[wklauss]

> But as an American who has been a little sick of Europe mooching off of our military overwatch

As a European (now living in the US) I think this perspective might be an oversimplification. Access to EU soil has been incredibly important for US military strategy over the last 50 years. Having bases in Germany, Spain and Italy is instrumental in US campaigns in Middle East or Asia. Not to mention the amount of European lives lost in conflicts initiates or led by US interests.

[redmajor12]

Maintaining NATO also ensures American hegemony over Europe and potentially the most disruptive global competitor. It may be expensive, but we know that left to their own devices the Europeans are wont to start a war amongst themselves, over some trivial border dispute, and then involve the rest of the world in it. So it's cheaper in American lives and material this way.

[ben_w]

That may be the predominant American belief, but I would point out that about over half of Europe — by population, making the zone larger than the USA — now has borders slightly more porous than the ones between American states.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_Border_Protection_S...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schengen_Area