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IPFS News Link • NATO

Today's NATO Mission is to Preserve Itself

• https://www.theamericanconservative.com

Washington is filled with outrage these days, and most of it surrounds President Donald Trump. But sometimes it arises for the wrong reasons. Years ago, Trump chastised our feckless allies for expecting the United States to protect them as part of NATO. As president, he continued to criticize the alliance and apparently privately suggested that America withdraw from it. Which, some of his critics tell us, proves that he is an agent of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Actually, the president's sentiments illustrate his good sense on this issue. He frequently irritates even his friends. But that doesn't mean he's incorrect.

Forget foreign policy for a moment. Uncle Sam is broke. The Republicans opened the Treasury's doors by simultaneously upping spending and cutting taxes. The deficit soared past $700 billion, the highest since 2012, as America dealt with the financial crisis. This year, the annual deficit will hit $1 trillion. Within a decade, it will run $1.5 trillion.

The Congressional Budget Office's latest report reads like a horror movie script, forecasting more debt, rising interest rates, and skyrocketing interest payments. On top of that are rapidly rising entitlement outlays. At some point, Washington will have to stem the red tide.


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