Bye Bye Democracy!: February 2024


Photo courtesy of Mother Jones

Posted By: BBC NEWS

February 11, 2024

Reshared By: VinnyG (The Original KB723)

Now let's go to the US now and the White House has described comments by Donald Trump about NATO as appalling and unhinged he said he would encourage Russia to attack NATO members who don't meet their financial obligations to the Western military Alliance NATO. Members have agreed to spend 2% of their GDP on defense Mr. Trump made the comments during an election campaign rally in South Carolina on Saturday take a listen.

NATO was busted until I came along, I said everybody's going to pay. They said, well if we don't pay are you still going to protect us? I said absolutely Not!

They couldn't believe the answer they asked me that question. One of the presidents of a big country stood up said. Well Sir uh if we don't pay and we're attacked by Russia will you protect us? I said you

didn't pay you're delinquent he said yes let's say that happened. No I would not protect you in fact I would encourage them to do whatever the Hell They Want!

You got to pay, you got to pay your bills!

Well earlier I spoke to Dr. Patrick Bury a defense and security expert at the University of Bawth and former NATO analyst I asked him for his analysis on Mr. Trump's comments.

You know Trump is speaking to his base here, uh what you know we could call maybe the internet.

Angries and I've been engaged I'm a veteran myself been engaged with US veterans on this and the the level of anger amongst them. Normally when you

know you've been an allied military there's a good deal of respect and and joviality the level of anger amongst some of these US veterans about the fact

that uh NATO is not paying its way or many nations aren't paying its way, is quite extreme uh and I think in in some ways Trump is is playing into his base in that he's just regurgitating what makes him angry um but so it does have an impact and there's a real worry!

I think emerging in NATO about this Fact!

One Russia has put its economy onto a war footing and it's increasing its capability relative to the rest of

Europe. Okay and in three to five years there is now an unlikely worse course of action but still a a a a a course of action leading that way where Russia

would keep going after Ukraine. Yeah especially if Trump was in the White House uh and there was a split within NATO about either over Ukraine and

should it respond or about how would it respond to say a small incursion which should in theory uh trigger article five. So I think that's really where the NATO alliance, is is worried is are these what if''s. There's now an emerging path where things could

get really quite Serious.