by Sergio Weigel for the Saker Blog
When Angela Merkel had visited Trump in Warshington on April 27 nothing really happened. Both put a good face on things and declared a yawn inducing “unity despite differences”. Despite all the pressure Warshington had built up so thoroughly, the vassal did not rebel against his master, but left him empty handed. I am not a Merkel fanboy, quite the contrary, but right now her Teflon qualities come quite in handy. Let me explain.
Blow the trumpet with empty pressure
Trump had threatened German car makers with a 35% import tariff. This is a “smart” move in so far as that the car industry indeed is Germany’s biggest industry, but if he really ever did that, it wouldn’t hurt German economy too much. The market share of the US for German car manufacturers in 2016 was 10%, which is a lot. They sold 1.33 million cars in the US (not “millions” like Trump claimed). However, 800.000 of those were already produced in the US. The rest has been manufactured in Mexico, which is a NAFTA country. Even if Trump were to negotiate, pardon, extort a harsher NAFTA deal, it would be hurting American companies as well and certainly not leading to 35% tariffs. BMW, Mercedes, VW, they all have plants in the US, however and ironically, most cars built in the US by German car manufacturers are exported overseas. There is no reason to think the industry couldn’t stomach tariffs that affect only a few cars manufactured in Mexico at best. So, Trump might have thought he was practising his martial art of the deal by using extortion, but I’m sure Merkel was briefed accordingly.
What’s more interesting are the goods the EU is contemplating to retaliate with just in case: bourbon, Levi’s, Harley Davidson. Is there a better indicator about the state the US economy is in? If the US wants to go to trade war, fine, but it is usually commendable to pack suitable weapons before entering the battlefield. There is absolutely nothing the US could fight a trade war with. Besides, and this is something I hope German and Chinese strategists take into consideration: essentially they’re giving away their goods for free. What do they get in return? A currency that is most likely soon to be worthless junk. And even worse, the bulk of consumer spending in the US, 70% of its GDP after all, is based on debt. Housing debt is skyrocketing again. Essentially we are exactly where we were short before the crash of 2008. Germany alone had lost about €1 trillion in worthless US junk in 2008, which the banks had bought repackaged and camouflaged as “investments”. I doubt the bankers have been smarter this time, because investment bankers are major idiots who see the world through Excel sheets. And then there is the big question: how many crashes can the US economy still land before it will stay down, knocked out dead? Or before all of its citizens but a few gated communities live in tents? The biggest debtors of the US are Japan, China and Germany. They should really find ways to get rid of this toxic waste and convert it to gold instead. Alchemy! The best way for the EU to retaliate would be to sanction US bonds and thus force European investors to invest in Europe instead, or find other incentives for them to avoid the toxic waste coming out of the US.
Anyway, Trump exempted the EU from his bogus, extortionary trade tariffs – for now at least, he says. All other differences between Germany and Warshington remained intact. All these issues go so completely against the heart of German economic and geopolitical interests but also against Germany’s self-concept of its role on the international stage and German diplomacy, that I just can’t see them falter. It would be like firing a gun at the inside of your knee. German elites might slap themselves in the face to please their American masters, for example by sanctioning Russia, but not the knee, never the knee. Vassal or not, standing firmly on the ground is at the core of German mentality. Also, Germany is not the meek, guilt-ridden nation it once was anymore.
Defense spending to the rescue of US economy
There is, however, one self-slap Germany could do without hurting its legs. It wouldn’t even do much more than tickle the face a little and that would be to increase the defense budget to the demanded 2% of the GDP. There surely are political forces in Germany who would love to see that. Atlanticists and Russophobes, who have infected all of German political, academic and public life like in no other western (!) European country. Ursula von der Leyen, our mother-of-seven career girl and defensive ministress, for example. However, the center of the Atlanticist epidemic sits among our mainstream media hacks. This is the biggest leverage Warshington has on Germany, because the media essentially controls the politicians.
