NE NATO manifestacije od 7. do 10. novembra 2002 v Ljubljani

Na naš naslov so  iz različnih virov prispeli Neuradni programi neuradnih spontanih nedogodkov:

7. 11. Spektakel v mestu: en la próxima estación entrada liberta(d), Bavarski dvor, ob 12.30

8. 11. Govorniški kotiček (Speaker's corner), Prešernov trg, 13:00 - 18:00

9. 11. Pohod za mir: NE NATO, MIR DAJTE, Kongresni trg, zbiranje od 10:00, začetek pohoda ob 11:55 

Vljudno vabljeni.

Za dodatne informacije si preberite tudi poziv za demonstracije. Če želite biti obveščani o NE NATO vsebinah, pišite na recinenato@yahoo.com 

NO NATO manifestation, from 7th until 8th of november 2002 in Ljubljana, SLOVENIA

WHAT IS NATO?

·      NATO is a military alliance of USA, Canada and 17 European states. It was founded in 1949 with the purpose of defence of the capitalist West against the socialist East.

·      As the socialist regimes crumbled in 1989 the NATO lost its adversary and the sense of its further existence. Instead of dissolving it assigned itself new competences and tasks.

·      In the new Strategic concept approved in 1999 the NATO assigned itself the "right" to intervene militarilly in conflicts outside of the teritorries of its members, according to its own judgement as to which crisis could "affect the security" of its members and also without the mandate of the UN. This means arbitrary military interventions in the whole world where the NATO members want to protect or enforce their interests.

·      In the NATO's new doctrine, approved in 2000, the possibility of the use of nuclear weapons in attacks and not only as a means of deterrence as in the Cold War period is writen down. NATO has already used radioactive depleted uranium in the Kosovo war. Now the USA are planning the prodution of mini atomic bombs.

·      Today the security problem cannot be solved by military means. Its roots are namely in the unjust distribution of the world's wealth, exploitation, dominance of the powerful countries of the West over the majority of the world's inhabitants, environment destruction and excessive exploitation of the natural resources.

·      NATO's existence and activities aggravate these reasons for insecurity and represent a major obstacle to the peace in the world, for it has become a military organisation with the purpose of ensuring the dominance of the West, especially the USA, over the world.

·      USA are increasingly undermining the international law and on the basis of their power, especially military, usurping the right to judge and decide about the whole world. Among other things they are trying by all means to weaken the International Crime Court for the crimes against humanity and achieve superiority of its citizens in regard of the law.

·      NATO's goal is not the ensurance of the values such as democracy, human rights a freedom but brutal enforcement of its member states' interests, with the predominance of the far most powerful member, the USA.

·      The purpose of NATO expansion, thus the incorporation of the transition countries, is above all to expand the political and economic influence of the USA over these countries. The USA are namely losing influence over the Western Europe.

·      The binding of the transition countries on the USA through NATO is increasingly in contradiction with their efforts to join the EU, because the disagreements betwen the Usa and EU are rising (trade wars, steel wars, disagreements on the genetically modified food...).

·      NATO expansion is a very profitable business for its members – their military industry produces 80% of the world's military products. The demand to fulfil "NATO's standards" regarding the weapons and military equipment means nothing else but securing the sales of the military products to the new members.

SLOVENIA AND NATO

Security??

·      NATO is supossed to guarantee security to Slovenia. But there exists almost no military threat to Slovenia. Even if Slovenia would in some time in the future experience military threat, the membership in the NATO does not provide firm guarantees: if a member state is attacked, the NATO does not authomatically respond with military means – the states decide if they will offer help and what kind of help this will be – it can be only economic or humanitarian help.

·      It is not very likely that NATO would defend small states such as Slovenia by military means. In the case of the attack from a neighbouring country the NATO would most probably react only by offering observers and advisors. If the attack would come from Italy, Slovenia as a NATO member could not count on the help of NATO at all, because NATO does not take actions in cases of conflicts between member countries.

·      NATO would not contribute to resolution of conflicts between Slovenia and Croatia. Conflicts such as the one about the border between those two countries are of no importance from the viewpoint of the NATO. Not long ago the armed forces of Marocco occupied a part of Spanish teritorry. Spain is a NATO member, but NATO did not care at all. Slovenia and Croatia cannot afford to resolve conflicts by military means because that would show them as incapable of resolving problems by diplomatic means and would discredit their efforts to join the EU.

Costs!!!

·      NATO membership is very expensive. Due to the pressures from the USA the government plans a 50-percent increase of funds for military purposes – from 1,46% GDP in the year 2001 to 2,3% for the year 2010.

