Istanbul Summit #2 - The so-called "new Atlanticism" is the same ol' Cold
War Atlanticism.
Mon, Jun 28 2004
by ESLa****te
http://www.pronato.com/commentary/index.htm
Once again, another NATO SecGen has declared a "new Atlanticism" at yet
another NATO summit. And once again, this "new Atlanticism" speech of
SecGen
Scheffer at the Istanbul Summit contains much of the same Cold War
Atlanticism that our Alliance is giving up only very slowly. Cold War
Atlanticism is the operating system of "NATO the military-only alliance"
and
transatlantic relations defined in terms of arms, armies and the American
military in Europe. SecGen Scheffer did state: "Yes, the old, nostalgic
Atlanticism is dead. The Cold War, with its focus on Europe, has finally
ceased to serve as a frame of reference for the transatlantic
relation****p."
But don't hold your breath, folks, as this appears to mean more of the
same
military-defensive paradigm.
First and foremost, Real Atlanticism is about the fraternity of the free,
not just the military-defense of the free by the arms and armies of NATO.
Real Atlanticism is about the North Atlantic democracies' example in
living
in democratic peace, the rule of law and equality for citizens. Real
Atlanticism is about tolerance of differences, from the individual citizen
up to the debates among Atlantic democracies. Real Atlanticism is not just
about security and defense of Atlantic democracies, but brotherhood among
free peoples of Atlantic democracies. SecGen Scheffer does mention some
aspects of Real Atlanticism, but his "new Atlanticism" is still laced with
the same old, Cold War Atlanticism. For those of us who know and teach
Real
Atlanticism, the mission in places such as the Balkans, Russia,
Afghanistan
and Iraq is not just teaching defensive forces about civilian control of
the
military - but teaching the peoples of such places about living as free
and
democratic people, with positive, peaceful relations within the
international community.
Now, Scheffer scolds the Bush administration for believing that it could
"go
it alone" in Iraq. At the same time, SecGen Scheffer also scolds the
Europeans for their notions that the European Unions should be a
"counterweight" to the US. Once again, as is now the case in transatlantic
discourse - Canada is left out. Scheffer somehow sees the realization by
Europe and North America (America) that they cannot live without one
another
as a "return to realism." But "realism" in international relations theory
holds that nation-states watch out for their own selfish interests in an
anarchic, chaotic world. The nation-state, in realist thinking, must
engage
the world as a self help system and cannot count on other nations for
help.
So, this Author fails to see SecGen Scheffer's connection to the
"realization that no nation can go it alone" and the realism mentioned in
his "new Atlanticism" speech. In fact, realism fits nicely into the
neo-con
notion that "America must go it alone" and with French Gaullist selfish
interests in the EU.
If there every was a time for our NATO Alliance to start shedding the Cold
War Atlanticism, it is now. First of all, the choice of the Dutch diplomat
himself as SecGen, rather than another Lord Robertson-defense minister
type,
was a step in the right direction. The request for the new Iraq Government
for aid in training its security forces and the acceptance of that mission
by our Alliance. There was the recent visit of Australian officials to our
Alliance's HQ is Brussels, in sort of a return of Australia to its North
Atlantic roots. In the past in Eastern Europe and the PfP, the prospect of
NATO member****p has spurred the former Soviet satellites into democratic
reforms that encompass more than just military reforms. Our Alliance has
become more political than in the Cold War, but continues to remain locked
in the Cold War Atlanticism paradigm.
Our Alliance must be willing to release its grip on Cold War Atlanticism
and
understand that Atlanticism is not all about military defense. While
SecGen
Scheffer's speech on "new Atlanticism" appears to be more political than
past "new Atlanticism" speeches of past SecGens, there is still the
defining - incorrectly and tragicly - of "Atlanticism" as some kind of
military-defense doctrine by our Alliance. The great and noble ideas of
real
Atlanticism and the transatlantic fraternity of the free are once again
locked into the military-defensive chains of the Cold War. Atlanticism
must
be freed from the Cold War notions that our NATO Alliance continues to
define it as, otherwise the Cold War will never end for us true
Atlanticists
!
---
Erin La****te
The NATO Citizen - www.pronato.com
Milwaukee, WI - USA
"Long live the entangling Alliance!"
"Long live NATO!"
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