Do you think it was a good idea for the United States to join NATO? What are the potential benefits and drawbacks of being part of a defensive alliance?

to start, the US were practically the creators of NATO. This is opinionated but I think it was a good idea for the US to join the alliance because at the time NATO was defence against the Russian menace. This alliance possibility was the reason the Soviets didnt go to war. Not to mention NATO to this day is the most powerful alliance in the world. Of course the drawbacks of this is if one of the smaller countrys goes to war then it could drag the US into it. Not to mention the US and France are the only major military spenders in the alliance so it makes everyone rely on them.