The Secretary General of *NATO* just had to reassure the world that Trump is spewing Crazy Talk.

[kpete]

?1469110532
https://twitter.com/jaketapper/status/756128747145797633/photo/1
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/jens-stoltenberg-nato-trump
http://www.dailykos.com/stories/2016/7/21/1550493/-The-Secretary-General-of-NATO-just-had-to-reassure-the-world-that-Trump-is-spewing-Crazy-Talk

[DetlefK]

1. I bet, Trump is giving the natl-security-Republicans second thoughts.

The republican party can only be saved by one thing, and one thing only:
A crushing defeat for Trump.

A colossal election-loss, a post-mortem that blames Trump, his incompetent campaign, his narcissism, his divisive speech...

The Republicans need a defeat and then they need to scapegoat Trump for all the bad things anybody has ever said about the GOP.

[SunSeeker]

2. It would be funny if it weren't so damn scary. nt

[Spitfire of ATJ]

3. Republicans think the UN wants their guns.

[bucolic_frolic]

9. That may well be

but the Republicans are coming for your Driver's Licences and Photo IDs

so you CAN'T VOTE

[lindysalsagal]

21. They won't settle for that

They want our cognitive functions and all the money.

[bucolic_frolic]

22. My Depression-era dad

knew a thing or two about not feeding rich guys

Thrifty, frugal, behind the tech curve, that kind of thing

Maybe it's time for the book

"How To Keep Your Money Away From The Republicans"

[lindysalsagal]

23. Shrub increased the budget more than all previous pots combined

Dem reduce the deficit.

[Will Morningstar]

28. RE: Republicans think the UN wants their guns.

This rumour was first spread by The John Birch Society in the 1970's, and by their Canadian surrogates National Citizen's Coalition (Colin Brown, Steven Harper), and Campus Alternative. They even distrubuted paper matches with the slogan "U.S. OUT of United Nations!" (I used to have one). Now the Koch brothers (go ahead, sue me, boys) are funding this effort.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

32. The John Birch Society goes way back....

[Ilsa]

4. People need to get real about what it takes to govern a nation.

I'm afraid that too many people who haven't looked at the big picture think that anyone can walk into this job.

Remember how some soccer moms were so excited about Sarah Palin because, "she's just like me?" I'm no genius, but I know enough to understand that I'm not mentally prepared for doing the president's job any more than I'm prepared to pilot a space craft to Mars.

[FairWinds]

5. Why did NATO expand right up to Russia's borders?

In our rush to war, it seems we cannot have a reasoned
discussion of this issue - no, "Russian aggression" is taken
as a given.

What if Russia signed a military treaty with Mexico, and held
military maneuvers just across the border from Arizona?

(And if Trump is elected, Mexico and Russia might just do this.)

Veterans For Peace

[LanternWaste]

6. Because those nations specifically requested admission into NATO.

Because in 1999, 2004 and 2009, those nations (Czech, Poland, Hungary, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Croatia and Albania) specifically requested admission into NATO, which were then invited.

[FairWinds]

13. Well, what happened first was that the US promised . .

not to expand NATO eastward (James Baker during the Bush I admin).

And at the same time many US and other officials were calling for
a de-militarized zone in Central Europe. (See former NATO commander
Gen. John Galvin).

So it looks like us Dems are just itching for a global military face-off
with just about everyone simultaneously - China (Pivot to Asia), Eastern
and Central Europe, and of course the Middle East and Central Asia.

And don't forget the Trillion Dollar nuke build-up.

What could possibly go wrong?

(and thank you very much for keeping this civil - we need to discuss these
vital issues.)

Veterans For Peace

[LuvNewcastle]

15. I'm expecting war shortly after Obama

leaves office, no matter who is elected. I think Obama had been the only thing standing between us and war with Iran for years now. Hope I'm wrong, but that's the impression I get from some things that have been said by both sides in this campaign.

[yardwork]

24. We will not go to war with Iran if Hillary is elected.

Her choice of Kaine as VP indicates a thoughtful, intelligent, reasoned approach to decision making. Such a person would never do something so foolish as start a war with Iran.

[LuvNewcastle]

25. I hope you're right.

Hillary has always seemed rather hawkish to me, so I've been critical of her foreign policy views in the past. I especially hope that we do our best to avoid war with Iran. That would be a major conflict that could cost us a lot, in human as well as financial terms.

[yardwork]

29. It would be a complete nightmare.

Didn't happen while she was Secretary of State.

