I would add that the so-called “2% NATO rule” is a myth. It does not exist whatsoever.
The treaties signed by nations joining NATO and ratified by their parliaments…do not contain any fixed commitments to spending as a percentage of national budget. None.
Because that would never pass in any democracy where there is no fixed commitments of budget to anything. Not to climate change, or education or social welfare. I mean not even to child poverty.
The so called rule is something that NaTO secretarial pulled out of its rear end - on the prompting of the war profiteer companies ( military equipment, technology ammunition and services) that sponsor the NATO propaganda think tanks such as the Atlantic Council etc.
It’s a scandal that the media just parrot the myth of this rule, with no discussion of whether it actually exists - or could even exist within democratic confines.
Great point. I am working on the next NATO piece (Part 4) which discusses the fascistic side of the EU and NATO in their confrontation with Russia, and the spending part is one that I wanted to address anyway. It is the most RABID of the Russophobic Eastern members (Baltics and Poland) who aere spending the most. Poland outspends even the US in terms of GDP (3.9%) and Estonia is right up there as well, with that psychopathic Valkyrie Kallas leading the way. Thank you so much for this valuable comment!!!
“…. In short, the warmongering Eastern NATO states are writing checks that the US’s NATO alliance cannot cash….”
It’s worse than that. They are writing checks that even THEY can’t cash.
I spend most of the past 10 years in a country in NATO that is among the worst warmongers.
In those years, they have built brand new bunkers for all the government.
But for the public: none. They have not even refurbished the cold war era bunkers from when the nationa population was half the size. And even if they did, those bunkers are not in any way a credible protection to modern munitions.
I don’t know of anywhere in Europe that actually has adequate bunkers for such a war. They don’t exist really.
So these government they are rushing to CREATE a war that’s GUARANTEED to cause mass death of most of their own populatiom.
Even they cannot cash their own checks.
I don’t know what anyone would do this. It defies all ideas of expectations of rational behaviour.
The best explanation I can find is some recent psychology research on the phenomenon of mass psychosis:
LOL! You have hit upon exactly the observation I have had myself - this psychotic Russophobic hatred that is driving Eastern European leaders to say ridiculous things like, "being afraid of nuclear war is a weakness that Putin exploits" and so on.
I am sickened by these younger leaders who think nuclear war is either "nothing to be afraid of" or that it is something that will never happen because Putin, whom they have decried as a "madman" and "insane" and so on, is somehow going to suddenly transform into the model of restraint and caution when it comes to nuclear weapons. It makes no sense. It is a psychosis.
Fantastic post, glad to see you writing so thoroughly about this existential issue. Incredible to see how many impossible plans have to be cooked up, all to avoid the straightforward and easy (not to mention sane) solution of making peace with Russia.
Great article.
I would add that the so-called “2% NATO rule” is a myth. It does not exist whatsoever.
The treaties signed by nations joining NATO and ratified by their parliaments…do not contain any fixed commitments to spending as a percentage of national budget. None.
Because that would never pass in any democracy where there is no fixed commitments of budget to anything. Not to climate change, or education or social welfare. I mean not even to child poverty.
The so called rule is something that NaTO secretarial pulled out of its rear end - on the prompting of the war profiteer companies ( military equipment, technology ammunition and services) that sponsor the NATO propaganda think tanks such as the Atlantic Council etc.
It’s a scandal that the media just parrot the myth of this rule, with no discussion of whether it actually exists - or could even exist within democratic confines.
Great point. I am working on the next NATO piece (Part 4) which discusses the fascistic side of the EU and NATO in their confrontation with Russia, and the spending part is one that I wanted to address anyway. It is the most RABID of the Russophobic Eastern members (Baltics and Poland) who aere spending the most. Poland outspends even the US in terms of GDP (3.9%) and Estonia is right up there as well, with that psychopathic Valkyrie Kallas leading the way. Thank you so much for this valuable comment!!!
Also, on this point:
“…. In short, the warmongering Eastern NATO states are writing checks that the US’s NATO alliance cannot cash….”
It’s worse than that. They are writing checks that even THEY can’t cash.
I spend most of the past 10 years in a country in NATO that is among the worst warmongers.
In those years, they have built brand new bunkers for all the government.
But for the public: none. They have not even refurbished the cold war era bunkers from when the nationa population was half the size. And even if they did, those bunkers are not in any way a credible protection to modern munitions.
I don’t know of anywhere in Europe that actually has adequate bunkers for such a war. They don’t exist really.
So these government they are rushing to CREATE a war that’s GUARANTEED to cause mass death of most of their own populatiom.
Even they cannot cash their own checks.
I don’t know what anyone would do this. It defies all ideas of expectations of rational behaviour.
The best explanation I can find is some recent psychology research on the phenomenon of mass psychosis:
https://www.medpagetoday.com/special-reports/exclusives/96633
Basically human are collective animals and they are vulnerable to all losing their minds en masse.
I think THAT is what is at play here.
LOL! You have hit upon exactly the observation I have had myself - this psychotic Russophobic hatred that is driving Eastern European leaders to say ridiculous things like, "being afraid of nuclear war is a weakness that Putin exploits" and so on.
I am sickened by these younger leaders who think nuclear war is either "nothing to be afraid of" or that it is something that will never happen because Putin, whom they have decried as a "madman" and "insane" and so on, is somehow going to suddenly transform into the model of restraint and caution when it comes to nuclear weapons. It makes no sense. It is a psychosis.
Again, thanks for this valuable comment!
PS: Malone is a hero.
BTW have you read this article of mine?
"The Poles are going to get us all killed!"
https://open.substack.com/pub/euroyankee/p/the-poles-are-going-to-get-us-all?
Agreed - the Poles and the Baltics are hell bent on "revenge" for the past, even if it gets them and the world destroyed.
Fantastic post, glad to see you writing so thoroughly about this existential issue. Incredible to see how many impossible plans have to be cooked up, all to avoid the straightforward and easy (not to mention sane) solution of making peace with Russia.