Therefore, consequently, since the Ukraine crisis we’ve been bombarded with doomsday news about the deplorable state of the Bundeswehr’s military hardware. Whether it’s true or not, I don’t know, but it’s curious that such news comes simultaneously with demands on increasing the German defense budget by American think tanks like the German Marshall Fund and now by Donald Trump. If it is true, helicopters and aircraft must have been inoperable long before. It wouldn’t surprise me, because from what I’ve heard from friends who’ve been in service, the management of the Bundeswehr is, well, unfortunate to say the least.
However, Merkel’s lip service to increase the defense budget in 2019 has already been invalidated in practice when finance minister Olaf Scholz published his budget plan for the next four years just five days after Merkel’s flying visit. The defense budget will indeed be increased, from €37 billion to €38.5 billion this year, and it is planned to be increased to €42 billion by 2021 which amounts to €1.25 billion increase per year. Measured against Germany’s 2017 GDP of €3,686.6 billion this would be a “massive” increase from 1.0% to 1.04% for this year, a ridiculous two fifth of a tenth of a percentage point. However, if you consider GDP growth of recent four years you will find the numbers 1.9%, 1.7%, 1.9% and 2.2% respectively. All economic indicators look great for Germany, so growth rates around 2% for the future are realistic. Let’s do a silly thought experiment and project linearly for ten years and see how an increase of 2% in GDP and an annual increase of €1.25 billion in defense budget will work out regarding his master’s wishes for the lackey’s defense budget. Mind you, this is truly a silly thought experiment, because lineary projection in Excel sheets is what bankers do and they are, as mentioned above, idiots. Also, we simply don’t know what will happen. I expect to hear the Death Knell of the Anglo-American empire far earlier, for example, by failure of its most vital organ, the Dollar, and that would change everything in ways we cannot even anticipate. But here are the numbers. All monetary values are in billion euro, the last column is the interesting one:
| Year | GDP | GDP Incr. (2%) | Defense Budget | DB Incr. | Def. Bud. % of GDP |
| 2017 | 3,686.60 | 73.73 | 37 | 1.25 | 1.00 |
| 2018 | 3,760.33 | 75.21 | 38.25 | 1.25 | 1.02 |
| 2019 | 3,835.54 | 76.71 | 39.5 | 1.25 | 1.03 |
| 2020 | 3,912.25 | 78.24 | 40.75 | 1.25 | 1.04 |
| 2021 | 3,990.49 | 79.81 | 42 | 1.25 | 1.05 |
| 2022 | 4,070.30 | 81.41 | 43.25 | 1.25 | 1.06 |
| 2023 | 4,151.71 | 83.03 | 44.5 | 1.25 | 1.07 |
| 2024 | 4,234.74 | 84.69 | 45.75 | 1.25 | 1.08 |
| 2025 | 4,319.44 | 86.39 | 47 | 1.25 | 1.09 |
| 2026 | 4,405.83 | 88.12 | 48.25 | 1.25 | 1.10 |
Can you see how ridiculous this is? Even if Trump gets a second term, which personally I doubt very much at the moment, he won’t see his wet dream for Germany fulfilled. Besides, even if it was going to be the case, Germany wouldn’t be making large arms purchases in the US. It’s not as if Germany and her neighbors didn’t have their own efficient arms industries. By far the most weapons of the Bundeswehr, from aircraft, submarines, ships, tanks and guns, are European made and often technologically superior (mainly German submarines and tanks) to what the US can offer. Would France and Germany stop their plans to develop their own 5th generation fighter jet and buy F-35s instead? Nah, remember the knee. Why buy terribly expensive foreign hardware and be left behind technologically when you can develop your own and both use and sell it? Trump desperately wants to create jobs – or so he says, he is actually destroying them should trade tariffs be implemented – so he seeks to sell weapons because what he and his employers really want is to strengthen the notoriously weak US military industrial complex. Either way, the bottom line of the meeting is: Germany shrugs, defies his master’s demands and rather concentrates on completing Nord Stream 2, which will provide for tremendous income and political leverage.
