They didn't, though. They're doing their paymaster's bidding just fine, stalling Ukraine aid.
this post was submitted on 06 Feb 2024
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It kind of makes the point that this is what they're doing even more explicit. The stuff they claim to care about? Not so much. Helping Putin? Definitely.
From a Euro-Nato layman's point of view, our alliance with the US has become more a liability than anything else. Believing that we can rely on you (like you did on us after 9/11) looks more and more like a trap which diverts our energy and attention away from our own interests.
How is it a liability? Russia is a threat to Euro-NATO nations. It is in your/their best interests to have the US help against Russia even if US Republicans try to prevent it.
Maybe the US is not a liability in itself, but trusting the US can be a liability. It's like a group project when you have a partner that you know won't do any work. You have to do their part too so that the whole group isn't brought down.
If Trump returns to office or the GOP controls the legislature, NATO will have to do all the work to defend against Russia that it might have otherwise expected the US to help with.
Right I get that, but the alternative is no help from the US. Which is less beneficial to Europe/NATO than some help until/if Republicans block additional help.
I think it's more useful to look at military spending over the last three decades. NATO membership entails spending 2% of GDP on their military. The US is one of few countries in NATO that have actually kept up with that. A couple countries have followed suit but many have been lax. Recently that trend has reversed and more countries are ramping up military buildup, in part due to the US's recent flaky foreign policy. A huge amount of military industry is outsourced to the US as well. Lots of weapons are made there and the prospect of losing your primary source of military industry due to political instability isn't appealing.
Basically, folks got lulled into a false sense of security.
That's a narrative I've heard but I honestly can't speak to how valid it is. I find western media's discussion of US military hegemeny suspect.
That’s a narrative I’ve heard but I honestly can’t speak to how valid it is.
It's pretty valid. Between the end of the Cold War and now, most European countries have chosen to wind down military spending, sometimes to an excessive degree. In the 2011 Libya Intervention, the US was initially content to sit back and let Europe handle an affair close to Europe - until it emerged that our allies had started to run out of precision munitions after a few weeks of strikes.
A few years ago, you'd be shouted down for saying that. Problem was that it's true, and the Ukraine invasion woke up a lot of European leaders that they need to fund their own militaries to at least a base level. Nobody seems to argue against it anymore except the odd tankie.
I agree that Trump and the Republicans have created a meaningful risk of non-support.
The absolutely huge military spending by the US can make it worthwhile even in light of that risk:
Considering the massive spend in the US for the generally inferior healthcare, starting to wonder if spending is even a good metric for military.
It's a decent one; the US has the ability to project force globally in a way that other countries don't right now.
the US can't now though because half congress are spineless lickspittles hoping to get some green piss trickledown from russian and US oligarchs.
In the event of a Russian attack on NATO, the President already has authority to get US troops involved. Having an actual fight like that tends to create a rally-round-the-flag effect which would make it a lot harder for Republicans to start saying 'no'.
This would also escalate to nuclear before Congress could really change their mind, which is an incredible deterrent for Russia.
I agree spending is not a great indicator. Price of labor is a major cost associated with creating military hardware. China can spend a lot less on their military and get more due to lower labor costs. Percentage of GDP spent on Military might be a better indication? Military personnel, bases, and aircraft carriers are a better metric. Last I heard the US was far ahead of everyone else on the last two cases though.
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Nothing wrong with maintaining the defensive alliance. NATO is a matter of standardization and training cooperation, and the US is unlikely to be attacked. Just... look to your own forces in case next time there's a crisis we have a dupe in the White House.
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Worked out okay for you guys in the first two world wars. Not great in a lot of cases but you're also not posting in German. Now, if you are German, I can understand why you may not welcome us again simply out of habit but if/when #3 kicks off, we'll be there and you'll be happy to see us coming.
If WW3 happens no one is going anywhere except an early grave.
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LOL
I don't think helping Putin is really high on their list of priorities. They're trying to craft a narrative going into the presidential election that Biden is ineffectual and corrupt.
There's a big difference between what Republicans say and what they do. They've been really consistent about helping Putin for the past several months.
Rapidly abandoning a compromise is GOP 101. They get you to come half way and then they get you to come half of what is left, and so on. This has always been the tactic.
How is republican media spinning this? It seems so obviously stupid even those guys who think trump looks like elvis have to be scratching their head
Carlson is busy in Russia interviewing a despot, so the marching order talking-points haven't fully come in.
