just what military threat does the US protect Europe (EU, NATO) from?
I searched the US government sites for policy on Nato, and found very little--maybe I should have persevered. But a very short speech from Bush at a NATO meeting answered why NATO was necessary.
Our nations established NATO to provide security for the free peoples of Europe and North America; to build a grand alliance of freedom to defend values which were won at great cost. We've succeeded, in part. The NATO alliance deterred the Soviet Union. It provided the time and space for free peoples to defeat communism. And it brought the Cold War to a bloodless end.
The NATO alliance deterred the Soviet Union. It provided the time and space for free peoples to defeat communism. And it brought the Cold War to a bloodless end.
Now, we have a great opportunity to build a Europe whole, free and at peace, with this grand alliance of liberty at its very core. That work has begun. By bringing in new members, we extend the security and stability through central Europe. By establishing the partnership for peace, we reached out across central and eastern Europe and Eurasia.
That work has begun. By bringing in new members, we extend the security and stability through central Europe. By establishing the partnership for peace, we reached out across central and eastern Europe and Eurasia.
By our actions in the Balkans, we halted ethnic cleansing in the heart of Europe and halted a dictator in the process.
It seems to me that one can argue about the structure of NATO, and the membership, and some of the activities, but when you get right down to it the West is a minority in the world, a rich, privileged minority, and if you want to take a strictly fair approach, a first step would be a substantial redistribution of wealth from North America and Europe to South Asia, China, etc.
Perhaps this is one of those "elephants in the living room" that cannot be discussed...
But, times change, and institutions need to respond to those changes, or cease to exist in their current form. I'm concerned too, that American and European values are no longer shared,,,,or at least are taking divergent paths.
I wonder too, if it wouldn't be healthier for Europe to have to make clear choices about military spending. I may be wrong, but it seems to me the existence of Nato and a strong US military presence, has a tendency to minimize those decisions, those choices, when placed in the context of all of the other political and social choices that are made in elections and in the ongoing political dialogue.
