Most people who who study foreign policy would say that the US benefits tremendously from having NATO, and could benefit even more in the future, now that Russia's aggression in Ukraine is finally motivating EU countries to take defense more seriously and start to invest.
NATO is seen differently in the US than in Europe. Within the US, NATO is seen as a favor the US does to help Europe in the US. A convenient system to help manage historically, um, smaller, weaker, less capable, less defended and frequently invaded nations, from big threats like the soviet union. From the US perspective, every nation is smaller and weaker.
While often in Europe its seen as a favor Europe does to help the US and help pax americana. To further US interests in Europe. Which is why some people protest American airbases. People often resent US military presence, and blame the US military for all wars and for the instability in europe.
The US Army is undertaking one of its biggest troop movements in Germany since the end of the Cold War, as part of a NATO operation. Not everyone in eastern Germany is happy to see US military hardware rumbling past.
www.dw.com
A weeklong protest against the US drone program drew over 5,000 to Ramstein, its most important air base in Europe. DW's Kathleen Schuster met with several of the people taking on the world's most powerful military.
www.dw.com
Which one is right? Well who worries about their sovereignty and security if the US withdraws all forces, everything, land, sea, air from Europe? Its not the Americans.
In all the decades of the US being a NATO member this question of implementing such a legislation never came up! Until Trump became president...
Not exactly true.
For some insight in how some see NATO through US eyes. Look at that last link.
Striking is how all of these members, new and old, as well as aspirants—the Baltic States, Georgia and Ukraine, and Turkey—degrade U.S. security. Montenegro, at least, plays the harmless role of the Duchy of Fenwick in the Mouse that Roared. Although its inclusion in the alliance will further antagonize an already paranoid Russia, Podgorica really is irrelevant strategically and militarily. The others are not. In a worst case all of them could ensnare America in a war with a nuclear‐armed power over modest, indeed, minimal, security stakes. The policy frankly is mad.
However, even if Washington’s NATO commitments did not bring far more dangers than benefits, they would be unjustified. Europe could, if it was so inclined, defend itself. Why, 70 years after the conclusion of World War II, 26 years after the fall of the Berlin Wall, and 22 years after creation of the European Union, are the Europeans still dependent on America?
Retired Gen. Robert Scales, commandant of the Army War College, recently complained that: “At 30,000, there are fewer American soldiers protecting Western Europe, a piece of the planet that produces 46 percent of global GDP, than there are cops in New York City.” But why can’t an area that accounts for almost half of the world’s production (an overstatement, but never mind) and has a larger population than America provide its own soldiers for defense? Why can’t an area of such economic prowess, which has around eight times the GDP and three times the population of its only possible antagonist, Russia, deploy an armed force capable of deterring any threats?
The reason the Europeans don’t do so is because they don’t want to and don’t have to. Some don’t believe that Moscow actually poses much of a threat. Others figure only the nations bordering Russia face any risk, and there’s little interest in “Old Europe” for confronting Moscow over “New Europe.” And almost everyone assumes America will take care of any problems.
Europeans under fund defence spending, Europeans have fantastic healthcare and social programs. The US spends a lot on military, has failing and terrible healthcare and social programs. Politically, for Trump, or anyone to make this correlation is easy, and most people don't understand correlation or causation, so many people honestly believe, America's healthcare is so bad, not because they deliberately made it bad, but because the US spends so much on military equipment, to protect allies, allies who protest against them, and who under spend on defence.
That view is taken up by both sides of the political divide in the US.
Both peaceniks and war hawks like the idea of pressuring or talking about leaving Europe/NATO, for different reasons. Middle America just cares they don't have working health care, expensive education and that cost of living is breaking them.
Europe has put itself right into the middle of the US internal problems. The social crisis in the US is being blamed on, European defence spending.
Forget blaming Trump. Trump is a symptom of the problem. He didn't make America, WW2, NATO, he didn't even break America, and cause all of its social problems. What he is doing is jumping onto popular bandwagons. Blame migrants, Europeans can't defend themselves and aren't good friends, China.. etc etc.. He is certainly likely to make existing problems bigger.
The best lies he tells are ones with elements of truth.
President Donald Trump is pushing other countries within the NATO military alliance to contribute more to their defense spending — and the U.K.’s former defense minister has told CNBC that he agrees.
www.cnbc.com
Turkey has its own problems and agenda, it always has. While Turkey annoys the Europeans, Americans, typically aren't terribly annoyed with Turkey. Many of Erdogan criticism of NATO and Europe are things trump could easily say. Arguably its easier to deal with turkey with it in NATO, sure it annoys other NATO members, but it means there more engagement and controls that can be applied. The US can use Turkey to annoy European nations it is displeased with. Turkey has really strategic presence for the Americans. Keeping Turkey in NATO means the Americans can deal with Turkey as a friendly. Europeans should learn how to get along with other countries and understand the real politick before commenting on US efforts.
Turkey isn't going anywhere.
Trump is coming. My comment to our European friends, is start spending. Either way, that is the way to resolve this issue.
