NATO – An Idea Whose Time Has Gone 169


In the past dozen years, the armed forces of NATO countries, whether operating under the NATO banner or in related ad-hoc coalitions, have killed many hundreds of thousands of people. Of those hundreds of thousands of people, only a few hundred at most ever had any connection to any attack on a NATO country.

Whatever modern NATO has become, a defensive alliance it is not; that fact is beyond rational dispute.

It is also the case that the situation in countries where NATO has been most active in killing people, including Iraq, Libya, Afghanistan and Pakistan, has deteriorated. It has deteriorated politically, economically, militarily and socially. The notion that NATO member states could bomb the world into good was only ever believed by crazed and fanatical people like Tony Blair and Jim Murphy of the Henry Jackson Society. It really should not have needed empirical investigation to prove it was wrong, but it has been tried, and has been proved wrong.

The NATO states as a group have also embarked on remarkably similar reductions in the civil liberties of their own populations during this period. NATO to me is symbolised by the fact that its Secretary General, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, as Danish Prime Minister blatantly lied to the Danish parliament about Iraqi Weapons of Mass Destruction. When Major Frank Grevil released material that proved Rasmussen was lying, it was Grevil who was jailed for three years. In the United States, no CIA operative has been prosecuted for their widespread campaign of torture, but John Kiriakou is in jail for revealing it.

NATO’s attempt to be global arbiter and enforcer has been disastrous at all levels. Its plan to redeem itself by bombing the Caliphate in Iraq and Syria is a further sign of madness. Except of course that it will guarantee some blowback against Western targets, and that will “justify” further bombings, and yet more profit for the arms manufacturers. On that level, it is very clever and cynical. NATO provides power to the elite and money to the wealthy.

But what of Putin’s Russia, I hear you say? I am no fan of Putin – I think he is a nasty, dangerous little dictator. But little is the operative word.

Russia is not a great power. Its GDP is 10% of the GDP of the EU. Its economy is the same size as Italy’s. The capabilities of Russia’s armed forces are massively exaggerated by the security industry, including the security services, and by arms manufacturers. The entire area of Eastern Ukraine which Russia is disputing has a GDP smaller than the city of Dundee.

Russia is only any kind of “military threat” because of its nuclear arsenal. The way forward to peace is active international nuclear disarmament – and the existence of NATO is the greatest obstacle to that. The idea that almost the entire developed world needs to encircle and contain Russia with massive military threat, is as sensible as the idea that it needs to encircle the UK or France – both of which have substantially larger and more diversified economies than Russia and much larger and more technologically advanced arms industries.

NATO is by far the largest danger to world peace. It should be dissolved as a matter of urgency.


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169 thoughts on “NATO – An Idea Whose Time Has Gone

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  • ESLO

    TonyF12

    You forget that the proportion of foreign currency reserves held in US$ is already down from its peak of about 71% in 1999 to around 60% at present – these things can be managed without the shocks that the doommongers would like to see. Those keen to see the Rouble and Reminbi as reserve currencies perhaps ought to think a little more deeply about what that would mean for stability and those in the 3rd world who tend to be on the receiving end of currency fluctuations.

  • ESLO

    Surely the argument should be around the rights and wrongs of attacking other countries – logic would suggest to me that if you are going to do so then the use of drones is likely to be more humane than aerial bombing which by their nature will have more collateral damage.

  • Trowbridge H. Ford

    It took just one day to show how undeserved Craig’s Russophobia, and belittling of Putin are.

    Ukraine has agreed to the pro-Russian rebels proposals for ending the conflict – what Putin arranged behind the scene during their discussions in Minsk.

    Made the NATO discussions in Estonia and Wales look like just photo-opps for the narcissistic leaders of the West.

  • Richard

    “NATO is by far the largest danger to world peace. It should be dissolved as a matter of urgency”.

    Yes; if there ever was a purpose to N.A.T.O., it disappeared with the Soviet Union. If Britain is to become an independent nation again it needs to leave the E.U., leave N.A.T.O. and rid itself of foreign military bases. Reportedly the Americans are “in favour of” Britain’s membership of both organisations and that ought to set alarm bells ringing for people, but it seems that it doesn’t. The leaders we elect don’t only seem to be bought and paid for, but addicted to what they call “war” – they can’t see an international problem without wanting to drop bombs on it.

