Discussion about hot topics trending today

[Pharaoh Hamenthotep]

Because not all of them can afford to do so. But they are working on meeting the target.

[Ian-S]

When they go out, yes. No problem.

Indoor ones, not so much -- locked inside they have no place else to go.

Haha our two were very resourceful, they worked together to get the food, the bigger one would hold the cupboard door open while the runt snuck in and dragged two pouches out, eventually we had to put the child locks back on the doors to stop them.

They also sussed doors, many a time we'd shut them in the living room at night only to find them tucked up in bed with us in the morning

The front door was too heavy, but that didn't stop one who tried to squeeze out the letterbox...

They were complete fruitcakes, miss them a lot.

[aretood2]

Because not all of them can afford to do so. But they are working on meeting the target.

Was there a time period given in the agreement?

[Pharaoh Hamenthotep]

Do you want me to Google it for you?

[aretood2]

Do you want me to Google it for you?

Since you were answering my question, I assumed you knew. But since you don't know what you are talking about, I went ahead and looked it up. It seems to be 2024, the agreed upon date for all NATO allies to reach 2% of GDP. That number seems to be a random number selected in 2014 with serious doubts if it is possible for all 28 allies to reach that number.

So technically, Germany hasn't violated any rule or requirement of military spending, yet.

The 2% was a guideline before, a recommendation. about 19 of them spend in the billions per years, of which 6 spend in the tens of billions per year not counting the US and UK. Most spend 1% GDP or higher. But to keep things in perspective, a lot of these nations have GDP's much smaller than that of the US. They'll never be able to spend anything near the hundreds of billions that the US spends.

Example, Poland is spending around 9 Billion last year in the military which is around 2.2% their GDP. The US spending is set to over 660 Billion last year, around 3.6% of our GDP. Our 3% is more than 60 times higher than Poland's 2.2%. Italy which spends 1% of its GDP spent around 23 billion. So Italy's 2.0% would be around 46 Billion. So even though Italy spends 1.2% below the required GDP it outspends Poland by 14 Billion dollars. Germany spends 40 Billion which is 1.2 % of its GDP (Not counting the opportunity cost of not charging the US for its use of land and airspace). So Germany who is spending below the required 2% by .8 is spending 31 Billion more than Poland who is .2% above the required GDP level.

Put to perspective, the UK is spending around 60 Billion (That's only 20 Billion more than Germany) on defense. Maybe the marker should have been based on each nations budget as opposed to its GDP? I don't know, but Germany's military has the 4th largest budget in NATO.

Sources:
https://www.statista.com/statistics/...ies-1990-2011/
http://www.defenseone.com/politics/2...charts/116008/

[Pharaoh Hamenthotep]

Was it really necessary to insult me? You want to know the answer to a question you could clearly look up yourself, and could find out more information that way than simply taking my word for it. Which you wouldn't do any way, and would then go to look it up yourself.

And since it is 12:40 AM and I really don't want to write out a long post on my phone. Suggesting that you look it up yourself is easier for both of us.

[Coco Pops]

So why isn't the USA paying rent to Germany for having its bases on THEIR soil?

That's how it should work, well in my world it would work that way.

[garhkal]

So why isn't the USA paying rent to Germany for having its bases on THEIR soil?

That's how it should work, well in my world it would work that way.

By that logic, shouldn't we be charging a few billion each year to the UN??

[Gatefan1976]

By that logic, shouldn't we be charging a few billion each year to the UN??

Dude, what you gain in that argument is going to be far, far less than you loose.

[Falcon Horus]

Though I do have to ask why European nations aren't spending the agreed upon 2% of their GDP on defense.

Try being a tiny country -- and see how that feels...

Also, our military is a joke.

Belgium spend 0.92% of its GDP in 2015 on defense.

Because not all of them can afford to do so. But they are working on meeting the target.

Slowly...

The front door was too heavy, but that didn't stop one who tried to squeeze out the letterbox...

LOL!! I'm picturing this right now, and it's hilarious.

Only one of our two cats is smart enough to figure stuff out, the other will just follow him (even though he's supposed to be the adventurous one).

So why isn't the USA paying rent to Germany for having its bases on THEIR soil?

They're not. They use the pretense of protection to occupy those areas, which are in fact designated as US soil.

The US has nuclear warheads stashed on a military base in Belgium -- that soil is American territory so no need to pay rent.

Countries such as Germany and Japan even have to pay for them to be there.

[pookey]

Spoiler:

for FH, not a good one tho, but you get the idea

[Gatefan1976]

*mauls Pooky with a letterbox*

See how you like it!!

[Coco Pops]

Try being a tiny country -- and see how that feels...

Also, our military is a joke.

Belgium spend 0.92% of its GDP in 2015 on defense.



Slowly...



LOL!! I'm picturing this right now, and it's hilarious.

Only one of our two cats is smart enough to figure stuff out, the other will just follow him (even though he's supposed to be the adventurous one).



They're not. They use the pretense of protection to occupy those areas, which are in fact designated as US soil.

The US has nuclear warheads stashed on a military base in Belgium -- that soil is American territory so no need to pay rent.

Countries such as Germany and Japan even have to pay for them to be there.

To me that sounds wrong

[Falcon Horus]

Spoiler:

for FH, not a good one tho, but you get the idea

Will watch it in an hour -- when I take a break to get fresh air.
I'm at work where youtube is blocked. And our cooling system is currently offline so we need to go out for fresh air otherwise headache forms cause of oxygen deprivation.

[pookey]

*slaps Gatey and clonks him with letterbox* Did i miss owt?

Lovely work place environment, should have sent you all home till it was fixed, but, that's not the real world is it