US defense secretary James Mattis (nickname: Mad Dog) is expected to push for higher military spending by European allies when he visits Brussels Wednesday. His boss, Donald Trump, has called upon Europeans to spend more on their own security. The US accounts for about 70% of the NATO’s overall defense expenditure.
Faced with Trump’s calls to spend more on their own security, the Europeans will at the two-day meeting in Brussels restate their pledge to invest 2 percent of gross domestic product on defense by 2024, but will likely avoid commitments to accelerate the process.
NATO’s European members are still smarting from the comments Trump made in newspaper interviews published on Jan. 15, a NATO official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because the discussions are private. Mattis still has work to do to convince them of the new president’s commitment to the alliance, the official said.
In an article with Germany’s Bild, Trump was reported as saying that while trans-Atlantic military alliance is important, it “has problems.”
FULL STORY
Just for fun here's a clip of another "Mad Dog", making preparations ahead of a rasslin match
"Mad Dog" Meets NATO
Moderator: Super Moderators
"Mad Dog" Meets NATO
A mind should not be so open that the brains fall out; however, it should not be so closed that whatever gray matter which does reside may not be reached. ART BELL
Everything Woke turns to
-Donald Trump 
Everything Woke turns to
Re: "Mad Dog" Meets NATO
Boy! Is Europe and the rest of the World going to scream their heads off about paying for their own defense, Well! The Idea! 
KARMA RULES
Those Who Can Make You Believe Absurdities, Can Make You Commit Atrocities': Voltaire
Those Who Can Make You Believe Absurdities, Can Make You Commit Atrocities': Voltaire
Re: "Mad Dog" Meets NATO
Useful article:
Explainer: This Graph Shows How NATO’s Military Capability Has Evolved Since 1949
As representatives of twenty-eight NATO member nations convene in Wales for the 2014 NATO summit, there are a number of significant issues under discussion. One overriding concern, however, remains the proportional defense spending and overall military capability of the alliance. In order to provide context for this debate, we have visualized a publicly available dataset on military expenditures compiled by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). This graph traces, in constant U.S. 2011 dollars, the annual spending trends of each alliance member. To our knowledge, this represents the most comprehensive timeline of NATO’s 65-year evolution:
http://blogs.cfr.org/davidson/2014/09/0 ... ince-1949/
Explainer: This Graph Shows How NATO’s Military Capability Has Evolved Since 1949
As representatives of twenty-eight NATO member nations convene in Wales for the 2014 NATO summit, there are a number of significant issues under discussion. One overriding concern, however, remains the proportional defense spending and overall military capability of the alliance. In order to provide context for this debate, we have visualized a publicly available dataset on military expenditures compiled by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). This graph traces, in constant U.S. 2011 dollars, the annual spending trends of each alliance member. To our knowledge, this represents the most comprehensive timeline of NATO’s 65-year evolution:
http://blogs.cfr.org/davidson/2014/09/0 ... ince-1949/
There you go man, keep as cool as you can. Face piles and piles of trials with smiles. It riles them to believe that you perceive the web they weave. And keep on thinking free. (Moody Blues)
Re: "Mad Dog" Meets NATO
It has become "Politicized" not unlike factions within the CIA, to be used "against" and not in any good way. 
KARMA RULES
Those Who Can Make You Believe Absurdities, Can Make You Commit Atrocities': Voltaire
Those Who Can Make You Believe Absurdities, Can Make You Commit Atrocities': Voltaire