web1_silhouette-1594698_960_720.jpg

Penn State students staying up to get down at dance marathon fundraiser

web1_Letter-to-the-editor2.jpg

Your voice: Thanks to officials in fight to save prison

<p>The United States alone accounts for about 75 percent of the military spending of the 28-country NATO alliance.</p><p>NATO&#8217;s official guidelines say member states should spend at least 2 percent of their GDP on defense. Of the 28 countries in the alliance, only five &#8212; the U.S., Greece, Poland, Estonia and the U.K. &#8212; meet the target.</p><p>Germany spent 1.18 percent of its GDP on defense last year. France forked out 1.8 percent.</p><p>The U.S. spends the highest proportion of its GDP on defense: 3.62 percent. The second biggest NATO spender in proportional terms is Greece, at 2.46 percent, according to NATO. The cumulative GDP of all the other 27 countries exceeds the GDP of the U.S., yet they pay only 25 percent of NATO&#8217;s defense.</p><p>It is those countries who are on the line facing off against Russia.</p><p>We are being played for fools, while Europe builds up its infrastructure and hands out freebies to their socialist constituents.</p><p>I applaud President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary General James Mattis for shaking the NATO tree vigorously. NATO will be better off for it, and Americans will have reduced burden of protecting the Europeans.</p><p>It is long past time for the countries facing off against Russia to pay at least what is required by the NATO agreement. I think they should step up and pay at least what the USA is spending.</p><p><strong>Charles M. Mangan</strong></p><p>Kingston</p><style>
.neFileBlock {
	margin-bottom: 20px;
}
.neFileBlock p {
	margin: 0px 0px 0px 0px;
}
.neFileBlock .neFile {
	border-bottom: 1px dotted #aaa;
	padding-bottom: 5px;
	padding-top: 10px;
}
.neFileBlock .neCaption {
	font-size: 85%;
}
</style>
<div class='neFileBlock'>
<div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/web1_Letter-to-the-editor3-3.jpg">
<div class="neCaption"></div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/web1_Letter-to-the-editor3-3.jpg</photo0><caption0></caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div></div>

Your view: Nato playing US for suckers