I'm not a fan of NATO. (The article mentions 5 benefits -- I've counted 3)
No Time for Bad Deals: Why the United States will not leave NATONo institution lasts forever, and NATO is no exception. If the “transatlantic bargain” no longer makes sense for any of the partners, they will split. But chances are that this transatlantic divorce will be postponed once again, as it has been postponed for decades. Why? Because the juggling with numbers and a generous helping of game theory, as exemplified by Alexander Coward’s piece, “It’s Time for the US To Bid Farewell to NATO,” does not express what is really at stake: that the Allies are better off together than apart.
Yes, Europe’s population is bigger than that of the United States. Yes, Europe’s economic power is roughly on par with the US. Yes, Europeans have been living quite comfortably with the US paying for a large part of the common defense burden. However, the conclusion from this is not for the US to exit NATO, but to reform the Alliance in order to better reflect the imperative of a fairer sharing of the defense burden. If President-elect Donald Trump is now boasting that he has made the Allies increase their defense budgets, he is right: The US’s allies can step up to the plate, even if to some observers that process may look unnervingly slow.
Clearly, NATO cannot thrive on Cold War nostalgia. But those who adhere to the caricature of the alliance as a mere burden-shedding exercise for wily Europeans risk missing the forest for the trees. Unsurprisingly, as a superpower with global security interests and commitments, the US considerably outspends its NATO allies. But it gets more in return than meets the eye. Here are five primary benefits NATO provides the US..............
European stability and US influence..........
NATO contains Russia, and its members are reliable allies.............
Political and military predictability..............
https://www.fairobserver.com/politics/no-time-for-bad-deals-why-the-united-states-will-not-leave-nato/#
