Ursa Major said:
Holy cow, how did I miss this post?
Should we start in 1948 with the Berlin Airlift and the Marshall Plan?
If it wasn’t for NATO, 447,000,000 Europeans would be living under Soviet Authoritarianism.
The fall of the Soviet Union was a direct result of the outside pressures, both economically and militarily, by NATO.
NATO continues to protect the freedom of former Soviet satellite countries. Ask a resident of those countries how important NATO is.
Without NATO the war and ethnic cleansing in former Yugoslavia would still be going on.
Maybe we can ask the 51,000,000 South Koreans who were saved by the UN from communist takeover by the communist N. Koreans, the Chinese People’s Liberation Army and supplied by the Soviet Union.
Or maybe the 21,000,000 Taiwanese that would not be an independent country without the Sino-American Mutual Defense Treaty.
I could go on. I’m betting 10 years ago, you would have agreed with me, before you became radicalized.
I never said anything about military alliances...but let's just go down this road.
You are out of your league here...I am a very senior ranking member of our Armed Forces and a graduate of the War College. I have spent 29 years defending our nation with 4 tours in Iraq, 2 in Afghanistan, and 2 in the Balkans.
1. The US IS NATO. We work within the process designed, but we provide nearly ALL of the fighting forces. Member Nations provide support in many ways, and they nearly ALL fail to achieve the agreed upon funding. When I was a planner in Afghanistan, France decided to remove their forces...nearly overnight....creating a real issue for the rest of the forces. They come with caveats stating that they will not leave their bases etc..it's outrageous.
2. The Berlin Airlift was executed by the US Air Corps (US Army). And, the Marshall Plan was designed and paid for (largely) by the American people.
3. The fall of the Soviet Union had nothing to do with NATO. The US simply out spent the Soviet Union. That is it. PERIOD. They had no economic levers to compete, and they didn't. They are ONLY concerned with the US.
4. The US led ALL effort into the Balkans...with half assed contributions from NATO nations. Everything done there was accomplished under US leadership regardless of titles. I WAS THERE.
I could go on, but I won't because on this topic, you are completely out of your element.
But, I get it - you are a big government, international institution type of guy. You believe in them...I simply don't. Has nothing to do with radicalization....but
Maybe you can run to Portland and find a few friends.