MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
Obama presses Cameron on defense expenditure and remaining in the EU
Barack Obama has pressed David Cameron to maintain Britain's commitment to meeting the NATO target of spending 2% of GDP on defense. In talks at the G7 summit in Germany, the US President also said he was “looking forward” to Britain remaining in the European Union. Read full article
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Disclaimer & comment rulesIf the British people are finally told the truth, we'll be out of the EU in two or three years time. Out of 28 members, 11 are contributors, 17 are recipients. As of 2009, the UK was the fourth largest contributor. Compare the size of the UK to, for example, Germany, France and Italy. It is the smallest. Who is the largest recipient? Poland. And who heads for the UK as soon as possible? Poles. Tired of supporting most of eastern Europe.
Jun 08th, 2015 - 11:02 am - Link - Report abuse 0“In talks at the G7 summit in Germany, the US President also said he was “looking forward” to Britain remaining in the European Union.”
Jun 08th, 2015 - 12:01 pm - Link - Report abuse 0translation: he ordered to britain to remain in the european union.
do not forget, britain is the colony of the US.
and even more pathetic, cameron is the lap dog of obama.
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-b43V2ajzcm8/UiIf6iVEqkI/AAAAAAAB2No/lEhQKEMt_Qw/s1600/obama-lapdog.jpg
Its actually Germany's and Eastern Europes turn and necessity to beef up before a Russian expansionist and assertive policy.
Jun 08th, 2015 - 12:57 pm - Link - Report abuse 0France due to its ties to ex-colonial countries in North Africa is far more important geopolitically than the UK will ever be, especially for the US point of view, but having a non-NATO and independent tradition it allows you to havve credentials that the UK completely lacks and get to be known as the poodle of the US all over the world.
And the world doesn't like poodles.
The Americans would not even dare tell the French how much to spend and what to do.
Nobody listens to Odumbo. He is an embarrassment. I can't wait until the next Prez takes over from this numbnuts.
Jun 08th, 2015 - 02:53 pm - Link - Report abuse 0EU better start ramping up their military though. The USA shouldn't be paying to defend them any longer. Its time they stepped up with $ and people. We're sick of paying so they can retire early.
@3 CD2
Jun 08th, 2015 - 02:56 pm - Link - Report abuse 0It's amazing how you can speak about things that you know nothing about!
For instance, the UK is not the USA's poodle, although I'll admit that Tony Blair allowed himself to be pushed around by Bush. Yet when the USA wanted to invade Syria and the UK said no, then the USA suddenly didn't want to invade any more.
Doesn't sound like the UK is a poodle to me only that Obama was and is desperate for reliable allies.
The UK has a lot of ex-colonial countries in North Africa too, and in all of Africa, and the Middle East and lots of other places, which kind of makes the UK far more geopolitically important than...Argentina.
France, although in NATO hasn't been a particularly good NATO ally of the USA until recently (the last 5 yrs), whereas the UK has been a constantly good NATO ally. And unlike France the UK has been far more willing to get involved in the world. And the US would dare to tell the French how much to spend but know that the French would just do the opposite to spite them.
POTUS is very worried that his countries main and most trustworthy ally is thinking about cutting back it's military budget. Because that is truly what this is all about. The USA couldn't count on the French to stand in harms way, because they've always been far too unpredictable, one moment being cooperative and the next being intransigent or even belligerent.
Whereas the USA have always been able to rely on the British to do the right thing.
I myself am worried about any further defence cuts in the UK. We shouldn't cut anymore and if spending needs to be cut then it should be cut from benefits where the UK government could save billions.
As for whether the UK should stay in or get out of Europe I'm undecided. That is why I want the referendum. That is why I want debate, the debate that was lacking in the early 70's, when the general public was sold a lie.
If being a part of Europe is so great for the UK then why are the pro-Europeans appear so dead set against debate?
5.
Jun 08th, 2015 - 03:14 pm - Link - Report abuse 0It was the UKIP anti intervention campaign and your lack of money that ended up putting a strain of Cameron. Hague, Cameron, Milliband and Clegg were all for intervention.
