US officials have been hyping the need to dramatically escalate military spending across Europe, a NATO “rearmament” to Cold War-era spending levels to counter the Russian “threat” to the continent.
The push is getting a lot more vigorous in recent weeks, but many EU nations, Germany in particular, are seeing strong resistance to the idea, and aren’t buying Russia as excuse to throw massive amounts of additional money at the country.
“Not a single NATO country is in any way threatened,” noted German MP Alexander Neu, dubbing the stories about Russia “artificial hysteria” being used to drum up support for NATO spending.
Even without the US, NATO’s European nations far outspend Russia’s military on their own, and many of those nations see the “two percent of GDP” spending the US is pushing as a waste of money at a time when budgets are tight.
As usual, Germany has the right idea, but once the US talks to them, they'll change their tune immediately and endorse whatever stupidity the USG demands.
As usual, Germany has the right idea, but once the US talks to them, they'll change their tune immediately and endorse whatever stupidity the USG demands.
The price one has to pay living under the shadow of the US
I don't think so… The German people are more vocal and quick to demonstrate in large groups when it comes to governmental policies and unlike the lazy, complacent Americans, hold their elected accountable – and they vote. Maybe what the Americans need to wake up is to spend some time under a real dictator – perhaps then they would appreciate the right to vote.
Merkel may "promise" Obama but when the details come out and the voters have their say – promises mean nothing when internal peace is in question.
The german people generally believe that since the fall of the USSR there is no need for expanding the military and especially using funds better spent on social needs and infrastructure.
Yes, but that assumes that the German people have some major influence on government. They don't. Germans don't want their army in Afghanistan and expanding in Africa, Merkel does it anyway. Germans want asylum for Snowden, Merkel plays deaf. Yes, Germans are quicker to take it to the streets, but that is irrelevant to the political class in Berlin.
The Germans, from my experience (academia), are more likely to show their displeasure at the voting booth. Now perhaps my insight is relegated to a small percentage of the people but these are people who study politics and social interactions so I tend to put some store in their opinions. But, like I said, a small percentage of the voting block.
Usually. But not during the last election. Presently, with the grand coalition, opposition parties (greens and left) are barely represented in Congress. Germany has been thoroughly neoconized. The pro-Europe, pro-immigration, pro-NATO, pro-war agenda continues but now in effect unchallenged. Von Guttenberg's agenda of a smaller military was unacceptable to the globalist and real rulers of Germany so he had to be removed and removed he was for the silliest of reasons. And now the German military is back in interventionist mode in spite of the pacifism of the German population at large.
Hopefully during the next election, the two large parties will suffer the consequence of their arrogance. And I was very optimistic when it came to the Pirate Party. But that didn't pan out. Like I said, even the German government has almost every time the right instinct and initially responds correctly to most issues. But a week later they change their tune and act opposite.
The time has come for Germany to shake off its war guilt angst and say NO to the USA.
Sure, the US military-industrial Mafia in W. DC is trying everything to keep its business running.
Many people in Europe (and especially in Germany as our grandfathers fought and died in Russia 70 ago in a war started by insanes) are fed up with the constant destabilization of the world by neocon warmongers and their corrupt secret services for their greedy and fanatic purposes.
Carl Bildt, the Swedish foreign minister:
Horrible with at least 38 dead in Odessa. Seems to have started with pro-Russian attempt to get control of buildings. Violence must stop!
There are many examples as such ignorant and selfish comment by both us state department and Europeans, Carl Bildt is only following what state department policy is. They are not interested in finding the truth nor telling the truth because in their country they are facing the very same problem as people in Ukraine, the right sector, the Neo fascism are the same and they just given a fancier name to cover their true identity, the Swedish New Democrats are same as right sectors are, so was the Norwegian man who massacred over hundred people on that Norwegian island last year, their growth in Sweden is overwhelming, they are in the parliament and in cooperation with government, if they were not, then why they are in the parliament, what good they bring to the table of "democracy" but hate toward foreigners whom are living in Sweden-Europe and paying their taxes, among other social responsibilities they have.
Although the German people have voiced their concern some mp might have voiced peoples concerns about NATO expansions, the Swedish far right and aristocrats government haven't, nor the EU governing body are interested in doing otherwise. In reality, the European people in general are fed up with American way of dealing with problems answering each and every time with yet another militarization of the area, us of a is no longer have the power both economically and morally to lead the world nor people around the world will allow the militarization of the world by whomever, using these social entity of capitalism is their last results which have shown the USG morality.
The world is not as free as you might imagine. The reason why we have done what America has told us for the past 60 years are that they have the economical and military power to make sure that anyone who does not will end up on the losing side. If not in economics, then in military terms. That is power and that is the reality of things, always has been.
