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Last week the Wall Street Journal published an op-ed by Anders Fogh Rasmussen, the erstwhile Prime Minister of Denmark, Nato Secretary General, and fervent supporter of the “rules based international order,” to which Rasmussen has “dedicated much of [his] life,” and that functions as a globalist, antinationalist foreign policy talisman that for decades U.S. taxpayers have financed.
Having returned to the White House, Trump is once again challenging that order with his America first policies and impatience with our allies’ refusal to share the cost of being the “world’s policeman.” Rasmussen fears Trump has “gone rogue” and “no longer exercises his authority over geopolitical gangsters, or becomes abusive toward the world’s most steadfast rule followers” ––by which he means Europeans, especially the Nato nations.
In other words, stale NeverTrump clichés we’ve been hearing since 2016––and much longer when targets were conservative Republicans who challenged “we are the world” globalism. But what it’s really all about is a simple principle of that order: “Let you Yanks and the bad guy fight––and you pick up the bill.” Now Europeans are miffed because we again have a president who first looks to his own countrymen and their interests ahead of those of international oligarchs, plutocrats, and cognitive elites who malign the U.S. and its citizens who don’t get in line with the globalist program, as the Democrats have.
Another bad NeverTrump habit Rasmussen indulges was identified by commentator Salena Zito in 2016: When Trump uses his trademark hyperbolic bluster, the press and the Dems “take him literally but not seriously,” whereas his supporters “take him seriously but not literally.” They understand that such exaggerations, insults, and bravado are tools for getting international attention, gaining leverage, and creating uncertainty in our adversaries, which often include our nominal allies.
Rasmussen should know this, since his verb “abuse” no doubt refers to Trump’s confronting the Nato nations in both his terms, calling out some of the richest nations in the world for not meeting the 2014 requirement to spend a measly 2% of GDP on defense. More shameful, those nations that do honor that rule, such as Greece, Poland and the Baltic states, have much lower GDPs than the skinflints like Germany––which is the third largest economy in the world, whereas Greece’s is ranked 52nd. I wonder if Rasmussen finds that fact more shameful than Trump’s tactical straight-talk and lack of vacuous diplo-speak.
Nor is chastising Nato for its serial failure to spend money on defense just a shibboleth of “isolationist” MAGA Europhobes. In 2023 the Washington Post highlighted the gap between the feel-good rhetoric from Nato nations about confronting Putin in Ukraine, and the sober facts of their misplaced spending priorities.
According to the Post, those facts show “that for all its wealth, industrial might and sophistication, the [NATO] bloc remains benumbed, oblivious to its sclerotic arms production incapacity and content to continue outsourcing its mounting security needs to the United States. Together they reflect Europe’s cognitive dissonance on security and should amplify the alarm bells set ringing” by Russia’s invasion. “Yet Europe has left unaddressed the corrosive, longer-term problem of defense industries in most E.U. countries that were left to atrophy after the Soviet Union’s collapse more than three decades ago, and today remain supine.”
So, does Rasmussen think the Nato deadbeats would have even started taking the baby steps that several have to shore up their defenses without Trump’s blunt and caustic prodding, and patently empty threats to quit Nato and refuse to defend Nato nations from attack?
Consider Europe’s reaction to Barack Obama’s efforts in 2009 to convince them to get serious about defense spending. His Defense, Secretary Robert Gates, politely told Nato that it faced “very serious, long-term, systemic problems” that could raise in Europe’s enemies a “temptation to miscalculation and aggression.”
The Daily Telegraph’s Gavin Mortimer continues, “And how did Europe respond to Gates’ warning? In most cases it decreased spending in the decade that followed. Germany’s spending went from 1.35 per cent of GDP in 2010 to 1.20 per cent in 2016, the year Donald Trump was elected president for the first time.