    Interestingly, given the other topic currently being well covered in this blog, I heard a Scottish separatist talking on the radio the other day expressing the view that if the union continued and the whole of Britain eventually left the E.U., then Scotland would be dragged out against the will of most of her people and to her detriment. She was in effect saying that Scotland needed to leave the British Union in order to be assured of staying in the European one. Well, perhaps; but if that latter scenario played out it would have the ironic result of a rump U.K. being relatively independent and a separate Scotland less so.

    In any event, if N.A.T.O. isn’t to be wound up, Britain should leave it.

  • Habbabkuk (La vita è bella) !

    “How dare the chief troll call John Goss, a decent human being, ‘scum’.”
    ___________________

    Without hesitation or remorse, dear girl.

  • kashmiri

    Hmmm, I’d say, in military planning you don’t plan for the best-case scenario but for the worst-case one. Russia’s GDP has very little to do with its military capabilities – whether they are overrated is a different and not-so-important thing (U.S. or British capabilities are also commonly overrated). It’s enough that there exists no defence whatsoever against Topol-M missiles, which Russia has a few thousands and under efficient command. Everything else, i.e., guns, tanks, APCs, etc., do not matter much in strategic planning.

    The key to any military doctrine whatsoever – perhaps since time immemorial – is to neutralise all possible enemies. This holds today exactly as it held in the ancient Rome. This also implies that Russian and “Western” geopolitical interests are more often than not mutually exclusive – in particular, in resource-rich regions (e.g., Middle East). Expecting that any party will give up those interests for the idea of “peace” is a naive one.

    An ancient Indian politician, Chanakya, theorising about international relations, listed 9 categories of relations between two states. It’s worth noting that only one of them was “peace”.

  • Peeacewisher

    NATO ceased to be what it was set up to be when the principle of “attack one of us and you attack all of us” was abused in attacking one nation state for the work of 19 terrorists, who incidentally came from an entirely different country.

    I couldn’t believe the stupidity of the argument for attacking Afghanistan then, and I can’t now. The fact that they successfully sold it in all the countries in NATO meant the US, through NATO, could do pretty much anything it wanted.

    There was a brief moment of hope, pre Iraq war, but it just took a bit more propaganda, and a bit more control over the mass media to sway public opinion just enough…

    The good news is that Russia is standing up to this. The bad news is that seems to be what they want…

  • Paul Barbara

    Frank Grevil was sentenced to 4 months, not three years (I had never heard of the case, till I read your piece, Craig, so I searched a bit). Also I don’t share your view of Putin; I and many are very pleased he is not letting the NWO’s NATO get off scot free (though I do hope Scotland chooses Freedom!).
    The ‘Elites’ NWO One World Government is intent on crushing all opposition to it’s Luciferian plans, and for all his faults, I admire Putin for his stance. He did not choose to install a Fascist Regime in Ukraine, NATO did. He is not rocketing cities with Grads and airstrikes; NATO’s latest Poodle, the Fascists installed by NATO machinations, are.
    I don’t know if any of you are familiar with Gladio, the ‘Stay-Behind Armies’ formed by the CIA over most of Europe just after WWII, initially to be in position to wage guerrilla warfare against the Soviets should they overrun European countries. They were staffed with many Nazis and Fascists, many of them indubitably War Criminals, but protected by the US.
    Well, the Russkis didn’t invade, so these Gladio forces were used to create a ‘Strategy of Tension’ in Europe, committing vile atrocities against innocent civilians, including the Bologna train station bombing (85 dead) and machine-gunning men, women and children in Belgian Supermarkets; all blamed on the ‘Reds’! the BBC, who once upon a time made some good programmes, did a three-part series on it around 1990: Operation Gladio – BBC Timewatch https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yXavNe81XdQ They did the same in Maidan and Odessa.
    And a major part of demonising Putin, Russia and the Ukrainian Seperatists was the shooting down of MH17.Interestingly, the Netherlands, Belgium, Ukraine and Australia have agreed that their investigations into the shoot-down will not be made public unless they all agree! And the UK seems to be playing along; they’ve had the Black Boxes for weeks, and must have known what they contain after about two days, but NADA! Not a squeak! Wonder why? What kind of criminal investigation has the police only releasing info if it suits their pre-conceived agenda? (Yes, I know they have done that on occasion!).
    The flattening of Grozny was a War Crime, just like Falluja and Gaza, and of course the bombardment of Eastern Ukraine.

  • Jives

    HabbaClown’s been on Ukrainian troll missions these last few weeks.

