The problem with Trump's "Treasonous" NATO Stance? It's working...

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/nat...ing-is-working

that's from the NATO Secretary General:

“Allies must spend more on defense. This has been the clear message from President Trump,” he said. “And this message is having a real impact.”


The American Bully Pulpit does work, and Trump calling NATO allies out hard in public, backed by threats of reducing US spending and share of the load, has lit a fire under them.

Yes they've complained and harped and counter threatened, but of course they're going to complain about having to finally pay their share of the burden. THe US has covered their bills so they can divert more and more money into their democratic socialist agendas, and then people in the US bemoan how we don't have that.

Well they have that in part b/c the US is subsidizing it. Trump knows that, is right to say so, and right to demand it changes. Apparently, it's working. At least working better than quietly and politely bringing it up in private while sipping tea with your pinky held out.

Trump's style is brash, but so is America's, and when polite hasn't worked for decades, it's time to try something else.

BTW this worked to great effect for Reagan as well. As Trump publicly raised the question of the US withdrawing from NATO, Reagan also raised more extreme options and they worked b/c people thought Reagan just might do it, and they think Trump might as well.

It's a good strategy. Yes it scares people, but it gets results when all else has failed to budge people.

you mean this specific treason stance. Seems every stance he has is treasonous. Most damn treasonous president ever

"Traitor, noun: Anyone who wants to do anything political in a way that differs from the established norms of an un-elected ruling class"

Sorry, but that's what this has become. It's a giant lie. LIE. yes Trump is brash and I'm sure he pissed Merkle sideways, and Macron and every other leader. OK. And?

That doesn't make him treasonous, and it doesn't mean he has some nefarious motive for his actions. The only difference between Trump and at least the last 2 US administrations is that Trump says things out loud in public, but the US position re NATO hasn't changed much if any at all. Trump is just trying to actually IMPLEMENT that position.

And yes, he says lots of over the top things, many I wish he wouldn't say as well. But while that's annoying and even counterproductive and yes at times even harmful, it's still not as harmful as Obama's absolutely abrogation of US leadership globally and all it's doing is offsetting other gains Trump does make.

He's his own worst enemy, but the net effect is still largely positive. It could be even more positive if he'd control himself here and there, but that brash style is also getting results in some ways too, so he's at least moving the needle.

Trump does an awful lot of stuff that is against the political norm that seems to work. NATO allies paying more of a share, North Korea not testing nukes, Syrians have put the Kabash on using poison gas on their own people, the Chinese are on the verge of lowering tariffs. It’s amazing what some spine and backbone will do on the world stage.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by KeithKSR

Trump does an awful lot of stuff that is against the political norm that seems to work. NATO allies paying more of a share, North Korea not testing nukes, Syrians have put the Kabash on using poison gas on their own people, the Chinese are on the verge of lowering tariffs. It’s amazing what some spine and backbone will do on the world stage.

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Amen!
I am not a big fan of President Trump, but a lot of what he is doing, policy-wise, seems to be giving America the intended results that are working in America's favor.
What a novel idea! Putting America, her interests, and her citizens first? How bold & brash is that? 😎

Quote:

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Originally Posted by suncat05

Amen!
I am not a big fan of President Trump, but a lot of what he is doing, policy-wise, seems to be giving America the intended results that are working in America's favor.
What a novel idea! Putting America, her interests, and her citizens first? How bold & brash is that? 

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It's not just brash, it's apparently down right insulting to many on the Left. To simply believe America should come first in American policy is somehow in that "racist, sexist homophobe" region for a lot of people.

It ties in with the comments by Cuomo and others that America has never been "great". They are apologists, more ashamed than proud of the American heritage and history. And that's the truth they wont' admit. They don't see us as a shining beacon on a hill, but as a deeply flawed culture and nation with the wrong values that must be, to borrow Obama, "transformed."

And that's why they hate Trump so much, b/c he basically embraces "America" as it is, as it has been. Flag waving, middle America. The Left has spent decades in education and media trying to convince us to be ashamed, and he's not ashamed and neither are those who vote for him, and that has them torn absolutely sideways.

FWIW Hungary also likes us a lot more. they're also a populist government irght now, and sick of the massive immigration run going on in Europe and have put limits on it, much to the dismal of people like Merkel in Germany. As their representative said, what they got from Obama was a lot of "lecturing" on what they should be doing different.

Trump isn't terribly interested in what they should be doing different internally, but he just inked a stronger defense agreement with them, creating more hegemony against Russia in Eastern Europe.

Another move of the "Putin Puppet" no doubt. Somehow it's a sneaky way to help Putin by pulling Eastern Europe closer to the US. He's done so in Poland and Hungary, the Ukraine and the Baltics now. Man, what a lie that was.