In the same period, France’s spending fell from 1.96 per cent to 1.79 per cent; Britain’s from 2.48 per cent to 2.18 per cent and Italy’s from 1.35 per cent to 1.12 per cent. Overall, Europe’s spending from 2010 to 2016 dropped from 1.63 per cent to 1.45 per cent of GDP.” Seems like Trump’s blunt plain-speak was more effective than diplomatic politesse.
Next comes another failure to understand Trump’s modus operandi. Rasmussen is shocked by Trump’s statement to “expand our territory,” targeting Canada, Greenland, Denmark, and Panama. Nor has Trump not ruled out force to acquire these territories. But given his political bases’ animus against “foreign entanglements” and “endless wars,” I’m betting Trump is highly unlikely to send our troops anywhere. The master of the “art of the deal” believes he doesn’t need force to get what he wants, just negotiations and tough talk.
So far, all these NeverTrump bromides bespeak typical European ressentiment and permanent pique about the great power that Europe own peoples and their descendants––most of them castoffs and low-born peasants–– have created, while the European powers have declined into tourist museums and geopolitical courtiers to uncivilized, nouveau riche upstarts.
Next, to emphasize that it’s Donald Trump, rather than anti-Americanism per se, that disturbs him, Rasmussen praises former presidents, usually for supporting the “rules based international order” that has for decades rationalized Europe’s pitiful levels of defense spending, and free-riding on the U.S. by praising “diplomatic engagement,” multinational institutions, international law, foreign aid, and other nonlethal means of settling conflicts.
George W. Bush, for example, whom most Europeans and Democrats denigrated as a draft-dodging, trigger-happy foreign policy naif, and unsophisticated daddy’s boy who it was falsely claimed had never traveled to Europe. That was all forgotten when W. changed the punitive, mind-concentrating war in Afghanistan into Wilsonian “new world order” democracy promotion, a desideratum of Western “citizens of the world” globalist Davoisie.
Even more dubious is Rasmussen’s praise for Ronald Reagan. Again, like Democrats, to Europeans Reagan was just a bad B actor and corporate shill, a fantasist promoting “Star Wars” missile defense, and a foreign policy “amiable dunce” who dangerously denounced détente with the Soviet Union, used neanderthal phrases like “evil empire,” and announced to the world that the Cold War would end when “we win, and they lose.” I’d be delighted to discover that Rasmussen back then disagreed with his fellow Eurocrats’ scorn and contempt for Reagan.
Rasmussen finishes his reading from the NeverTrump breviary by actually making some sense, at the same time he unwittingly acknowledges the efficacy of Trump’s hyperbolic rhetoric of which he disapproves so much. Given “Trump’s threats against some of America’s closest allies,” Rasmussen writes, and “that Mr. Trump has raised doubts about America’s willingness to fulfill its NATO obligations . . . I see no option other than to ensure we can stand on our own in any situation.”
Exactly. That’s what American voters and foreign policy realists have been saying since Dwight Eisenhower, Nato’s Supreme Allied Commander, said in1951 that the main function of the newborn Nato Treaty was “to get Europe back on its military feet,” and warned, “If in 10 years, all American troops stationed in Europe for national defense purposes have not been returned to the United States, then this whole project will have failed.”
American troops, though not in Cold War numbers, are still in Europe, but what’s worse, the richest Nato nations are still not back on their “military feet,” but staying on their military knees. So, Rasmussen’s advice, incited by Trump’s hyperbole, is spot on.
But the elephant in the room that Rasmussen studiously ignores is the Nato nations appear incapable of finding the political will or the funds to get off their military knees and “stand alone.” Moreover, their shortsighted touting of the “rules based international order” after the collapse of the Soviet Union has been Europeans’ specious rationalization for cutting defense spending and weakening military preparedness.
Instead, Europeans have squandered the “peace dividend” that briefly followed the end of the Cold War. This dubious idea, along with feckless American leaders willing to keep subsidizing Europe’s defense, allowed European leaders to expand their bloated welfare states and pursue suicidal “net zero carbon” energy policies, all while demonizing Americans as global outlaws, greedy capitalists, neo-imperialists, and gluttonous squanderers of the earth’s resources.
