| Outliving Its Usefulness
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December 2002
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NATO Expands -- Who Cares?
The most interesting result of NATO's expansion into the Baltic states, celebrated with a visit by President George Bush, was the response of Russia. As these former Soviet territories joined the alliance founded to deter the Kremlin's expansionism, Moscow's yawning spoke volumes.
Fifteen years ago, such a move by the then-Soviet republics was unthinkable. Ten years ago, it might have been grounds for war between America and Yeltsin's Russia. Now, it is an empty symbol because NATO is itself irrelevant.
As a defensive alliance, NATO's continued existence is pointless. America has no need to defend western Europe because the threat toady and for the foreseeable future is from terrorists and not from the non-existent Red Army. And western Europe was never able to defend the US. After Al-Qaeda attacked civilian targets in the US and the mutual defense clause was declared in effect for the only time in history, New Yorkers did not sleep any better knowing that the Belgian navy, Dutch army and Portuguese air force were available to protect them.
Russia realizes that NATO has become a club that provides status rather than an alliance that provides defense. Like the EU and the Eurozone, NATO membership means that those in the club have made it, they are developed, and reasonably free democracies. It is only a matter of time before Lenin's great-grandchildren apply for admission -- and we should let them in, and then close the club.