5 Reasons ‘America First’ Won’t Work Without Our Allies by Joseph Collins, The Hill
The Trump administration’s policy theme is “America First,” which should include a broad-gauged, long-term view of our country’s domestic and international interests. America’s allies and alliances are critical to our security and give us unmatched freedom of action. America First should not mean shunning these alliances; it should require their support and development.
In addition to our 27 allies in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, we have key bilateral treaties with Japan, South Korea, the Philippines, Australia, New Zealand, Israel and numerous others. Nine other nations, including Afghanistan and Jordan, are counted as “major non-NATO allies.” These alliances have been the central channel of our foreign and security policy for decades — not because we are charitable, but because they serve our interests.
Many critics have focused on the downsides of alliances and have lost sight of what allies and coalition partners contribute to American interests. There are five key allied contributions, which outweigh their considerable downsides…