Comment by jimmydorry
4 years ago
I don't see how it directly increases US influence over them? America is compelled to defend those NATO members, no matter how rag-tag or inadequate those NATO members' forces are. America doesn't have the option of saying "no", and they also cop all of the public backlash as these countries get to stir up anti-American sentiments and make life hard for American forces that are rotated through these countries for training.
defending someone is not a binary thing. the amount of effort, the degree of severity, the number of troops mobilized, the whole question of use of nukes (tactical or strategic)
and there are real problems around bases (~18-20 year olds on leave are going to do what they are usually do anyway)
and the last few decades of US interventionism is not exactly a success story. it was not hard to stir up "anti-imperialist" sentiment