@oralloy,
Quote oralloy:
Quote:She might have believed that she was complying with federal law. But the way she avoided having the State Department vet her settup shows she had an idea that she was violating State Department internal policy.
That's all been gone over in Comey's report, there comes a time to let it drop in light of far greater national security threats.
Quote oralloy:
Quote:Other than their ICBMs Russia isn't that potent of a force. Their threat to their neighbors was because their neighbors had no defenses at all. Now that we are stationing NATO forces in the Baltics the threat is pretty much over.
The way he's talking do you think Trump would go along with consenting to NATO troops in the Baltics? His answer would be, "We can't afford this any longer, what the **** did Estonia ever do for us? Let Putin have 'em all if he wants them. They're his problem." If you are going to practice deterrence, you have to do things in response to the opponent. Having the President of the US play the part of the opponent's butt boy isn't going to get it done. It will be a clear signal to Putin that it was time, if not to move in directly, to foment civil wars in these Baltic countries with Russia taking one side, which would appear to the outside world as Russia simply backing a different side than we do-not Russia taking over. But that's what it will be.
Quote oralloy:
Quote:He is suggesting that America can't afford to keep being the world's global policeman, and that we need curtail our military presence in the world and have our allies start helping out in keeping the world an orderly place.
The poorer, former Iron Curtain countries are still just getting on their feet economically, though they are far ahead of Russia in per capita GDP already. They can't afford much. The US makes much money off weapons sales, so we're not as generous with the defense as we might seem. And a real President will first think: "What needs to be done to guarantee the security of Europe from Russia", not "They didn't pay up, so screw 'em. Welcome Warsaw Pact Part Deux".
Trump's position is not just unreasonable, a few years ago it would have been considered treason by many. At any rate, a guy who talks like Trump does on this issue can't be let anywhere near the Oval Office.