President Donald Trump is asking the question millions of Americans have been asking for years.
“Why are we spending hundreds of billions of dollars and they’re not there for us? We’ve always been there for them.”
He is talking about NATO.
And he is right.
At the NATO summit in Turkey, Trump again pushed member nations to increase defense spending, even after every country reportedly reached the old target of spending 2% of gross domestic product on defense. But Trump says 2% is no longer enough, and NATO has already moved toward a higher long-term goal, including 3.5% for core defense spending and additional spending for broader security needs. (reuters.com)
Good.
Because America has carried this burden for too long.
For decades, U.S. taxpayers have funded the backbone of Western security while too many European countries spent their money on domestic programs, green-energy dreams and political wish lists. Then, when danger comes knocking, they look to America.
American troops. American weapons. American money. American leadership.
That arrangement may have made sense after World War II. It does not make sense forever.
Trump’s message is simple: allies must act like allies. They must carry their fair share. They must be prepared to defend themselves. And they must stop assuming the American people will pay the bill every time Europe refuses to get serious.
Some NATO countries are finally stepping up. Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia, Poland and Greece are projected to spend more than 3.5% of GDP on core defense this year. Other countries, including Germany, France and the United Kingdom, remain above the old 2% target but below the newer benchmark. (reuters.com)
That proves it can be done.
But it also proves Trump was right to apply pressure.
The foreign policy establishment hates the way Trump talks, but they cannot deny the results. NATO members did not magically start spending more because Washington politely asked. They moved because Trump forced the issue.
America should stand with allies who stand with us.
But America should not be treated like the world’s piggy bank.
The United States has veterans struggling at home. Families are fighting inflation. Communities need infrastructure. Our border needs securing. Our military needs rebuilding. And American taxpayers deserve leaders who put America first.
That does not mean abandoning NATO.
It means fixing NATO.
An alliance only works when the burden is shared. It only works when every nation understands that defense is not a slogan, it is a responsibility.
Trump is saying what past presidents should have said louder.
America has been there for NATO.
Now NATO needs to be there for America.
Follow my daily show Real News with Lucretia Hughes for more unfiltered coverage.
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