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Hard Power and Soft Power
- Thread starter taxi1
- Start date
I’m OK with this as long as we switch out our current base housing mold for some edible types of mold.
I'll meet you halfway if it includes GO/FO, E-9, expectant mother parking spaces on base being illegal...and subject to pretrial confinement at Guantanamo for base commanders who allow it.
* Threadjack *
In 1994 during the GWCSG deployment (USS CONOLLY - DD-979), we pulled into Stavanger for some sweet Norwegian liberty. In port was a RUS Udaloy Frigate and a GER Adams Class Destroyer. We got to tour the Udaloy and I even scored a traditional Ushanka and drank a few beers with them. The ship was "bad" on the inside. Next, we visited the GER Adams class and were invited down into their Petty Officers mess around lunchtime. At midnight, or thereabouts, we emerged from the ship and tried to make our way back to the ship. We stumbled upon three Norwegian girls who said they were interested in a tour of the helo and hangar. We crossed the brow more than two hours after liberty expiration. The OOD saw the Norwegian girls and said "hurry up." We did, with no harm and no foul. Not sure if this counts for either a Russian or German exchange tour, but we did uphold the finest traditions of the United States Navy . . .
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Got me laughing over my coffee!
"Disruptive" and "innovation" circa 2014.
The US has given $69 billion of military aid to Ukraine as of 20 January 2025 while the rest of the world has provided $70 billion in military aid, with the vast majority of that coming from European countries.
As for the 'EU stepping up' and most of the rest of Europe already do, it is called NATO.
My flip comment about an exchange tour with Russia aside, POTUS has been coming down *far* harder on Zelensky, Europe, and Ukraine than he is on Putin and Russia. It looks like an impending reversal of support, where Russia becomes the ally and Europe and Ukraine get in line behind.
It looks like POTUS' goal is to join with Russia and carve up the world. Predatory. We get Greenland, Panama, Canada and Russia gets the USSR back.
Just a complete reversal after 75 years or so history.
Are the American people going to go along with this?
We probably need a "Grand Strategy" thread, because this is bigger than USAID or even Ukraine. It's just a complete change in our reality.
It looks like POTUS' goal is to join with Russia and carve up the world. Predatory. We get Greenland, Panama, Canada and Russia gets the USSR back.
Just a complete reversal after 75 years or so history.
Are the American people going to go along with this?
We probably need a "Grand Strategy" thread, because this is bigger than USAID or even Ukraine. It's just a complete change in our reality.
You are correct, I have rolled in aid packages in the works (that may have been recently cancelled) skewing my numbers higher than actual output. That said, my point is more in line with what the former Prime Minister of Finland said recently…”America is right. It is entirely reasonable for American taxpayers to question why they should shoulder more of the cost of European security than Europe itself. Given the clear message from Washington, it is simply unrealistic not to strengthen Europe’s own defense capabilities.” I want to kick Putin in the teeth as much as the next patriot, but why can’t Europe actually pay for majority of their own defense?
"Congress has passed five bills appropriating $175 billion in response to Russia’s February 2022 invasion of Ukraine. While most of this spending is aid going to the government of Ukraine, a large portion is funding other U.S. government activities associated with the war."
Do we though? Only a fraction of our forces are allocated for or actually in Europe, to include our entire defense budget against Europe's when the bulk of our forces are outside the region and focused elsewhere is disingenuous at best.
We were talking specifically about military aid.
If only we had a long series of national discussions about this very question. Quaint, living room style events, with a President explaining this very thing over the air waves, family huddled next to the fire place. Hell, might even called them Fireside Chats.
SNARK! Talk about disingenuous. We are in a discussion about NATO and Europe and that is what we are discussing. But, assuming you are a math guy, here are some numbers.
Top 10 NATO Countries with the Highest Defense Expenditures (by total US millions)
US. $860,000
Germany $68,080
UK. $65,763
France $56,649
Italy. $31,585
Poland $29,105
Canada $28,950
Spain $19,179
Holland $16,741
Turkey $15,842
So, yes, in terms of this discussion…about Europe…we spend more to defend them they do to defend themselves.
This isn’t 1939….times have changed.