[hef19898]

IMHO that's almost a meme: The US spending is paying for all the research other countries benefit of. Usually used to defend the US system against criticism. The arguement, by the way, isn't true.

Kind of like the argument Europe is benegiting of US military spending and would be overrun by the Russians if it weren't for the US...

[efitz]

> Kind of like the argument Europe is benegiting of US military spending

They are. The US should pull out of NATO and save a bunch of money; the EU is wealthy enough to provide for its own defense.

[hef19898]

And give up membership in the most powerful military alliance in human history, reduce US international influence and give up the most lucrative defence market in the world. This idea is so spund, even the Congress GOP voted for a law preventing the POTUS from pulling the US out of NATO on his own.

I agree so, that Europe should be less dependant on the US, we sure shoupd have a very solid and competitive defence sector supplying the various European armed forces.

[efitz]

You mock the idea, but then support it? I do not understand.

I agree that the US defense industry likes the status quo, and lobbies congress to keep the money flowing.

I agree that the US gains considerable influence over Europe via the current arrangement.

I don’t think it is a great idea for European countries to be US client states.

Why is this a bad point of view?

[hef19898]

Being a NATO member is not being a client state... And the thing I support is a stronger EU defence industry, not the US leaving NATO or whatever you read into my comment.

And yes, the idea of the US leaving NATO is so bad it is only loughable, the only ones happy about that would be Russia and China. US influence is not limited to Europe so, NATO activities stretch to Afghanistan (past tense), Iraq (same), Ukraine, Africa, the Balcans...

As bad as NATO intervention was during the war on terror period, and boy was it bad, tue alternative would be either Chinese or Russian dominance in those regions. And that would be even worse. NATO, human rights and all that is a different topic so.

[jampekka]

Being dependent of another country for defence is not very far from being a client state.

[hef19898]

And where is Europe dependant on the US for defence? NATO is an alliance, one that served, and serves, each member state quite well... Sometimes ignorant American exceptionalism is tiresome...

[jampekka]

US military dominance (in the form of NATO in Europe) isn't so much about defending the counties per se but to defend its interests in the countries by low key taking over their armies. You have a country quite well by the balls if their defence depends on you.