The British Guardian newspaper ran a story yesterday called "Pre-Emptive Nuclear Strike a Key Option, NATO Told."
The newspaper called a new report, written for NATO by five top military officers, "a radical manifesto". The former armed forces brass from the U.S., Britain, Germany, France, and the Netherlands called the nuclear option an "indispensable instrument" that must be used if necessary in a pre-emptive attack to stop the spread of nuclear weapons.
Yes, you read that right. NATO, nothing more than a U.S. military tool to spread war, wants to use nuclear weapons to protect the "west's values and way of life" which are under threat by crazy people who want to use nukes, they say.
Here are the actual words from the 150-page blueprint for disaster: "The first use of nuclear weapons must remain in the quiver of escalation as the ultimate instrument to prevent the use of weapons of mass destruction."
Oh boy these folks are crazy for sure.
Ok, let's look at what is really going on here. The U.S., which has always controlled NATO, is growing worried that a unified Europe, through the European Union, will soon have their own military alliance and won't need NATO any longer. That of course means less influence for the U.S. and the loss of a big military "tool" that has been useful as it is in Afghanistan today.
The NATO report just happens to also call for the consolidation of the U.S., NATO, and the EU into a new pact for a "grand strategy". This is not likely to happen as much of Europe is increasingly worried that the U.S. has gone empire mad.
Along these lines, the NATO report calls for a shift from consensus decision making in NATO to simple majority voting. The U.S. wants to increase its leverage and ability to drag NATO into more military adventures without having to bring all NATO member nations on-board.
The report also suggests NATO agree that military operations could be undertaken without obtaining U.N. Security Council agreement, once more reenforcing the fact that the U.S. wants to use NATO as a first-strike tool.
The report says that "the west is adrift and not facing up to the challenges" around the world. Here the five generals are trying to shame NATO members into "cowboying up" their testosterone levels and agreeing to move NATO into a perpetual state of war with those not submitting to the dictates of corporate globalization.
NATO should have been disbanded right after the former Soviet Union collapsed. Today it is a dangerous guard dog run amok, not only in the European neighborhood, but globally. NATO is not out fighting for freedom and democracy either. They are a tool of the international mafia - now commonly called the military industrial complex.
This NATO report should be tossed in the trash. In its place should be a global debate about the need to shut NATO down before they do indeed use some of their nukes.
Clearly NATO is the danger these days.
http://www.space4peace.org
Bruce Gagnon is the Coordinator of the Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space.
Between 1983–1998 Bruce was the State Coordinator of the Florida Coalition for Peace & Justice.
He was the organizer of the Cancel Cassini Campaign (launched 72 pounds of plutonium into space in 1997) that was featured on the TV program 60 Minutes.
Bruce has been featured by artist Robert Shetterly in his collection of portraits and quotes entitled Americans Who Tell The Truth.In 2006 he was the recipient of the Dr. Benjamin Spock Peacemaker Award.
In 2003 Bruce co-produced a popular video entitled Arsenal of Hypocrisy that spells out U.S. plans for space domination.His latest video, shot in 2006, is entitled The Necessity of the Conversion of the Military Industrial Complex.
In 1968 Bruce was Vice-chair of the Okaloosa County (Florida) Young Republican Club while working on the Nixon campaign for president.
Bruce is a Vietnam-era veteran and began his career by working for the United Farm Workers Union in Florida organizing fruit pickers.
It's hard to believe the stupidity that comes out of this organization. Yes, it most certainly should be trashed. That statement is akin to the death penalty - that we kill people to show that we shouldn't kill people. When I read something like this I always think of Ghandi's reply to the question . "What do you think of Western civilization?" He said he thought it would be a good idea. I agree. Lets grow up, okay?
The best way that we could do that is to elect Dennis Kucinich to be our president. He is the only one who will and could talk with and negotiate with other leaders in the world and keep peace. The other candidates are all hawks, especially Hillary. She even stated that she would attack Iran. Shame on her. Doesn't she care to leave a world standing for her daughter and possible grandchildren? Or isn't she capable of thinking that far ahead?
In any case, Dennis is capable of thinking ahead and planning ahead for all possibilities. We need him desparately. Please, America, wake up and realize that you're being lied to by all except Dennis Kucinich.
by
Caronome (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 1 diaries, 190 comments)
on Thursday, January 24, 2008 at 10:08:26 AM
And after the Dems pick Hillary we will need to have a voice in the 2008 national elections. Cynthia McKinney is running for the Green Party presidential nomination. She would pick up where Kucinich left off.
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Bruce K. Gagnon (74 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 9 comments)
on Thursday, January 24, 2008 at 10:13:51 AM
NATO should be reconstituted with European parties only as members. The U.S. and Canada should say goodbye as our strategic interests should lie elsewhere and Europe is strong enough to take care of itself. As for nuclear war mongering generals, they need to be retired ASAP.
by
Archie (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 841 comments)
on Thursday, January 24, 2008 at 12:48:13 PM
