[Gen.Blather]

I read an article several years ago that said the US Marines had more planes, ships and men than the UK in all its services. The UK, like other European powers has been funding its socialist policies off the military budget for a very long time. This is why they never meet their agreed NATO spending target of 2 percent. And, why they can’t. Any government that cuts the food stamps, fuel support or Viagra supply to the public will be out of office by the end of the week. If the Russians were on the border of each country and ready to invade, you’d see surrender negotiations as each country sent a delegation to Moscow to see what kind of deal they could make. Every socialist country runs into this issue. Only having police willing to beat and kill people would hold them together. Several countries have apparently floated proposed arms deals should Trump get into office... where they up their support of Ukraine but still don’t hit the 2 percent target. This, to maintain the US umbrella that allows them to remain socialist freeloaders on the US taxpayer.

[Cen-Tejas]

Well stated!

Totally agree!

[ansel12]

The U.K. meets the NATO goal.

United Kingdom 2.07%
Latvia 2.27%
Hungary 2.43%
Romania 2.44%
Finland 2.45%
Lithuania 2.54%
Estonia 2.73%
Greece 3.01%
United States 3.49%
Poland 3.9%

[Worldtraveler once upon a time]

--- "The UK, like other European powers has been funding its socialist policies off the military budget for a very long time. This is why they never meet their agreed NATO spending target of 2 percent. And, why they can’t."

Agreed, and thanks for the clear-headed summary.

My wife and I lived had legal residency in Germany before her retirement and our return to the states. I have worked in many nations in Europe, and attest that your view is correct. The aim of the European socialists in all their seeming flavors is one thing: provide welfare to an many as possible to assure votes for themselves, and rely therefore on the US as the "world policeman."

This is why so many of the European "forces" are withered, and many face the same recruitment problems now which afflict the American Leftists' dream of a "tranny, woke and perverse, effeminate" military. In which so many no longer wish to serve voluntarily.

One minor correction: we aren't affording it either, as the rapidly growing national debt testifies. "Liberalism" has run its course, and spent itself -- in the US as in Europe -- in indebted servitude.

Something's going to stop, because it can't go on. Period.

Best wishes.