Lord Ismay, the first Secretary-General of NATO, famously characterized the organization’s mission as to “keep the Soviet Union out, the Americans in, and the Germans down”. Here’s my question: is that obsolete? The Soviet Union is no more. Is Russia actually as much a threat to our European allies as the Soviet Union was? Despite their present nervousness, our European allies have not seemed to think so right up to the point at which Russia attacked Ukraine.
In what sense are we keeping the Germans down? Had that remained part of NATO’s raison dêtreL we would have prevented German reunification and the euro.
Do our European allies actually want to keep the Americans in? Or do they just want us to serve as their janissaries?
My view is that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has given the first clause of Lord Ismay’s characterization new currency and that the other two clauses remain in our national interest as well. What do you think?
The question is whom and where.
Lord Ismay was talking about keeping out Soviets and Communism; present day Russia is a different thing.
Where when the quote was made was Western Europe. I don’t know he would have said the same if Europe was defined as East as Sebastopol.
A quote from another Brit; Marshal Montgomery — during the 60’s.
“ Rule 1, on page 1 of the book of war, is: “Do not march on Moscow”. Various people have tried it, Napoleon and Hitler, and it is no good. That is the first rule.â€
Reunifying Germany also kept the USSR out, or close enough. It made East Germany more prosperous. What they did achieve is keeping Germany from rebuilding its military. I think its too soon to tell whether Putin’s Russia is less toxic than the USSR. I have to wonder if it is more than Communism and something about Russian culture or Russian government in general.
Steve
The Russians certainly seem to believe that some form of “strong man” government is intrinsic to the Russian character.