It is with veritable glee that the American and European
publics mark the thirty year anniversary of the Fall of the Berlin Wall. And
yet military contractors perhaps find a greater reason to rejoice in marking
the nearly 29 years since the Warsaw Pact collapsed. After almost three decades
it can be safely said that most former Eastern Bloc hardware is becoming
obsolete.
Given that almost all of the former Warsaw Pact members are
now part of NATO, the aging infrastructure and expiration of hardware means that
Western companies get to cash in. The politicians on both sides of the Atlantic
love it too because in this season of militarisation, the now NATO-member
Central and Eastern European countries are looking to make purchases. This is
to buttress their own political power (and pocketbooks) but also to score
points with their American masters. In addition to boosting stock prices and
profits in the US, the Pentagon is given leverage as the Czechs (and others)
will now rely on the US for training, updates, parts and supplies.... allowing
the US a measure of control with regard to Czech policy and strategic planning.
This is one of the key planks to how the American Empire operates.*
The Czech Republic is part of the V4 and thus has come to
represent in certain respects America's interests vis-à-vis the EU. While not
wholly obeisant to Washington, Prague is nevertheless eager to assert its own
position with regard to both Brussels and the perceived threat of Moscow. An
alliance with an increasingly Anti-EU or at the very least ambivalent
Washington fits the bill and this is expressed on many levels.... one of which
is the sale of arms.**
Of course such proliferation is hardly to be celebrated, even
by those who do not lament the passing of the Atlantic order. Additionally it
needs to be understood that such a shift will push the V4 nations into
frontline status... a status which may ultimately break the bloc as they are
not all in agreement with regard to this policy. Ukraine in particular has
discovered how challenging 'frontline' status can be at times.
The Czech Republic is a small nation. The former Bohemia was
gobbled up by the Habsburg Empire in the Renaissance era and in the wake of the
empire's collapse it quickly partnered (under US sponsorship) with its Slovak
neighbours to form Czechoslovakia in 1918. Slovakia had recently broken away
from the collapsed Hungarian Kingdom which of course was long a part of the
Habsburg Empire.
The two 'little' nations were looking for strength and formed
the ahistorical republic. They also wished to create a Slavic bloc to counter
the large populations of Germans which had dwelt in their lands since the
Middle Ages. But the new arrangement did not create the security they wished as
the nation fell prey to Hitler and later Stalin. The former used the Germans as
a political wedge and an excuse to annex the country. After the war the vast
majority of these Germans were expelled with thousands dying in the process.
And of course by 1948 the communists had taken over and would control the
nation until 1989.
After the Cold War, the countries experienced a friendly
separation in the Velvet Divorce of 1993 and yet today's Czech Republic and
Slovakia cannot escape history. Little nations once more, they seek partnership
in a bloc (the V4) and larger backing in the form of the United States. The V4
is characterised by a lack of faith in their respective memberships in the EU
and a desire to seek their own particular Central-Eastern European interests.
NATO membership is more or less embraced and yet relationships are being
established that signify a continuing relationship with Washington despite the
status of NATO. In other words these nations are 'plugged in' to Europe and yet
the real and lasting relationship they are building is with the United States.
Czech loyalty and obeisance is being rewarded by the sale of
arms and yet such 'little' nations had best beware. The American Empire doesn't
care about them. The Czechs are but a tool and one easily dispensed with.
Militarisation on the behalf of Washington may present an illusion of security
but if conflict erupts... who will suffer? The Defense industry executives in
Connecticut, Maryland and Texas won't suffer but the people of Bohemia and
Moravia most certainly will.
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*As an interesting aside, Draken International, a private Florida
based firm has purchased 21 Czech Aero L-159 aircraft. The firm is but one of a
growing number of private companies employed by the US military for training
purposes. In adversarial training exercises they often employ an array of
foreign aircraft including a fleet of older Soviet MiG fighters. There's an
interesting story here in terms of both military privatisation and bilateral
military relations. Of course just where all these privately purchased aircraft
will end up... who can say? But once they're in 'private' hands they sort of
drop off the radar. It would be interesting to know more about Draken
International and its connections.
**The Czech Republic was also 'rewarded' in 2012 by being
granted 'Protecting Power' status in Syria. In other words with the US embassy
closed, the Czechs act as American proxies in terms of any diplomacy vis-à-vis
the Assad government and also provide consular services to any Americans in
country.
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