NATO: Disband, Expand, or Rebrand?

Could NATO Really Go Away?

What is NATO supposed to do?

It is certainly possible to view NATO as an anachronism whose time has gone.

The big issue relates back to a theme Secretary Gates has discussed numerous times and which is at the center of the national security strategy, which is to have more contributions towards collective security and fewer free (or free-ish) riders.

The national security strategy says “The cornerstone of this engagement is the relationship between the United States and our close friends and allies in Europe, Asia, the Americas, and the Middle East—ties which are rooted in shared interests and shared values, and which serve our mutual security and the broader security and prosperity of the world.”

Given NATO’s current configuration, to include member contributions (based on shared interests, shared values, and shared costs), is NATO worth the cost?  Next, if it is, does NATO’s ponderous size enhance or interfere with its purpose.

Still, if Norm Chomsky is for disbanding NATO, my reflexive position would be to keep it.