In surprising comments today during talks with Chinese Vice Premier Liu
He, President Trump said that the US, China, and Russia are all spending
a lot of money on their militaries, and nuclear weapons. He suggested
the three nations should reach a deal to spend less on arms, and more on
long-term peace.
“I think it’s much better if we all got together and we didn’t make these weapons,”
Trump suggested, which is a surprising position for him to have taken
since his policy has been so heavily driven by both increasing US arms
exports, and trying to convince the world to spend more on militaries to
increase arms sales.
“China is spending a lot of money on military, so are we, so is Russia,”
Trump said. The US spends by far the most of anyone in the world, with
his 2020 military budget shooting for $750 billion. China is estimated
to spend $168 billion, while Russia is spending only $63 billion. Russia
has plans to further cut spending going forward as it is.
Of course Trump is also right that all those nations would benefit from
spending less on their military, particularly the United States, which
is spending well beyond anyone else’s level keeping up a military
intervening across the entire planet.
China’s Liu He seemed to embrace the idea, saying it had merit. Trump
suggested that such discussions could even be a second track of
discussion after finalizing trade negotiations with China.
Getting the three nations to negotiate a more sustainable military
budget could allow for a substantial cut of almost $1 trillion annually
to be redirected toward something more productive than war, which
realistically could be almost anything.
Good Idea! Trump has often condemned the waste of war. But the warmongers here have a lot of power.
“But the warmongers here have a lot of power”.
You are right Sir: Can President Trump Survive?
Good idea, but does Trump even have any power to make policy? I wonder…
“Says money would be much better spent elsewhere”.
Can President Trump, A Zionist Puppy, Shut Up American Military, Neo Cons, War Industrial Complex, i.e., War Criminal Terrorists, who Control Western Powers’ Institutions or May be Eliminated by Them?
But trump does the opposite by increasing the military budget…ARgghh
Yes, a great idea, one that Trump has floated before.
BUT the Establishment Dems and the Establishment Repubs will fight it tooth and nail.
So actually whether there is enough backing for this will be up to us, peaceniks of Right and Left and Middle.
Let us begin by telling our friends about this, getting their support and sending an email to the WH, saying we are with you on this one, Mr. Pres.
Go to: https://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/
Here is the letter that I just sent:
“Dear Mr. President,
“I read your suggestion to the Chinese Vice Premier Liu He that you and Presidents Xi and Putin sit down together and figure out how to stop the enormous military spending and turn all that money to peaceful purposes. If you can get set such a project in motion, then you, and they, will go down in history as opening a new chapter in humanity’s existence.
“I am glad that you mentioned nuclear weapons in that statement, because it is imperative that we get those under control. We live on the edge of nuclear Armageddon because the strategic nuclear arsenals of the US and Russia are on hair trigger alert, and as we saw on January 13, 2018 in Hawaii, that this can lead to a disaster. After that step we can work on getting rid of First Strike Capacity, which now only Russia and the US have, before others feel the need to acquire such a terrible capability.
“Many millions of us stand behind you on this proposal of yours, even those who have differences with you over other matters. Survival comes first. Good luck on this great historic mission.”
Can’t make a deal on something as ethereal as total military spending being decoupled from our expectations. This is why sequestration fell apart. As long as we expect to dominate in Asia, Europe, and support expeditionary forces in the M.E. at the same time we will continue to have our ever expanding budget until the day we fall apart like the Soviet Union did.
Empty rhetoric, we have seen this movie before.
1. One can’t compare US military spending and Russia/China spending – a different order of magnitude (a factor of ten).
2. Russia/China military spending is merely a reaction to US threats and military spending. So the way to decrease spending is to START with the US.
3. Trump has already dramatically increased military spending, and is continuing this trend with the projected 2020 budget.
A comment: Trump is a military spending enthusiast, this was also his campaign promise, so don’t blame the deep state, blame Trump.
Conclusion: Would you buy a used car from Trump?
Maybe Trump wants equal dollar cuts. So China cuts their spending to zero and the US knocks off 15% or so.
I couldn’t agree more, Josh; we certainly have seen this movie before. 1. One cannot compare US military spending and Russia/China spending – a different order of magnitude (a factor of 10). 2. Russia/China military spending’s merely a reaction to US threats and military spending .. So, the way to decrease spending is to START with the US. 3. Trump has already dramatically increased military spending, and is continuing this trend with the projected 2020 budget.
