• France Doesn't Spend For Its Own Defense But Questions Trump's Commitment To Alliance, The Hypocrisy Is Thick

    March 19, 2019
    7 Comments
    Florence Parly
    Image by Secretary of Defense
    Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis meets with Florence Parly, France's minister of defense, at the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., Oct. 20, 2017

    While spending less than the 2.0% of GDP (1.8%) for its own defense required of NATO member countries, and while riding on the defense spending of the U.S. taxpayer which outlays 70% of the NATO defense expenditures, French Defense Minister Florence Parly on a trip to Washington 'doubts' the United State's commitment to the alliance.

    The #NeverTrump, government funded Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty jumped on the bandwagon in reporting the affair, conveniently leaving out the French defense spending fact.

    Florence Parly, speaking at the Atlantic Council in Washington on March 18, said that "what Europeans are worried about is this: Will the U.S. commitment [to NATO] be perennial?" reported RFERL.

    "Should we assume that it will go on as was the case in the past 70 years?" Parly asked.

    While acknowledging Trump's demands that Europe spend more on shared defense, Parly also said that "the alliance should be unconditional. Otherwise, it is not an alliance, wrote RFERL.

    Her comments reflect increasing doubts in Europe about President Donald Trump's commitment to the 70-year-old Western alliance, which was highlighted by U.S. military strength and leadership during the Cold War, RFERL added snarkily.

    "NATO's solidarity clause is called Article 5, not article F-35," the French defense chief in a reference to the F-35 jet fighter.

    Perhaps France would like its own gas pipeline to Russia as well, to cement its dependence on Russian fuel as Germany has done which only spends 1.2% of its GDP on defense.

    The hypocrisy of NATO deadbeats is thick. The participation in this hypocrisy by a government-funded agency is no longer shocking based on the track record. We need new leadership at RFERL.

    Author

    L Todd Wood

    L Todd Wood, a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy, flew special operations helicopters supporting SEAL Team 6, Delta Force and others. After leaving the military, he pursued his other passion, finance, spending 18 years on Wall Street trading emerging market debt, and later, writing. The first of his many thrillers is "Currency." Todd has been a national security columnist for The Washington Times and contributed to One American News, Fox Business, Newsmax TV, Moscow Times, Novaya Vremya (Ukraine), the New York Post, National Review, the Jerusalem Post, Zero Hedge and others. He is also founder/publisher of CDM. For more information about L. Todd Wood, visit LToddWood.com.
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    Bravas

    Time for the US to start moving our troops to friendly nations like Poland and Hungary, and let the Globalist fools be assimilated by the multi-cultural (Muslim) culture they love so much.

    Kevin

    France has always been there when they need us.

    Walkin O'Shea

    A nice turn of the phrase.

    Cranford

    If a country does not see fit to pay for its own defense, it has little right to remain a country for very long. If they expect us to defend them, maybe they should become a "protected province" of the U S . I am not saying we would want them in any capacity. I am just pointing out the folly of their position.

    m.

    cost of muslim parasites prevents payment for their own defense?

    Sam Batten

    Past leaders of American government have made the decisions to prop up all of these countries. These smaller countries are not strong enough to force us to pay their way. It is self inflicted, we have done it to ourselves. Only DJ Trump has questioned the continuance of these pacts or whatever they are. As a nation full of ignorant leaders we are continuing to ruin America by sucking in all of the worlds demented and poor and violent people. These ignorant leaders believe that when the SHTF they will just fly off to some other Eden and live happily ever after but they are wrong. When all is lost here, it will be their heads that are loped off first. Keeping in mind that there is nowhere left to go for freedom, nowhere.

    IGWT

    "We need new leadership at RFERL.“ Have you read an European edition of Stars and Stripes lately? They are infecting the services as well. Little by little; slow and steady.

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