Germany and Italy Warn Washington Over Missile Defence Funding
14th June 2012
German and Italian officials warned the US on Wednesday that plans to cut off funding for a ground-based Nato missile defence programme built by Lockheed Martin Corp would endanger US ties with their countries.
Translation: ‘You better not even think about not spending money on defending us, or we’ll be offended.’
Italian Defense Minister Giampaolo Di Paola urged Leon Panetta, the US defence secretary, to ensure continued funding for the Medium Extended Air and Missile Defense System (MEADS) programme given its importance to Nato’s future plans and transatlantic co-operation and collaboration.
Look, guys, the purpose of NATO was to defend against the Soviet Union. Hate to break the news to you, but the Soviet Union is gone. Therefore there is no need for NATO any more. So if you want to spend money on sophisticated defense weapons systems, spend your own. (Oops, I forgot — you don’t have any, after having ‘spread the wealth around’ for forty years such that there isn’t any left.)