ONE of the myths about NATO is that it is an alliance of equals, but in reality it is American dominated and serves American interests.

It was formed in Washington in 1949 and under its terms former world powers Britain and France accepted America’s dominating role in the world in return for a financial bribe in the form of Marshall Aid.

In the immediate post war period, the US was the supreme world power both in terms of quantity and quality. Approximately 50 per cent of world manufacturing output was American and US manufacturing companies were the world’s most technologically advanced.

In addition, the US was the world’s biggest creditor, doling out loans to countries like Britain and Germany to aid post-war reconstruction.

Today, the US is an economic busted flush. China manufactures ten times more steel and three times as many cars. It builds railways and power plants across the world and lends huge sums of money to the US treasury which helps to keep the country afloat.

The US can no longer throw its weight around economically, so it does so militarily. As well bombing and destroying weak countries like Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya, it bullies its so-called allies in Nato to buy weapons from the US.

It is time for NATO to be scrapped as it is nothing other than a means of subsidising US arms manufacturers. British taxpayers’ money should be used for health, education and welfare, not to line the pockets of the shareholders of US corporations like Lockheed-Martin and Boeing.

John Gilmore, Bishop Auckland