As a consequence, today’s Nato nations do not have the industrial capability, political will, nor enough citizens willing to serve in the military––all necessary to achieve Rasmussen’s goal. It’s much easier to follow the proverbial tactic that “when all else fails, blame the Americans,” though in this case blaming Trump suits Europe’s and American’s cognitive elites much better.
But they’d better catch on that Trump’s victory in November means that Uncle Sam is no longer a dotty patsy.
defund the rasmussens of the world . cut off their cash lifeline and let them go it alone . the veterans of america will get the attention so lacking for years that they have died and worked hard for and suffered at the hands of faceless bureaucrats. time for a massive world wide cleanout of useless eaters and their enablers sucking the life out of america .
Shortly after Trump’s win, I wondered if he would pull our troops out of Europe and I hope he does. Dwight Eisenhower should be spinning in his grave knowing he was correct about his ten-year statement and here we are, almost 74 years later with troops still in Europe… it is shameful.
The Euro-Weenies are nothing like their Ancestors ever were a whole lot of pathetic little snowflakes
In Sweden, some politician tried to have urinals removed from boys restrooms; insisting boys all must sit down to pee in order to be “equal” with girls.
The men revolted against that bullshit. Was nice to see the Viking spirit hadn’t vanished completely.
Europe’s draconian approach to free speech should be called out, loud and often. Also, their suicidal import of immigrants who have never and will never assimilate should be shoved in their collective faces every time some 7th century throwback commits mayhem on their people.
Little Denmark trying to tell the rest of the World how to live with its “rules based international order” 🙂
The only problem is that the rest of the world doesn’t play by the rules 🙂
Maybe Anders is in a fog.
Their actual reaction to a problem is “When a problem arises, blame the yankee curs.”
Anders Fogh Rasmussen, the PM of Denmark looks like the perfect Euroweenie, no doubt with his pipe and the permanent look of egotistical disdain on that craggy wrinkled eye bagged face.
He is the type of Euro Grifter that would happily live under America’s nuclear umbrella, while partying endlessly, and getting all bent out of shape when Trump turns an eye towards Greenland. Under Rasmussen’s beta boy leadership China is moving in, in a Belt and Road initiative.
Trump should start moving military equipment into Greenland and see what Rasmussen does. Is he man enough to stop Trump. My guess is no.
I don’t know if China is already depositing troops there, but my bet is that China folds as soon as the first US Troops arrive. China will start making more noises about Taiwan. Especially after Trump starts occupying the Panama Canal. It’s ours. We built it. Carter was an idiot to give it away.
Carter was an incompetent weakling while in office.
His ex-presidency was even worse, as he almost single handedly set the groundwork for North Korea to get nukes. (Clinton did the rest.)
The smug fool never passed on an opportunity to meddle in foreign affairs & undermine every other president except B. Hussein.
(His persistent subversion got him a Nobel Peace Prize.)
Mr Carter also took the side of the commies in South Africa against the whites who actually built the country, thereby facilitating its destruction, where the blacks openly call for the murder of white farmers and actually murder them.
If the EU does not want the USA around, then tell us. We’ll pick up our NATO toys and go home. I am tired of paying for their defense. They may use our empty bases to house their most welcomed immigrants.
The Berlin Wall came down thirty-five years ago.
If the EU is so smart, they will figure out their own deterrence/defense scheme.
Hungary & Poland are good exceptions to Europe’s “lay down & die” policy.
They erected fences to thwart the 1st muslim immigrant caravans.
It’s worth noting that the politicians importing islamists never put them in their own gated communities.
They push them on places like Rotterham, UK where child rape & molestation went rampant. (Bobbies not only looked the other way, they arrested any who talked about it.)
I learned a lot from the author.
I lack the ability to understand some of the words used but went to the dictionary and looked up several.
It seems to me there is a significant reading audience, much like me, that would appreciate the insight and quality of any author where they did not stumble over words.. On the other hand, I learned some new words. THANK YOU .
