Author: Hon. Joe Volpe

NATO and The Military Industrial Complex

TORONTO – Last week’s NATO Conference, in Washington D.C., raised the ages-old debate of what is preferable among Allies in “world stability”: peacekeeping (negotiation capability) vs peacemaking (capacity to “shoot first and ask questions later”). Membership in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), a post World War II alliance of mostly European nations structured to ensure peace in the face of potential enemies and invaders, seemed, generally, to work. This year, it provided a remarkable opportunity to mix local politics, economic interests, militarism and “old-fashioned jingoism”. Canada was “under the gun” – no pun intended.