Americans Rethinking Need For U.S.A. Membership In Nato

by: Les Carpenter
Rational Nation USA
Birthplace of Independent Conservatism
Liberty -vs- Tyranny


Over half of the American electorate are rethinking the United States need for continued involvement and membership in NATO.

Excerpt form Rasmussen Reports
Less than half of U.S. voters still see a need for the United States to belong to NATO, and most question whether America’s allies in the long-standing alliance will give their full support in Afghanistan and Libya.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 49% of Likely U.S. Voters believe America still should belong to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, formed in 1949 to counter the Communist Soviet Union. Twenty-seven percent (27%) do not see a need for the United States to still belong to the alliance now that the Soviet Union is gone. Twenty-four percent (24%) are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

Just 46% hold even a somewhat favorable view of NATO while 37% view the organization unfavorably. Overall attitudes are quite soft as just 7% hold a Very Favorable opinion of the group while 12% express a Very Unfavorable view. Nearly two-thirds (64%) fall somewhere in between.

Sixty-two percent (62%) of Democrats have a favorable view of NATO, while most Republicans (52%) view the alliance unfavorably. Voters not affiliated with either party are almost evenly divided in their assessments.

Only 35% of voters are even somewhat confident that NATO will do all it can to help the United States win in Afghanistan and Libya. Fifty-six percent (56%) do not share that confidence. These findings include nine percent (9%) who are Very Confident NATO will do all it can and 15% who are Not At All Confident of that.

Collectively, these results suggest that skepticism about NATO allies has held steady at least since December 2009. {Read More}

Pulling out of NATO would be a huge strategic decision, one that will likely carry significant consequences.

Via: Rasmussen Reports

Comments

  1. Yeah, that would be a pretty dramatic shift. I don't think most of those polled - pro and con - really thought it out one way or the other. American voters are not the most geo-politically sophisticated in the world.

    On the other hand, there are perfectly rational arguments for the dismantling of NATO. In theory, given its ostensive purspose, NATO seems no longer necessary. However, its "existential" purpose has changed over the years - with both Democratic and Republican governments here in America playing a large part in that.

    In other words - we'd be pulling out of our own game.

    Americans are not very good at that. We never "know when to fold 'em." (Gotta love Kenny Rogers!)

    On the other hand, NATO, if considered in the existential rather than original intent ("original intent" is such a convenient but utterly unrealistic argument), is a valuable and sure treaty. I like having military allies. It's a good thing. As long as they behave. Seems to me, we're pretty much the only player really misbehaving (Okay, the French with Libya, but Obama wanted in anyway).

    Lots of thought-provoking arguments to have on this one. I very well could be swayed. I haven't thought about it (ending NATO) that much. Seems like a prety big deal. Perhaps we should be seriously discussing thia.

    JMJ

    ReplyDelete
  2. Yes, let's DO drop out of N.A.T.O., right after kicking the U.N. out of our country and dropping our membership! No, I'm NOT joking!

    ReplyDelete
  3. I think that Mr. Gates's recent speech to NATO was excellent. He basically told them that the fun and games were over, that they were flat-out going to have to start fighting some of their own battles, spending some of their own money, and participating more in these "multilateral" missions. Hopefully, people, his successors (in the Pentagon and in the White House), whether they be Republican or Democrat, have the wisdom to follow through here.

    ReplyDelete

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