Introduction
NATO refers to the North Atlantic treaty organization. This is military unity or alliance of the democratic states in Europe and the North America. Its headquarters is in Brussels, Belgium in Eastern Europe. It was started by the signing of the North Atlantic Treaty on the 4th April in 1949. It constitutes a system of collective defense responsibility whereby each member state agrees to mutual defense in response to attacks by any external forces. NATO comprises of twenty six members states.
Discussion
The NATO’s role come responsibility include: as the core, the provision of collective defense or security to its member states through traditional military ways. It has the duty of promoting the development of democracy and stability throughout the region that is through the engagement with the nations of the former Warsaw pact. NATO has also engaged is the use of force to reclaim peace in the war torn states, ensures good governance by ensuring the governments of the members states as well the neighboring states by which there is both political and socio-economical interest. NATO has played a significant role in the Balkans, used military force in Kosovo in the year 1999. NATO still has its mission in the Balkans, Ukraine, the Caucasus and the former Soviet states in the central Asia.
Europe as continent comprises of several countries most of them being developed. The western part of Europe is characterized with highly developed nations with the Eastern part characterized with nations that are not that much developed. In terms of development the western countries are in the core of the development regions while most of the eastern countries are in the external periphery. The countries are independent with defined boundaries. The countries are politically stable with quit a number of them having mature democracies. Apart from NATO there are some other affiliations which include political that are for example the European Union, as well as business and social that includes sports association like the UEFA.
The countries identify themselves with different ideologies. Some embrace communism which originated from the USSR, and they were part of the union especially countries in the Eastern Europe. While some embrace capitalism especially those from Western Europe. The rest are seen to embrace both the characteristics. With the existence of the dynamic world the changes that occur have been seen to be accommodated comfortably by the European countries. There is asocial change or adjustment in general caused by either the revolutions that have occurred or the generational changes. Europe in terms of wealth is characterized by various activities that range from the advancement of science and technology, oil production especially in the Eastern Europe, mining, and agricultural activities.
This wealth is evenly distributed, for there are well structured mechanisms to enhance equality within these countries. The governments are democratic, for the people and at greater levels supported and watched by the people. The citizens from all the races are occupants of Europe including immigrants from other continents. Universal human rights are highly respected. The governance structures are development oriented and cherish peace, democracy and stability.
Emergence of the security teams
With activities like slave trade that involved the exchange of human being especially from Africa and Asia to work with some of the items that only existed in Europe. Some of it was forced labor. Colonization, wars like the First World War that occurred in early twentieth century and the Second World War that occurred in the mid twentieth century. Europe has experienced a major historical transformation. Class struggles that were defeated by revolutions, for instance the French revolution. The rise and fall of dictators in some of the countries, like Adolf Hitler of Germany. All these experiences in the history of Europe lead to the need to formation of organizations that would bring unity and the pooling of resources for instance the military to defeat any present and future bad occurrences and promote to higher standards the positive aspect of these experiences. In order to counter the political and economical unhealthy competition their was the formation of the European Union while the issue of security and stability there is the formation of NATO.
Various efforts have been put in place to allow the spread the influence the effect of NATO. The expansion has been done especially towards the Eastern Europe, with its importance majorly attached future security threats and prospects and insurance policy against uncertainties rather than a defense against surprise attacks that don’t show any possibilities of coming anywhere soon. It is not an issue cold war which the western countries have not shown any interest of engaging in over the last forty years, but it is the internal and regional political instability that can erupt at any time. The crisis and instabilities in countries like Albania, Chechnya and the Yugoslavia are the examples.
This expansion is the inclusion of the countries in the larger Europe and parts of Northern America. This expansion can be viewed as to have both the positive and negative implications. There are significant benefits accrued as well as threats that can be brought by the unified force. The major benefit of this expansion can be taken to be maintenance of calmness and stability. Both the external stability and the stability in Europe as a continent are of greatest concern, and positive impact or effect or the world’s stability in a greater sense. This is possible basing on the resources and the ideologies within the larger organizations. Second, there is the maintenance of the internal stability and democracies within the member states and their immediate neighbors. This has a direct on the security within these nations.
NATO can reinforce and consolidate liberal political and economic institutions in the upcoming young states of Eastern Europe, which can improve safety of the Western European countries. The expansion can ensure the simultaneous existence of stability locally and regionally. NATO has the prospects that its achievements in the Western Europe for the last forty years, is likely to occur in the Eastern Europe which are still governed by communist’s ideologies
In the urge and the process of expansion, their have been several problems, barrier and challenges that the organization has really encountered. For instance it was primarily argued that some of the main threats to the NATO members have since disappeared. Countries like Russia or those of the CIS that initially posed military danger or opposition to the internal politics of the Central and the Eastern Europe no longer represent the same danger.
Due to unequal wealth or finances, some countries tend to fear the financial implications. Their leaders tend to feel and argue that the burdens of being members i.e. membership responsibilities, are too high to be comfortably supported by their budgets and there are not always more than willing to join this organization. The deployment of this foreign troops in the soil of this candidate states is an area of concern since most countries wouldn’t like that direct or close contact of the foreign troops that they are not in fool control, with their citizens. This is some of the unlikely behaviors of the military that can be existence can affect the social lives of the citizens. Since NATO has been able to work and assist effectively in various situations and cases of emergency there is a general feeling that their no need to add more members in the organization. This is drawn from the western officials.
Some of the superior countries in the NATO region that are non members experience its effects as well as influence. Russia as an example had been forced to adjust on some of the political and economical policies in order to fit to the new world situations. These changes include the corporations both in business and military fields, the enhancement of the unity in diversity in terms of political ideologies and the global peace which is of the greatest concern. Initially, before the changes were effected, there was a view by the western countries and the US of instability and lack of understanding and consensus within Russia. Russia was also forced to develop international relationships with the west and Europe at large to bring to a realization a mutual benefit between these countries.
In general terms apart from the benefits accrued by the member states of NATO, the whole world feels the impact of the roles of NATO. Solving some of the disputes that would bring, negative impact to the world economy, like the matters of oil prices. There is the issue of refugees from these internal conflicts that would inconveniences in their host nations in terms. It can also be used to mobilize resources that can be used in matter that are not military oriented or related that is the issues like HIV and AIDS, global warming and reaction measures to natural calamities.
However, it is argued mostly by Russia that the formation of NATO allowed the bringing of nuclear energy more so in terms of nuclear weapons to the Eastern Europe. The member states were equipped with nuclear weapons as well as funding to improve on military technology. In case of irresponsible handling of this nuclear weapon it poses a great danger to region as well as the existence of humanity. This requires responsibility as well as good will in the respect and observation of the international human rights and the recognition of the responsibility of the United Nations.
Conclusion
The strengthening of the military ties, joining military powers on one side is good for the enhancement of peace and stability. It however, on the other had receiving criticisms by leaders especially the religious leaders for they believe that it encourage the invention of weapons of mass destruction that can not be trusted in the hands of the human beings. They believe that in order to have peace we do not require all those weapons and they should be completely destroyed. In situations where there are no weapons there is nothing to massively destroy the world.
The expansion of these ideals also increases the dominance of certain powers and their hidden negative agenda poses a threat to global security. In my view the organizations should only aspire to expand to levels at which they attain resources that would only allow them to comfortably achieve their goals and objectives. Different nations, with different ideologies and agendas, with intensions of coming together are sometimes tricky and therefore require compromise of certain interests. Leadership of these organizations should be democratic and uphold the standards and interests of the organization at heart.
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