Congress ready to take vote on TikTok ban but not on Ukraine funding.

[txdot-guy]

Originally Posted by Ducbutter

And if our NATO partners would pay their share...

Well the European governments have provided quite a lot of support to Ukraine.

USNews reports

The majority of committed support by country has come from the United States, whose total aid commitment is valued at about $75 billion. The U.S. is followed by Germany and the United Kingdom for highest commitments overall. The European Union as a whole has committed approximately $93 billion in aid to Ukraine.

https://www.usnews.com/news/best-cou...20to%20Ukraine.

Not to mention that these countries have also had to take in millions of refugees from the war.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ukrain...%80%93present)

Considering the size of these countries and their economies they have stepped up quite significantly. But that doesn’t mean that we should stop with our commitments now. Congress should support the Ukrainian people by passing the Ukraine funding bill.

The good news is that Mike Johnson has indicated he will bring the funding up for a vote. As reported by Politico yesterday.

https://www.politico.com/news/2024/0...-bill-00147108

[Ducbutter]

Originally Posted by txdot-guy

Well the European governments have provided quite a lot of support to Ukraine.

USNews reports

The majority of committed support by country has come from the United States, whose total aid commitment is valued at about $75 billion. The U.S. is followed by Germany and the United Kingdom for highest commitments overall. The European Union as a whole has committed approximately $93 billion in aid to Ukraine.

https://www.usnews.com/news/best-cou...20to%20Ukraine.

Not to mention that these countries have also had to take in millions of refugees from the war.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ukrain...%80%93present)

Considering the size of these countries and their economies they have stepped up quite significantly. But that doesn’t mean that we should stop with our commitments now. Congress should support the Ukrainian people by passing the Ukraine funding bill.

The good news is that Mike Johnson has indicated he will bring the funding up for a vote. As reported by Politico yesterday.

https://www.politico.com/news/2024/0...-bill-00147108

Poland agrees with me. Several NATO members aren't fulfilling their obligations. Committing to pay and actually ponying up are two different things.

From your article, " The Ukraine Support Tracker team noted in a news release that there is a “large gap between commitments and allocations” in Europe. As of Jan. 15,..."

https://thehill.com/policy/defense/4...ending-russia/

[txdot-guy]

Originally Posted by Ducbutter

Poland agrees with me. Several NATO members aren't fulfilling their obligations. Committing to pay and actually ponying up are two different things.

From your article, " The Ukraine Support Tracker team noted in a news release that there is a “large gap between commitments and allocations” in Europe. As of Jan. 15,..."

https://thehill.com/policy/defense/4...ending-russia/

You are not wrong on this issue, however that doesn’t mean that they won’t. Europe has slowly been awakening to the realization that they must be able to defend themselves. Even if the US fulfills its protection obligations under section five that doesn’t mean that europe should not be more prepared. Putin’s actions in Ukraine and the statements of the former soviet states turned nato members are slowly pushing countries like germany and france to start putting their wallets where their mouths are.

[1blackman1]

It was US policy to not have a fully militarized Europe or Japan. Switching that policy doesn’t bode well for us or them. Little conflicts tend to spread into big wars pretty easily and a fully militarized Europe would easily open the door to that.

[txdot-guy]

Originally Posted by 1blackman1

It was US policy to not have a fully militarized Europe or Japan. Switching that policy doesn’t bode well for us or them. Little conflicts tend to spread into big wars pretty easily and a fully militarized Europe would easily open the door to that.

A demilitarized Europe and Asia no longer exist. The world is changing and China and Russia have pushed the countries around them into militarizing their economies. The question is simply how fast they can bring their military industries up to speed. The role that the US has to play is in bridging that gap.

I don’t think that anybody is looking to go to war but the way to avoid that is to make sure that the opposition knows that you can defend yourself and your allies as well as to commit to a world wide system of rules and governance that enables the ability to resolve disputes before you go to war. The current system doesn’t work flawlessly but it does work if the members work at it.

[Why_Yes_I_Do]

Originally Posted by txdot-guy

Does anyone else find it just a little bit crazy that Congress is planning to take a vote on banning tik tok but can’t find it worthwhile to fund the Ukrainian people’s defense...

Only in the sense that O'Biden is leveraging his Tik Toc influencers for ideas. What could possibly go wrong?!? Ya'll don't really think LetsGoBRRRRRRandon is leading anything. Do ya?



But yeah, the Ukraine funding deep 6 is on the money.
We ain't got the money and we don't need the fear porn.

[txdot-guy]

Originally Posted by Why_Yes_I_Do

Only in the sense that O'Biden is leveraging his Tik Toc influencers for ideas. What could possibly go wrong?!? Ya'll don't really think LetsGoBRRRRRRandon is leading anything. Do ya?

But yeah, the Ukraine funding deep 6 is on the money.
We ain't got the money and we don't need the fear porn.

More Nonsense.

[Why_Yes_I_Do]

Originally Posted by txdot-guy

... Europe has slowly been awakening to the realization that they must be able to defend themselves...

You forgot to say; Thank you Mr Trump.

President Trump Pushes NATO Members to Pay 'Their Fair Share'
Lorne Cook, Angela Charlton / AP Updated May 25, 2017

(BRUSSELS) — Meeting fellow NATO leaders for the first time, U.S. President Donald Trump aggressively challenged them Thursday to spend more on their own defense, putting the alliance under exceptional pressure to become tougher, sharper and newly relevant.

The 27 other leaders looked on in awkward silence as Trump suggested most NATO countries were freeloaders not paying their share for military protection. The other leaders are divided over his spending demands, as well as over how much intelligence to share with Trump’s troubled administration.

“Twenty-three of the 28 nations are still not paying what they should be paying and what they’re supposed to be paying for their defense,” Trump said. “This is not fair to the people and the taxpayers of the United States.”...

[txdot-guy]

Originally Posted by Why_Yes_I_Do

You forgot to say; Thank you Mr Trump.

President Trump Pushes NATO Members to Pay 'Their Fair Share'
Lorne Cook, Angela Charlton / AP Updated May 25, 2017

One of the reasons that the current European government’s are increasing their military capabilities is that a lunatic is attempting to occupy Ukraine. The other reason is another lunatic (ie Trump) is telling everyone that he will run away from his country’s obligations to defend NATO. I don’t think that I’m required to give gratitude to either of them.

Trump is a cowardly little bitch that needs to keep his dumb ass mouth shut. God help us all if he’s elected President again.