And all you guys here at the time were about to faint when the Parliament gave its negative. “Ohhh gosh what will the Americans and our allies think of us now, if we can’t keep our word ??”.
I had no idea, how much military bases does the UK have in North Africa??? How much does the US have??
France has always being independent and self reliant. It can feed it self and has the key access to energy sources in the gulf of Gunea and North Africa, your ties with the Commonwealth are more nominal than actually practical as you are far more European centered than back in the 1960s & 1970s.
If ever there is going to be a new European superpower that will reemerge (islamic though it may be) it will be France.
@6
Jun 08th, 2015 - 04:41 pm - Link - Report abuse 0A French Islamic Superpower, hmmm, not sure where you have got that from, all the projections say that the UK is expected to be the biggest EU power, if we stay in of course.
Cameron will find the two % he needs. The Conservative party are currently taking apart the UK Police and in 5 years we pretty much won't have a police force left, this is where they are getting the money to prop up the NHS and I expect it is where the gap will be filled for defence.
7 brit parasite
Jun 08th, 2015 - 05:03 pm - Link - Report abuse 0“all the projections say that the UK is expected to be the biggest EU power”
who told you that?
the daily telegraph...my god.
the reality is this:
“Germany finally invades Britain: 70 years after the bloody collapse of the Third Reich, Europe's superpower commands more control over us than at any time since 1941 ”
and it will be the same for the next 10, 20, 30 years.
@8
Jun 08th, 2015 - 05:54 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Shouldn't really be feeding the troll, but here you go
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-25519110
We are the second largest now, not a huge leap really is it?
@6 CD2
Jun 08th, 2015 - 06:31 pm - Link - Report abuse 0The UK don't have military bases in North Africa, but we don't need them.
Why? Because the UK holds two of the most important places in the Mediterranean; namely Gibraltar and Cyprus Sovereign bases. Both of which have been far more use to the UK, NATO and Coalition forces than any of the 3 French bases in North Africa.
What the UK does have far more than France, is influence in many African and Middle Eastern countries. It's called 'soft power'. That means you don't need to flex muscles or threaten people: an unfamiliar concept for Argentines I know, but then your threats are meaningless, and your muscle is non-existent.
No soft power is a way of promoting or persuading people or countries to side with you, to a lesser or greater extent, usually to MUTUAL benefit: which I know is another unfamiliar concept for Argentines.
The French do soft power too, as does the US, but the British are currently the best in the world.
Now don't try to tax your brain too much.
And try to stop with the Islamaphobia. I know the big bad muslims scare you sh!tless, hence your constant 'panicking' about them, but the rest of us aren't concerned.
Don't worry, CD2. The UK will protect you from the big bad muslim 'boogeyman' hiding under your bed. Unless of course he's Iranian. Then he's probably there at the behest of your precious government, whilst planning the murder of Argentine citizens.
Obama
Jun 08th, 2015 - 06:37 pm - Link - Report abuse 0just my humble opinion but-
Obama don't like the British, and is, apparently great life long friends and ally of Europe, including the great loyal French,
so he thinks its in his and Americas interests to perhaps destroy the British, and help create a great new super power to help the USA,
I feel all he will accomplish is destroying a great friend in Britain, and creating a giant anti America monster, incompetent , corrupt , backwards achieving and controlled by the Germans with the French poodle,
but I could well be totally wrong,
lets hope we never have to find out, ? funny thing, the future, you never know ??
9
Jun 08th, 2015 - 06:38 pm - Link - Report abuse 0again your source of information is british and not reliable at all .
the second largest now is france.
but the most important is who are the most competitive.
and in that category we have:
switzerland, finland, deutschland, sweden and holland.
the uk, of course, does not qualify since slavery was abolished.
France in fact is one click away from joining the pigs,
Jun 08th, 2015 - 06:50 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Germany I believe is the powerhouse, and Britain is the most powerful ,
but power is based on many different arguments,
what's your argument to the contrary...
