Those looking for another reason love (or hate) Donald Trump have one in
his stance on NATO.
Speaking in Wisconsin ahead of Tuesday’s primary, Trump stepped up his
attack on NATO calling the network an ““obsolete” defense alliance.
Trump wants the rest of the world to pay its fair share or he would pull
the US out of the alliance. I go one step further than Trump.
“Let NATO Go”
The Financial Times reports Trump says US May Have to Let Nato Go.
Donald Trump has stepped up his attack on Nato, saying he would force
member nations to leave the transatlantic security organisation unless they
contributed more money to what he said was an “obsolete” defence alliance.
The Republican presidential contender has been lambasting Nato since he
told the Washington Post recently that he would downgrade the US role in the
28-member alliance, which has formed the cornerstone of the US-European
defence relationship for decades.
Speaking in Wisconsin ahead of the state’s primary on Tuesday, he went
further by saying that Nato’s demise would not be a serious problem.
“Its possible that we’re going to have to let Nato go,” Mr Trump told
supporters in Eau Claire. “When we’re paying and nobody else is really
paying, a couple of other countries are but nobody else is really paying, you
feel like the jerk.”
Mr Trump said that, if elected US president, he would contact many of the
other 27 Nato members and put pressure on them to make a larger financial
contribution or leave.
“I call up all of those countries . . . and say ‘fellas you haven’t paid for
years, give us the money or get the hell out’,” Mr Trump said to loud cheers.
“I’d say you’ve gotta pay us or get out. You’re out, out, out . . . Maybe
Nato will dissolve, and that’s OK, not the worst thing in the world.”
Addressing a crowd in Wisconsin on Saturday, Mr Trump asserted that the US
was paying 73 per cent towards Nato, but figures from the organisation show
that Washington contributes 22 per cent of the direct budget, followed by
Germany which pays 15 per cent, and France which puts up 11 per cent.
Statistical Lie of the Day
The “Direct Funding” chart may or may not be correct. But Trump is spot on
that the US overpays in many ways for global defense.
Dissolving NATO certainly would not be the “worst thing in the world”.
UK Defense Spending
The Times noted the “commitment last year by the UK to meet the 2 per
cent of GDP target for defense spending was an important signal to the rest
of Europe.”
Between the time the Heritage Foundation created that chart and now, UK
defense spending slipped under 2%.
Top Ten Defense Budgets Worldwide
The above chart courtesy of Brookings.
Amusingly the chart shows what would have happened, but didn’t with budget
sequestration.
Global Defense Budgets as Percent of GDP
The Forbes chart shows the US spends 3.5% of GDP, Germany
1.2%, and Canada 1% on military budgets.
Saudi Arabia spends a whopping 10.4% of GDP. Not included in the totals
are US military sweetheart deals to Saudi Arabia, Israel, etc.
Also not included are defense items the US sweeps under the rug into
non-defense categories.
The above chart is still not right given the US is pestering the UK to
step up its commitment to 2% of GDP.
Rather than the UK stepping up spending, I have a better idea: The US
should emulate Canada, Germany, or Australia.
If the US minded its own business, one to two percent would easily be
enough for the US to defend itself. We spend more precisely be cause we
meddle into everyone else’s business, making massive numbers of enemies in
the wake.
We cannot afford to be the world’s policeman. Trump has this one nearly
correct. His flaw was he did not go far enough.
Mike “Mish” Shedlock.
