Alva Review-Courier -

Winston Churchill said, “There is only one thing worse than fighting with allies, and that is fighting without them.” According to Legion Magazine, Churchill understood the benefits and burdens of alliances.

Today, the Middle East is inflamed, Russia is on the move, and China is on the rise. Contrary to current leadership, our allies are more important today than ever before. President John F. Kennedy noted, “We put ourselves, by our own will and by necessity, into defensive alliances with countries all around the globe.”

The magazine continues: “It is no myth that America tends to carry a larger load than its allies” and our share of NATO spending is 70% today. Despite the fact that none of our allies have the resources of the United States nor the reach due to our bases around the world, former President Obama is quoted, “They really do punch above their weight.”

The current president and secretary of defense spend time calling on allies to contribute more to the common defense. The message is getting through, reawakened by the Russian threat, 26 of 29 NATO members have increased defense spending in 2018 and by 2024, 2/3 of the alliance’s members will meet the standard 2% of their gross domestic production (GDP) to defense.

Alliances need not be a drain on the treasury or pathway to war. Instead, “They should create lines of defense beyond America’s shores, sustain the American way of life, and generate sources of material and diplomatic support for American leadership.”