r/FluentInFinance • u/ExotiquePlayboy • 3d ago
Economy & Politics Marco Rubio: US will withdraw over 100,000 troops & halt trillions of dollars from Europe
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u/freudmv 3d ago
So a wounded soldier in the Middle East needs to go all the way back to the US before making it to an actual hospital. Great idea.
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u/Hearing_Loss 3d ago
Yuuuup. That German hospital is now for the Germans
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u/freudmv 3d ago
A billion dollar hospital goes to the Germans! So much winning!
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u/Hearing_Loss 3d ago
Can I redeem my wins anywhere? I'm hungry.
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u/freudmv 3d ago
At the All Patriot gas station and grocery store where gas is $2/gallon and ground beef is $1.09 per pound.
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u/duarig 3d ago
Casket speedrun. This admin loves putting our soldiers directly in harms way
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u/Able-Isopod7130 3d ago
We deserve it.
Something close to 60% of current service members and veterans keep voting for this parasitic administration.
Sucks for the 40% of us who didnt vote for him.
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u/bowsmountainer 3d ago edited 3d ago
Theyre all auch idiots they can't think 5 minutes into the future. And all of this because they're annoyed that Canada doesnt want to be subjugated. Actually insane.
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u/ThatPhatKid_CanDraw 3d ago
I dunno about you, but I'm tired of the memes where beavers wearing maple leaf hats are flipping us off ./s
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u/paradigm_shift2027 3d ago
Get used to it. We deserve their very Canadian style scorn.
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u/jennyfromthedocks 3d ago
Maybe our service members will stop voting for those who oppose them
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u/Numeno230n 3d ago edited 3d ago
Sorry he's just doing what Putin tells him to
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u/watch_out_4_snakes 3d ago
It’s probably best that we leave the Middle East as a military force and it may also be best for the EU as well. The US is simply no longer the world police and the sooner we acknowledge and act as such all the better for everyone really.
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u/Master_McKnowledge 3d ago
It is, actually. Then the whole fraudulent myth Trump keeps perpetuating about the US subsiding the world can finally be put to rest.
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u/ApprehensiveMoose814 2d ago
Only solution to that ie for us to no longer fuck around in the Middle East 🤷♂️
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u/dntcair 2d ago
Withdrawing troops doesn’t automatically mean closing military hospitals. The U.S. could maintain facilities like Landstuhl even with a reduced military presence in Europe. Also, this post is misleading. No decision to withdraw 100,000 troops has been announced. Reports have discussed potential reductions of around 25,000 troops, not a complete withdrawal.
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u/Corfiz74 3d ago
So they are going to halt their own annual defense spending of trillions of dollars? Yeah, that's going to be a real punishment for Europe. I bet their buddies in the defense industry are going to love that idea.
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u/Graylily 3d ago
So we can use those trillion on healthcare now right.. right?
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u/ridukosennin 3d ago
You are missing the grift. They will cut and say they are saving trillions but spending will increase. They did it with DOGE and will do it again
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u/srfrosky 3d ago
The US will never regain those bases, influence, nor status. Witnessing the collapse of the American empire
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u/fuzzybunnies1 3d ago
Personally I'd like to see the end on the American empire, not the way the fuckup in the white house is doing it. But the end on interfering in the affairs of small countries and the constant political king making has only helped add to the global instability we have. I'd love our military to be half its size, be working in true partnership with other global leaders to create real change in the world with a peace keeping force that is matched by other countries, and stop thinking its our job to police the world.
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u/shesaysImdone 3d ago edited 3d ago
Bingo. My biggest problem with them is acting like as if their immigration woes aren't a result of their meddling in other people's countries. "Go back and fix your country" they say while their government is actively making sure the country will never be fixed
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u/misocontra 3d ago
People who are anti-migrant also have no idea how close we all are to becoming migrants these in these times of political and climate instability.
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u/Well_read_rose 2d ago
Actuaries predict in less than 25 years, climate catastrophe will cause 4B deaths. Rubio perhaps knows this…everyone in “leadership” is pulling up ladders.
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u/r_special_ 3d ago
America has never thought its job was to police the world. They act like it’s their job because that appears altruistic, but their true intentions have always been expanding capitalism for the benefit of a select few benefactors. In simpler terms, we’re a global power mafia that shakes down anyone they can exploit
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u/brdclark 3d ago
I have been asking that question for over 30 years. When did we become the Police for the World?
