'Spend more on defence', Bush urges Europe

[Robbien]

Facing rising violence in Iraq and Afghanistan, US President George Bush is pressing European allies for more help in a rush of high-stakes diplomacy amid growing public impatience with the war.

Bush left today for an overnight stop in Estonia ahead of a two-day Nato summit in Riga, Latvia. He then heads to Amman, Jordan, for talks Wednesday and Thursday with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Maliki.

The president is expected to urge Nato members to increase defence spending.

The defence outlays of some Nato partners are less than half those of the United States as a percentage of gross domestic product. Aides say many US allies are ill-equipped for modern military operations.

http://www.irishexaminer.com/breaking/story.asp?j=202513276&p=zxz5y398z&n=202514036

Defense contractors need to increase profits for their stockholders. Europe should shop till they drop says Bush.

[Eurobabe]

1. Why? Now that you've made Europe less safe too?

You fucking asshole? Go back to bed George. It's way past your naptime.

[European Socialist]

2. Be involved in pointless, unjust wars too--look what it has done for the USA.

[jordi_fanclub]

3. France voicemail response...

Hi.
This is France voicemail...

Please DO NOT leave message after the signal
because we DO NOT produce Freedom Fries
consequently we DO NOT call you back.

Thank you.

[VegasWolf]

4. Just a shameless plug for the American Military Industrial Complex /

American corporations to help them sell warfare munitions to the world. The US is going bankrupt fast and needs money desperately from every sector. Bush's little vendetta against Saddam has bankrupted the US.

[KansDem]

5. "...and when you're serious about increasing defense spending, call my dad"

"He and his buddies a the Carlyle Group will get you the best deals. He'll treat you right!"

Meet The Carlyle Group

[Megahurtz]

10. Exactly. A "Fund my Family" stunt.

Fucking Disgusting.:puke:

[Quantess]

6. Oh yes, I'm sure European leaders are taking notes when W utters his wise words.

W stands for wisdom, we are gradually discovering. The rest of the world is paying attention to what Bush says, so they can learn wisdom such a revered man. Everyone sees he is a successful, adored, leader who has carried his own nation to new pinnacles of greatness. His advice is immensely appreciated.

[MissMillie]

7. yeah, all those great social programs over there are making the US look barbaric

:shrug:

[maxrandb]

8. But I thought our hero GWB had made the world safer!?

I know that's true, 'cause I heard it on Faux News.

In other words; "I've spent all my capital. I've fucked up the USA military so much in the past 6 years that now 'You're on your own'". - Love George

[Thickasabrick]

9. The US is pushing for control of NATO forces too. I hope they

ignore him on both requests.

[SpiralHawk]

11. "Make the pie higher." - Commander AWOL

"So my corrupt republicon cronies can make more billions in oil and munitions."

- Commander AWOL

[nealmhughes]

12. Why in the world would Europe want to do that?

Only Turkey and Russia even have any border/internal problems...

Sorry, George, but the age of dynastic wars is over -- at least in Europe -- unfortunately, not here in the US.

Europe bowed out of colonialism in '53 after Dien Bien Phu. Russia quit Afghanistan completely in '89.

Russia is trying to get semi-wealthy out of its gas and oil and Eastern Europe is trying to become "normal" again. Who in the world has time to worry about BS like war in Europe these days?

Too bad that the US can't take a lesson from Europe...concentrate on people and not on warfare.

[ckramer]

15. It's not the US can't take a lesson, it's GWB who didn't learn the

lesson when he was majored in history.

The result of whole four year partying.

[Briar]

22. You realise

this is Europe minus the UK. Bliar and Brown are preparing to waste billions on (weakening the case against non proliferation) updating Trident, pouring yet more money into the coffers of the military industrial complex (ching go the pcokets of Bush's buddies) and leaving us yet more dependent on a country (because we have to get US permission to use them, even if we had a government evil enough to want to) which freely admits it always puts its national interest first.

[depakid]

13. Ironically, this might be a good idea

However, as cheap oil, natural gas and other resources become scarce, the country they'll need to think about defending their interests against is the rogue nation that refuses to comply with international law and whose people believe their self-destructive and wasteful "way of life" is non-negotiable.

