Let's talk about Trump's $1.5 Trillion Defense Budget and what it might mean for NATO.... - Belle of the Ranch [View all]

[TexasTowelie]

Well, howdy there Internet people. It's Belle again. So, today we're going to talk about Trump's $1.5 trillion DoD budget and what people might be missing.

Trump put out a social media post that seems like normal Trumpian stuff, but when taken with some of his other recent statements, there's actually a really concerning occurrence that we need to hope is coincidence. He posted, "After long and difficult negotiations with senators, congressmen, secretaries, and other political representatives, I have determined that for the good of our country, especially in these very troubled and dangerous times, our military budget for the year of 2027 should not be $1 trillion, but rather $1.5 trillion. This will allow us to build the dream military that we have long been entitled to and more importantly that will keep us safe and secure regardless of foe.”

Okay, before we get into the anomaly, let's cover the normal stuff. A 50% increase to the US defense budget is absolute insanity. Early estimates suggest it would add $5.8 trillion to the national debt after interest is included. Beyond the added debt, beyond the broken campaign promises and rhetoric, it creates a country that spends about what the other top 35 countries spend on defense combined. And that's where things get troubling.

Trump has been saber rattling about Greenland and Canada. He's been making our longtime allies who are critical to America's place in the world incredibly anxious. Some of his potential moves would realistically end NATO and with it the superpower status of the US. NATO and our other allies provide locations for the US to force project from. The US maintains its dominance because it can sustain operations far away from its home soil. That ability relies on our allies.

If you were deployed to the Middle East over the last couple of decades, your supplies were probably routed through a number of countries on the way. If you were seriously wounded, you were probably treated in Europe. But see, let's be real. Trump doesn't understand any of that. If Trump was told his rhetoric on Greenland could end NATO, do you think he thinks about military logistics and the actual doctrine that built the most powerful military in the history of the world? Of course not. That's not how Trump thinks.

Contrary to his statements, he doesn't know more than the generals. Trump doesn't consider those aspects. That's why his Iran strikes failed. That's why his strikes in Nigeria failed. That's why Venezuela is being referred to as a country that went from manufacturing blow to a country that manufactures blowback. Trump doesn't consider long-term possibilities. He thinks in terms of dollars.

If Trump was told by his staff that he might cause the breakup of NATO, he'd ask his staff how much money it would take to cope with the loss of NATO. Take a guess at the number he would get. Yep. All of NATO's total military expenditures are right around $1.5 trillion. I want to be clear, the dollar amount spent doesn't actually cope with the loss of NATO, but that's how Trump thinks. Those on Capitol Hill should probably be asking where exactly this number came from.

Anyway, it's just a thought. Y'all have a good day.