The End of NATO

[Svartalf]

If he pulls out all those troops how is he going to justify the military budget to congress?

And that is the crux of the matter. It's impossible to justify the insane military budget unless you have insane military expenses. This is one reason the Libertarian Party is opposed by pretty much every Big Money interest, including the U.S. military establishment. If we stopped fucking about in other countries' business we might not need 10 carrier strike groups or the two largest air forces in the world.

The other reason Libertarians are not taken seriously is we're mostly batshit crazy, dope smoking, anarchist leaning, survivalist gun nuts.

Everyone knows what Jesus would do...... and it's boring.

What would Rome do? Build the biggest Army and Navy and make Mexico Europe pay for it. Well, every country that relies on international trade that doesn't have the world's ONLY Navy that isn't a joke. Ensuring the safety of international ship trade is surely worth a modest 1.5% of the World's GDP as a US tax.

LOL, if we pay for navy expansions, it will be our own. After all, if the US is turning into a rival and can't be relied on as a protector, we need our own navies, not to pay for theirs. period,

[Scot Dutchy]

Just ask the Russians.

[Jason]

Tyrannical is just delusional. China is set to simply take over where the US is abandoning it's commitments.

[Svartalf]

except he seems bent on abandoning his commitments on the Russian side, where I don't see Europe asking China to take over... as for reducing his commitments in East Asia, I see China seizing the hegemony if he does, yes... but seriously, I don't even know if the US have room in homeland naval bases for all the forces stationed in Japan....

[Jason]

If OBOR ever gets finished, Europeans could find themselves tied very closely to China.

[Svartalf]

Even with OBOR, I doubt China will want direct military involvement with nations that far away and far inferior in culture

[Tyrannical]

If he pulls out all those troops how is he going to justify the military budget to congress?

And that is the crux of the matter. It's impossible to justify the insane military budget unless you have insane military expenses. This is one reason the Libertarian Party is opposed by pretty much every Big Money interest, including the U.S. military establishment. If we stopped fucking about in other countries' business we might not need 10 carrier strike groups or the two largest air forces in the world.

The other reason Libertarians are not taken seriously is we're mostly batshit crazy, dope smoking, anarchist leaning, survivalist gun nuts.

Everyone knows what Jesus would do...... and it's boring.

What would Rome do? Build the biggest Army and Navy and make Mexico Europe pay for it. Well, every country that relies on international trade that doesn't have the world's ONLY Navy that isn't a joke. Ensuring the safety of international ship trade is surely worth a modest 1.5% of the World's GDP as a US tax.

I must have something crazy in my eyes, because I think I just read you suggesting that America hold global maritime trade hostage to Trump's will.

Now I know you're just trolling.

Hostage? Or paying the US a fair dime for ensuring it. Or does global maritime trade come for free? No one thinks about it until 'some' country threatens it. The US polices the world's oceans, it's only fair everyone pays a small security tax to the US. You pay tax dollars for local police, it should be no different.
World GDP $78 trillion minus US GDP $18.5 = $59.5, so roughly $500 billion the UN should pay the US every year.

[Jason]

If he pulls out all those troops how is he going to justify the military budget to congress?

And that is the crux of the matter. It's impossible to justify the insane military budget unless you have insane military expenses. This is one reason the Libertarian Party is opposed by pretty much every Big Money interest, including the U.S. military establishment. If we stopped fucking about in other countries' business we might not need 10 carrier strike groups or the two largest air forces in the world.

The other reason Libertarians are not taken seriously is we're mostly batshit crazy, dope smoking, anarchist leaning, survivalist gun nuts.

Everyone knows what Jesus would do...... and it's boring.

What would Rome do? Build the biggest Army and Navy and make Mexico Europe pay for it. Well, every country that relies on international trade that doesn't have the world's ONLY Navy that isn't a joke. Ensuring the safety of international ship trade is surely worth a modest 1.5% of the World's GDP as a US tax.

I must have something crazy in my eyes, because I think I just read you suggesting that America hold global maritime trade hostage to Trump's will.

Now I know you're just trolling.

Hostage? Or paying the US a fair dime for ensuring it. Or does global maritime trade come for free? No one thinks about it until 'some' country threatens it. The US polices the world's oceans, it's only fair everyone pays a small security tax to the US. You pay tax dollars for local police, it should be no different.
World GDP $78 trillion minus US GDP $18.5 = $59.5, so roughly $500 billion the UN should pay the US every year.

America is to 'ensure' our trade against their depredations for a nominal fee. I'm not a lawyer, but I think there's something in criminal law about that kind of thing.

[Svartalf]

we're already paying Merka a fair dime for its military protection... WE largely pay for the troops stationed here, and for the bases where they are stationed... like, the US get them for free rather than paying rent

[Tyrannical]

Tyrannical is just delusional. China is set to simply take over where the US is abandoning it's commitments.

LOL (all caps)

Yes, China is. A communist totalitarian dictatorship.
Trump or Jinping? Choose carefully as you may not get another chance

[Jason]

They're more reliable and trustworthy at this point.

[Svartalf]

actually, China is anything BUT communist... maybe it was in Mao's day, but that was 40 years ago, and in the meantime it has turned into a highly liberal, utterly capitalistic totalitarian dictatorship...

[laklak]

Once our Chinese Overlords are here we'll get us some authentic Schezuan, and I love me some good Schezuan. No more of this Americanized Chop Suey garbage, I want fermented pigeon eyeballs and Moo Shu dog testicles. And fuck the rhinos and tigers, what have they ever done for us?

[Tyrannical]

actually, China is anything BUT communist... maybe it was in Mao's day, but that was 40 years ago, and in the meantime it has turned into a highly liberal, utterly capitalistic totalitarian dictatorship...

So, is that Jinping over Trump? Or rather Putin?
Seriously, I don't know why the US spends a dime on EU security.

[Jason]

How long do you calculate you'll be able to sustain this massive military power with which you'd have your head of state run a protection racket when your nation has been isolated economically from the rest of the world?

Because that's how your strategy would be met.