I've seen some half-assed arguments from conservatives here and there, but they've really got nothing. They mostly just lie, as usual.
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They're trying to spin some nonsense about how we don't actually need any new law for the border (even though they were screaming we did for years, but forget about that) and Biden just needs to enforce current laws and "shut it down." What current laws are not being enforced? They cannot say. What they mean by "shut it down," they don't know.
Shut it down means we do something like the red light//green light game in squidt Gamesz along the border, and nothing that moves gets in.
Word in conservative circles is that it’s Hillary Clinton’s fault.
National Review writer I read was saying that the fact it allows 5000 a day is ridiculous so it doesn't actually matter what the concessions are.
That's such a low number.
Probably something like: "Democrats added an amendment that would require all Texan children to only use unisex communal cat litterboxes!!1!"
Or something equality ridiculous and stupid.
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We need single issue bills. It should be illegal to pack your legislature fatter than Augustus Gloop.
Also, fuck these assholes. Its painfully obvious they just want to fuck over Democrats AT OUR EXPENSE. WE PAY THEIR SALARIES THROUGH TAXES NOW FUCKEN WORK.
It's not just about fucking over democrats at any cost, it's also about showing their allies in the kremlin how useful they are.
The clear majority of americans don't want republican party policies. Republicans have openly discussed that reality since bush lost the election in 2000 and got to be president anyway. Senior strategists like pat buchanan have been quite honest that they feel like this is their last chance to foist their ultra conservative vision on an unwilling country before they're confined to the dustbin of history.
That's how things get done in Congress honestly. If Republicans say, "we promise if you provide border funding, we'll support legislation to provide Israel and Ukraine funding" you have to trust that after you pass the law, they won't back off of their deal.
I'd be curious how other countries handle this situation
In non-first past the post systems you often end up with coalition governments.
The result is that you can screw the other guy over, but you're likely to be in government with them sooner rather than later, at which point they'll screw you right back.
It breeds compromise, even if it happens after spending a full year negotiating before agreeing to enter a coalition government and exactly and to ten decimal places which laws you that government will be enacting during the coming parliament.
Except that this stuff was packaged together, so they couldn't pick one and refuse the other. So they refused the whole package.
So? If they weren't both packaged together they were both going to be voted down. Republicans don't want the Ukraine funding and Republicans have decided for now that it's better politically to have a mess at the border to blame on Biden. They don't want either proposal to pass so splitting them does nothing.
Nothing would ever get passed then. Every party would vote for what their side aligns with. Concessions means taking a small loss instead of a complete one. For both sides.
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Oh look, another article from the NY times accepting the lie that manageable and needed immigration is somehow a crisis surge. I really wish democrats hadn't decided that xenophobia is bipartisan now.
It’s called diplomacy and it is a requirement of getting anything done in a split Congress.
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Immigration isn't always a xenophobia issue. See also, Canada right now. The US situation isn't currently comparable but there has been a surge so it's not surprising that people would be investigating that.
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Joe Biden comes out and pointedly blames Donald Trump for expected defeat of bipartisan border bill. Blames Trump for wanting to make this a campaign issue and says "he'd rather weaponize" border than solve it. He calls on GOP to show "some spine" and stand up to Trump.
This is the best summary I could come up with:
Now it is Republicans who are rapidly abandoning a compromise that gave them much of what they wanted, leaving aid to Ukraine in deep jeopardy, border policy in turmoil and Congress again flailing as multiple crises at home and abroad go without attention because of a legislative stalemate.
The turn of events led to a remarkable Capitol Hill spectacle this week as a parade of Senate Republicans almost instantly repudiated a major piece of legislation they had spent months demanding as part of any agreement to provide more help to a beleaguered Ukraine.
“A year ago they said, ‘We need a change in the law,’” said Mr. Lankford, frustrated by his Republican colleagues who had been up in arms about the border situation only to suddenly reject the new legislation.
As they sought to rationalize their anticipated decision to mount a filibuster against legislation they had called for, Republicans said they needed more time to digest the bill and perhaps be allowed to propose some changes.
Mr. Barrasso’s statement was just the latest indication that the looming election — and Donald J. Trump’s tightening grip on the party as the expected nominee — had made Republican approval of the border deal all but impossible.
Plus, House Republicans are going to be in a pitched battle to hold on to their majority after two years in charge with minimal accomplishment, and many of them view immigration as a winning wedge issue.
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