The Year the Map Tore
Europe's cold awakening, NATO's doubt, Gaza's moral shock, and a plan to act
Washington courts autocrats, menaces neighbors, and talks about Gaza like beachfront. NATO looks like a logo, not a guarantee. Ukraine's lifeline is European in practice. This essay explains what changed in 2025, why it matters, and what Europe must do now.
I grew up with a simple map in my head. The Atlantic felt like a bridge, NATO was a promise, and Washington stood behind Europe when it mattered. In 2025 that map finally tore. The rupture did not arrive with one headline. It arrived as a pattern. Allies treated as bargaining chips. Autocrats indulged. Gaza discussed like real estate. Ukraine kept alive by European will. If Europe wants deterrence and dignity, it must build capacity, secure the sky, lock in Ukraine, and defend truth at home.
The map tore. What replaces it is a calendar of deliveries, a ledger of budgets, and a set of laws that actually bind.