The U.S. Navy continues to strike the Houthis while seeking to keep the Red Sea open for commerce. Nineteen other countries reportedly are part of the coalition, but only the U.K. has provided any firepower in the form of a single destroyer. As usual, the rest of the western so-called “powers” are AWOL, powerless.

One of Donald Trump’s endearing traits is shouting what the cognoscenti know to be true but won’t even whisper in public. In 2016 he said the U.S. should dump NATO. Why? Because it’s a big rip-off. Seven years later even Jamie Dimon, CEO of JP Morgan, admits Trump was “kinda right” about NATO.

NATO is a rip-off because it is largely a collection of free riders living under the national security umbrella provided by American taxpayers and a handful of other responsible members like Poland and the U.K. In 2006, NATO’s members committed to spending 2% of GDP on defense. That’s a pitifully low figure, but it’s a start. As of 2023, two-thirds of NATO members fell short, many far short.

Few of NATO’s members have the economic heft to make a material difference. For example, seven of those exceeding the 2%........

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