David Swanson: NATO Is the World's #1 War Criminal

David Swanson, peace activist from World Beyond War, argues that NATO is not a defensive alliance but the most powerful war-making and weapons-dealing machine in history. Far from protecting democracy, NATO has backed colonial powers and dictatorships, waged illegal wars, and acted as a global promoter of militarism. Swanson explains that NATO operates as a lobbying arm for arms manufacturers, shifting public funds from health and education into weapons and war. Its expansions and interventions are driven largely by U.S. interests, not collective democratic decisions. With partnerships that include oppressive regimes like Israel, NATO fosters endless war, propaganda, and global insecurity. Swanson calls for its abolition—not reform—and urges global resistance through diplomacy, nonviolence, and real investment in human needs.