#1508 On the Questionable Usefulness and Longevity of NATO
Best of the Left - Leftist Perspectives on Progressive Politics, News, Culture, Economics and Democracy
Jay Tomlinson
4.5 • 3.4K Ratings
🗓️ 20 August 2022
⏱️ 66 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Air Date 8/20/2022
Today, we take a look at the history of NATO and its role in the world after the fall of the Soviet Union which has come back into focus due to the invasion of Ukraine by Russia, sparking previously neutral countries to request NATO membership, all while an eye to a future causes speculation on how NATO should respond to the growing geopolitical influence of China. You got all that?
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: Nato and China: A new rivalry? Part 1 - The Real Story - Air Date 10-22-21
This week in an interview with a British newspaper the Secretary General of Nato repeated his desire to widen its mandate to include China. His comments coincide with reports that Beijing has tested a hypersonic missile.
Ch. 2: The History of NATO Expansion w/ Joshua Shifrinson - American Prestige - Air Date 3-18-22
Danny and Derek speak with Joshua R. Itzkowitz Shifrinson, associate professor of international relations at Boston University, about the history of NATO expansion from 1989 until 2008.
Finland's president and prime minister say they plan to end decades of neutrality and join NATO. Sweden is also expected to seek NATO membership. The Kremlin says Russia sees the expansion of NATO on its borders as a threat.
With Russia’s invasion of Ukraine heading towards its fifth month, Europe correspondent Ido Vock speaks to the former NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen.
The United States announced at a NATO summit in Madrid plans to build a permanent military base in Poland, as it formally invited Sweden and Finland to join the military alliance after they applied for membership.
Ch. 6: NATO and China: A new rivalry? Part 2 - The Real Story - Air Date 10-22-21
This week in an interview with a British newspaper the Secretary General of Nato repeated his desire to widen its mandate to include China. His comments coincide with reports that Beijing has tested a hypersonic missile.
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Ch. 7: Why is China supporting Russia on NATO? - The Real Story - Air Date 2-18-22
This month President Putin of Russia was the star guest at the opening of the Winter Olympics in Beijing. But his trip to China was not just about showing support for the host country.
Ch. 8: Finland and Sweden have entered the chat - Today, Explained - Air Date 5-23-22
Their admission to NATO would further isolate Russia, leaving it the only Arctic country outside the alliance.
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 9: Final comments on the systemic reasons that NATO still exists and how we should replace it
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
- Opening Theme: Loving Acoustic Instrumental by John Douglas Orr
- Voicemail Music: Low Key Lost Feeling Electro by Alex Stinnent
- Activism Music: This Fickle World by Theo Bard (https://theobard.bandcamp.com/track/this-fickle-world)
- Closing Music: Upbeat Laid Back Indie Rock by Alex Stinnent
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Welcome to this episode of the award winning the best of the left podcast in which we |
| 0:06.9 | shall take a look at the history of NATO and its role in the world after the fall of the |
| 0:11.6 | Soviet Union, which has come back into focus due to the invasion of Ukraine by Russia, |
| 0:17.8 | sparking previously neutral countries to request NATO membership. |
| 0:22.6 | All while an eye to the future causes speculation on how NATO should respond to the growing geopolitical |
| 0:29.0 | influence of China, you got all that? |
| 0:32.6 | Clips today are from the Real News, American Prestige, Democracy Now, and World Review with |
| 0:40.2 | additional members only clips from the real story and today explain. |
| 0:51.2 | We'll talk about the history of NATO in a moment, but how would you say the Alliance has |
| 0:55.6 | remained relevance since its foundation after World War II? |
| 1:25.8 | It's a very strict Euro-Atlantic area, or engage in security threats beyond its traditional |
| 1:33.0 | treaty area, and that was because NATO was also shifting from collective defence to crisis management. |
| 1:39.1 | So it is in the nature of NATO, the Alliance, to adapt, to transform and change. |
| 1:45.4 | It's always done that, and it's about to do it again big time. |
| 1:49.4 | Let's just go back and unpack the history a little bit more. |
| 1:52.3 | Claudia, remind us why NATO was created. |
| 1:55.8 | NATO was created actually as a life insurance for the European countries after World War II. |
| 2:01.8 | It was about defending a free Europe against the Soviet Union and keeping the US in Europe. |
| 2:09.7 | That was one of the key lessons Europeans actually had to learn after World War I, |
| 2:14.6 | World War II, that the security is linked to a strong US commitment to Europe. |
| 2:20.6 | So it was actually teaming up as free European countries to defend the political |
| 2:26.6 | idea, this free Europe against the Soviet Union. |
... |
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