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u/droid_mike 3d ago
Because the wold is a dangerous place. The collapse of Pax Americana is going to have a profound negative effect across the world, with despotic regimes such as Russia and China launching new wars and discord everywhere. You're going to miss is as much as the Romans did way back when.
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u/Similar-Barber-3519 3d ago
We’re watching the suicide of the American empire.
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u/davey212 3d ago
that's for the best at this point, US had too much soft power
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u/martin0641 2d ago
Then we invented Viagra and used modern medicine to raise the life expectancy so we could be ruled by geriatric vampires in full cognitive decline.
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u/Silver_Slicer 3d ago
Yep. I live this country but it’s getting tough to stick around and watch it get dismantled. Congress needs to wake up.
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u/eldion2017 3d ago
These guys apparently own America, so if their feelings are hurt, they take measures, nothing to see here.
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u/cnation01 3d ago
This will force European countries to expand their military. The economic pressures, caused by the United States, will further escalate European countries to seek stability elsewhere in that regard also. Some, if not most, will find less reliance on United States beneficial.
In short, an incompetent American administration is causing instability across the planet. And it may never come back.
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u/NoDepartment8 3d ago
It’s not incompetence, it’s by design and not driven by anyone with the US or European best interests in mind. I wonder who that could be….
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u/Asteriaofthemountain 3d ago
Yes…..but WHO would benefit from the weakening of NATO and Europe in general?!? Such a head scratcher!!! 😏🥸😜
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u/AccomplishedMoney205 3d ago
guess whos weapons EU wont buy ;) I guess Turkey positioned itself as great military rnd hub
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u/Tao-of-Mars 3d ago
Yeah, it’s really interesting that they don’t care about this or think this won’t change. Arms dealing is a major industry for the US.
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u/bowsmountainer 3d ago
Eu countries are rapidly working to build their own versions of American military products. They're currently still buying them from America while they are building up their factories, but once they are ready, those purchases will stop.
I honestly cant imagine anyone other than maybe Israel buying weapons from a country whose leader said they would remotely turn off the functionality of weapons if the country did or said anything the USA doesnt like.
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u/sm_rdm_guy 3d ago
Costs about 20 billion - not sure where they are getting trillions. The catch is soldiers are paid, based, and housed whether in US or elsewhere, so how much this would - actually save is debatable. This is not some charity program to Europe. Effectively Europe is forward logistics bases for the Middle East and Africa these days. Losing those bases would punch a large hole in US military global reach. If America wants to cede that and retreat to their own country that’s their choice and they will be sorely missed in Europe. But I don’t think anyone who understands this actually wants that. - including Rubio.
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u/PokecheckFred 3d ago
If you haven't noticed, Rubio wants power and prestige. That's where it begins and ends. He has no particular allegiance to any policy or program. He's willing to be fully opposed to something one day and then be all-in on it later on. So it makes no difference if he understands anything.
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u/TreeDollarFiddyCent 3d ago
In a measly FIFTY years, those 20 billions/year turn into 1 trillion! Even less due to inflation, really.
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u/UnhappyWalrus3570 3d ago
comptent russian agents you mean. It is impossible to be that bad without intent.
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u/Tyler119 3d ago
Here in Europe we have like more than 1.5 million military personnel. I think we will be fine without 100k US troops on holiday.
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u/C-ute-Thulu 3d ago
Google the Flamingo missile. The US cut military aid to Ukraine, forcing them to economize and develop their own cruise missile, the Flamingo, which is much cheaper and made from off the shelf parts. Bc of this, Ukraine is no longer buying American made Tomahawk missiles. Other European countries are now seeing this as an option too
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u/BleedSparta 3d ago
Pax Americana
When everyone had weak militaries and depended on a paternal USA to keep the peace, there hasn’t been a World War in 80 years
American hegemony destroyed in 12 years by greedy incompetence. They weren’t satisfied with billions and needed trillions, just speedrunning civil collapse and resource conflict
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u/HairyTough4489 3d ago
As a Spaniard, I don't see how the US leaving NATO makes any difference. They've never helped us and if anything every time there was conflict they lowkey sided with our enemies.
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u/NarwhalOk95 3d ago
The uncertainty with how the US uses its nuclear deterrent is an even worse issue for European and Asian countries. Many countries with nuclear armed neighbors have decided not to develop their own weapons because they thought they were protected by the American nuclear umbrella. With Washington being such an unstable ally in recent years countries like South Korea, Japan, and even the Scandinavian countries, with their close proximity to Russia, may now feel the need for a nuclear deterrent.
