Now, that’s understandable, the west coast needs defending, but it isn’t NATO reinforcing expenditure.

It also helps keep the Russian Navy from the east coast. I would contest the US pays proportionately more. Most European nations pay almost all their Defence budgets into the NATO JOA, whereas US west coast, Pacific costs aren’t NATO. 3.4% is more likely 1.2% attributable to NATO collective defence.

…Creating an inclusive, cohesive society is just as important a capability programme for serious Defence leaders as the next tank or cyber enabled thingamabob (unless the thingamabob is hunting down disinformation).

Or did the near constant media focus on him force the PM to respond? The media are not passive observers, every report changes the environment. Not a reason to not report clearly, but there’s a feel of self-fulfilling reporting about current coverage.

Modern stability ops and reconstruction will need tools and funding for fibre optic clean up. We may even need to be able to ‘breach’ cable strewn fields as a deliberate activity like breaching minefields.

I think the militaries will be planning in the background assuming no US commitment. Clearly politicians will amend their narrative as required to bring useful allies to the table, but the planners will be planning with no support as an assumption.

Clearly US guarantees would be invaluable, but trust takes a long time to build and if the allies, or enemy, don’t believe commitments will be honoured then they must plan to be able to go it alone. The situation doesn’t disappear if one ally steps back, it will still need the others to act.

Or use it as the way to boost your own industry so that you never have to buy American again.

Yet the countries that routinely come top of the happiest countries lists (typically the Scandinavians) would see her policies pretty unambitious.

Millions of dollars training perfectly competent people to do difficult jobs wasted. Especially as the chance of it being overturned, again, or reversed by a future Administration seem high.

Having tried to understand some of my US friends who genuinely believe AOC is some form of extremist, I just don’t see it. Much of what she appears to represent seems like relatively settled stuff in Europe, where life carries on with more public services, support, culture and history every day.