·      Costs of NATO membership do not include only membership fee as the government propaganda claims, but comprise a lot more: costs of army reorganisation, purchase of weapons and military equipment according to the "NATO-standards", costs of participation of Slovenia's military forces in interventions abroad, costs of adapting communication systems, roads, railways, airports and ports to the demands of the NATO. These huge investments for military purposes would reduce investment into social welfare, health, education, culture, environment... This would impede and not enhance Slovenia's development.

Environment?!!

·      Military bases which NATO sets in its member countries represent a huge burden. These military bases are strictly protected and are not subjected to the law of the host country. NATO's soldiers are untouchable; if they commit a criminal offence they are processed in their home country.

·      In the military bases different dangerous weapons and poisons are deposited, including nuclear weapons, therefore the bases are a permanent threat to the environment and health of the people.

·      It is true that the member states themselves decide about placement of military bases and nuclear weapons on their teritorry, but considering the servileness of Slovenian politicians towards the NATO and the USA it cannot be expected that they would reject such a demand of the NATO. An example of this servileness is the change of the Maritime code in February 2002 with which it is now allowed that nuclear ships and ships with nuclaer weapons enter Slovenian sea.

The armed forces?

·      One of the NATO's demands is the profesionalisation of the Slovenian Army which actually means a transformation from defensive forces to forces for interventions abroad, according to the needs of the NATO. 

·      NATO membership requires the participation of soldiers in interventions in crises abroad. Recently the Defense Law has been changed so that it is now possible to use the Slovenian Army for military operations outside of Slovenia. 

·      Entering NATO means a commitment to participation in military attacks against other countries on the demand and under the leadership of the most powerful countries (above all USA). Slovenia would also have to bear all the costs of participating in such operations.

Good reputation and influence???

·      Claims about the rise of international reputation and influence of Slovenia due to the admission into the NATO are despicable lies! Slovenian politicians are already acting shamefully fawning which causes Slovenia to lose any reputation and influence that it ever had. In November 1998 Slovenia withdrew ist signature to the Initiative of the UNO for a world without nuclear weapons, because it was in direct contrast to the nuclear policies of the NATO. With this contemptible act Slovenia diplomatically discredited itself.

THERE ARE ALTERNATIVES!

·      It is not true that there is no other alternative for Slovenia than joining the NATO. There is another possibility: active neutrality. Europe's neutral countries are Austria, Switzerland, Finnland, Sweden and Ireland. All are very successful without any "help" from the NATO.

·      Joining the NATO would mean giving away a part of the sovereignty because Slovenia's politics would become dependent on the politics of NATO and USA. With active neutrality a state can act more independently.

·      Neutrality does not mean selfish isolation but taking responsibility for the world peace by striving for non-military conflict resolution and political mediation between the conflicting parties. Neutrality does not hinder taking part in peace-keeping operations.

·      Neutrality is cheaper than NATO membership: NATO members' budget for military purposes is on average 2,5% GDP, that of the European neutral countries 1% GDP.

THE INHABITANTS OF SLOVENIA SHOULD DECIDE THEMSELVES ABOUT THEIR FUTURE!

·        Joining the NATO is a project of the ruling elite, a handful of politicians that impose on the inhabitants of Slovenia a huge burden which would not be possible to get rid of by means of lying, concealing information and propaganda of the primitivest kind. The success of their intentions depends on the inhabitants of Slovenia.

·        It is not true that joining the NATO is inevitable! It is not true that everything has already been decided!

·        Such an important decision about the future of all people living in Slovenia cannot be left to the self-interested servile handful of the rulers that are increasingly resigning the protection of the rights of the inhabitants of Slovenia in order to be admitted to NATO. It is the right and responsibility of the inhabitants to decide by themselves.

·        The finding that joining the NATO is unacceptable and harmful should be told loudly. It should not happen any more that this statement is overheard or silenced.

·        Because of the loudness and persistence of the critical voices the government will not succeed to avoid a referendum.

·        If the people will decide against joining the NATO at the referendum, the government will be compelled to refuse an eventual invitation from the NATO in Prague in November 2002.

Internet pages and books critical of the NATO and Slovenia's joining the NATO: 

http://www.oocities.org/recinenato/

http://kreativni_upor.tripod.com

http://members.fortunecity.com/nato5/

http://neutro.k2.net/

http://www.ruleless.com/portal/nato/nato.php

http://www.belokranjskadeklaracija.org/

http://www.ljudmila.org/globala/

Ne NATO – mir nam dajte! (Not NATO – give us peace! / Give us a break!), Ljubljana, Mirovni inštitut, 2002.

Nato – za in proti: državljanski priročnik, (NATO – for and against: a civic handbook), Ljubljana, Mirovni inštitut, 2002.