Trump laments ‘crazy’ US defense spending & arms race with ‘rivals’ China & Russia
Under the incumbent US president the country has made a sharp turn towards a more aggressive foreign policy. He reversed the Obama-era limitations on defense spending, pushing a multibillion hike in the military budget for FY2018 and FY2019 through Congress.
Trump’s administration also passed a number of key national security documents like the Nuclear Posture Review and the National Military Strategy, which stated that a confrontation with Russia and China are primary goals for the US military.
Also on rt.com Terrorism no longer primary US concern, focus on competing with Russia & China: new Defense StrategyYet, there is a critic in the White House, who apparently thinks little of these accomplishments, which the Trump administration showcases at every opportunity. His name is Donald Trump.
The US president unleashed a barrage of tweets on Monday, starting with describing his meeting with China’s President Xi Jinping at a G20 summit in Argentina as “an extraordinary one” and “a BIG leap forward”, and ending with an “I have a dream-esque” vision of Xi, Russia’s Vladimir Putin and himself ending an arms race.
I am certain that, at some time in the future, President Xi and I, together with President Putin of Russia, will start talking about a meaningful halt to what has become a major and uncontrollable Arms Race. The U.S. spent 716 Billion Dollars this year. Crazy!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 3, 2018
This tweet however doesn’t seem to be a signal that the US may downsize its military to a scale that wouldn’t surpass ten other biggest defense spenders combined.
Too bad. Just think of what could be done if resources were freed up this way. The Mexican border wall. A moon base. National healthcare and paid maternity leave.
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