Personally, I think Germany should work on its own version of an S-400 anti-aircraft defense, Kalibr cruise missile, and similar electronic warfare systems like Russia appears to have. I’m convinced German engineers could do that. Such technological advance would be beneficial in any case, but I absolutely see it as a possibility that in a not too distant future, Germany might have to fight off the occupation forces of the United States. But that’s just me and my male intuition, I hope I’m wrong. Other than the US, or rather the US regime, Germany has no enemies and thus doesn’t need to raise anything. A proper, working (!) defensive military like that of Switzerland would be all that’s needed – just in case. For that purpose such formidable weapon systems in domestic production would be perfect. It could also satisfy the powerful German arms industry as it would mean big domestic contracts as a substitute to unmet Atlanticist demands.
German-Russian cooperation – that which must not, can not be
One word about Nord Stream 2. I dunno if it is reported in any international media, it hardly is in German media, but the EU circus around it is a ham-handed joke. I can’t prove it but it smells heavily of US meddling. Now that Germany has started to build the pipeline, the usual suspects, that is the UK, Denmark and what I like to refer to as the Idiot Belt (Baltics, Poland, Ukraine, often extended by the Scandinavian countries – Finland has permitted construction though) are going bezerk, trying to sue for stopping the project etc. The Baltic idiots have even been to Warshington in March because of it. For what? Suggesting more tariffs? Seeking reassurance that the Americans are willing to frack their country to Swiss cheese for their LPG energy security? Their Russophobia is, as always, baseless. Russia has never used its gas or oil to pressure the EU into anything. Europe has been buying Russian/Soviet gas since the 1960s and it has always been delivered reliably. The only exceptions happened when the ever so smart Ukrainians had sudden outbursts of PMS. This thing is gonna be built, regardless of what the former empire now US aircraft carrier or the Idiot Belt think. Europe is dependent on Russian gas, that is simply a reality. Russia is an absolutely reliable partner relying on revenue from that gas, so where is the problem? Maybe it really takes 70+ years under US occupation to understand who’s reliable and who isn’t, so the Baltics and Poland might come to their senses by 2060 – given Warshington can hang on for so long.
The real reason Warshington and London oppose Nord Stream 2 is the same why two world wars and a Cold War with all its devastating side effects all over the world have been fought until today. The whole geopolitical arc of suspense since the late 19th century is about the Anglo-American establishment, sea powers, trying to prevent Germany and Russia – now extended by Iran and China, land powers, from cooperating and thus establishing Eurasian integration with the Americans left out (Britain will be on board, they’re already member of China’s Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank). As the first Secretary General of NATO Lord Ismay described the purpose of NATO in 1952: to keep the Americans in, the Russians out, and the Germans down. This has been Anglo-American policy since about 150 years. Now they’re wetting their pants because Nord Stream 2 is a major step forward in German-Russian rapprochement and cooperation. Since they cannot crap all over China’s One Belt, One Road project, they are trying it with Nord Stream 2. The Idiot Belt is always willing to dance to their tune and thus rabble-rouses against it. In the end they won’t be able to prevent Eurasian integration anyway, and the Idiot Belt will bashfully ask to be integrated as well. The world is approaching a multipolar world with a German-Russian-Chinese juggernaut as its cornerstone.
The cranky bully and the happy lackey
Is it any wonder the US is cranky? Year by year, Germany and China switch places as the world richest exporter. Even more so, Germany’s current account balance (CAB), that is the trade balance, is by far the largest in the world in absolute amount. In contrast, that of the US is by far the lowest despite them ranking 2nd in total exports. That, of course, must hurt their pride given that Anglo-Saxons are always so keen on rankings and hierarchy. Although, it should be added that this doesn’t go without problems for Germany domestically, let alone for the Euro zone. But that’s an issue for a different article.
