ESLaPorte
2003-09-21 22:35:19 UTC
What Eastern Europeans see in NATO...and what they really should see!
By Erin LaPorte
Sun, Sep 21 2003
http://www.pronato.com/commentary/index.htm
The liberated countries of the former Warsaw Pact, as well as countries like
Argentina, are associating themselves with NATO. Often these countries
clamor like children to the candy shop to get an invitation to join NATO.
The NATO Alliance began its outreach to the Eastern Europeans shortly after
the collapse of the Soviet state. The Alliance demanded as requirements to
be associated with it non-military, democratic reforms and practices, such
as free elections and human rights for minorities. And - to be associated
with the NATO Alliance - the Eastern Europeans worked hard to meet these
demands in their membership action plans (MAP's). When the United States
wanted
support for its war in Iraq, the first to line up, including in NATO, were
the Eastern Europeans. But do the new Eastern European NATO members believe
they're getting NATO or the United States?
First, we need to separate NATO from the United States and the United States
from NATO. Sure, the US leads in NATO, but current consensus decisions
making process and practices like the Ambassadors' lunch help to offset the
dominance of the US in the NAC. To be a NATO member is not necessarily to be
"pro-US" and a "US poodle" that is "doing the bidding of Washington" - and
just ask France and Germany about that! To say that NATO is the United
States
is absurd and is part of the anti-US/anti-NATO propaganda going around in
Europe once again, as during the Cold War. NATO, like the United Nations, is
an intergovernmental organizational whereby no member is made to give up its
sovereignty to any other member, including the United States. Becoming a
NATO member is not some "American membership" - but membership in the
Atlantic family of democracies.
Second, NATO is not the United States and the United States is not NATO. The
notion that to look at NATO and see the United States, as if the US has some
kind of "hypnotic control over Europe" is pure communist/anti-NATO
propaganda.
Likewise, the notion that NATO is a "creature of the United States that is
at its every beck and call" is also communist/anti-NATO propaganda. NATO is
the
creation of the Atlantic Community and becoming a member is an expression of
acceptance of Western (Atlantic) democratic values. Becoming a NATO member
is to join a family, the Atlantic family. The Alliance is a political, as
well as military, association of democracies that subscribe to the practice
of Atlantic democracy. NATO membership has absolutely nothing to do with the
United States alone, but with the North Atlantic democracies. The United
States is just one NATO member out of the many, mainly European NATO
members.
What Eastern Europeans should see when they look at NATO is not the United
States, but the Atlantic Community and the Atlantic family of democracy,
which values peace and freedom. The Eastern Europeans must not allow
themselves to be duped by communist, anti-NATO propaganda that aligns NATO
membership with the United States. The Eastern Europeans need to realize
that their membership in NATO is not "an American membership," but
membership in the Atlantic family. NATO membership is about the association
with North Atlantic democracies, which not only includes the US, but the
United Kingdom, Canada, France and Germany among them. France and Germany
are just as much allies to Poland, the Czech Republic as the United States
is. And in March 2004 of Bulgaria, Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania, Slovak,
Slovenia and Romania will become NATO members. Their democracy, freedom and
peace are just as important as that of the United States'. When looking to
the West, Eastern Europeans will see NATO - and through NATO they will see
the Atlantic Community, Atlantic values, Atlantic democracy and a hope for
freedom of which casts a long shadow that ecliptics the United States'.
By Erin LaPorte
Sun, Sep 21 2003
http://www.pronato.com/commentary/index.htm
The liberated countries of the former Warsaw Pact, as well as countries like
Argentina, are associating themselves with NATO. Often these countries
clamor like children to the candy shop to get an invitation to join NATO.
The NATO Alliance began its outreach to the Eastern Europeans shortly after
the collapse of the Soviet state. The Alliance demanded as requirements to
be associated with it non-military, democratic reforms and practices, such
as free elections and human rights for minorities. And - to be associated
with the NATO Alliance - the Eastern Europeans worked hard to meet these
demands in their membership action plans (MAP's). When the United States
wanted
support for its war in Iraq, the first to line up, including in NATO, were
the Eastern Europeans. But do the new Eastern European NATO members believe
they're getting NATO or the United States?
First, we need to separate NATO from the United States and the United States
from NATO. Sure, the US leads in NATO, but current consensus decisions
making process and practices like the Ambassadors' lunch help to offset the
dominance of the US in the NAC. To be a NATO member is not necessarily to be
"pro-US" and a "US poodle" that is "doing the bidding of Washington" - and
just ask France and Germany about that! To say that NATO is the United
States
is absurd and is part of the anti-US/anti-NATO propaganda going around in
Europe once again, as during the Cold War. NATO, like the United Nations, is
an intergovernmental organizational whereby no member is made to give up its
sovereignty to any other member, including the United States. Becoming a
NATO member is not some "American membership" - but membership in the
Atlantic family of democracies.
Second, NATO is not the United States and the United States is not NATO. The
notion that to look at NATO and see the United States, as if the US has some
kind of "hypnotic control over Europe" is pure communist/anti-NATO
propaganda.
Likewise, the notion that NATO is a "creature of the United States that is
at its every beck and call" is also communist/anti-NATO propaganda. NATO is
the
creation of the Atlantic Community and becoming a member is an expression of
acceptance of Western (Atlantic) democratic values. Becoming a NATO member
is to join a family, the Atlantic family. The Alliance is a political, as
well as military, association of democracies that subscribe to the practice
of Atlantic democracy. NATO membership has absolutely nothing to do with the
United States alone, but with the North Atlantic democracies. The United
States is just one NATO member out of the many, mainly European NATO
members.
What Eastern Europeans should see when they look at NATO is not the United
States, but the Atlantic Community and the Atlantic family of democracy,
which values peace and freedom. The Eastern Europeans must not allow
themselves to be duped by communist, anti-NATO propaganda that aligns NATO
membership with the United States. The Eastern Europeans need to realize
that their membership in NATO is not "an American membership," but
membership in the Atlantic family. NATO membership is about the association
with North Atlantic democracies, which not only includes the US, but the
United Kingdom, Canada, France and Germany among them. France and Germany
are just as much allies to Poland, the Czech Republic as the United States
is. And in March 2004 of Bulgaria, Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania, Slovak,
Slovenia and Romania will become NATO members. Their democracy, freedom and
peace are just as important as that of the United States'. When looking to
the West, Eastern Europeans will see NATO - and through NATO they will see
the Atlantic Community, Atlantic values, Atlantic democracy and a hope for
freedom of which casts a long shadow that ecliptics the United States'.
--
Erin LaPorte
The NATO Citizen - www.pronato.com
P.O. Box 371162
Milwaukee, Wisconsin - USA 53237-2062
"In service of peace and freedom!"
Erin LaPorte
The NATO Citizen - www.pronato.com
P.O. Box 371162
Milwaukee, Wisconsin - USA 53237-2062
"In service of peace and freedom!"