“The Militarization of Our Mindsets Is a Failure”

Katrina vanden Heuvel, publisher of The Nation and a columnist for The Washington Post, was recently a guest on Democracy Now! where she talked about Ukraine’s push to join NATO and plans by the U.S. to send Ukraine cluster bombs.

I particularly appreciated her following perspective on the ongoing conflict involving Ukraine, Russia and NATO.

There’s a mission creep that I think we need to pay attention to. When [the Secretary General of NATO] Jens Stoltenberg [pictured above with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky] spoke recently of “inter-operability,” what that means is more weapons, more and more weapons [which means] that the arms manufacturers will make out like bandits, because NATO countries will have to be in sync, and “in sync” often means buying U.S. weapons. You know, the militarization of our mindsets, of our approach to security dangers and horrors, is a failure. And the new challenges – the climate issues, the nuclear issues – these are not going to be won by horrific, grinding wars of attrition. So, we are in a kind of World War I situation with 21st century missiles, ignoring some of the key challenges we really should face.

– Katrina vanden Heuvel
July 11, 2023

See also the previous Wild Reed posts:
• A “Post-Cold War Train Wreck Long In the Making”
• Yanis Varoufakis: Quote of the Day – February 24, 2022
• A Prayer for Ukraine
• Jeff Cohen: Quote of the Day – February 28, 2022
• Something to Think About – March 4, 2022
• William Hartung: Quote of the Day – May 24, 2022
• Phyllis Bennis On the Need For a Ceasefire in Ukraine
• Cornel West: “Our Anti-Imperialism Must Be Consistent”
• Medea Benjamin and Nicolas J.S. Davies: Quote of the Day – December 28, 2022
• Reed Brody: Quote of the Day – February 6, 2023
• Three Progressive Voices on the War in Ukraine

Related Off-site Links:
What Is the Point of NATO? Historian Grey Anderson on How U.S. Has Used Alliance to Strengthen Power – Democracy Now! (July 14, 2023).
Stephen Wertheim: The West Cannot Ignore Role NATO Expansion Played in Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine – Democracy Now! (July 13, 2023).
Republicans Tank Amendment to Ban U.S. Sale of Cluster Munitions Worldwide – Jake Johnson (Common Dreams, July 13, 2023).
NATO Summit: Will Ukraine’s Demand to Join Military Alliance Help Prolong the War? – Democracy Now! (July 12, 2023).
Campaigners Say “Ceasefire and Peace Talks” – Not NATO Expansion – Should Be Focus of Key Summit – Jake Johnson (Common Dreams, July 11, 2023).
We Must Work for a Ukraine-Russia Cease-Fire ASAP – Ann Wright (Common Dreams, June 14, 2023.
The Surprising Pervasiveness of Pro-War Propaganda – Medea Benjamin, Nicolas J.S. Davies and Marcy Winograd (FPIF.org, June 9, 2023.
The War in Ukraine Was Provoked – and Why That Matters to Achieve Peace – Jeffrey D. Sachs (Common Dreams, May 23, 2023.
Phyllis Bennis on Ukraine War and Why a Ceasefire Is the First Step Toward Lasting Peace – Democracy Now! (May 9, 2023).
Ukraine Doesn’t Need to Match Russia’s Military Might to Defend Against Invasion – George Lakey (Waging Nonviolence, February 25, 2022).
Condemning Russia’s Invasion, Voices for Peace Say “War Is Not the Answer” – Jake Johnson (Common Dreams, February 24, 2022).
How NATO’s Expansion Helped Drive Putin to Invade Ukraine – Becky Sullivan (NPR News, February 24, 2022).