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Re:Spain planning on going ahead with ‘Google tax’ despite U... by scottlocklin on Thursday December 05, 2019 @09:59AM (#21712771)
>While that might undermine the argument about America being a protector of liberties, I think it would be a mistake to believe that there is no belief held at all, or that America does not continue to fight for these beliefs.

What are these "liberties" and "beliefs" of which you speak? I'm an American and think the place is run by lunatics and mafiosos and has been for my entire life. It's more obvious now, and the lunatics are vastly less competent and more ham handed and corrupt.

NATO was there to keep the Russians out and the Germans down. I don't support this organization at all in current year; it is simply a tool of US imperialism, and is spectacularly dangerous as US power fades and they add more shitty non-countries to it so some ding dong from Georgetown can win an award.

Re:Spain planning on going ahead with ‘Google tax’ despite U... by sailfast on Thursday December 05, 2019 @10:21AM (#21713013)
It's hard to engage in alternate history, but NATO as an organization was formed to ensure that European democratic governments remained that way immediately following World War II, and until the fall of the Berlin wall. Keeping the Russians out, as you say - that was critical to preserving liberal government in Europe. Article V is not just talk, despite the fallout from the war in Afghanistan. Only using recent history as a reference is not a good guide here.

Can you tell me more about keeping the Germans down? I'm not sure I follow, but I'm probably misinterpreting what you mean by "down".

Re:Spain planning on going ahead with ‘Google tax’ despite U... by scottlocklin on Thursday December 05, 2019 @10:29AM (#21713123)
"Lord Hastings Lionel Ismay was NATO’s first Secretary General, a position he was initially reluctant to accept. By the end of his tenure however, Ismay had become the biggest advocate of the organisation he had famously said earlier on in his political career, was created to “keep the Soviet Union out, the Americans in, and the Germans down.”"
Re:Spain planning on going ahead with ‘Google tax’ despite U... by sailfast on Thursday December 05, 2019 @10:37AM (#21713180)
Thanks.
Re:Spain planning on going ahead with ‘Google tax’ despite U... by Mirioron on Thursday December 05, 2019 @10:10AM (#21712885)
>NATO was there to keep the Russians out and the Germans down. I don't support this organization at all in current year; it is simply a tool of US imperialism

Without NATO, the Baltics would probably already be a part of Russia again.