(08-02-2020, 07:07 PM)homebiscuit Wrote:

(08-02-2020, 06:59 PM)Senor Fantastico Wrote: If we're going to be responsible for the safety and integrity of the global shipping community we should be getting that cheddar baby.

Which is exactly why Trump has been leaning on NATO countries to, at least, pony up their obligation which they haven’t been for years. So many countries have been feeding off the American teat for so long that they become offended when asked to pay their fair share. Billions upon billions of American taxpayer dollars go towards the defense and safekeeping of other nations. Many of them developed and prosperous. Hopefully some eyes are beginning to open.

I totally agree that other countries need to be spending more on national/shared defense.  They're hardly spending anything.  
You guys just told me it takes 12 American aircraft carriers plus one UK plus one French to keep the shipping lanes safe. Total 14. And we agree we want the allies to spend more.  Maybe the French and British each build one more, maybe Germany builds one, and maybe Japan builds one too. But then there'd be clearly have too many, right? There would be 18.  A waste.

The whole point of asking other countries to spend more is so we can spend less!!!

Trump doesn't get that.  Republicans don't get that.

I think we should get them to buy our carriers off of us. Or maybe, those countries would tell us that a different type of ship is really what's needed to defend shipping lanes. Maybe our whole concept of carriers being the necessary lynch pin of a group is out of date.

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