Article

2020-06-25 Europe

Trump Announces Troops Moving From Germany To Poland, Accuses Germany Of ‘Delinquency’

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Posted by trailing wife 2020-06-25 00:00|| || Front Page|| [11135 views ] Top

#1 Your exposed logistic tail just grew longer. Given Merkle, I wouldn't count on that being open if 'issues' arise.

Posted by Procopius2k 2020-06-25 08:16|| 2020-06-25 08:16|| Front Page Top

#2 Been hearing about US troops moving to Poland for years and years but nothing. Are the Poles demanding too much in return? In any case, screw all of them. I hope President Trump brings them all home...something 25 years too late.

Posted by Clem 2020-06-25 08:20|| 2020-06-25 08:20|| Front Page Top

#3 I suppose most Germans would rather have American troops in Poland rather Germany.

Posted by Vespasian Ebboting9735 2020-06-25 09:39|| 2020-06-25 09:39|| Front Page Top

#4 Donald Trump says thousands of U.S. troops will move from Germany to Poland as he attacks Angela Merkel's government for 'not paying' for NATO

Posted by Skidmark 2020-06-25 09:54|| 2020-06-25 09:54|| Front Page Top

#5 #3 - "But leave your money"

Posted by Frank G 2020-06-25 10:41|| 2020-06-25 10:41|| Front Page Top

#6 "Trump thanked Poland for fully meeting its pledge to donate 2% of its annual GDP toward NATO"

How often will this nonsense be repeated? There are no "donations" to NATO. Countries pledge to spend 2% of their GDP on THEIR OWN defense. This can be (and is) done with creative accounting.

Frankly the percentage doesn't matter. What matters is ON WHAT the money is spent. A common European defense would need to spend more than 1%. Just eliminate the redundancies.

Btw. Germany subsidizes every US military person with 15,000 Euros.

The local landlords, butchers, bakers, restaurants (and seamstresses) will be unhappy, but that's about it.

I must say that apart from some locals in Wiesbaden or Grafenwöhr, nobody in Germany cares.

"U.S. forces in Germany will decrease from 52,000 to roughly 25,000"

52,000? Trump keeps repeating that number. it's wrong. 34,500 is the correct number. This means a reduction of 9,500. No big deal.

Posted by European Conservative 2020-06-25 13:48|| 2020-06-25 13:48|| Front Page Top

#7 "wouldn't need"

Posted by European Conservative 2020-06-25 13:49|| 2020-06-25 13:49|| Front Page Top

#8 That is about the total US Forces in Europe. The article picked the wrong number.

Posted by Ebberens Glimp4613 2020-06-25 14:21|| 2020-06-25 14:21|| Front Page Top

#9 No the article didn't, Trump did in his Tulsa speech. From the transcript:

Germany is an example. I mean I have a German heritage like some of you. I said, “Let’s get it down from $50,000.00 to $25,000.00 because they’re delinquent. For many years they’re delinquent. They haven’t been paying what they’re supposed to be paying. They’re paying 1% instead of 2% and 2% is a very low number,” and they say, “Yes, we think by

Posted by European Conservative 2020-06-25 18:45|| 2020-06-25 18:45|| Front Page Top

#10 I figure as long as German troops lack adequate bullets for training and fighting, and adequate spare parts to repair their vehicles, they aren’t spending enough no matter how they parse accounting categories. If the numbers are imaginary, why has Chancellor Merkel repeatedly made promises to increase spending to meet that treaty goal, then subsequently we’ve seen articles saying Germany has not done so?

Posted by trailing wife 2020-06-25 19:33|| 2020-06-25 19:33|| Front Page Top

#11 Feeling is mutual EC, so why don't you personally tell Wadephul,to shove it up his ass.

Posted by bbrewer126 2020-06-25 19:42|| 2020-06-25 19:42|| Front Page Top

#12 If I were the German defense secretary I'd deliver a functioning military with 1 % of the German GDP. No bragging.

The quote from Independence Day you certainly all know well:

"You didn't think they actually spent ten thousand dollars for a hammer and thirty thousand for a toilet seat, did you?"

Unfortunately, they DO.

Posted by European Conservative 2020-06-25 22:52|| 2020-06-25 22:52|| Front Page Top

#13 If I were the German defense secretary I'd deliver a functioning military with 1 % of the German GDP. No bragging.

I have no doubt you could do it, European Conservative. Many others could, as well, on both sides of the pond, if only they were permitted to do so.

I equally have no doubt that if Germany were to deliver that functioning military, President Trump would not fuss about your spending being only half of what has repeatedly been committed to. After all, Germans are famous for spending what it takes to get things that work as they ought, as opposed to things that are merely stylish. That’s what makes the current shortchanging of your military even more frustrating — we expect better of you. ;-)

Posted by trailing wife 2020-06-25 23:05|| 2020-06-25 23:05|| Front Page Top

#14 The U.S. would probably be happy. I'm not so sure about France, Poland, the Netherlands...

Posted by European Conservative 2020-06-25 23:08|| 2020-06-25 23:08|| Front Page Top

#15 It's almost rollover time, so this will be for another day. Our idea of the military in the 21st century needs to change radically.

Posted by European Conservative 2020-06-25 23:09|| 2020-06-25 23:09|| Front Page Top

#16 I'm not so sure about France, Poland, the Netherlands...

“Don’t mention the war.” Yeah. But that ended three quarters of a century ago — people really need to get over it. The children of that era are in the eighties and nineties now.

Posted by trailing wife 2020-06-25 23:12|| 2020-06-25 23:12|| Front Page Top

#17 @tw

Trust me. Germany still needs to tread carefully in Europe.

Posted by European Conservative 2020-06-25 23:15|| 2020-06-25 23:15|| Front Page Top

#18 Btw that now famous 2% pledge was never intended to binding, was intendeds as a "towards to" (you know what this political promise means) and was only to be reached in 2024.

No "delinquency" here. The funny (or rather not so funny) thing is that due to Civid-19 German GDP will shrink and therefore we'll reach 1.5 % without spending a dime more.

Posted by European Conservative 2020-06-25 23:19|| 2020-06-25 23:19|| Front Page Top

#19 And since 2014 Germany has actually increased defense spending by 45%. I really wonder where all that money went.

Posted by European Conservative 2020-06-25 23:22|| 2020-06-25 23:22|| Front Page Top

23:22 European Conservative
23:19 European Conservative
23:15 European Conservative
23:12 trailing wife
23:09 European Conservative
23:08 European Conservative
23:05 trailing wife
22:52 European Conservative
21:54 Crins Throlusing3119
21:38 Lonzo Hapsburg5562
21:34 Lonzo Hapsburg5562
20:46 Woodrow
20:41 Frank G
20:24 Mercutio
20:19 Clem
19:42 bbrewer126
19:33 trailing wife
19:24 Frank G
18:58 Frank G
18:54 Frank G
18:47 JohnQC
18:45 European Conservative
18:41 Frank G
18:24 trailing wife