Sick Self-Congratulatory Militarism at the NATO Summit

With the exception of Boris Johnson's hairstyle, NATO leaders behave alike, dress uniformly and speak and make decisions through their inner mental uniforms.

In just a couple of days, they turned all of Europe into a dark continent of peacelessness for, most likely, decades ahead - far out of proportion to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

The inner uniforms they wear are not worthy of words like realpolitik, proportionality, statesmanship, moderation, future-thinking, or innovation.

Their NATO-speak defies words such as mediation, negotiated solution, confidence-building, disarmament and arms control, common security - not to speak of reconciliation, forgiveness, cooperation, civil conflict resolution.

They seem now to be headed beyond the rational and deep into omnipotence delusions and dangerous groupthink: We are right, have no doubts, have done nothing wrong, need not invite different views, we stand united, and our decisions will have the desired consequences because we - yes, cannot make mistakes.

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But what did the Madrid Summit achieve? Nothing but more of the same in a defunct, outdated, 'defensive' provocative Alliance. No new thinking because no lessons learned, but:

USD 350 billion more in NATO military expenditures since 2014. Russia's entire annual military expenditures amount to USD 66 billion and all UN peacekeeping costs USD 7 billion - you get the proportions.

The 2% of GDP goal is now a floor, not a ceiling. It's anyhow intellectual nonsense since a security budget will be tied to a decent threat analysis and not to the state of a country's economy.

Rapid reaction forces shall increase from 40,000 to well over 300,000 - with new bases in Europe and at least 100,000 US troops stationed permanently. The 2008 decision that Ukraine and Georgia shall become members is confirmed.

Ukraine – a non-NATO state that NATO has no legal obligations towards – will receive weapons worth up to perhaps USD 100 billion (my extrapolation).

The reason – not told by these leaders – is that NATO has promised it membership without paying the slightest attention to 30 years of Russian leadership concerns, without listening to any of the dozens of Realpolitik experts who said it could never become a NATO member, and because the US masterminded and financed a regime change in Kiev in 2014, installed a pro-US/NATO leadership, and then spent 8 years giving Ukraine the weapons, training, funds and advice so it would be ready for membership.

The latter facts have been confirmed by former Ukrainian president Poroshenko, in an interview to the Irish Times where he says that the Ukrainian army is "like my child."

The other reason not told by them is that by NATO's de facto fighting Russia in Ukraine – to the last Ukrainian – and attempting to undermine its economy back home, Russia shall be defeated and deleted.

Thereafter, the next enemy is China. In NATO's "Strategic Concept" (which neither defines concepts nor is a strategy) China is accused of all evils, so NATO can go global in violation of its own transatlantic Treaty of 1949.

NATO can't do without enemies. It's an alliance of Christian nations believing in 'civilising' missions, universalising and converting others to its thinking and values – by the Bible or the Sword, as necessary.

Yes, Russia invaded Ukraine. It was immoral and a crystal clear violation of international law. Russia is responsible for the war. But NATO's herded expansion over 30 years is the underlying conflict. And now more expansion: into Sweden and Finland and the vast further militarisation of an alliance that is already 12 times more weaponised than Russia.

NATO decisions are not proportionate, rational or statesmanlike as response to the Russian invasion. It has become a pretext for its own further expansion and global dominance.

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NATO countries will never mobilise such resources for the environment, eradication of poverty and illiteracy, civil infrastructure, pandemic security or any other important civilian goal for the sake of humanity.

The West is united – for the moment, at least and outward – by hatred and militarism and by the complete lack of a positive vision for humanity's future. It comes without a single democratic, parliamentary decision. NATO governments have just deprived us of our right to and hope for a better, peaceful future.

I ask myself:

Where will the money come from in economies that were already under strain from economic decline and the Corona pandemic? Which social classes will pay the price: what social benefits will be reduced and on whom? And with NATO already spending 12 times more than Russia on armament, is there any thinkable point at which enough will ever be enough?

And finally: How much faster and deeper will the world's multi-crisis manifest itself thanks to this completely wasteful investment in utterly destructive militarism instead of constructive problem-solving.

Even before all this, any knowledgeable person knew that we were in the 11th hour to do so.

We are now in the most dangerous, delusional development since 1949: the failed NATO alliance, which has manifestly and consistently shown itself unable to create peace but constantly mobilises for war. For the money of taxpayers who are made more insecure by the day. And in complete violation of its own original – meaningful and defensive – Treaty.

Jan Oberg is the founder of The Transnational.