With its enormous economic power and magnificent diplomatic relations in every direction Germany can very well be counted as a global power of its own right, even if completely different from the other three, namely America, Russia, and China. What the apostles of raising Germany’s defense budget, be it domestic Atlanticists, the arms lobbies or King Parting himself, don’t understand is the special kind of power Germany has, which would be undermined by military adventurism. Our military alpha mom Ursula von der Leyen and her buddies from all the Atlanticist think tanks always talk about that if Germany wants to take more international responsibility, it will need more military power for reassurance, usually followed by the snippy remark to stop leaving the dirty work to others. This is complete bollocks, and here’s why:
First, every single war the “West” has fought since the bombing of Serbia has been fought in the interest of the chief-boss of colonial war nations: the US, usually followed by a fawning UK. If it goes against one of its former colonies, the French usually feel committed to throw a few bombs into the mix as well. Therefore, it is safe to say that since about 20 years the “West” is fighting FUKUS wars. This is not to say, Germany wasn’t part of it, it played a vicious role in breaking up Yugoslavia and bombing Serbia, it was and still is part of pummeling Afghanistan for something they haven’t done, they provided AWACs in the bombing of Syria, and of course they’ve been a massive force behind the Maidan putsch. But except for breaking up Yugoslavia, none of it was in the interest of German power politics, not even slicing Kosovo out of Serbia. Had Germany been in the lead, the Middle East would still be intact. So what dirty work are they talking about? I’d rather say that Germany managed to stay mostly out of other people’s dirt. What the apostles of more defense spending actually mean when they say “taking more international responsibility” is doing more dirty work for an increasingly broke Warshington.
Second, German power lies in its massive economy and silent but brilliant diplomacy, which could be much, much better if we didn’t have this cranky bully sitting on our shoulders, shouting commands in our ears. After the war Germany was not only in ruins, its reputation was understandably FUBAR. While the Soviet occupational zone, the DDR, didn’t have much freedom, they still managed to reconcile with East European countries and soon played the second most important role within the context of Soviet imperialism. The same is true for the Anglo-American occupational zone, the BRD, and the context of Anglo-American imperialism. Ironically, during the Cold War the Anglo-American occupiers gave West Germany much more freedom than they did afterwards or try to withhold now. This very often led to terrible results as well. West Germany was one of Pinochet’s closest allies and trade partners, it sold the chemicals and knowhow to Saddam Hussein necessary to gas Iranians and Kurds, and still today it is one of Saudi Barbaria’s main weapons suppliers, not to mention the submarines that gave the Zionist colony second strike capability. Nonetheless, Germany’s success is based on trust, on building and maintaining trust, and it was and still is hugely successful. Why should it put that in jeopardy by becoming a military bully like the FUKUS countries?
Third, why should Germany ignore its history? I don’t mean any past guilt for Nazi crimes, I mean a simple look at it. Weimar republic aside, Germany has always prospered in peace time yet terribly suffered in war time, from the Thirty Years War to both world wars, and blatantly failed when it tried to militarily bully others. The only thing Germany needs right now is freedom from the Anglo-American empire to remember and develop its true, mostly benevolent nature.
Applause, Mr President, applause
If it wasn’t for the serious looming danger of war, we should all thank Trump and his administration for their efforts. O’Bomber brought Russia and China together, Trump has brought the two Koreas to what seems to be serious reconciliation and, with pulling out of the Iran nuclear deal, he not only managed to ruin even the last residue of US credibility but also to put Germany into the “West’s” driver’s seat and thus to bring it closer to Russia, China, and of course Iran. Ha! The irony… it’s like when somebody tries to be gravely serious and ends up being involuntarily funny.