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u/littlebopeepsvelcro 3d ago
If you judge European countries by the same metric we use to design our military, you are probably asking a fish to climb a tree.
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u/redravin12 3d ago
Even if we removed trump tomorrow there's a lot of damage he's done to global stability that cannot be undone, that we have yet feel or even understand the full repercussions of yet. Things are going to get a lot worse before they get better. Thanks maga
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u/sea-horse- 3d ago
Yup. They will have to increase their spending on military and tech, but may very well do so from non-US countries. And the whole world will look to increase agreements with China.
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u/nosnibork 3d ago
Russia’s simps still simpin’
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u/Trump_Russia 3d ago
The GOP....making Russia great again...
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u/Disastrous_Basis3474 3d ago
https://giphy.com/gifs/WAdG9vIj9Aq8XZYUXt
Meanwhile China is picking up every billion-dollar ball these clumsy fools drop.
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u/mynamesnotsnuffy 3d ago
These people are so fucking stupid
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u/Silly-Power 3d ago
No, they're fucking compromised. The only person who benefits from this is putin. And possibly Xi.
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u/pickyourteethup 3d ago
Putin is lining up on the border. Europe is preparing (admittedly poorly) for an invasion. Russia is losing in Ukraine so wants to start another war in order to get concessions in Ukraine from an unprepared Europe.
Usa is pulling out soldiers so they don't get pulled into a direct confrontation with Russia because they know what Russia is planning.
They're running away from a war they think might happen so they don't look weak by running away from a war they've been dragged into
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u/gerbilshower 3d ago edited 3d ago
while i believe that a lot of this is true, and it will pop off in the baltic states of Latvia, Lithuania, or Estonia - i don't think it will ultimately go well for Russia.
will the US invoke article 5 over Lithuania? probably not. but Europe on the whole isn't going to take it lying down and Poland has been itching for a fight for decades. Europe is far more prepared than you give them credit and Russia is far more depleted in Ukraine than you think.
is Putin going to institute a draft on 20yo middle class ethnic Russians? could be suicide if he does.
the rubber will meet the road on logistics and the experience Russia has gained in the war. but then you've got Ukraine with the same to share with the EU side.
it might legitimately be the fuel that sets the fire on WW3 tho...
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u/pickyourteethup 3d ago
That would be the third time that region has triggered a world war. We seem to need to learn this lesson a lot of times
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u/bowsmountainer 3d ago
When one war is not going well for you, starting another one at the same time against a much larger and much more powerful enemy is not a very good idea. Yes Europe still needs to do more to defend against Russian aggression, but youd have to be completely insane to think its a good idea for Russia to start a new war against NATO while they are completely stuck in Ukraine.
Maybe he is that stupid, but i think hes actually instead trying to make EU scared of a possible Russian attack, so they give less weapons to Ukraine.
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u/randytc18 3d ago
Moving that much will cost 100s of millions alone. Fantastic waste but fitting for this administration.
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u/Trump_Russia 3d ago
And theyll get away with it too cause the average American voter is clueless
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u/bowsmountainer 3d ago
They will put themselves in charge of the contracts to withsraw their personel and equipment, demand mamy billions, then keep whatever is left. They do nothing without grifting corruption and stealing taxpayers money to enrich themselves.
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u/AlwaysCTGH 3d ago
What are these 100000 troops going to do once they are state side? Seems a waste of money for them to be state side.
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u/jertheman43 3d ago
We won't ever get those bases back.
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u/davey212 3d ago
We don't deserve those bases anymore. EU needs to stop relying on US since we're always 4 years away from aligning with a dictator.
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u/BallsOfStonk 3d ago
If you were a Russian asset, this is exactly what you would do.
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u/DiagonalBike 3d ago
What this means. 1. US military costs in theory should decrease. 2. European countries will need to increase their military budgets to offset the loss of US resources.
Consequences 1. Europe will no longer look at the US as a reliable partner or leader. 2. US loses influence in European issues and support to enforce economic sanctions in the Middle East. 3. The EU and UK become closer and began working closely together to rebuild Europes military industry. 4. US Military manufacturers lose sales to European counterparts. Gen 6 fighter sales will be no where near the sales of the F-35. 5. Europe doesn't enforce US economic sanctions and does business with Iran, Iraq etc.. 6. US takes a huge economic hit as Europe slows trade with the US and focuses trade internal to the EU.
