The Conservative Cave

AverageOldGuy (4,419 posts)

You know what is really, really terrifying about Trump's performance at the NATO

Ms. Average Old Guy has been hospitalized for past 15 days -- first ER, then hospital, and now last 12 days in rehab center. She's coming home tomorrow almost good as new (as good as we 80-yr-olds can be!).

So -- today while chasing around buying groceries, filling prescriptions, and the like I listened to a lot of CNN and MSNOW on the car SiriusXM radio. Heard A LOT of commentary about Trump at the NATO summit plus long audio clips of Trump's comments, remarks, replies to reporters' questions.

SCARED THE SHIT OUT OF ME.

But you know what was really terrifying about Trump's comments? NOT ONE WORD OF IT SURPRISED ME. NOTHING HE SAID SURPRISED ME.

Gang, when we have a public official who spouts the brain farts that Trump does and we say, "Oh, well, that's Trump." then we are in deep, deep shit. Yes, we are.

Not a single word he uttered was surprising.

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100221362012

The stupid runs wild

He went to the NATO summit with Putin's orders in his pocket. …

I know that responding to kt’s absurdity is as sporting as shooting fish in a 20-liter (5-gallon) bucket with a double-barrel 12 gauge, but it’s too fun to resist.

On to my response … did Putin order Trump to authorize licensing of US Patriot missiles to take out Russian missiles aimed at Ukrainian cities?

As for pulling SOME US troops out of Europe, how would Putin benefit? Ukraine has hollowed out or gutted Russia’s military. A NATO ally who has been working with the US and has a substantial military is Poland, and, Oh Yeah! Ukraine and Poland block Putin’s pth to empire (and the Balkan countries look capable of impding Putin). Putin ALSO knows that the US’s airlift capacity could substantially augment US forces within 24-48 hours.

DUpipo just cannot give up their long-disproven Trump-Russia-Collusion Delusion, .

In real life, https://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2026/07/can-this-alliance-be-saved.php , EuroLand leaders are far from laughing. Trump is arm-twisting them to actually have some capability for defending themselves (the RN cannot deploy a single full carrier battle group, for lack of operational destroyers, operational attack submarines, and possibly not even one operational carrier). Britain is an island without a meaningful navy, and Germany, France, Spain, and Italy are not a lot better off.

EuroLand leaders also know their nations’ cultures have waxed lazy about self-defense, because they’re letting Uncle Sam do it. They realize that since the US has the airlift, airtanker, and long-range planes capabilities, many US military personnel could redeploy home, with little loss of deterrence and responsiveness. HOWEVER, several 10s of thousands of American personnel going home, unreplaced, will make a lot of economic dents all over the various nation.

In short, EuroLand leaders are worried and a bit POed that Trump isn’t an Obama-Biden moosh push-over.

This Power Line article has a more neutral/balanced perspective on discussions among European NATO members, https://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2026/07/can-this-alliance-be-saved.php .

Yes, Euros hate Trump, but their “reasons” are problems of their own, decades-long, making. EuroLand rebuilt after WW2 at least partly with US $$$, under the umbrella of the US military (assisted some by the UK’s not yet gutted military). Various countries rebuilt their militaries, but the muscle against Soviet attack and much of the logistics were still largely the US military. Their capabilities were still significant, just not capable, taken together and without substantial US support, of stopping a Soviet invasion.

Some time in the 70s, EuroLander governments got lazy, letting their militaries decay to fund (being blunt) social programs. Among other effects, those social programs long-term weakened many citizen’s resolve to defend themselves (they grew to hate Uncle Sam, but relied on him being there). Then the USSR imploded, and the need for military strength seemed further lessened (and more money could go into social programs!).

EuroLanders’ gooberments know how much they own the current problematic situation, AND that their nations’ cultures will have to change if they want some meaningful self-defense capability. They should be (and might be) very thankful to Ukraine for hollowing out and gutting much of Russia’s military might. Putin dreams of restoring the Soviet empire, but much of his might has been reduced to scrap steel and aluminum and graves in cemeteries (even Putin might understand that tanks and planes are built much faster than the raising and training of a new generation to man that equipment).

Thanks for the clarification. I mainly know they were formed in WW2 and are very BA.