In these days when history is considered irrelevant – except in preserving local architecture – it might be useful to recall that NATO was created to be a bulwark against Communist territorial expansionism in the wake of WWII. Under Gorbachev and Yeltsin, the Russians began to look more warm and cuddly (in a thuggish sort of way) and the Europeans started to feel that NATO was no longer relevant, a Cold War relic to be discarded much to the relief of Socialists who continually chafed under US influence. Well, it turns out that, besides painting over Soviet Communism with Russian Nationalism, little else has changed in the Stalinist soul of the Kremlin. Whereas NATO has morphed into a social club that only meets occasionally. Perhaps the letters really stand for Not Able To Operate.