Leaving NATO?

[gbg3]

and in exchange the US became the worlds hegemony....you got exactly what you wanted out of it.

You have a point and I hope the U.S. decides to back away from that. I think it quite possible (even evident) some countries will move more toward looking out for their best interests first (less globalism). The U.S. is spread way too thin, IMO, in all they have taken on. Just handling the U.S. and its well being, security, trade, internal affairs, etc. - is more than enough. The rest of the world shouldn't feel they have to resemble the U.S. structure (and they don't resemble it) and the U.S. shouldn't be the big brother of the world, IMO.
For example, some countries are moving more toward or have fully adopted socialism. I'm guessing for at least the next 5-10 years, the U.S. will go in the opposite direction (after the failed Biden experience) - more choice, more emphasis on government closer to the people (state government) and fewer introductions of federal level programs.
That will simply lessen what we have in common with nations heading leftward. Heck, some of them may actually be closer to a China model than a U.S. model - and I think nearly everyone expects more China impact in this world, going forth. So, alliances that maybe once made sense, may shuffle in new and different ways. Hungary is an excellent example. Look at the very different view even the American left and right have of Hungary. Hungary is a part of NATO but Hungary is a terrible black sheep in the eyes of the American left and in the eyes of some of the other EU nations. It is a country which puts its people and well being first and has strict immigration policy - and it is shunned for that. Anyway, I can envision a shifting of alliances as left and right divisions in the world become even more pronounced.
Meanwhile - the left and right will increasingly both view the other as being dictatorships. We already see that view being felt by each side about the other. In the U.S., we have quite extreme political division. I think we're seeing division increase worldwide within many a nation, between neighboring nations, and throughout the world. The "middle" is becoming old news.

 

[gbg3]

America is not the world's policeman. Terrible things happen across the globe, and it is beyond our means to right every wrong." - Barack Obama

Heck, I'm no fan of Obama but I sure like this!
I'm more than ready for the U.S. to quit being the caretaker of much of the world. I very much hope the U.S. exits NATO and then the U.S. decides if, when, and where it makes sense to expend our capabilities, money, and resources. We've taken on far too much responsibility and other nations don't even necessarily want us in their business. And I don't want to be in their business and I don't want to be responsible for their protection. We've got enough of our own issues.

 

[Higgins86]

US became the worlds hegemony as a result of the Bretton Woods pact in which all participants (44 countries) agreed that the US Dollar would be the preferred Currency to be used for global trade, and that aech dollar in circulation would be backed by a certain amount of physical gold.

Bretton Woods Agreement happened in 1944. NATO wasn't established until five years later (1949). Bretton Woods died in 1971 when Pres Nixon nixed the gold standard. The US Dollar was now fiat, and could be printed without gold reserves. This was done to cover the tremendous monetary losses from the Vietnam debacle.

Here is a chilling speech by Richard Nixon in 1957:

". . . And in determining what that policy should be we decided to find out what the men in the Kremlin were up to. We found that militarily their plan apparently was to destroy us by drawing us into little wars all over the world with their satellites – however, where they themselves were not involved – and where due to our inability to bring to bear our great superiority on the sea and in the air, that we were unable to win those wars.

We found that economically, their plan apparently was to force the United States to stay armed to the teeth, to be prepared to fight anywhere, anywhere in the world that they, the men in the Kremlin, chose.

Why? Because they know that this would force us into bankruptcy, that we would destroy our freedom in an attempt to defend it. . . "

U.S. Hegemony 2.0 happened in 1991 with the break-up of the Soviet Union. The US became the world police. But we didn't want it - - that hegemony was thrown in our lap.

"America is not the world's policeman. Terrible things happen across the globe, and it is beyond our means to right every wrong." - Barack Obama

Its all relevant. NATO allowed you to maintain and expand foreign bases which in turn allowed to project power. Even in Cyprus where you had no bases you use British airfields and communication bases to spy on the Middle East.

I have no issues with it but I think a lot of American's need to get over this idea that you've been defending Europe for all these years. Reality is you've been defending your interests which just happens to align with Western Europe.

 

[SkyChief]

Heck, I'm no fan of Obama but I sure like this!
I'm more than ready for the U.S. to quit being the caretaker of much of the world. I very much hope the U.S. exits NATO and then the U.S. decides if, when, and where it makes sense to expend our capabilities, money, and resources. We've taken on far too much responsibility and other nations don't even necessarily want us in their business. And I don't want to be in their business and I don't want to be responsible for their protection. We've got enough of our own issues.

Yes, the US should leave NATO.

NATO General Secretary Jens Stoltenberg said yesterday that NATO will deploy a large military force on its border with Russia.

Obviously, the goal here is to taunt Putin.

It's a reckless move, IMO, and could bring the world that much closer to WW III.

 

[Lethargic Aptitude]

So it looks like 7 Putin trolls/Putin-loving Republicans are here. Such a brilliant poll to weed out who they are.