You have the both ability and desire to know those words (looking them up). Before the internet, I carried a little paperback dictionary with me everywhere – but now we can just highlight an online word and get the definition without leaving the page.
My favorite online dictionary is OneLook.com. Entries will bring up the same word in multiple dictionaries so you can see how word usage has changed and also its etymology which is very interesting and useful for solidifying the word meaning in your mind.
https://www.onelook.com
Thanks for the info, SuperChick.
Sometimes, book form of dictionaries are still needed. When the seething bitch Hillary was ordered to hand over e-mails she printed them – 1000s of pages.
It was done to thwart an electronic engine search.
She simply deleted the rest.
Yup, I was told years ago in school that a writer shouldn’t fill his writings with vocabulary that isn’t commonly used, better known by me as five-dollar words.
The purpose of language is to communicate, and words are vehicles unsurpassed by any other (except maybe music). It does not matter if your words are “dollar” words, all that matters is your ability to communicate accurately to your intended hearer(s).
Anders Fogh Rasmussen, the Prime Minister of Denmark, Nato Secretary General, just put himself in the crosshairs of President Trump’s focus – President Trump is not looking for cronies, he’s looking for partners that will make their nation Great Again!
Way over 8 years of unrelenting persecution by treasonous players in CONgrASS who are globalist stooge puppet whores and relentless witch hunt persecutions of false and perjured to bankrupt and incarcerated President Trump because President Trump is a threat to globalists and the tax paying voting citizens of the USA clearly voted and overtly show our support of President Trump!
President Trump demands production and accountability for USA subsidizing these other nations.
Who cares what Europe or anyone else thinks.
That attitude is the beginning of our restoration as a nation. We must stop worrying about being *fill in the blank* (usually “racist” or “Hitler”) and do what is right.
No US taxpayer $$$ sent out anymore. We’ve been screwed over enough.
If the UN or anyone doesn’t like it, get out of our way or get bulldozed over, period.
Rasmussen is a globalist NWO/WEF/DEEP STATE ELITIEST MEGALOMANIAC NARCISSISTIC TYRANT. BLOCK THE COUNTRIES IMPORTS. TEACH THIS SHITBAG and REST OF OWNED EUROPEAN TYRANTS THAT THEY ARE RIPE FOR REVOLUTION.
So, this Euro-scum lectures the US about possibly not fulfilling its obligation to NATO, What a blooming hypocrite. When did his country and almost all other European countries fulfill their NATO obligations? They have been prospering because we have been protecting their sorry asses and they even screw us over with tariffs on our products. We need to reduce our NATO spending, pull all our troops out of Europe, kick the UN out of the US, and tariff their goods to the extent they tariff ours. They need something to really whine about.
A great summation of what needs doing. I not only agree, I love the idea of making their sorry asses defend themselves.
Stick to making pastries, Denmark. That way you won’t break your nails.
Clean up your own messes Euro-Weenies before you start wagging your fingers in our face
The contribution of European nations in NATO is insufficient in terms of money and manpower. Europe should be able to defend itself with America and its forward bases in Europe being extra. The birth rates in Europe are too low to maintain military forces. Europe has long been seeking foreign workers which have been augmented by invaders seeking welfare to the point of destroying the host nations. A common threat to Europe and America is the elite capture of their leaders by foreign money. Eurosnobs pointing at Trump do nothing to deal with their problems.
During the first term of Trump in Office he told Angela Merkel that he will be taking at least 8 thousand US Army Troops out of Germany with more leaving soon after and she went totally ape shit crazy screaming that this will damage the German Economy and my first thought was then why are you still depending on the US Military to be in your country after 75 years and not gone beyond and made a decent economy without a Military occupation.
NATO came up alongside the Berlin Wall so it should have gone down alongside the Berlin Wall but those power hungry elites seen the power in that outfit and never suggested cancelled NATO and look where we are today with this nonsense.