@11 Briton
Jun 08th, 2015 - 06:51 pm - Link - Report abuse 0You do have some valid points there.
The main problem with Obama is that he honestly believes that France, Germany and other European countries will jump to the USA's aide when the chips are down.
Well he just needs to look at history to know that won't happen.
We all remember the response after 9/11. The UK was the ONLY European Union country to standby the US from the beginning. Others did eventually offer assistance, but it was mostly logistics and medical. Only the UK offered fighting troops.
Yet Obama conveniently forgot all this, insulted the UK on more than one occasion because he blamed the UK for what happened to his grandfather (which isn't actually what he believes happened to his grandfather he was told a bunch of lies by his grandmother: in reality his grandfather was caught stealing silver from the Officer's Mess as was given 6 months detention before being kicked out of the...wait for it...the British Army...not the Kenyan Army. Nor did his grandfather fight for the Mau Mau's...as he was the wrong tribe and the Mau Mau's would've hacked him to pieces, because the only thing better than killing the 'white man' was killing the 'black man' from a different tribe), and put his own personal bigotry before the good of the USA.
So because of his attitude the USA got a big FECK OFF from the British next time they wanted to go to war - Syria ring a bell?
Since then Obama has been scrabbling to try and regain some ground with the British (finally realising that sucking up to the likes of Putin, Rouhani and Kim Un Jong just made him, and by proxy the US, look weak), but he'll never do it.
His successor will have a lot bridges to mend.
The best moment in Obama's presidency, IMO, is when he got completely out politicked by Putin over Syria. I mean Putin made Obama look like the complete amateur that he is.
Lets hope the USA vote in an experienced and sensible leader who will put the USA's interests before his own.
14, LEPRecon
Jun 08th, 2015 - 07:11 pm - Link - Report abuse 0totally agree,
he has not to long to go if I remember righty,
so we may well get a better friend,
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
12
Most Militarily Powerful European Countries
http://www.thetoptens.com/most-militarily-powerful-european-countries/
1United Kingdom
+28The United Kingdom is still Technically the worlds strongest country ,,,
Germany
France
Italy
Russia
Spain
Poland
read on,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
http://www.thetoptens.com/most-militarily-powerful-european-countries/
state the following 4
Russia , France , Britain and Germany
,,,,,,,,,,,,,
http://www.thetoptens.com/most-militarily-powerful-european-countries/
gives the world rankings,
USA
Russia
China
India
Great Britain
France
South Korea and then Germany,
so many experts , so many placing's,
the real truth, ????????????
you tell.....
@2. In a recent tv programme, I heard this. ”As Bush and Blair spoke, there were frequent occasions when Blair explained what Bush meant. Blair wasn't Bush's 'poodle', he was his 'carer'. That was from an Australian. Now think about it.
Jun 08th, 2015 - 09:00 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Sorry. 'Thinking'. An ability you don't have. Fat old moron.
@3. France blows with the wind. Think about the meaning of those words.
@6. Don't be silly. 'France has always being independent and self reliant'. Perfectly capable of waving white flags and surrendering. Running out on 'allies'. France survives by its reliance on the Common Agricultural Policy. Designed by France in order to maintain its 19th century agricultural operations. And when the UK stops subsidising France?
But I do like the idea of a French Islamic superpower. Makes the Trident missile system totally worthwhile. We should buy more missiles, make some of our own, build more nuclear warheads. At last, after more than a thousand years, we can wipe France out. Why stop? Continue with spain. No-one needs that. Italy? Take out the migrants as well. On to argieland. Using what we've captured from France, spain and Italy. Spain and Italy mostly crash their Typhoons because they're incompetent.
@8. The RAF has 223 combat aircraft. The argie air farce has 67. Most argie warships are upside down.
@12. Actually the most important are the most competent. Why does the US always want British support for its military operations?
@15. As you suggest, but don't actually say, the issue is competence.
Is there any European national air force more competent than the Royal Air Force?
Haven't noticed Germany, France, Italy, spain, Poland doing to well at Red Flag.