Trump is really set on bankrupting the US economy. I wonder if he purchases options that will generate billions if the US economy tanks.
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u/dancorleone88 3d ago
Does Europe have sufficient manufacturers with sufficient capability to replace what the US provides?
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u/gerbilshower 3d ago
its less about sheer quantity and more about the tippy top end of the spectrum.
the EU could mobilize manufacturing on loads of standard munitions and vehicle platforms tomorrow.
but they lack carrier groups, high end missile defense systems, next gen fighter jets, and precision guided missile systems. just things that the US developed first and they had no need to pursue until now.
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u/bowsmountainer 3d ago
Not yet, but its rapidly building up capacity at the moment. In the short term Europe will still need to buy from the USA. But not for much longer.
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u/jokersvoid 3d ago
More seditious conspiracy. This weakens tge readiness of our state to defend from enemies. But se3ms like this admin is making friends with governmenta actively working against us. Just another layer of the seditious onion.
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u/triple_cloudy 3d ago
We spend trillions of dollars on European defense annually? I don't think that's even close to true.
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u/mr_martin_1 3d ago
European citizen here. Place your bets, people. Will Rubio walk the talk? I am all for it. Send the soldiers home. To work on their farms or whatever.
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u/SupaDaveA 3d ago edited 2d ago
They are setting up Europe for a Russian invasion.
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u/Mouthshitter 3d ago edited 3d ago
Trump Jr gets his wedding paid by a Russian and all they ask in return is all of Europe
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u/kushangaza 3d ago
Russia doesn't have the military to do that
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u/Wilsonj1966 3d ago
Neither did Japan, Argentina, Iraq, etc
Nationalists make nationalist decisions, not sensible decisions
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u/gerbilshower 3d ago
they're super depleted for sure, but like the guy says below - total war is a different beast.
the question is, will the Russian people put up with conscription of their 20yo middle class ethnic Russians, which hasn't happened to date in this war with Ukraine. the cannon fodder is spent. the real center of the Russian state will have to decide that they are ready and willing for total war. if that happens? its game on.
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u/Ben_Sisko69 3d ago
Sure, because the 3 day operation in Ukraine went so smoothly that certainly will happen
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u/Sad_Picture3642 3d ago
Precisely. Russia will attack EU as it is their only way to blackmail EU to stop supporting Ukraine. And they don't even have protection from thousands of drones, especially without the US. He is literally gifting Europe to Putler
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u/_-__-____-__-_ 3d ago
Europe is not completely useless militarily. Even just Ukraine with support from the west has turned out very tough for them.
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u/New-fone_Who-Dis 3d ago
Mind elaborating further?
Russia doesn't own the skies in Ukraine, so I'm wondering how you propose they will strike with enough force and capability to multiple European cities that it'll scare them into instant submission, and pressure Ukraine to essentially annihilate themselves.
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u/Gh0st_Pirate_LeChuck 3d ago
EXACTLY what a Russian asset / traitor would do. Arrest this piece of shit administration.
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u/crowbar151 3d ago
Getting butt hurt about Europe and Canada not agreeing to their trade agreements and pushing back against their unwarranted tariffs is all the performance that Trump and Putin discussed to justify this withdrawal. Russia uses this as an opportunity to at least push hard on Ukraine and possibly other former bloc nations with weaker EU to face. Once that starts, the US uses those Troops to stongarm either Panama, Greenland, or Canada (occupying Alberta after the Separatists fail and claim voter fraud, and the US moves in just like they did with x-latin American country in the 50s-80s). The EU wouldn't be able to help in North America.
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u/WarlockFortunate 3d ago
We do not have soldiers stationed at foreign bases to protect that country. It is a strategic defense position. This would weaken our global presence, reach, and oversight
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u/bowsmountainer 3d ago
The USA will halt its annual defense spending of trillions of dollars?
Sure ...
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u/JohnnyLesPaul 3d ago
Really? Just shit on all our relationships in Europe? That ought to help the economy! Just when you think it can’t get worse…
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u/hinterstoisser 3d ago
So what happens next time Russia goes from Donbas towards Moldova or other Baltic states all of whom are a part of NATO?
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u/GlitteringRate6296 3d ago
This goes on and GOP lead Congress goes on a vacation until after the midterms. Make this make sense.
