NATO is often the subject of criticism by those who have never had to remotely fly a drone over Pakistan to bomb a wedding party or send private mercenaries to anally bayonet a forcefully deposed leader of a country to death.
People have little to no idea of what it takes to deal with the real pressure of actually getting stuff done; While most of us peruse our morning newspapers wincing at the latest news from Ukraine, NATO are out there actually doing the hard work: Killing and maiming.
“We live with the constant barrage of public ridicule.”
Tony Blair knows what it’s like. Back in 2003 he was the man who had to face down 1 million of his own people who warned him not to invade Iraq. Blair had to ask himself: “Do I listen to the forceful disapproval of most of the people in my own country, or do I just say “f*ck ‘em, I’m going to do it anyway?”? To contemplate the uncontemplateable is what makes a real leader; And people just assume it’s easy for a man like Blair to do what he does- As if he’s some kind of unfeeling psychopath incapable of human emotions- Or as if the vast wealth he and his family have amassed are merely some kind of reward for services rendered.
But that’s part of being a leader. While NATO does the actual killing, the organisation needs front-men like Blair to make everything palatable to a public who funds their actions. And it’s not just brave men; Women too have championed the great NATO cause. Madeleine Albright, secretary of State for Bill Clinton displayed incredible courage when faced with the question of whether murdering vast numbers of Iraqi children was “worth it”. “we think the price is worth it.” she said to a gobsmacked audience.
And what about Hillary Clinton’s response with regard to the bayonetting to death of Colonel Gadaffi?: “We came, we saw, he died.” Again, there are those who will look upon this short clip with horror and think this is some unhinged lunatic; But again we make the error of imagining that the business of killing is easy; No, It takes people of steel to make bold decisions that enable NATO to be so effective.
Public perception
Many of us fail to appreciate just how many adamant admirers NATO actually has. Google provides a solid, unbiased indicator. Reviews of their headquarters on Avenue Leopold III, 1110 Brussel, Belgium provide an 86% approval rating.
Of course there will always be certain most irritating detractors such as NM who says:
Flight cancelled because of NATO operation. Why no warning at flight booking?
I had to cancel 5 important business meetings and I wanted to travel with two employees. Meetings took months to organize. No refund for hotel costs as well. Thanks for nothing.
Some people are never happy. Serving the greater good is everyone’s responsibility. We should be grateful for all they do for us.
