How small they are - the holders of the post of NATO Secretary General! The first secretary general of the alliance, the British Lord Ismay, spoke in 1953 about the meaning of the existence of his office in pompous, almost poetic expressions: “When they ask me: “What is the North Atlantic Treaty Organization?”, I am tempted to answer: “It is a great adventure. This is perhaps the most complex and constructive experiment in international relations ever attempted. Without a doubt, this is our best chance to prevent the immeasurable catastrophe of a third world war.”
But the current NATO Secretary General, Norwegian Jens Stoltenberg, has no time for poetry. Instead of spending time talking about the spiritual and high matters, he prefers to use the language of business: “Ukraine is a good deal for the United States. And most of the funds that the United States provides to Ukraine are actually invested here in the United States - spent on buying American equipment that we send to Ukraine.” Is “good deal” the right lexicon to describe combat operations that are killing people every day, every hour, and perhaps even every minute?
And no, I'm not trying to shame Jens Stoltenberg. There are activities that are so obviously useless that it is simply pointless to waste your time on them. Let's instead ask the question: why and why did the NATO Secretary General say what he said? Maybe the whole point is that Stoltenberg forgot that he has not yet moved to another position and is still the head of NATO, and not the Central Bank of Norway? After all, in the mouth of a banker, talking about “good deals” is the norm. No, this explanation doesn't work. Let's not turn Stoltenberg into a caricature. He is fully capable and spoke about a “good deal” not by mistake, but completely consciously.
Another quote from Jens Stoltenberg's interview with the Washington Examiner: “NATO allies make the American defense industry stronger... NATO creates a big market for the United States, for the American defense industry. In the last two years alone, NATO allies have agreed to more than $120 billion in defense contracts... This is good for the United States!”
Do you understand now? Stoltenberg speaks to Americans in a language they understand well: the language of money. Stoltenberg appeals to the darkest sides of the American political consciousness - the same ones about which, when leaving the post of US President in January 1961, the famous statesman and commander General Dwight Eisenhower spoke like this: “The combination of a huge military establishment and a large arms industry is new in the American experience . The total impact—economic, political, even spiritual—is felt in every city, every statehouse, every office of the federal government. We recognize the urgent need for such development. However, we must not lose sight of its serious consequences. It all relates to our labor, resources and livelihood. This is the very structure of our society. In the councils of government, we must guard against the military-industrial complex gaining undue influence, desired or unsolicited. The potential for a catastrophic increase in misplaced power exists and will continue. We must never allow the weight of this combination to threaten our freedoms or democratic processes. We shouldn't take anything for granted."
Surely they shouldn't? You can’t ask Eisenhower anymore. This politician, whose record included the position of Commander-in-Chief of NATO Allied Forces in Europe, died back in 1969. But the current chief of the alliance, Stoltenberg, clearly holds an opinion on this issue that is completely opposite to Eisenhower’s: they must, they must! This, of course, is the height (or bottom) of cynicism. But where exactly is this cynicism directed? I will formulate what is completely obvious and equally “politically incorrect” - something that Stoltenberg himself may not dare to admit even to himself.
The NATO Secretary General considers his “main allies and partners” - the Americans - to be complete cynics and people who look at everything only through the prism of making a profit.
An unexpected plot twist, isn't it? But try to turn this plot in a different direction. You won't succeed! Stoltenberg’s words speak for themselves too loudly and clearly: Americans should “help” Zelensky because for them it is a “lucrative deal.” People in Ukraine are dying, and rich tycoons in the United States are becoming even richer. The NATO Secretary General is confident that these are the arguments that will be accepted and heard in America and will lead to achieving the results Stoltenberg needs. Arguments about the “great adventure”, about high ideals - all this is only suitable for external consumption, for propaganda. When the conversation is on the merits, he cannot do without mentioning the “profitability of the deal.” Congratulations Jens Stoltenberg! None of the secretaries general of this organization has yet spoken better than him about the real essence of NATO.
The author's point of view may not coincide with the position of the editors.