What you talkin’ ‘bout, Germany?

According to Mark Moore of The New York Post, “President Trump last week directed the Pentagon to cut the number of US troops stationed in Germany by 9,500, removing about a quarter of the forces in the country.

There are currently about 40,000 US troops in Germany.

“A top German official said it was ‘unacceptable’ — and could impact the longstanding relationship between the NATO allies.”

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‘“This is completely unacceptable, especially since nobody in Washington thought about informing its NATO ally Germany in advance,’ Peter Beyer, an ally of Chancellor Angela Merkel, told the Rheinische Post newspaper, according to Reuters.”

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“Beyer, Germany’s coordinator of trans-Atlantic cooperation [That’s a real job?], told the DPA news agency that ‘the German-US relationship could be severely affected by such a decision from the US president.’”

So, I guess Peter Beyer isn’t doing his job very well then.

And “unacceptable?”

What exactly are you going to do about it…, stop exporting cars over here?

Oooooh…, we’re scared.

“A senior administration official told the Wall Street Journal that internal discussions have been ongoing since September, adding that yanking the troops has nothing to do with Merkel’s decision not to attend the G-7 meeting in Washington this summer.”

“Merkel’s government said Monday it still has heard no official word from Washington.”

‘“As of this hour, there is no official confirmation by the appropriate authorities in the United States whether these plans will really be carried out or not,’ Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer told reporters in Berlin, according to Bloomberg News. ‘We’re only aware of the information that is in the press.’”

“German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas characterized the relationship between Berlin and Washington as ‘complicated.’”

The relationship is only viewed as “complicated” by your country, Germany, Mr. Maas.

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To the US, it’s really very simple Mr. Maas…, pay your dues and be loyal to your friends.

‘“We appreciate the cooperation with the U.S. armed forces that has grown over decades. It is in the interest of both of our countries,’ Maas told the German newspaper Bild, Reuters reported.”

Ya…, mostly in the interests of your country, Mr. Maas.

‘“We are close partners in the trans-Atlantic alliance. But it’s complicated,’ he said.”

We already discussed the whole “complicated thing, Mr. Maas…, it shouldn’t be complicated at all.

We had to kick German butt in World War I…,

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…and then we had to go over there and do it again in World War II.

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Germany has been extremely costly to America, in both lives and monetarily.

In retrospect, Germany is very lucky that there even is a Germany today!

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Not only did we allow your country to continue to exist after World War II, we then rebuilt it for you.

Whatever we want to do regarding you or your country should be absolutely fine with you.

We really should not have to put up with any crap from you, now or ever, whatsoever.

So, why would President Trump be proposing we do this?

How about the fact that Germany just entered into a big new energy deal with Russia, who is NATO’s enemy, as well as the fact that Germany isn’t paying its NATO bills.

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“[President] Trump has criticized NATO members for not paying enough of their fair share of defense, and Germany isn’t expected to hit its spending level until 2031.”

How convenient for them.

“During a July 2018 NATO meeting with Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, [President] Trump questioned why the US protects Germany, ostensibly from Russia, while the country is involved in an energy deal with Russia?” ​

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Good question, Mr. President.

‘“I think it’s very sad when Germany makes a massive oil and gas deal with Russia, where you’re supposed to be guarding against Russia​,​ and Germany goes out and pays billions and billions of dollars a year to Russia,’ [President] Trump ​told Stoltenberg. ‘So we’re protecting Germany, we’re protecting France, we’re protecting all of these countries. And then numerous of the countries go out and make a pipeline deal with Russia where they’re paying billions of dollars into the coffers of Russia.  I think that’s very inappropriate.’”

It seems pretty obvious to me too, Mr. President.

‘“​But Germany is totally controlled by Russia, because they will be getting from 60 to 70 percent of their energy from Russia and a new pipeline​,” [President] Trump said at the time.​”

And the US knows what it’s like to be dependent on other countries for its oil.

“Meanwhile, Poland hopes some of the US troops being pulled from Germany will be reassigned there.”

‘“I deeply hope that as a result of the many talks that we had … part of the troops based today in Germany which are being removed by the United States … will indeed come to Poland,’ Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki told private radio RMF24, Reuters reported. ‘The decision is now on the US side.’”

We appreciate your interest, Poland…, but we do really need to bring some of our troops back home.

Troops from the United States are currently deployed in more than 150 countries around the world, with approximately 170,000 of its active-duty personnel serving outside the United States and its territories.

Is this really necessary…, or is this just the US being too accommodating again?

Remember…, no good deed goes unpunished.

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“A picture is worth a thousand words.” In these cases…, maybe more.

Here are some of the famous pictures that reflect our American history and reflect events that have changed our history.

aoc history

… although this picture is not one of those pictures!

Let’s continue…

nine eleven

09/11/2001.  Some pictures don’t need any description.

The assassination of John F. Kennedy, the ensuing investigation, and all of the questions surrounding the assassination, have remained for over 50 years.

1963 – President John F. Kennedy and his wife Jacqueline in Dallas, Texas, moments before he was fatally shot.

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President Kennedy is hit.

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A frantic Jackie scrambles onto the back of the car.

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The murder of Lee Harvey Oswald, the alleged assassin of The President, by Jack Ruby, in the Dallas jail.

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In 1986 The Space Shuttle Challenger exploded shortly after lift-off, shocking our nation and the world.

challenger 2

challenger

Neil Armstrong takes the first step onto the moon’s surface, July 20, 1969.  He and Buzz Aldrin were the first humans to land on the moon.  A smart phone, like most of us have, has thousands of times the computing power of the computers on Apollo 11.

“That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.” – Neil Armstrong, as he stepped onto the surface of the moon.

moon landing

This picture, taken in New York City, known as “The Kiss,” represents the unbridled joy by all Americans that World War II had finally come to an end.

the kiss

On August 14, 1945, President Harry Truman announced from the White House that the Japanese were unconditionally surrendering.  As soon as the news was announced, spontaneous celebrations erupted across the United States.

But as memorable as the arrival of victory over Japan was, the day was bittersweet for the many Americans whose loved ones would not be returning home.  More than 400,000 Americans had given their lives in World War II, and America would never be the same.

In 2016, Donald Trump shocked the entire country by pulling off the upset of the century, while not only winning the presidency, but doing so convincingly.  The “forgotten men and women” in our country rose up and made their votes count.  Politics and the way we view “the media” in our country would never be the same.

trump elected

trump wins landslide

I hope you enjoyed this trip through some of our history as Americans, as seen through the camera lens.

Please let me know if you agree with the events I’ve chosen, if you feel I missed any, or if you you’d just like to reminisce or leave a comment.

 

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