(07-13-2018 11:05 AM)HeartOfDixie Wrote:  The cost of our contribution to our military expenditure to protect them via NATO is money we cannot spend on the welfare of our own citizens.

Trump's stand on this isn't just a stand for taxpayer but the lowest among us in society.

^^^^^^^

it's sad too many don't understand this in scope......

True it has been broken for some time now

The problem with NATO is the world has changed and NATO really hasn't.

In today's world, a simple "intergovernmental military alliance" just doesn't cut it. Today, we do business with just about everyone, including the "evil empire" NATO was created to defend against.

It's hard to believe a country getting a fairly large percentage of it's energy resources from the "enemy" would be willing to take a stand against said "enemy" if something were to happen. Self interest and self preservation will always come first.

Unless there's an alliance that's made up of both military AND economic interests, it isn't worth the paper it's written on.

Trump is rich. Being rich gives him a very unique perspective. He has dealt with acquaintances and possibly relatives who have the idea that ‘uncle Donald’s rich, he can afford it’. This is the attitude of NATO. America must not be taken advantage of. That is why Trump is absolutely right in his dealings with NATO. Hussein was the relative. His idea was ‘America is rich, it can afford it’.