The new Euro Zone

"Putin has shown the world, especially the Euro Zone, something vitally important. If you do not have the aegis of an organization like NATO covering your sixes, you could end up looking like Ukraine." 

World War II. Europe took quite a beating. Most countries had some kind of battle damage. Others were all but destroyed. When the Red Menace raised its ugly head, NATO was a great way to to band together and defend the homeland against more war. It worked great for decades. And then - lethargy. Unpaid dues. Very little support with arms and troops (except us).

Donald Trump became President, and called NATO out. In Trump's mind (the mind of a businessman), he was looking on our ROI with staying in NATO. Some thought that Trump was going to be the catalyst for NATO to wither away into nothingness. After all, since the big boggy man (Soviet Empire) went away in 1991, what is the point? And then in 2022 - back came Russia. And "the point" became well taken. All of a sudden, NATO is back. 

It has been said that time heals. Memories fade. That is the fear we had for Europe. That the carnage, death and destruction of World War II was "so yesterday". Seems that in the collective minds in the Euro Zone, memories had not faded that much. People did not want to go back to enslavement. Carpet bombings. Subjugation by a tin horn dictator. It is one thing to conjure up a villain from the past - it quite another to see a real one knocking at the door.

Putin has shown the world, especially the Euro Zone, something vitally important. If you do not have the aegis of an organization like NATO covering your sixes, you could end up looking like Ukraine. The visuals, which are send over the airwaves each and every day, are a grim reminder of one very important and immutable fact - freedom is not free.

All of sudden, NATO is acting like the NATO of old. All the dialog back and forth about the value of having a NATO, rings very hollow right now. In other words, a picture is worth 1,000 words. To have Russia, to perpetrate this naked aggression on a sovereign nation like Ukraine, is being played out for all to see. It has reanimated NATO. So much so, NATO might even add a couple more countries. 

It has been said that Putin hates NATO. I don't agree with the word hate. I think he fears a strong NATO. NATO is the governor which keeps thugs, dictators and bad guys in check. The stronger that NATO is, the stronger that governor is. Sorry Vlad - you are on the wrong side of this one. The wrong side of history. 

The new Euro Zone likes the new NATO. And it should. Putin may hate NATO, but freedom loving people embrace it. Now. Now and forever.