[mog_dev]

The US did not "pick up" Europe's defense bill out of charity. It ran a garrison empire because forward bases served American interests: containing Russia, projecting power, locking allies into US weapons. European welfare states are funded by European taxes, not Pentagon largesse. Defense is nowhere the "largest expense" of any developed country, pensions and healthcare are. Europe rearming is overdue, but the right framing is strategic autonomy from an unreliable partner, not a wayward teenager finally paying rent.

[arlort]

> the right framing is strategic autonomy from an unreliable partner

Yes but that's an uncomfortable framing for online-americans to use when they want some gotcha argument

And not a useful one for US administrations in the last 30 years (trump was far from the first one) to make because the (mostly) unstated assumption was that the vast majority of increased spending would go to american manufacturers to prop up american jobs

[GJim]

The "Because America pays for Europe's defence, is how Europeans can afford holidays and free healthcare" is classic Russian propaganda.

Frankly, it doesn't pass the sniff test and its bizarre to see some (educated!) American HN readers falling for it.