Why Europe fears loss of NATO

On April 4, 1949, 12 countries formed and joined NATO. Since then, 20 more countries have joined the coalition. Most countries are European, having experienced the ravages of WW II, pledging a partnership of nations never to experience the tragedies by the Nazi regime or a similar authoritarian dictatorship ever again.

America fought both wars, the Atlantic and Pacific, on foreign soil. It never saw the V1 or V2 bombs, the fires it created or the morgues with stacked bodies, one on top of the other. The United States’ civilians saw a media blitz on the war, but not in reality.

Since the war, many Americans played “footsie” with fascism. Racism, Aryanism, the credo of the Third Reich, by fiat, via voter suppression and gerrymandering and election fraudulence, became the principles of the GOP, to achieve and retain power, the same political party that elected Richard Nixon and Donald Trump.

Perhaps, if Trump follows through his campaign pledges and promises, we’ll finally witness fascism up close, possibly to see why so many NATO nations literally abhor the outcome of this election, knowing Trump intents to destroy this alliance.

James D. Cook

Schaumburg