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watersb | 1 month ago

NATO is unbelievably, stupendously critical to US security.

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defrost|1 month ago

Even more so, _Trust_ is unbelievably, stupendously critical to US security.

We now live in a world that knows for a fact a deal with the US is worth nothing and can not even be relied upon to last more than six months.

Countries and allies that made trade deals with Trump after he destroyed existing deals are now seeing further petty tariffs being applied by what appears to be a giant baby.

All the movements of plastic ships and little horses on a Risk map aside, the steady undercurrent of reliable trade and markets is headed out the window in an act of self defenestration.

anonnon|1 month ago

I disagree with the person you responded to, but I also don't see any practical reason why the US should remain in NATO going forward. It's essentially the defense equivalent of a welfare program, but one that primarily benefits wealthy nations that 1) have citizens who openly gloat about what they spend their money on instead of their own defense (e.g., months of paid vacations, generous parental leave, free college), 2) can't help us in the Asia-Pacific region (our primary concern) since they lack any ability to project force, and probably wouldn't help us even if they could, and 3) judging by opinion polls, do not like us, and haven't for some time, even when we do what they demand of us (support Ukraine).