Diplomats, media, analysts still don’t know how to deal with a president whose default is bad faith. If you’re focusing on the details of European defense spending, you’re a sucker.
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NATO SPENDING MISCONCEPTIONS 1) Trump says US spends 4.2% on GDP. Even with recent increase, it's 3.7% 2) US defense spending goes everywhere, not just Europe. Apples & oranges. Germany's not a bad ally because it doesn't have a large military presence in, say, the Philippines 2/
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3) 2% target comes from a 2014 agreement, and all pledged to meet it by 2024, not 2018. Spending's up since 2014. 4) National defense spending, not dues. No one is "delinquent." No one owes anyone any money. At best, this stems from a powerful, unshakable ignorance. At best. 3/
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I'm providing these facts about NATO spending for anyone interested in the details. But I won't get suckered into "actually, European defense spending has been a concern for many presidents..." It has, but that's not what's going on here. 4/
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Diplomats, media, analysts so desperate for normalcy--and US media so terrified of bias accusations--that they latch onto best possible version of Trump's NATO spending argument (not provided by POTUS himself, of course). Suckers. He already moved the goalposts to 4% of GDP. 5/
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Do you really think Trump would become pro-NATO if every member spent more than 2% of its GDP on defense? If so, could I interest you in this bridge? Think you can spot the red queen? Do you have a minute to talk about Herbalife? 6/
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Here's reality: POTUS is anti-NATO, and this belief is immune to rational argument or accommodation. Pretending he's just advancing a good faith argument about defense spending makes it easier to deal with. But in the long-run, that makes it worse. (END)
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