Political Quotes

“NATO has been the keystone for Western Democracy for the past 50 years. It has stood solidly as a successful deterrent against the spread of Communism and as a community of democracies where markets have flourished and where differences are settled without drawing a sword against one another. NATO's key alliance was based upon a mutual pact of deterrence from external threats . . . and lets be honest--it was and I stress was, an alignment to offset the voracious behemoth called the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union is dead. We need to keep it so. Expansion of NATO to include nations who have struggled to extricate themselves from years of slavery under the yoke of Leninist/Stalinist dictatorial regimes will insure the eternal demise of a world-communist conspiracy. NATO was a major contributor to the successful end of the Cold War and was in fact responsible for a 50 year period of peaceful coexistence in Western Europe; the longest such period in modern history. In order to continue to fulfill its purpose of ensuring peace and freedom, NATO needs to adapt to a new Europe, a Europe without a Soviet-alliance but a Europe which faces a myriad of other challenges. As our country adapts to a changing world situation, a world without a Cold War, so must our alliances. NATO must change or become a mere relic of the Cold War. Those who advocate the status quo ask us to live in a non-existent past.”