And give up membership in the most powerful military alliance in human history, reduce US international influence and give up the most lucrative defence market in the world. This idea is so spund, even the Congress GOP voted for a law preventing the POTUS from pulling the US out of NATO on his own.
I agree so, that Europe should be less dependant on the US, we sure shoupd have a very solid and competitive defence sector supplying the various European armed forces.
Being a NATO member is not being a client state... And the thing I support is a stronger EU defence industry, not the US leaving NATO or whatever you read into my comment.
And yes, the idea of the US leaving NATO is so bad it is only loughable, the only ones happy about that would be Russia and China. US influence is not limited to Europe so, NATO activities stretch to Afghanistan (past tense), Iraq (same), Ukraine, Africa, the Balcans...
As bad as NATO intervention was during the war on terror period, and boy was it bad, tue alternative would be either Chinese or Russian dominance in those regions. And that would be even worse. NATO, human rights and all that is a different topic so.
And where is Europe dependant on the US for defence? NATO is an alliance, one that served, and serves, each member state quite well... Sometimes ignorant American exceptionalism is tiresome...
Clearest example is Iceland that doesn't even have its own military.
If NATO is such an equal alliance, why is US the only "partner" that e.g. has (a lot of) military bases, running on their own laws, in other "partner" countries.
Edit: And my point of view definitely isn't from American exceptionalism. I oppose my country's (Finland's) NATO membership and watch in horror how there's now going to be 12 bases in Finland that are essentially under pure US control (Finnish laws don't apply there, or even to the US personnel outside the areas, and Finland has no say in US military coming and going as they like).
US military dominance (in the form of NATO in Europe) isn't so much about defending the counties per se but to defend its interests in the countries by low key taking over their armies. You have a country quite well by the balls if their defence depends on you.
I agree so, that Europe should be less dependant on the US, we sure shoupd have a very solid and competitive defence sector supplying the various European armed forces.