Another NATO conference, another example of geopolitical futility. At the alliance’s recent ministerial meeting, the Europeans rebuffed Washington’s push for speedy membership for Georgia and Ukraine. NATO is coming up on its 60th anniversary, and it is completely bereft of a raison d”€™Ãªtre. The organization has changed from a military alliance directed at protecting U.S. security to the international equivalent of a gentleman’s club. Only Washington has serious duties, to protect everyone else. America and Europe should continue to cooperate on issues of shared interest. But it is time for Washington to turn European security over to Europe.

President Nicolas Sarkozy responded to claims that the EU was a paper tiger by taking credit for the Russia-Georgia ceasefire and Moscow’s partial troop withdrawal: It “€œis the only body which can solve the situation and is able to help Georgia.”€ But the limits of this approach are obvious. The EU will be able to “€œsolve the situation”€ only if the Georgia and Russia are willing to solve it. The EU lacks the foreign and military policy tools to compel anyone anywhere to do anything, one reason people like Sarkozy are pushing consolidation through Lisbon. However, as the group Open Europe points out, “€œThe Lisbon Treaty allows majority voting on foreign policy proposals from the Foreign Minister.”€ Would the emergency summit have turned out any differently had this been the procedure? There was no majority for tough action, ready to override the dissenters to ensure effective cooperation.

Rather as God cares about every sparrow that falls to earth, no crisis anywhere escapes the attention of the U.S. government. So it has been with the Russo-Georgian war. Words continue to flood forth from Washington”€”Georgia stands for freedom and democracy, Russia must be punished, Abkhazia and South Ossetia are part of Georgia, the U.S. and Europe must stand by Tbilisi. “€œNATO intends to support the territorial integrity, independence, and sovereignty of Georgia, and to support its democratically elected government,”€ Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice gravely intoned. “€œThis NATO which has come so far in a Europe that is whole, free, and at peace is not going to permit a new line to be drawn in Europe,”€ she added, apparently referring to Georgia, even though it lies far outside Europe. Rice also called the statement on the conflict issued by the NATO members”€™ foreign ministers a “€œclear indication of NATO’s interest and NATO’s concern.”€ Yes, it was”€”in ways she didn”€™t anticipate. Moscow’s response was a sneer and an insult. NATO then did precisely nothing.