Political Quotes

“in the last five years momentous events have recast the landscape of Europe, and indeed the world. The ``Iron Curtain''--so long a symbol of the bankruptcy of communist ideology-- has been pulverized and sold off in small chunks, a triumph of free enterprise over totalitarianism. The Soviet Union has collapsed under its own weight without a shot being fired and from its destruction a dozen independent states have emerged. The Warsaw Pact--once a mighty and feared military alliance spreading from the Arctic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea--is no more. These historic events were in no small part due to the enduring strength of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and the sustained commitment of its member countries. Founded in 1949, the NATO alliance served as the West's primary defensive bulwark against Moscow's amply demonstrated aggressive posture. However, in the wake of the Cold War, NATO's mission lacks the clarity it once had. Some argue that there is no further need to maintain the alliance, that it has outlived its purpose. Furthermore, the role of the United States in NATO has been called into question. Even during the height of East-West tension there were calls in Congress to reduce or eliminate the presence of U.S. military forces in Europe. Even as our forces in Europe decline from a high of 434,000 in the early 1960's to a projected level of 100,000 by next year, those calls continue to be heard.”