Is NATO any good?

[nairiporter]

I mean, it was very useful when the Soviet Union was a threat. Now the Soviet Union is no more, but there are other challenges to global security. *cough*Vlad*cough*

I think the biggest upside of NATO at this point is mutual deterrence. There are 32 countries in NATO. Article 5 of the treaty says an attack on any NATO country is an attack on all. That article has been invoked only once: After 9/11.

The only time a NATO country has attacked another NATO country was Argentina's attack on the Falklands. Britain did not invoke Article 5. They dealt with it on their own.

This has to be regarded as a near miraculous success considering how many times Europeans attacked each other before NATO.

Is there any downside to NATO? From its members' perspective, I mean?

Ps. Record number of NATO allies to hit 2% defense spending goal
I suspect this has more to with lower GDP than increased defense spending. However, it does make sense that the fear of further Russian aggression would spur on spending.

Comments

[merig00]

With the invocation of Article 5, Allies can provide any form of assistance they deem necessary to respond to a situation. This is an individual obligation on each Ally and each Ally is responsible for determining what it deems necessary in the particular circumstances.

https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/topics_110496.htm#:~:text=Article%205%20provides%20that%20if,to%20assist%20the%20Ally%20attacked.

Strongly worded letter is also a form of assistance that a country might deem necessary to respond to a situation :)