[chknltl]

8. Causing Russian citizenry much concern...

...(think reverse Cuban Missile Crises). WTF? Is what the German citizenry are asking! When polled they DO NOT want their troops back in that area. WTF! is what the Russian citizenry are saying because they remember when Germany had troops on their borders. Predictably Putin's response has been to mass troops on his side of those borders.

Who wins when 'that clock' (remember THAT clock?),gets pushed back towords midnight? The MIC wins. This is what happens under a government run not by the citizenry but instead by the highest bidders.

[NuclearDem]

14. Because countries like Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia

were illegally invaded, occupied, and nearly exterminated during the 20th century. Since the history of Russia and the Baltics is one of the former repeatedly doing this to the latter, the Baltics they had had enough and joined NATO.

Since Russia has invaded two former Soviet republics since the end of the Cold War, I don't the Baltics regret their decision one bit.

[FairWinds]

16. The US launched an unprovoked war of aggression . .

against Iraq in 2003 which resulted in the death of millions,
the rise of Daesh, and regional chaos.

Does the US have the moral authority to chatter on
about "Russian aggression"?

No, it does not.

[NuclearDem]

17. Completely irrelevant.

The Iraq War has no bearing on how the Baltics rightly feel threatened by Russia.

Is this kind of tu quoque nonsense the best Veterans For Putin can come up with?

[FairWinds]

18. So you're gonna send your kids . .

into harms way first, right?

I've had it with the war mongers.

And that is relevant.

And this is gibberish . . "quoque nonsense"?

[NuclearDem]

33. I'm a veteran, thank you very much.

And it's "tu quoque."

If you've had it with warmongers, maybe you should stop coming to the defense of the KGB thug supplying arms to Syria and currently occupying two former members of the USSR.

[maryellen99]

7. I think Trump means it

It's not funny anymore and he must be stopped.

[Cryptoad]

10. tRump has not shown any ....

signs yet that he is just funnin around!

[George II]

11. Trump can't unilaterally decide to not recognize international treaties that Congress ratified.

[Cali_Democrat]

12. What an embarrassment. nt

[spanone]

19. trump is a very dangerous man.

[former9thward]

20. Just curious.

Would you support a land war (or a nuclear war) with Russia to protect Estonia? I wouldn't.

[davidn3600]

26. Unless you want to break the NATO treaty...you'd have no choice

Maybe Europe and the US and Canada should have thought about that scenario before they allowed these tiny countries in.

[former9thward]

30. Exactly who has won a land war with Russia?

[davidn3600]

31. Finland and Afghanistan

It's well known fact in warfare that defense is MUCH easier than offense. It's always been that way going back to ancient times. The people who have been humiliated by Russia during warfare have been people who tried to invade that country. Napoleon and Hitler, for example.

People who invade Russia have lost horribly. But when Russia has invaded others, they tend to not do very well. Russia attempted to invade Finland in 1939. The Finns pushed back the invasion and the Russians lost over 350,000 soldiers. The Russians tried to invade Afghanistan in 1986 and got pushed out too, another very costly war. This is one reason why Russia's military action in Syria is only getting lukewarm reception with the Russian people. The Russians like to show defensive strength at home. But they don't particularly like the idea of invading others since it hasn't always been very successful.

[former9thward]

34. How many millions of Americans would you sacrifice

for Estonia? Is there a limit? Would you be one of them?

[davidn3600]

37. I'm simply telling you what our legal obligations would be

Article V of the NATO treaty is very clear....an attack on one is an attack on all. If Estonia is attacked, all of NATO is required to declare war on the attacker.

If that isn't something America can see itself doing, then it should have thought about that before letting Estonia in. Because what do you think will happen, if Russia invades a NATO nation and we shy away from our commitment? The treaty is essentially useless. It's the end of NATO.

[Will Morningstar]

27. Letters to the Ninth Ward

Telling Russia that practically guarantees us one. If that's the way the Trumpster plays poker, I wish he'd play poker with me. I could use a billion dollars.

[sarcasmo]

35. Kick for Sanity

[FairWinds]

36. It should also be remembered that the US . .

was up to its eyeballs in the Ukrainian coup of 2014 which
overthrew a democratically elected government - and replaced
it with a pro-NATO junta.

These actions REALLY ratcheted up the tensions throughout Central Europe
and the Baltic states.

I am no fan at all of the Russian government, but the US has also played
a very unpeaceful and dangerous role in the region.

We really need to look much harder at non-military options.

Veterans For Peace

[Scurrilous]

38. K & R