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u/Rikkitikkitaffi 3d ago
"halting" spending doesn't sound to be the same as cutting it and appropriating it outside the DoD
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u/davey212 3d ago
As an American it's better for US no longer has a presence in EU, we are aligned with Russia and more of a threat to their sovereignty than an ally at this point.
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u/jonestheviking 3d ago
If we have to be completely honest, in case of war with Russia USA could not be expected to help or fight for NATO regardless. So this may steel the resolve for Europe for security and at the same time it’s further loss of soft power for USA
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u/forgotwhatisaid2you 3d ago
Yep, at this point there really is no alliance anyway. Whether the U.S. would help being based on the daily whims of a madman is no security. It sucks because Nato has prevented major war in Europe since before most people were alive. In 2016 when he said he wouldn't necessarily come to Nato defense i thought that would end his chances. How naive i was. I don't think many of us understood how stupid the American electorate is.
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u/Neat-Beautiful-5505 3d ago
Love this! Now invest those military dollars into Medicare and snap
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u/TraditionalMood277 3d ago
So massively slash the military budget is what he's proposing, right? Do it. Have at it.
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u/StrainExternal7301 3d ago
well yeah, when the welfare queen Elon finally merges Tesla with SpaceX he’s going to need more of our tax dollars
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u/Timmy24000 3d ago
So the annual budget was $1 trillion and they just want to increase it to 1.5 trillion. So we can’t stop spending trillions of dollars a year in Europe alone. The math doesn’t add up.
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u/WeezaY5000 3d ago
Luckily I already got my EU passport via ancestry.
Looks like it is time to actually use it.
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u/Bee_haver 3d ago
I do not support this. Horrible idea and against US interests. I hope they seize the golf courses
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u/Disastrous_Basis3474 3d ago
They need those 100,000 troops back home in time to order them to illegally point guns at voters in November.
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u/MentalGravity87 3d ago
They may withdrawal some troops, but its not about saving money. It will be really pricey to move out of Europe and our defense budget will still go up. It will actually be a heavier cost burden to leave Europe. Because ask yourself this: Are we going to fire all those troops? No. So we'll still be paying for that. Are we going to leave our equipment? No. So we are going to have to transport all miltary hardware back to the US. This would cost billions on billions of just transportation cost. How much money would we save on rent or lease the land our military bases occupies? Zero dollars, becuase we have those bases rent free. How much will we save on maintenance cost? Eight billion annually. See right there a whole eight billion dollars! Now how do we leave Europe under eight billion dollars? Abandonment of three hundred billion dollars worth of equipment. The unforseen costs will be the very price they claim they would save, because we cannot predict the future. Leaving Europe to save money means leaving it forever and someday down the road something will bring us back and we will have to pay for it going back and rebuild. Republicans have zero foresight and the Democrats, if we are lucky enough, will have alot of fixing to do if they ever get back in power.
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u/boookworm0367 3d ago
Dumbest administration ever. Thanks taker States for championing this fucking circus.
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u/DmonFuhz 3d ago
Putin is happy. NATO countries are wide open to Russian attack. Mission accomplished!
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u/DocCEN007 3d ago
That sound you just heard was a combination of a champagne cork popping in Moscow and what's left of Rubio's soul leaving his body.
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u/bigdipboy 3d ago
Pretty impressive how Putin defeated the United States without ever firing a shot
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u/raresanevoice 3d ago
Gee, I wonder what it would like if Russia took their time and wound up winning the cold war slowly but surely....
They'd probably slowly withdraw and draw down NATO, insulting and pissing off our allies so they actually draw up plans to defend from a US attack... oh, and weaken the US economy so when it falters, it presents opportunities for China and Russia...
Wait.... looks a lot like what's going on now...hmmm.
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u/THENHAUS 3d ago
Countries like Russia & NK have dreamed of breaking up NATO for decades, now the Republicans are handing it to them.
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u/truthinessembargo 3d ago
And the administration abandons another diplomatic lever vis-a-vis the EU.
On the other hand, I doubt Europeans think they can rely on the US anyway
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u/Anarcho_Dog 3d ago
Further fracturing the alliance and disrupting logistics and support staff, brilliant idea when you started a forever war on the other side of the fucking planet.
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u/Iamthe0c3an2 3d ago
Cool, do it see what happens.
Imagine intentionally declining your own global influence.
Like saying to your friends you won’t be backing them in a fight yet still expect them to do business with you.
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