An end to your freeloading. I hope.

[arsenal]

Donald Trump is a total twat, that is undeniable. But I did enjoy watching him chastise these 'world leaders' for their decades long freeloading at the expense of The US and it must be said The UK. Hard also, not to agree with what he says.

http://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-us-canada-40050926/trump-pushes-past-montenegro-s-pm

[cdnmatt]

Would hold out on the "hope" part for now. In general, I agree with the premise, but this is Trump we're talking about. He has a peenchant for totally fucking things up, and knowing him, may irrepairable damage NATO, allowing the Russians to run through another country or two.

[Surfcrest]

I think the discussion is about defense spending and this artificial target of 2% of GDP as a goal Nato partners are expected to invest. But then you see the US sailing a few miles from the man made island in the south China sea and an air craft carrier cruising near North Korea, poking dirty fingers in an already highly sensitized conflict...do I want my tax dollars spent towards beefing up our military so that we can join in on that? Or more appropriately, has the US been spending far too much on defense and far too little on peace?

If you look at this ISIS situation and where that all began...I think the Americans should be held accountable for what their military spending did in Iraq and how farther ahead they would be as a people if that had of just invested that same amount of money into education so that they don't elect any more idiots.

Surfcrest

[frequent]

Would hold out on the "hope" part for now. In general, I agree with the premise, but this is Trump we're talking about. He has a peenchant for totally fucking things up, and knowing him, may irrepairable damage NATO, allowing the Russians to run through another country or two.I admire The Donald. Who else would have the courage to nominate a drag queen as a spokeswoman on the cable channels?4540

[arsenal]

Surfcrest: So do you think China should just be allowed to do exactly what it wants with no one standing up to it?. Because by all accounts only China recognises their claim to the entire vast South China Sea. (Maybe Cambodia too)

[Surfcrest]

I don't think posturing with military hardware (That the US insists all Nato members also posses) in front of your adversary's door step is the best form of dialogue. Maybe, once upon a time someone thought that strategy worked during the Cuban Missile Crisis and now that's the only card that gets played. People forget how that almost didn't turn out so well for the world and that thankfully rational men made the right decisions. Now we have Trump, Putin and Kim Jong-un and neither are rational...let alone sane.

It's the same with ISIS, I fear. There is no way you can go over there and kill every last one, because a new one is born every day...possibly more. You need to kill the cause, not the people behind the cause.

Don't blame Iran for terrorism, while you are standing on Saudi Arabian soil (Home of Osama Bin Laden) unless you are able to show us Iranian terrorists. From all accounts, Iran has been doing an even better job mopping up ISIS than the US and Russia combined, an the US created ISIS.

You need only to look towards Ireland to see how that situation was addressed to know how it needs to be done.

And while the world is posturing...let's not forget about South Sudan, where this military spending might make a positive difference right now, but it isn't.

Surfcrest

[arsenal]

With regards to ISIS then Iran and The USA are virtually allies. (I am always impressed how countries can put things aside and work together on perhaps the one thing they agree on.) I would agree that the US and the UK created ISIS. One point here. During the many protests against the Iraq invasion (which I followed closely) it was not the creation of the power vacuum that was the argument against, it was the humanitarian one. Few, if any were saying that countries in the Middle East are simply incapable of democracy. Only the Arab spring and it's aftermath finally proved that.

We are currently in an arms build up the like of which the world has never seen before and unfortunately history tells us that if the other side does it then so must you. History also tells us that arms build ups usually result in one thing.

Ireland was different. The IRA was all but beaten and it was they who approached John Major's government to try and reach an agreement.

[Surfcrest]

More dangerous posturing by the blonde crazy man....

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-northkorea-missiles-submarines-idUSKBN18K15Y

Surfcrest