What Trump needs to learn is that his business tactics a) don’t work very well in politics and b) they only work in America. It’s a cultural thing. I’ve been working for two different American owned companies for almost three years in total, so I learned a thing or two about how the American mindset works in business, mostly by observation. First, they demand a lot, so the best tactic is to offer them as little as possible and never to make any concessions or promises. If you can’t avoid it, make sure to stay below of what you can deliver. Second, never expect them to keep their promises. I am not saying they’ll never keep them, but it’s just better not to expect anything. They like to pretend something else was agreed upon if they want to see a deal altered, or that it was a misunderstanding, or whatever. Just don’t expect that a deal is a deal, it’s not, it is just something temporary along the line. Third, they want everything done quickly. Just be patient, remain calm, and stoically stand your ground. It’ll drive them crazy as they don’t understand the concept of quality, but again, remain calm and be friendly. Fourth, they tend to be disproportionately confident and beyond any criticism, so it’s best to pretend to criticize someone or something else or learn the artful skill of making your criticism sound like praise. Just don’t shy away if criticism is needed. The worst thing to do in the face of a narcissist is to succumb to their ways as it just enables them. You need to trick them.
These are just my own personal observations of American businessmen, not of Americans in general, and surely not meant to offend anyone (except American businessmen perhaps). However, I believe Merkel has been coached by someone, because Trump truly is a caricature of what I’d just described. She has handled him very well. I’m not saying he is a joke, not at all, but his narcissism is written all over his hairdo and behavior. It needs a Teflon lady who might be many things, but narcissistic or easily impressed are not any of them.
His obnoxiousness just doesn’t work and apparently neither he nor anyone around him seems to get it. With Germans, or Europeans in general, you have to deal differently if you want to achieve something. Business is based on trust and trust is based on friendliness and reliability, not on demands and extortion. If you still can’t leave it and want to twist arms, you will have to make sure that your arm is strong enough. Right now America’s arms (pun intended) are weaker than they have ever been in history. This is a new experience they cannot handle, which makes it dangerous, because their other arms are still dangerously strong, and narcissistic rage is almost impossible to contain once in motion. Right now, Warshington makes the impression of a narcissistic bully ready to go off at any moment, while his friends are turning away one by one in shrugging nonchalance.
The staffers of the White House should do a little soul-searching, maybe early morning meditation circles with incense and yoga in the garden, and earnestly ask themselves if there really is anything left they can threaten countries like Germany, China, Russia, and Iran with that can yield results other than mutual destruction, and whether it is even worth it. The Dollar has an expiry date stamped all over its face and they should rather make use of it as long as there still is something left by diverting military spending into domestic investments in infrastructure (a converse Berlin Wall to Mexico doesn’t count) and education (direly needed) among other things. But they are doing the exact opposite. Right now it seems that Trump is slashing all governmental structures and putting everything on the military. This is a very dangerous sign. What if Warshington is willing to go all alone, I mean only with their symbiotic Zionist and Saudi partners in crazy, against Iran as the empire’s last defiant struggle?
In mainstream media coverage it appeared as if the meeting between Merkel and Trump was futile because nothing had happened, but in truth, Trump achieved nothing, yet Merkel and her Teflon style achieved everything. No tariffs, no sanctions on Nord Stream 2, that’s all Germany needed. That Trump would perform a pactum interruptum and pull out of the Iran nuclear deal was to be expected. I doubt Merkel was delusional enough to think otherwise. Germany is now as independent and sovereign as it hasn’t been in 73 years – I hope they’ll seize the opportunity and not once again duck away in fear of a leadership role. The US is as isolated as it has never before been in its history, standing there with egg in their face, brooding and fuming over why no one loves them anymore.
Sergio’s Bio: A child of the Cold War, Sergio’s political imprint started early when his parents became activists of the 1980s peace movement. With a Portuguese-German background he grew up to become a patriot but not right, left but not liberal, a fan of Marx but not a socialist, and many more of such but-nots. An ardent reader of books, he despises groupthink, hypocrisy, euphemisms and ideology. He prefers clarity, sincerity, history, geopolitics, philosophy, and economic/monetary theory. He makes a living as a programmer and IT consultant, but his passion lies in intellectual sparring, culinary delight, music, traveling and cycling.