[xchrom]

16. indeed -- that's not an idea american globalists are thrilled about.

and europe has been contemplating the idea anyway.

it's just gone on the back burner as a result of the french and dutch elections.

if they iron the eu constitution difficulties -- the defence spending will come back to the front.

[TheCowsCameHome]

14. Europe urges Bush, 'Bite me, you chimpanzee a-hole'

[davepc]

17. Why dosen't he withdraw the US from NATO and bring every American solider

home from European bases.

World War II was 60 years ago.

The Cold War is over.

There is no need to have over 100,000 American forces in Europe.

Let their place be taken by European Forces once the American ones are REMOVED from the theatre.

[bamacrat]

18. Yeah, so it wont look like we spend so much.

Douche bag

[justinaforjustice]

19. Bush Is Pushing Up Profits for His Defense Industry Pals

Bush really cares about the American defense industry and wants to make sure they are protected after his gone. Maybe he thinks they'll give him a job when he gets impeached and removed from office. With all his bicycle-riding practice while president, he might not actually be qualified for a messenger job. Of course his friend Cheney would have to go along with him to make sure he gets to the right addresses.

[justinaforjustice]

20. Bush Is Pushing Up Profits for His Defense Industry Pals

Bush really cares about the American defense industry and wants to make sure their profits are protected after he is gone. Maybe he thinks they'll give him a job when he gets impeached and removed from office. With all his bicycle-riding practice while president, he might actually be qualified for a messenger job. Of course his friend Cheney would have to go along with him to make sure he gets to the right addresses.

[muriel_volestrangler]

21. Only paranoia can justify the world's second biggest military budget

A piece in today's Guardian, by George Monbiot, apparently by coincidence.

Britain's level of defence spending isn't related to real threats we face, but the needs of our military-industrial complex

No one noticed. Or if they did, no one complained. The government didn't even bother to issue a press release. Last week the Ministry of Defence quietly secured a £1.7bn increase in its budget. The spending for 2006-7 was allocated months ago, which means that another fund must have been raided to find the extra money. It's the equivalent of half the annual budget for the Department for International Development. But another billion or two doesn't make much difference when we are already sloshing out £32bn a year on a programme whose purpose is a mystery.

On Friday, the National Audit Office published a report which appeared to congratulate the MoD for going only 11% over budget on 30 acquisitions, such as attack submarines, destroyers, Euro-fighter aircraft and anti-tank weapons. This overspending - a mere £3bn or so - is a heroic improvement on the ministry's usual efforts. The story was spoilt a little when we discovered that it would have looked much worse were it not for some creative manoeuvres by the 1st armoured accounts division, confounding the enemy by shifting money between different parts of the budget.
...
Having obtained its stupendous budget - in cash terms, the second biggest defence allocation in the world - our military-industrial complex must justify it. It does so by producing ever more paranoid assessments of the capabilities of terrorists. Bin Laden might possess no submarines, but we must retain our anti-submarine aircraft in case he - or someone like him - acquires some. We don't know what Blair's proposed new nuclear missiles are for, but after the money has been spent a justification is bound to emerge. In the ministry's defence vision paper, I found this gobsmacking contradiction. "We face new challenges and unpredictable new conditions. Our strategy must evolve to reflect these new realities. For the future this means (among other positions) ... holding fast, in the face of change, to our underpinning military traditions." Was there ever a clearer sign that the tail is wagging the dog?
...
So what role remains for our armed forces? A small one. A shrunken army should concentrate on helping the civil authorities to catch terrorists and deal with epidemics, floods and power cuts; the navy should be deployed to protect fisheries and catch drugs smugglers; the airforce is largely redundant. Now that foreign adventures are no longer an option, it is time we turned our war spending into what it claims to be: a budget for our defence.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/story/0,,1958581,00.html

[moondust]

23. Christmas sale on Bunker Busters!

You'll love our new tactical nuke models! Armor-piercing RPGs are going fast so stock up!

Our motto: "Get 'em before they get you!"

[Javaman]

24. AKA save our ass.

buy our weapons and save our ass in the middle east.

it's a win win for moron*.

[Tempest]

25. At the same time he's telling China to spend less

What is wrong with this moron?

[GoddessOfGuinness]

26. I have no problem with defense spending.

If we spend less on OFFENSE, we'll have more money for defense.