Russia is now trying to build their military to be able to project the same kind of power upon their neighbors. But their neighbors really does not want Russia to tell them what to do, being they they have fundamentally different views.
Now we have a disagreement that we (the west) think that one part might be ready to use violence to solve. That is unfortunate. Cause all it takes is one party to stop playing by the rules for the other to either bow or to try and re balance whatever is making the other part think that they can win by force.
That is the word. If you dont want it to be, that is fine. I dont either. However, I am not willing to risk my own country for a measly 2% additional spending on defense. If done right most of that money will go to R&D and come back in Jobs and taxes.
The alternative is to always let the bully win.
Who is the bully here? Sure, the US is saying it's Putin, but where is the evidence?
The Crimeans were "autonomous" to begin with. Then they voted. You know,***VOTED***, as in no bullets, no blood, no threats, just a peaceful democratic process…., overwhelmingly to leave Ukraine and join Russia.
Contrast that with the US Neocon subversion — twenty years and 5 billion dollars — aimed at regime change and installation of a US-friendly puppet government. And let us not forget the final act: the violent overthrow by the right sector Brownshirts, in violation of the peaceful settlement of the unrest agreed to just days before.
And while we're on the subject of "bullies" leave us not forget: Iraq, Iran, Libya, Syria (and Vietnam, Guatemala, Chile, El Salvador, Indonesia, etc. The list goes on to include most of the rest of the world.)
The US is the bully. (And a serial liar as well, but then bully and liar generally come as a package,)
In Ukraine, the US has destabilized yet another country. But while Iraq, Libya, and Syria are US-created disaster areas, Ukraine can yet be prevented from falling into that pit, if only Putin will step up, move in, and clean up the mess the US has spent so much time and money to create.
Putin a bully? Put down the Kool-Aid.
Once upon a time Sweden was one of the most progressive and prospers country in the world, where is it now, what happened to it! The progressive political elements within the Swedish social democrats changed themselves into a modernized elements of Swedish model of capitalism and sold whatever the Swedish working class had worked for, all and every national Swedish prides is no longer there, they are sold to highest paid price to make it easy for a non progressive government to act as a slave to USG. The Swedish monarchism have become dependent in what Saudis-Wahhabis politics in Middle East is about, the present Swedish government, as you admit to the fact, have become the puppet of what state department tells them to do.
The Neo democracy in Sweden and Europe is about whom got most money while retired people salaries are no more then 10.000 (about $800) Swedish krona which half of that is their rent and 1/3 of the rest is transportation and electricity, rest goes for food, as they buy the cheapest can food there is with no nutritional effect whatsoever and other necessities., and by the end of the month they are broke, the social medication is no longer there, it is privatized where the quality of care in last 15 years alone has plummet to its lowest level in history, most of retires are sick with raised medication price to deal with, meanwhile the rich aristocrats and far right or for that matter the right wing politicians as Carl Bildt and others are getting richer, while they are in political business doing the usual favor for their Uncle Sam.
The NSA has all the dirt on Angela Merkel, so the US will easily get what they want.
Since John Perkins "Confessions of an economic hitman"
we know who the US mafia controls the world and its governments. And this of course means they can use them as proxy fighters for their hidden agendas. And they are doing it: http://enk894.wix.com/us-wars
Since John Perkins "Confessions of an economic hitman"
we know who the US mafia controls the world and its governments. And this of course means they can use them as proxy fighters for their hidden agendas. And they are doing it: http://enk894.wix.com/us-wars
The world understands that the only threat is the United States, which has already invaded or bombed 17 countries on two continents and is trying to covertly overthrow dozens more. The only thing Russia has actually done is to accept Crimea's request to join the Russian Republics. Yet they are demonized as the villain in Europe just as Iran, which has not actually invaded another country in a war of aggression in over 200 years, is declared the villain in need of invasion in the Middle East. People of my age in Europe, as in America, remember the Cold War of the last century, and how much money the constant military spending wasted. Today, for nations already stressed to the breaking point by the private central banks, such pointless military spending is unsupportable and indeed dangerous.
Back in the 1950s, demonizing the "Commies" tricked Americans into supporting the military industrial complex just as screaming "Imperialist Americans" tricked Russians into supporting their war machine, because both populations were naive, trusting, and gullible enough to take their governments at their word. But those days are gone, and the people of the US, Europe, and Russia know that this is just a scam played by the war-mongers on the people to make themselves rich at the expense of everyone else.
I'm sure I don't need to tell you that Alexander Neu is a member of the Linke (8% of the vote at the last election)! What the other 92% think is another matter! The problem with re-armament is that the US probably wants to impose US-made equipment, as was the case in the cold war, whereas the European members will want to develop their own armaments industry. There's no point in being dependent on a US that manifestly doesn't want to fight for Europe!