrorist lose instead of just hide in the tunnels and claim victory when the West decides its time for Israel to quit.