The True Price of NATO.

World War II left a trail of destruction across Europe, Asia and Africa. Mechanical beasts roared through towns, villages and cities on their way to the front. Sometimes the monster would grind though several times as the front moved back and forth in what was a charnel house for anybody who was unfortunate enough to live there.

The war cost 1.045 trillion dollars in 1945 or 14.55 trillion today after adjusting for inflation. That doesn't even consider the ridiculous increase in the cost of weapons system. In 1939 the RAF Spitfire cost 5,000 pounds, 310,000 today. The Eurofighter Typhoon, today's front line fighter plane costs, at a bare minimum, 140 million pounds. An increase of 410% after allowing for inflation. A war today is going to require some serious capital to buy a stake.

At the end of World War II 15 million soldiers had been killed. At least 45 million civilians had died,
and many people believe that it was easily twice that many. Children, families buried alive under the weight of a war grown beyond any relationship to its origin. It was a continuous, 6 year abattoir that destroyed whole villages, consumed cities, tore apart most of the world. And it didn't end until atomic weapons had been detonated over civilian targets.

It was the worst thing imaginable. And, if there was any lesson to be learned it was war will always grow beyond our ability to control it. And, if there is another one it will be far worse.

So, no Mr. Trump, NATO does not benefit Europeans more than Americans. It is not too expensive, not when you compare it with the alternatives. NATO and the UN are bargains, honor our commitments, honor the sacrifices of the brave men who have occupied the Central Front of Europe for the last seventy years. Honor the peace that has lasted this long. It is the American Way.