Are Europeans 'pathetic European free loaders'?

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WhatsApp chat released today from the US calling Europeans 'pathetic European free-loaders'.

One of our closest allies! What about support from European countries after September 11th?

AIBU to expect more professional language?

I'd say that it ramped up as the death toll in Iraq and Afghanistan climbed. Then they elected the orangutan the first time around and people thought that he was a joke. The second time around he's even more of a joke but no one is laughing.

US voters thinking well sod you then, you pay, probably contributed to the second term.

To add Blair made the decision ultimately so if people want to put the blame he’s not scot free.

waltzingparrot · Today 10:21
"Well I'm a European that has been listening to the Americans asking us to up our defence payments for years and years (pre Trump) and we've mainly ignored that yet still felt entitled to their protection. I'm not surprised that it's this administration that has got angry about it and is now treating Europe in the way it is. Of course he should be presidential and use diplomatic language but he doesn't possess these abilities so he's going to treat us like a naughty toddler who hasn't done as requested and punish us."

*For some reason your comment cannot be quoted

@waltzingparrot What's "Presidential"

Owning slaves like george washington, thomas jefferson (who also raped at least one of his) and 10 other slave owning, white supremacist tyrants who were president in the white settler entity that is america? That type of "presidential"?

Or saying... "I am not nor ever have been in favor of making voters or jurors of negroes, nor of qualifying them to hold office, nor to intermarry with white people; and I will say in addition to this that there is a physical difference between the white and black races which will ever forbid the two races living together on terms of social and political equality. And inasmuch as they cannot so live, while they do remain together, there must be the position of superior. I am as much as any other man in favor of having the superior position assigned to the white race" like abraham lincoln in 1858. That type of "presidential"?

Or on the Natives being massacred by the racist white settler entity theodore roosevelt said "I don't go so far as to think that the only good Indians are dead Indians, but I believe nine out of ten are, and I shouldn't like to inquire too closely into the case of the tenth". That type of "presidential"?

Or woodrow wilson screening Birth of a Nation (1915) in the White House (a building built by slaves), a racist film that launched the second era Ku Klux Klan. That type of "presidential"?

Or sleeping with anything in a skirt like John f Kennedy. That type of "presidential"?

Or on being asked if interracial marraige should be made legal in the racist white settler entity harry truman in 1963 said "Would you want your daughter to marry a Negro? She won't love someone who isn't her color". That type of presidential?

Or calling Africans monkeys like ronald reagan. That type of presidential?

Or having your dick sucked by an intern like clinton. That type of presidential?

What is this "presidential" you speak of?

This image of the white settlers is the first "presidential" get together.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/jul/05/facebook-declaration-of-independence-hate-speech

🤣 Very true!

I do think the US are entitled to expect European countries contribute more towards NATO but any ally worth their salt would have announced a phased withdrawal.

It's similar with USAID. Them axeing various programs, overnight and with no notice, led to many deaths that could have been mitigated by some sort of notice period.

They are deliberately causing as much hardship and suffering as possible .

It has become so outrageous that nothing is a surprise anymore, everytime I see something new in the press it has become a shoulder shrugging event, we’re past the point of being shocked.

Just at the time when the far right seems to be reasserting itself in Germany.

Apparently, she is a practicing Buddhist - only someone who believes they have infinite lives will waste one on being married to Vance

We do blame Blair for dragging us into it. But he wouldn't have anything to drag us into if it hadn't been for the Americans.

But this wouldn't explain why German defence spending in 1960 (only 15 years after WW2) was at 5% and then steadily fell to a low of around 1% in the 2000s.

Despite how low US presidents went in the past, the US has now found one who trumps them all. George W Bush looks like a statesman compared with this idiot.

With the backing of quite a few figures in the US administration.

He could have said no rather than yes.

I agree, but they have to keep up appearances. They cannot uninvite him or talk badly about US.
We have to take action behind the scenes, but face to face keep exactly the same. It is sad, but that is how diplomacy is.
I mean, I just watched this weekend the Russian ambassador saying, with a straight face, that Ukraine has to be friendly to Russia.
We have to keep that straight face too.

He could, and he is pretty much despised in the UK for not doing so. But the fact remains that it was a US-led misadventure. I remember the French being ridiculed by Americans as "cheese-eating surrender monkeys" for not partaking, with French fries being renamed "freedom fries". Of course the Americans were always very sore that the French maintained independent procurement rather than just buying from Lockheed like the US wanted it to. The fact is that Britain has spent the last 50 years supporting American interests. When we were under threat we got little help from the US. So it's a great cheek for the US to accuse us of "freeloading" when it is us who have been working for them and lining the US DIB's profit margins.

What about if Europe is reducing its expenditure in weapons purposely? Because they do want a peaceful world.

Why do we all need to have mass murder weapons up to our eyeballs?
Only reason is Putin. Take Putin out and Europe would be better off spending money in our life, rather than these poor guys death.

Trump tonight

“Europe is freeloading.”

“We will look into the Russian request for sanctions relief.”

Wasn’t West German military expenditure was influenced by East German & USSR expenditure and influence?

No surprises there. I’m amazed it’s taken Trump this long to suggest loosening sanctions.

I’m in the U.K., not US. I don’t think everyone despises Blair, he often gets a pretty soft ride on mn for instance.

As for procurement, the US presumably kept producing and developing whilst others bought. That’s left the EU in the situation they’re in.

I don’t actually welcome the next round of lethal weapons we’re about to see. If we think about what might be developed. But I guess there’s not much choice. Sadly

I know. Dubya must be laughing like a drain at all this.

I’m glad Europe has finally seen what the USA government is really about. They hate us because we are not as money obsessed and have social programmes to help our citizens.

They don’t want Americans to know this which is why their news and education is so insular. They don’t want Americans to see an alternative and start questioning why the richest country in the world is so dog eat dog and Darwinian in nature.

They need to drive wedges between us, promote traitors into power and bankrupt us.

@MushMonster

Well having a state sanctioned assassination of the President of large nuclear armed country is probably not a smart move, that won't end well.

Plus it is incredibly naive to assume that Putin's replacement is going to be some nice cuddly pro western democratic type especially when the West assassinated his predecessor. Far more likely would be that Putin's replacement would be even more dictatorial and aggressive.

Next you are right that it is the choice of European voters as to whether they wish to increase defence spending or not. But that choice comes at the price of throwing Ukraine under a bus and quite possibly Moldova and the Baltic States as well in the future.

The reality is that the US has walked off the job and it's up to Europe to decide whether they want to support Ukraine in the form of military support especially ammunition or whether they just want to give supportive speeches instead.

In context, Germany has been a model of modern democratic politics for 70 years. Germany has also been a huge economic success. The shine is coming off now, and this is the point when all of Europe needs whether to choose freedom, and to spend quite a lot more on defence, or to just roll over to more powerful economic players. I am very seriously interested in this equation, but only because my degree was in P&G, and I don't have any pat answer. This post is an "I DON'T KNOW".

This is such a good point. When you look into how much tax many major American corporations pay in the UK, it is a miniscule percentage of their sales revenue here.

They lie and say they are based in Luxembourg etc, but we know they are not, and we know they are gaming the system.

These corporations profit from our consumption, our infrastructure, our rule of law, our education system and our welfare benefits - all of which we British taxpayers pay for.

And then their pretty-much-tax-free profits are repatriated to and enjoyed by US companies and US executives and US shareholders. (Yes I know shareholders live globally).

So yes, who are the freeloaders? is a bloody good question.