>>the perception of people and governments of Europe is that the US is not as reliably staunch of an ally as they once were,
It is not a perception, it is reality and people need to understand that. The US can not afford it any more.
>>But it's not Democrats that are arguing for abandoning Ukraine and acquiescing to Russia,
I dont know about "acquiescing to Russia" but some member of the republican party have long understood the fiscal reality, where the Democrats, (and other members of the Republican party) live in the fantasy land where money, and debt do not matter and the government can just spend spend spend, with no limit.
>>most notably Germany
I will believe it when they actually do it, they have been promising that for almost a decade now. They still have not promised 3%, only 2%, and they will IMO never get there.
I hope Poland emerges in EU leadership taking it from Germany
>> Russia spends 4.1%. Ukraine spends 34%
Now lets talk about corruption...
>That'd be an insane spending on defence
Maybe, but the US has been spending between 3-6% for decades building up the military to what is today, while the EU has been spending sub1% for those same decades, just matching US Spending is not going to cut it IMO.
Current US Military spending is at a all time low since WWII in % of GDP numbers, largely because the growth in the US Economy, in real numbers we still spend an INSANE amount of money.
Saying Republicans understand fiscal reality when Bush pissed away unimaginable amounts of wealth in the middle east is ludicrous. I'd like some of what you're smoking.
There's currently some noise about costs because the president isn't Republican and it's an easy way to score asinine political points. None of that is coming from any sort of principled belief system, though.
>>*some* members of the republican party have long understood the fiscal reality, where the Democrats, (and other members of the Republican party) live in the fantasy land where money
See that second part, where "other members of the republican party" i.e the Bush "republicans"... the ones many refer to as "RINO's" in common political rhetoric today...
Or they do not care about ethnic war on periphery of Europe that affects none of US vital interests? Making irrelevant war in far remote country existential good vs evil struggle is how US got into Vietnam. The fact that there were zero negative consequences for US after fall of South Vietnam tells you that it was bullshit from beginning.
The same with Afghanistan. I disagree with Biden on many points but getting out of that country was the best possible course. Same situation as with Vietnam - with Taliban in power in Afghanistan there are zero negative consequences for US. What's more Taliban is apparently better than US or former "Afghan" government in suppressing actual terrorist activities that can threaten US.
Not every war is WW2 and struggle for world domination.
It is not a perception, it is reality and people need to understand that. The US can not afford it any more.
>>But it's not Democrats that are arguing for abandoning Ukraine and acquiescing to Russia,
I dont know about "acquiescing to Russia" but some member of the republican party have long understood the fiscal reality, where the Democrats, (and other members of the Republican party) live in the fantasy land where money, and debt do not matter and the government can just spend spend spend, with no limit.
>>most notably Germany
I will believe it when they actually do it, they have been promising that for almost a decade now. They still have not promised 3%, only 2%, and they will IMO never get there.
I hope Poland emerges in EU leadership taking it from Germany
>> Russia spends 4.1%. Ukraine spends 34%
Now lets talk about corruption...
>That'd be an insane spending on defence
Maybe, but the US has been spending between 3-6% for decades building up the military to what is today, while the EU has been spending sub1% for those same decades, just matching US Spending is not going to cut it IMO.
Current US Military spending is at a all time low since WWII in % of GDP numbers, largely because the growth in the US Economy, in real numbers we still spend an INSANE amount of money.