In fact, the UK often wins versus the US. US pilots are often amazed at the capabilities of UK aircraft and aircrews. The spirit lives!
Back in '82, argie pilots were confident of the capability and speed of their aircraft. Such a shame that British pilots could virtually stop and then attack and destroy.
it seems the genetic aberration @16 has some kind of sickly fixation with missiles, warheads, bombs, bullets, and any kind of oblong shapes.
Jun 08th, 2015 - 10:05 pm - Link - Report abuse 0wonder why.
From what I can see I think that the British do not understand the level of disquiet felt within the US government towards the path that the UK seems determined to pursue. For example, major concern is the lack of political will shown by the UK to oppose the RF even though it is Europe which is under threat.
Jun 09th, 2015 - 01:44 am - Link - Report abuse 0The British need to understand that any remaining usefulness that the UK has for the US will come to an end if they leave the EU.
Lol, what a load of willful bullshit!!
Jun 09th, 2015 - 02:10 am - Link - Report abuse 0Back in early 2013 when AQIM was at the doors, who did the North Africans call in a desperate plea for help??
UK??No
US??No
African Union?? No
FRANCE..
France has the nexus, the troops on the ground and the influence to get things done. Yeah US and NATO may help with logistics but the actual fighting is done by Frenchmen.
Cyprus, Ascension Is and Gibraltar are pretty useless in the North African campaign.
You don’t have soft power at all....What you have is bureaucrats that travel around the world and give money away and then your politicians tell you that you have “soft power” . You dickheads are the second aid senders per capita. You may think of it as a proud thing, I think its actually a coward that pays for protection like you do so in Pakistan... Of course France is as guilty too. But France is more cool. Its independent and I still remember the Malians chanting “Merci, merci Sarkozy” Never have I heard them ay “Thank you Camoron, thank you bLair”
Soft power by far is to Russia, Israel and France…. The US & UK are too but at much but much more cost that translates in very few influence in return.
“Britain resigns as a world power”
Jun 09th, 2015 - 03:14 am - Link - Report abuse 0”Over the next few years, Britain’s army will shrink to about 80,000. A report from the Royal United Services Institute predicts that the number could get as low as 50,000, which, the Daily Telegraph points out, would be smaller than at any point since the 1770s — and, as David Rothkopf of Foreign Policy magazine notes, about the same size as the New York Police Department.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/britain-resigns-as-a-world-power/2015/05/21/d89606f8-fff1-11e4-805c-c3f407e5a9e9_story.html
@19 CD2
Jun 09th, 2015 - 04:37 am - Link - Report abuse 0Which North Africans are you talking about? Please do enlighten us.
Or are you talking about Op Barkhane, which is basically France teaching security forces from countries such as Mali, Chad etc... in counter insurgency techniques? These countries, while based in the North of the African continent aren't considered 'North Africa' which is a designation given to the actual countries that border the Mediterranean Sea, such as Morocco, Algeria, Egypt, Libya.
If you are talking about Mali I think you'll find it's designated in West Africa. And the reason the French went in? Because it was a former French colony.
Of course you always conveniently 'forget' that the UK gave France logistical assistance in Mali.
What North African campaign are you speaking of? The last actual North African campaign was in WW2.
As for Gibraltar and Cyprus, both have been enormous use to France, the USA, and to any ongoing operations against both African countries and the Middle East.
In fact, planes based in Cyprus often fly sorties into Syria and Iraq.
So actually quite a lot of use.
You ridicule soft power, but Argentina hasn't even got that. Your government has sold your entire country to China and for what?
A loan of money that no one in Argentina will ever see? And that money is being paid directly to CHINESE companies, who employ CHINESE workers, and who will build new bridges, dams and roads. And yet you, and your children, will be expected to pay that loan back with lots and lots of interest.
It's quite obvious from your post that you don't understand diplomacy, you don't understand military strategy, and you certainly don't understand what soft power is.
It's amazing how much you 'love' the French and believe that they are 'wonderful', yet conveniently overlook their own shortcomings.
France isn't the economic or military powerhouse that you are trying desperately to make it out to be. The UK is higher on both counts as it currently stands.
