Trumps comment about European NATO troups in Afganistan

[Mirrorx]

We know he's wrong and many European countries lost more soliders per capita than the US did. We know he's often offensive, but this feels different. Like a final straw.

How bad exactly would it be if Europe told him they weren't pandering to him anymore? I think European would include the UK, despite the disaster of Brexit.

It's disgusting but roughly what we've come to expect from this pig.

Well yes, but I'm wondering just exactly how bad things would get if Europe said enough's enough and stopped considering his needs all the time.

I don't like all the posturing and aggression and bluster. I don't think arguing back with him benefits anyone except Darth Marmalade himself. He loves the attention and it gives him a reason to keep performing. I wish the other NATO countries would just start dumping a bit - or maybe a lot - of US debt. Calmly and quietly. Hit him where it hurts because let's be honest, he's all about the money. It's much less aggressive and the rest of us then don't have to keep listening to so much bullshit.

He expects the rest of the world to suck up all the shit he delivers and, as long as that is tolerated, he will continue.
Also, I have never hated Brexit more than I do now. We were always stronger together - think what we could have been!

I hope that for anyone thinking of voting for Reform/Farage, Trump's arse-licker-in-chief, this week has been a huge wake-up call.

I'm glad our politicians have been so vocal about this. I'm angry, I can't imagine what those who lost loved ones or those seriously injured feel like after those comments.

For someone so worried about China and Russia getting Iceland Greenland, the effort he's putting into destabilising NATO is insane.

Has Farage resurfaced after the illness that meant he couldn't face his press commitments last weekend?

Easier said than done to dump US debt. You have to find a buyer.

I was talking to a mid Westerner Trump supporter the other day. They asked me what I thought the US would lose in the short to medium term if they were to radically reduce their support for NATO.

As they saw it, the US would save billions and could focus more effort on Asia Pacific and Latin America, areas which had far greater direct impact on the US than the Old World.

Europe would finally have to step up and start paying for its own defence. They had had plenty of notice and had chosen not to do so when asked nicely.

There would be no loss for the US arms industry as the idea that Europe could defend itself in the short to medium term without buying US manufactured weapons and systems was ludicrous.

I found much of this unpalatable but difficult to dispute.

He is in Davos

He is quiet about Trump's comments unlike every other party.

I think there are some factors missing from that though - save billions? Is the US going to suddenly stop worrying about Russia and China then? Presumably not but then it has lost its wing man. Trump might argue that the other NATO members didn't do anything helpful (despite plenty of evidence to the contrary in the form of dead NATO soldiers in Afghanistan...) but it is definitely in a stronger position against Russia, China and anywhere else as part of NATO. That's the point of the whole organisation. The strength of NATO - arguably the same as the benefit of nuclear weapons - is in its deterrent aspect. The US without NATO, like any other country regardless of NATO, is more vulnerable alone than it is as a group. However I don't think the usefulness or otherwise of NATO is really the point or the problem here. It's the fact that Trump just keeps making demonstrably false statements along these lines. Fucking lying to be honest.

I sit in front of BBC News all day at work. Every party. ex-servicemen etc have all come out to condemn these remarks, and Emily Thornberry was very scathing on Question Time last night.
From Reform...not a peep.

Interesting because I asked AI what he'd said on the matter and it came up with remarks from Davos similar to what everyone else is saying, bbutI can't find any actual news coverage of anything he's said on the subject.

Can anyone explain how he seems to be able to say/ do whatever he fancies without any input from the Senate, House of Representatives or his own political party - who I thought were meant to check his actions.
He seems to just be able to " go off on one" whenever he wants to without any of the normal checks and balances.
He behaves more like a dictator than an elected representative.
Why they allow a draft- dodging slime ball like him to play such a dangerous game of name- calling beggars belief.

I am beyond incensed that the draft dodging coward dare to question the commitment of our troops who have served and fought alongside US and other NATO troops. Yes our commitment is a lot smaller than the US but for many conflicts such as Afghanistan and Iraq we have enabled the US to show a multi national aspect to these conflicts. I hope that we just withdraw from the US and leave them to deal with their own problems, I assume like most leaders who are in difficulty he is deflecting from internal issues by being such a twat. When he has gone and someone sane is in charge we could return to a more friendly supportive relationship but until then he can simply fuck off.

This. I’m right of centre (moderately) but despise Reform and would rather have a second Labour government. Let this be a lesson to them all.

Why why why isn't it possible for just one of the European leaders to stand up after (or better, while) the orange clown is jibbering and say "NO". They just sit there like dumb idiots lapping it up.

They are in unknown territory. Carney has his measure but diplomacy is a real thing. However they can't rely on Trump going anytime soon so they have to step up. Putin would just slap him then arrange an accident (not suggesting that's a solution for Europe).