Klejotājs - 4. Marts 2009

Latvia in NATO – 5 years experience


It is not about economical crisis, at first. That is my answer to them, who think, that NATO is just a resorce of money like EU or has some deal with that problems, what come into every country, but a lot of latvians think, it is just in our land. If you ask, what NATO has done to Latvia since 2004, I can be shore, that many will answer the same – nothing or has made situation worse. And, on question “Why do you think so?” answer comes like first sentence of my essay. They are affraid to admit their own unperformance. At second, North Atlantic Treaty Organisation has never started something with practical fighting, like most latvians think. Five years back everything was based on stereotypes. Is it now? And how NATO is going till this time? Here? In Latvia?

Seven countries. Seven sisters, that went similar history for 50 years in one union. And back than, in March of the 29th, 2004, were united again. But now not against their wish. Not against world's possition. But with a long time to think about it and scale their possibilities and futures. That is it. That is the situation, what NATO stands for. To be in one piece, but with free options to choose. To fight for it's rights, not to be influenced from the sidefacts, but from other hand – to be tolerant. Far, far, a lot of years ago, when Latvia reborn, these features did not stand in any mind. There was just thoughts about freedom. About independence. Time passed, and, when the possibility to take a part of Alliance appeared, people became affraid again. If you have lived in something large, where you with your 1,4 million people of your nationality are small like a flea and you have no rights to choose and even speak one's mind for a half of the century, than it is very normal to fell like that. But that is why NATO had 45 years to prove, that they are the freedom callers, emancipators. Not just a new conqueror.

Of course, we have some sceptics. But we had two three, five times more. People in Latvia are tended to forgot about new, timid things, if it does not made something worse. And it did not. Yes, at first, in 2003/2004, the most tensed times, I was quite sceptic also. But that is ok. Because I was just fifteen years young and a lot of great and serious things was quite frightening, but now, looking back then, I understand, that Latvia did the right choise. And facing the situation with South Osetia war, I become more sure about that. After that, contacting with many people during this year, I felt, that latvians are still affraid of the Soviet ghost living next to. That there could be possibility, that someday our “Great old Pal” in form of Russia, can come again and take it. And the impatience of this country we already know. But now, after diplomatic conversations, thanks to NATO, and also after peace providers, latvians feel safe now. Similar events speaking about Izrael and Palestine conflict. Yes, we have complete and 100% different situation, but also. In spite of long process. Latvian nation starts to believe fully, that NATO has come to defence and calm, not to charge and force. If there would not be such kind of organisation, previous conflict could last in the same dinamics for much more time. Some of my friends remembered, how they were affraid, when 1991 came. But it was NATO. Then support of former Yugoslavia. Then sad story about Bosnia. Kosovo. But now even average latvian can say, that, if there would not be something like this organisation, there would not be that kind of world, we see today. There would no be that kind of Latvia also.

We are growing. I mean about population. But babies born not always about, that their parents feel more comfortable in case of money, but even they feel much more safer. Much more. Living here, where all the Iraq, Osetia, Afganistan or Uganda are quite far and do not affects us, we do it. I am just twenty. And as a “new era” child I have a lot of peers. More than every other year since colapse of USSR. And they like me hardly think about deep future. And I think about my children. I want to see them growing in safe country on safe land. And now I, like all my contemporaries, realise how huge was the acquisition of year 2004. If something goes wrong and we start to feel very unsafe, come on, there are millions and millions of people and in the worst case - troops, that will land a helpfull hand. Will help, fight for, secure, consultate, defend, manage.

But what about terrorists? What about earthquakes? Are they realy endanger us? Of course. But here, in Latvia anyone gets much more inteligent. We understand, that they are spontaneous accidents, which usually can not be predicted. No organisation can do this. But we know now, that NATO will be the first one, who will respond. In nowadays latvians hundred percently know – troops are not just to fight. They are made to responce. To help. Helping is not killing at all the times as we see. There are no such better hands than soldier's.

And another stereotype, that NATO gets everything worse, is overturned. Look on the earth. How it could be without NATO? If there would be something small, but free and self-contained like we? Like Latvia? And how many facts and numbers do you want? I think you know those without any help of me. The power comes not from facts and numbers. They come from people. Human beings, who can speak, cheer, cry, fight for and calm down. Beings, that is the greatest fortune, and much more greater than frightening numbers on white sheet. We were suppresed. Now we have the choise to set freedom. We might have the power to destroy. But, hey, we can do opposite, can't we?

February 24th, 2009