19 CD 2
Jun 09th, 2015 - 09:33 am - Link - Report abuse 0“But France is more cool. ”
What exactly does “cool” mean in terms of international geopolitics? Is there a thing called “cool power” now? It must be different from “soft power” because as LEPRecon points out above, if you think that soft power is what Russia and Israel have, you clearly don't know what soft power is.
As for the French, I haven't noticed them doing very much in North Africa at all, apart from air strikes in Libya, but their interventions against extremism in their former colonial empire in sub-Saharan Africa are greatly to be applauded. Them and the 19 other EU countries in the field with them, in what is a showpiece of the European cooperation whose dictatorial and undemocratic character you were screeching about the other day. But whatever, it's surely fortunate that the French were so little involved in other theatres of conflict that they had troops available, even if the numbers involved aren't actually all that great, impressive through their geographical dispersion may be. But more power to them anyway. And of course they certainly got Iraq right.
LEPRecon
Jun 10th, 2015 - 01:07 pm - Link - Report abuse 0The French can never be trusted.
When I first trained at the BRNC in Dartmouth I was surprised by the amount of Francophobia, but years later when I was assigned as a reserve officer at the HMS Ferret in Bedford it was remarkably clear why the British did not trust the French Navy Signal Intelligence (SIGINT).
I love the language, people, cuisine and wine, but they will cut your throat without a moments notice if it's to their advantage.
it seems the chilote bootlicker is a psychologist AND a sociologist now.
Jun 10th, 2015 - 06:01 pm - Link - Report abuse 0it seems he did a made a poll and discovered that the whole french population: “will cut your throat without a moments notice if it's to their advantage.”
and all of that while he was a “reserve officer”...lol
“Sweeping Generalisation Fallacy”
as they say, making generalisations is a huge, huge sign of ignorance.
“Sweeping Generalisation Fallacy”
Jun 10th, 2015 - 06:53 pm - Link - Report abuse 0as they say, making generalisations is a huge, huge sign of ignorance,
so says the argy government who never ever tire of it.
For the record, I should have specifically referred to the French naval defense as not to be trusted. I was certainly ignorant and naive when I first witnessed British naval Francophobia, but later learned first hand that the French are unreliable. I've been led to believe that many feel the same way about the entire race. Sort of like we Chileans have with our eastern neighbors...
Jun 10th, 2015 - 06:58 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Well to be fair, and to blow open the debate, if at all- the US Navy apparently has had to turn to their new friends [ the French ] to help them out of a black hole,
Jun 10th, 2015 - 07:16 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Apparently they are short of carriers and have been forced to go cap in hand to ask the French if they will lend/borrow their aircraft carrier to fill the gap,
as the brits carrier is not yet ready,,,,
so its been said..
#27. Briton
Jun 10th, 2015 - 07:52 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Yes, since Libya, the French have been helping the Americans that unfortunately did not earlier accept their advice about invading Iraq. The French military is absolutely superb and first class in my opinion. What I learned about a decade ago is that they cannot always be relied upon. They were “sharing” false SIGINT to NATO and the UK discovered their ruse.
As you probably know, British carriers are still without the F-35s which are still being debated.
France is good in its own way, they put France first as always,
Jun 11th, 2015 - 09:58 am - Link - Report abuse 0its just a pity that the UK puts everybody else first.
In order to be useful to the US the UK needs to double or triple its defense expenditure and it needs to be willing or able to deploy it against such opponents as the RF.
Jun 12th, 2015 - 05:35 am - Link - Report abuse 0For if not, you guys will replace us, as US friends, is this what you are saying...
Jun 12th, 2015 - 12:09 pm - Link - Report abuse 0http://en.mercopress.com/2015/06/08/obama-presses-cameron-on-defense-expenditure-and-remaining-in-the-eu#comment401317: That was the implication of the recent comments of the CJCS. I am not the CJSC.
Jun 13th, 2015 - 01:44 am - Link - Report abuse 0Commenting for this story is now closed.
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