Kees van der Pijl is a political scientist and former professor of international politics at the University Of Sussex. He has written extensively on eastern European affairs, as well as the MH17 air disaster, which is an absolutely recommended listen.
I asked him to explain to me why NATO is the villain.
In short, NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organisation) was originally formed in 1949 as a defence alliance to counter the Soviet Union during the Cold War.
However, since the end of that era, NATO’s relevance and actions have become questionable and, instead of promoting peace, NATO has become a force that escalates tensions and undermines international stability.
Attempts to locate oneself with the help of NATO are futile.
Christopher Hitchens
NATO’s expansion
One of the most controversial aspects of NATO’s modern history is its aggressive eastward expansion.
Towards Russia.
Can you guess why?
Despite the end of the Cold War and the dissolution of the Soviet Union, NATO has continued to expand, adding countries like Poland, Hungary, and the Czech Republic in 1999, followed by Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia in 2004.
Again, can you guess why?
Because it’s a deliberate provocation, bringing NATO forces closer to the borders of nations that were previously within the Soviet sphere of influence.
Such as Russia.
The annexation of Crimea by Russia in 2014 was a direct result of NATO’s expansion into Eastern Europe. Professor Richard Sakwa explained to me in a podcast why Crimea matters, historically and geopolitically, and I recommend giving it a listen.
NATO, especially the US, wants to weaken Russia.
The thing is, it probably can’t.
Russia is simply too strong.
Military interventions
NATO’s military invasions, especially in the Balkans in the 1990s, were a clear middle finger to NATO’s ‘defence strategy’.
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization is anachronistic, militaristic, and a major obstacle to peace and international cooperation.
Noam Chomsky
For example, the airstrikes in Kosovo in 1999, which were carried out without a UN mandate, led to massive amounts of deaths and were a violation of international law. Basically, the invasion of Yugoslavia resulted in the destruction of entire cities, the displacement of millions of people, and the deaths of thousands of civilians.
The invasion of Iraq in 2003, under the false pretenses of weapons of mass destruction, led to the deaths of hundreds of thousands of Iraqis and the destabilisation of the entire region.
But NATO is a defensive organisation?
Yes, sure.
The NATO alliance has long been a tool of US imperialism, using military force to advance US corporate interests and suppress national liberation movements.
Malcolm X
Podcast
Search for Jerm Warfare in your podcast app or click here
NATO is a dangerous and unnecessary organisation, and it should be disbanded.
William Blum, American historian
