The fatal flaw in a commander, suggested Carl von Clausewitz, a 19th-century Prussian general, is obstinacy, or „resistance against our better judgment”. For a modern example of this behaviour, look no further than Mark Rutte, the secretary-general of NATO.
For months Mr Rutte has refused to admit that the transatlantic alliance, the cornerstone of European security for more than seven decades, is close to falling apart. That has required wilful blindness.
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Mr Rutte ignores Donald Trump’s repeated statements casting doubt on America’s readiness to honour NATO’s Article 5, which says that an attack on one is an attack on all. Mr Trump also talks about withdrawing some forces from Europe. Nonetheless, Mr Rutte, a former Dutch prime minister, has gamely insisted that he has no doubt America is „completely committed to NATO, completely committed to Article 5”. He maintains NATO has no need for a „Plan B” in case America were suddenly to pull out of the alliance. He has even banned any discussion of one within the NATO headquarters. On all of these counts, he is wrong.