Here’s where I digress, Josh .. Trump may be a military spending enthusiast, but he promised to repair America’s crumbling infrastructure, not pour billions of dollars into military spending. Yes, the Deep State is to blame. Why? It pressured Trump into breaking his promise to fix our crumbling infrastructure. He also promised to secure our southern border with Mexico, and he’s trying to do that.
Increasing military spending isn’t improving the US military .. China and Russia spend far less on theirs; yet, their armed forces are now superior to ours, due to their superior training methods.
And if I may add, Trump knows that — with all the money we pour into military — we cannot catch up in number of technologies.
Deep State is nothing more then a Deep Snout, insatiable, determined to keep that snout firmly focused on foreign policy feeding frenzy until the last penny is sucked.
If and when Deep State understands that we need to regroup, it may be possible for the three way political dialogue. One cannot just talk arms, without a political dimension. Without global security that is undivided and not just for some — this level of conversation will not happen.
The problem with the Deep State is their arrogance and stupidity. Bad combination. At present, I do not see the necessary maturity anywhere in the American political class.
Isn’t the best way to make peace is to stop waging war, but at least the thought entered the Presidents head. If the US played by the rules the things the President says might have some meaning.
Excellent idea… all 3 countries should start by capping their annual military spending at $50 billion, no complex negotiations necessary.
And I wonder which country would balk at that.
plot twist, israel aid is increased to 950 billion dollars a year.
The Donald doesn’t do math very well. Maybe he was talking about Russia and China’s COMBINED military spending. Of course he’d have to throw in a couple of other countries in there to close the gap. Next, he can ask the other countries to cut their intelligence agencies down a bit also even though our $86 billion is more than most country’s spend on their militaries.
The Dems and RINOs will now say this is further proof Trump is doing Putin’s biddign and wants to disarm the US./
Out of the blue he suddenly becomes sane? Just as the USA is about to ensure even space is taken over by the Big Brother, against the agreement in place since 1967, and after tossing out the INF and sanctioning Russia to kingdom come? When the “NATO chief” tells Congress we are are doomed if we do not follow the huge plans for forever war?
LOL
And our armed forces should have been out of Iraq. That is what the leaders of China and Russia are taking into account. Promises, promises, promises and then no action.
Somebodies gonna get a spanking from Papa Pompeo tonight.
Don’t get too excited people, Trump has these little outbursts of borderline sanity from time to time, they rarely amount to much. Remember when we were gonna leave Syria? That one even had me going for a second.
Heh, with all the random bad poetry spewing forth from trump, some of it, by sheer volume, will make sense.
Or may be we just hear the whistle designed for our ears.
I like “borderline sanity”.
May be countrrintuitive, but all these moments of borderline sanity are constant reminders of the dystopian universe we live in. And just having these glimpses, when the cracks in the mattix pop up — and then disappear — illustrates to us the power of the Matrix. As crazy as it is — the cozy bypartisan consensus will never forgive him. No matter how much he bows to Israel. He will forever be guilty of cracking the veneer.
Elites hate democracy, or populism as they call it. Voters should be like children — seen but not heard. Once somebody in a presidential campaign provides voters with vocabulary — the moments of clarity may crack the Matrix code. Just may be. Then their lofty pronouncements will sound no more coherent then a random characters scrolling down the screen.
I’m not usually on the same chapter as you, let alone the same page, but that actually made sense to me.
Bread and roses from Rojavaville. 😉
Trump already lost the fight. He went to Saigon to sign a grand deal — all ready for a great optics. America in friendly Vietnam, signing desl with to be friendly North Korea. But back in Congress … hearing poised to get very deadly should Trump sign. And he did not. And he was spared the worst of it. Then, desl was cut. Mueller report to end — Trump gives them Venezuela. Now they want much more for Israel. And who knows what else — now they are on the roll.
Trump must have gone off his meds to have promoted such a rational policy endeavor…
Wait for it…
Sure, let’s have parity!
This story reminds me of when the Chinese reached 200 warheads way back when. US was over 20ooo at the time. The US and China met, the US calling for limits. Chinese response..Sure, we are all for it, come back when you cut your arsenal to 200, and we will talk further. End of summit.
Russia AGREES with Trump! Proof of collusion. More sanctions. Russia interfeering with US defense decisions! Putting wrong ideas in feeble minded voters’ heads,