America's Allies Should Go To Youngstown, Ohio

President Donald Trump is the first American president to apply tough love to our friends – especially those in Europe.

He says they aren’t doing enough to defend themselves – expecting the United States to carry the load. He also said this during his first term.

There’s a YouTube clip of German diplomats laughing at President Trump in 2018 at the United Nations as he warns the Europeans of dependence on Russian energy – while pressuring Europe to up its defenses.

Mr. Trump’s predecessors and successor also tried, but the Europeans mostly ignored them.

After three years of the Ukraine War, the U.S. still does too much of the heavy lifting – and Trump is back and isn’t backing down. There’s talk of moving U.S. forces to other places in Europe – Poland, Hungary – or even withdrawing them.

European elites are angry. Germans would-be leader, Friedrich Merz, complains America can’t be counted on and mutters about having access to nuclear weapons. Britain isn’t much different. The French are bad-mouthing the Americans as is their wont – but are no substitute.

Further afield, Australian leaders and former leaders, with their eleven-ship navy and a defense force hemorrhaging troops, are similarly incensed that American coverage might not be total.

Canada is also irked. The Japanese are quietly fretting.

And in the U.S., Trump’s enemies howl that he’s ‘destroying alliances’, ‘selling out friends’, and destroying the post-war global order.

All Trump asks – and now is demanding – is that allies and partners do more for their own defense. Increase spending, and even more, strengthen warfighting capabilities.

Too many of them have withered, misshapen defenses, assuming the U.S. military will fill the gaps.

The British army is the smallest it’s been since the Duke of Wellington’s day – over 200 years ago. It reportedly has only 25 serviceable tanks.

The German Bundeswehr has difficulty outfitting a single division and meeting NATO commitments.

The French are in better shape, but that’s only by comparison.

Japan plans to spend a lot more on defense, but its military is about half the size it needs to be and can’t fight a war. In fairness, they look good compared to the Europeans – though not compared to the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA).

Australia’s 11-ship navy mentioned earlier speaks for itself.

There are bright spots such as the Poles and the Finns, but overall, America’s partners just aren’t serious.

It’s easier to blame things on Donald Trump.

Yes, the problem is always Donald Trump.

But here’s an idea for America’s partners who feel America (or better said, Americans) aren’t doing enough to defend them.

Don’t spend so much time complaining to State Department diplomats, D.C. think-tanks, journalists with Trump Derangement Syndrome (TDS), and paying K Street lobbyists to drum up support on Capitol Hill.

Go make your case directly to the other America.

That’s local Rotary Clubs, Chambers of Commerce, church groups, and PTA’s – Parent Teachers Associations, often the parents of children who will join the U.S. military.

There’s a big difference between these Americans and just about anyone in Washington, D.C. – too many of whom know little about ‘fly over’ Americans – that’s Obama’s ‘clingers’, Hillary’s ‘deplorables,’ and Biden’s ‘garbage’ – other than that they despise them.

Put together a ‘road show’ explaining how your country is spending and doing as much as it possibly can to defend itself.

And the unspoken part… why Americans should die defending your nation.

But be ready to explain why Europe still buys gas from Russia, paid for in cash that Putin uses to fund his attack on Ukraine – but that you expect an open-ended American defense of Ukraine.

Explain how after three years you just can’t find energy from somewhere else.

And tell the Youngstown Rotarians why your young people aren’t joining up to defend your country, but young Americans are supposed to do what your own people won’t do – or even aren’t being asked to do.

And no, Japan, ‘real estate’ (bases) in exchange for ‘American blood’ is not an equal partnership.

Australia too. Ambassador Kevin Rudd….have at it. And hope nobody asks why you called President Trump ‘the village idiot.’ Many in the audience support the President. Are they village idiots too?

Smoke and mirrors and talk of ‘rules-based orders’ and ‘shared mutual values’ won’t get you far outside D.C.

Indeed, many Americans are unclear why U.S. forces must be overseas. America’s geography creates a sense of ‘distance’ between America and the rest of the world – and safety if we mind our own business.

And many people believe coastal elites consider the ‘other’ Americans as just a commodity to deploy for their benefit, to fix their mistakes, or to try out Ivy League ‘international relations’ theories.

So if you want American help, what matters is to explain what you are doing and what you are going to do – and do it soon.

That needs to be: “Everything we possibly can – and here’s why…”

That’s what the ‘other’ Americans who pay the price of America’s overseas commitments want to know. They will know if you are lying.

And say ‘thank you.’

If you do these things, you’ll be surprised what the ‘other’ Americans will do for you.