One of the best outcomes from ‘Trump-Goes-To-Washington‘ today was candidate Donald Trump being the leader who finally brings the U.S. – NATO relationship to the discussion table.

The subject was relayed by the Washington Post who also had an hour-long editorial board sit down with Mr. Trump as he visited various DC-based influence agents:

[…] [Trump] questioned the United States’ continued involvement in NATO and, on the subject of Russia’s aggression in Ukraine, said America’s allies are “not doing anything.”

“Ukraine is a country that affects us far less than it affects other countries in NATO, and yet we’re doing all of the lifting,” Trump said. “They’re not doing anything. And I say: ‘Why is it that Germany’s not dealing with NATO on Ukraine? Why is it that other countries that are in the vicinity of Ukraine, why aren’t they dealing? Why are we always the one that’s leading, potentially the third world war with Russia.’ “

Trump said that U.S. involvement in NATO may need to be significantly diminished in the coming years, breaking with nearly seven decades of consensus in Washington. “We certainly can’t afford to do this anymore,” Trump said, adding later, “NATO is costing us a fortune, and yes, we’re protecting Europe with NATO, but we’re spending a lot of money.” (more)

For far too long NATO has been a one nation effort relying on the U.S. to do everything while 28 member countries, sans Canada, sit on their hands, pontificate and take advantage of our strategic military strength. The conflict in Ukraine and Germany’s do-nothing position is only one brutally obvious example.

Turkey (Recep Erdogan) being a member of NATO, demanding the protection afforded therein, and yet refusing to allow NATO launch operations (air strikes) from Turkish NATO bases, is yet another more insufferable example.

In the past four administrations (Bush, Clinton, Bush, Obama) specifically, NATO has become nothing more than a deployment force of Western Politicians, including European politicians, who use the U.S. military as some form of global military police.

England (Cameron), France (Sarkozy now Hollande), Germany (Merkel), Italy (Renzi), are notorious NATO alarm bell ringers, yet they quick run to the exits when they are requested to put their own lives and/or national finances on the line to do the heavy lifting.

A person only needs to look at the 2011 Libyan fiasco to see how everyone demands NATO to take action, and yet does little to nothing to assist the objectives they demand. The U.S. ends up doing over 80% of any engagement and spending almost all of the money to deliver the results.

What do we get for it?

Three years later we need to use a NATO base in Turkey and Recep Erdogan laughs in our face. Well, that is until Turkey ‘shoot’s down’ a Russian jet flying in Northern Syria and quickly need NATO’s apron to hide behind.

Enough is Enough.

Once again candidate Donald Trump is the only candidate brave enough to state we’ve exhausted our national treasure chasing tyranny away from our allies, and defending liberty in every venue needed, while those same allies do little to nothing to help themselves.

Donald Trump isn’t saying we pull out of NATO completely, he’s merely saying the entire construct of the mutual agreement needs to be re-negotiated…

…. and we resoundingly agree.