[lodi90]

That the “third or fourth largest economy in the world” was unable to deploy a single sub for many months recently because they were too cheap to buy spares should tell you NATO is a zombie. It’s now a political and economic union and nothing more. NATO isn’t going away so it needs to be slimmed down. Closing the pointless HQ in Brussels and the bases in countries not meeting the 2% goal would be a good start.

[nathanbedford]

I emphatically disagree.

It is vital to prevent Europe from uniting with Russia and China for the reasons expressed in my last reply. So long as America interpose itself between Europe and Russia, especially by our presence in Poland, that dependence by Europe on Russia in more than just a supply of energy, is somewhat interdicted.

Trump is on the right course in making the NATO nations pay up. The downside to our NATO exposure, of course, is that many nations of NATO, especially the three Baltics, are really nothing more than tripwires which could draw us into war.

[Timocrat]

Absolutely. We need to get out of Europe and leave them to their own devices. If they won’t pay to defend themselves because they need the money to pay for the refugees they take in and the bribes they pay Turkey then we don’t need to fill in the shortfall.