What's this, reflexive reeing about Trump with no thought? Yes, that's our pig.
What is "insane" about this proposal? The part where Trump is the one saying it? NATO Secretary-General agrees.
For the past decade, some publications, and lemmings like Rick, have tried to paint Trump as trying to destroy NATO. Destroy how? By pushing NATO members to fulfill the defense spending obligations they've undertaken. Make it make sense.
Trump was right then, and he is right now. If it wasn't clear during his first presidency due to TDS, it should at least be clear now in retrospect.
Yes, 5% of GDP is more than the U.S. is spending. Is the U.S. about to get invaded by any country? No. Is there a real possibility that Russia may attack NATO in Europe sometime in the next decade? Yes. The countries bordering Russia certainly think so. Getting serious about improving defense capabilities is rational deterrence.
There is already a war going on in Europe. If it expands into NATO territory, Europeans should expect American assistance, but should not rely on Americans being the primary force to bail them out. How does it make sense to put your continent's security in the hands of a different country across the ocean?
Patrick cannot comprehend what is going on here, because it does not fit within his "Trump is a Russian asset" framework. If Trump loves Putin so much, why does his vision seem to be a U.S. and Europe each powerful enough to confidently deal with their direct threats, and together powerful enough to deter any or all adversaries on the planet?
An alliance where one party is by far the largest contributor is inherently unstable. If they leave for whatever reason, that's it. A NATO where everyone is pulling their weight, with no single point of failure, is in all members' best interests.
The world is getting more unstable. A target of 5% of GDP is realistic and reasonable for a credible guarantee of security. Countries like Poland and the Baltics are already on par with the U.S. (in terms of defense budget as a share of GDP), and the rest of Europe should follow suit.