I’m undertaking a 1000-day reinvention project, blogging here daily to track my progress. In Thursday Thinker, I share a smart idea or theory.
Michael McFaul, professor of political science at Stanford and Hoover Institution fellow, argues that The United States Needs NATO:
First, NATO still pays an essential role in keeping the peace in Europe…. That peace serves American security interests. We do not want to get dragged into a war in Europe….
Second, Europe remains one of America’s most important trading and investment partners…. As the American and Chinese continues to decouple this century, trade and investment between democracies will become an even more important driver of American prosperity….
Third, if the United States were ever attacked agin [as we were on 9/11], we would want our NATO allies by our side again. To be sure, American military assets outpace European capabilities. But European militaries and weapons are not trivial and hopefully will now grow significantly in the coming years….
Fourth, in our new era of great power competition between autocrats and democrats, NATO can still help maintain unity among democracies, as it did during the Cold War. NATO was never just about security. Values played a central role in the founding of the alliance….
However, we haven’t seen any indication that the current U.S. presidential administration cares about any of that.
It has reduced support for Ukraine’s defense against the Russian invasion, moving from direct military sponsorship to a more transactional model (“what can you do for me?”) ending the era of massive and unconditional U.S. aid packages.
Not only has it stepped back from any major peacekeeping role in Europe, the President threatened to invade Greenland, an autonomous territory of Denmark. It has chosen war against Iran, creating economic pain for its allies in the GCC, Europe, and Asia.
It has enacted large tariffs on its trading partners throughout the world, acting like the trading relationships aren’t cooperative, collaborative, and of benefit to boti sides, but are only meant to be in service of American prosperity and plans.
Far from promoting democracy, just this week Vice President J.D. Vance traveled to Hungary to endorse Orbán’s autocratic and illiberal leadership.
There is seeming no principle or value that Trump and his administration hold that are promoted and supported by NATO.
Trump is primarily transactional, kleptocratic, and nepotistic in his dealings. NATO expresses values of shared strength, cooperation, and democracy. While the United States may need and benefit from NATO, Trump does not.