After World War II and the destruction caused in Europe, America stepped in as the primary provider of economic and defense aid to Europe. Justification was played to the American public by claiming a secure and economically developed Europe would open primary market opportunities for American goods. Helping Europe also meant preventing the spread of Soviet influence, which was seen as an existential threat to the U.S. during this period.

Our world today is far changed from that of an immediate post-war period, and Americans are increasingly turning to dislike ongoing American commitments to European defense. Nearly a third of the U.S. public wants to sever ties with NATO, even after the invasion of Ukraine. The bipolar balance between the U.S. and the Soviet Union has decayed and given

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