Do "we" really need NATO?

@chaski Said

The reference to “forbidding the revival of nationalist militarism in Europe” was a specific reference to...

1. The nationalist scociists of Germany, aka Nazis
2. The Facists of Italy, and
3. The Franco regime in Spain...

And

4. Communism in the USSR, which was more totalitarian nationalism than true communism.

@mrmhead Said

Yes, there are a few regimes I can think of in Latin/South America that need changing, and at least two in the Pacific Rim. (depending on specific geographical definitions)

... is that what you mean?

@chaski Said

The reference to “forbidding the revival of nationalist militarism in Europe” was a specific reference to...

1. The nationalist scociists of Germany, aka Nazis
2. The Facists of Italy, and
3. The Franco regime in Spain...

And

4. Communism in the USSR, which was more totalitarian nationalism than true communism.

@Ghyda Said

I must wonder why my septuagenarian friends and relations hold so fast to the idea that the Allies founded NATO to prevent war with Germany, at least initially.

I found something called The Treaty Dunkirck, which France and the UK signed on 4 March 1947 as a Treaty of Alliance and Mutual Assistance against a possible German attack in the aftermath of World War II. The treaty entered into force on 8 September 1947 and preceded the Treaty of Brussels of 1948, which established the Western Union.

The last sentence of the first Wikipedia paragraph says, "According to Marc Trachtenberg, the German threat was a pretext for defense against the USSR."


I don't know anything about Marc Trachtenberg, but he seems to believe that the Allies spoke about war with Germany as a pretext to preparation for war against the USSR, not the other way around as my Red Kimono posse believes.

In my family, when old folks wear the Red Kimono, they may say what ever they want. Somehow we borrowed it from a Japanese tradition. Rather bizarre considering that we likely have no Japanese genes.