    Let’s welcome it back in the spirit of fake bought-and-paid for shill missions.

    Out NSA trackers reveal a circuitous journey betwixt Brussels,Warsaw,Ashdod bowling clubs and Londinium.

    It remains as confused and servile as ever.

    Even the Royal United Institute Services secretaries are puzzled.

    They seek him there….etc etc

    :.)

  • Bill Jones

    ” The way forward to peace is active international nuclear disarmament”

    This is clearly not the case.

    It is only the nuclear armaments of Russia and China that prevent the US from attacking them too.

  • Tim

    Actually, the only comment by Kempe on this page that I can find is one pointing out that the EU does not have a substitute military guarantee. He did not mention the word NATO, but it is relevant to the subject

  • Mike Chappell

    Dear Craig I wish you all the best with the yes campaign,it is your right, but I feel it will be an unmitigated disaster for the whole of the UK. Many are fed up of grabing Tories and New Labour Zionists (Milliband (the lessor of 2 evils unlike David as you have said the Evil of 2 lessors!) unbelievable using Obama’s David Axelrod as an advisor speaks volumes!)but these parties have also included Scottish factions like Brown and Blair! The independent pound is the only reason we are not suffering as much as southern Europe (and France) with the Euro – there is a race to the bottom with western currencies with so much financial fraud having occurred (check out Max Kaiser if you can stomach RT)and Scottish Independance may be the tipping point for confidence in the pound. I’m with Tony Benn on his view on our currency – give up the pound give up sovereignty – Scotland to be truly independent will need it’s own currency, not the euro or the pound unless an independent Scottish version – speculators will of course have a field day if this currency flounders! The original reason for Scotland’s Union was not a love of the English, but a damaged financial system at home! Oh and by the way on Putin – I would rather have Putin than Blair, Brown or Cameron (is that a Scottish name?)anyday – he stopped the Oligarchs ripping off Russians as has happened in the Ukraine. Russia is a proud country that has fended off Napolean and Hitler as a European country in parts we should be making overtures not threats – but then our US/Zionist paymasters wouldn’t like that.
    Cheers
    Mike

  • Resident Dissident

    “Reading back, it is important to note that the trolls, H, RD/Eslo, Kempe etc contributed not one iota of comment on the topic.”

    Just not true – ESLO rebutted the comments made by Goss blaming NATO for the rise of Islamism, he also made the point that those in the Baltic republics and Poland would not share the view that Putin was not a treat. This is just typical of discounting of comments because they do not agree with your own totalitarian viewpoint. If you don’t wish to join in the debate then you should not adopt such a intellectually dishonest position to those who do.

  • Paul Barbara

    Apparently Lizzie is ‘Horrified’ at the thought of Scottish Independence. That should be enough to embolden y’all! I remember as a kid kissing her picture, whilst she was not yet Queen, but that was long, long before I became knowledgeable about stuff.
    By the bye, have none of you got the guts (or knowledge)to either attack or agree with my previous post?
    Maybe ‘Silence is Golden’ if you’re flummoxed?

  • John Goss

    “Despite Mr Goss’s diversionary tactics and ad hominems of yesterday he cannot hide his pathetic justification for the Russian invasion of Afghanistan (supported by that other Putin puppet Tony M), which is almost up there with that he provided for the Holodomor. To this we can also add his promotion of Rothschild conspiracy/holocaust denial websites and his continued support for self confessed and convicted terrorists. While he is in such good form perhaps he might wish to take up my offer to Tony M of providing justifications for the Soviet invasions/interventions into Czechoslovakia, Hungary and Poland – and then he can move onto the rehabilitation of Uncle Joe (he might wish to refer to Uncle Vlad’s new school text books for help) – or perhaps he just accepts that Joe was a Rothschild who just muscled in on his glorious Soviet revolution. Let the tanks roll…………..”

    So where does NATO fit in with this?

  • Dave Lawton

    Putin a Satanist..? What a joke has it come down to this now? I can play that game? The only Game worth playing is The Master Game its the only game in town.
    http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2014/09/08/putin-satan-ukraine_n_5783692.html?1410187994

    Paragraph from the article.
    ”He said Putin was “trying to incite killings and bloodshed” and compared him to Cain, the son of Adam and Eve who kills his brother Abel in the Bible.”
    Except he has it wrong. It is Senator John McCain who is the Satanist.it`s all in the name.
    And he admits it..
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QqQDE9jULZc

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