A lovely read, thanks!
This is a nice article!~ I certainly hope Germany and the German people wake up, and get over the Western induced guilt trip… and come to realize that Germany can indeed be strong, wealthy, and moral; with no need to awaken any Nazi past.
Someone may look at historical events as Western induced guilt trip, but that’s just one point of view. If you look from another angle the horrible past could and should serve as a lesson in order to prevent history repeating itself. As sad as it is people either see it as guilt trip or responsibility to protect.
@Anonymous: you are right, and unfortunately Germany is letting history repeat itself: it is aiding and abetting ‘Israel’s’ genocidal apartheid system by supplying it the weapons and support needed, while at home, i.e. in Germany itself, the government is devising ‘antisemite’ laws that outlaw any criticism of ‘Israel’ and the Jews, a true travesty of democracy and justice.
So, what the Nazis started before WW2 is still going on today, albeit that the victim has changed from the Jews to Palestinians. Good work Germany.
Thanks , all, for your insights, and to Sergio for your analysis. For many Americans, stuck as they are in a victor-created Myth that gets precipitously older with each passing year, Germany will Always = Adolph Hitler. He’s it. Kinda like Elvis and JFK and Marilyn–how are they doing, are they still dead? Germans, All villains! All bad! Germany will Always = the Nazis. Germany will Always (underline a thousand times) = The One and Only “Holocaust”. Hollywood, long dominated by a certain group of people, will endlessly churn out one movie after another about___________________( go ahead, fill in the blank!) and the actors/actresses in those movies Will take home the coveted prizes. Of course! So who is it, exactly, who feels like they must continuously re-awaken the Nazi past (please focus on that word “past”) for the German people? Are they inside Germany, or outside……? OK, here we go: are there now more Nazi’s In Israel and the US than there are in Germany? Just asking. This mind-set is like a demonic virus that jumps into people–In defeating the enemy, did we become like him? Study “Operation Paperclip” after WW2 , in which the US was eager to bring those bad Nazi scientists right into America’s heartland. Carefully study how Wall Street financed the Nazi’s. There was far more “nuclear” weapon technology transferred to America from Germany than most would like to admit. The costs of maintaining these awful things –idols in the truest sense–over the years have literally stolen from us what could have been a far better world. The human race lost World War 2. Also carefully study certain people and corporations in the US who were trading with the enemy during the war (iconic companies like GM and IBM), and a certain fellow named Prescott Bush who, just a few years after trading with the enemy, manages to become a US Senator from Connecticut. The wreckage and death the Bush crime family has caused in the world is horrible. **** There are several things Germany needs to do right now that could really help itself, both at the same time: definitely reduce its toxic holdings in US treasury junk, and on a large scale, resolutely move out the foreign military-age male Invasion that has purposely been inflicted on it in recent years. There is absolutely No need for a shred of guilt on Germany’s part if it were to do these things, and my prayers as always are for the good people of Germany.
Very interesting. Is it he end of the New World Order?, Unfortunately Mr. Weigel does not know what is talking about when he talked about President Pinochet.
Because the UK and the US are so worried about Russia and Germany becoming partners and have been for a hundred years or so – and because the UK and US manipulated Germany into attacking Russia in WWII to prevent this from ever happening (read Conjuring Hitler), if I were Germany, I would do exactly that out of a) spite and b) self interest. When it comes to national self interest, the rule of thumb is – whatever the US is trying to get you to do – do the opposite.
Good article, coherent and straight to the point with logical arguments.
If the US goes it alone with Israel and the Saudis then they will go down together which would be justice served and the global community can concentrate in freedom, commerce and peace to all.
Great read – thanks a lot – and very funny at times. Humour is needed much at the moment. It’s about time there was a good article written about Germany – and yes – I totally agree – that it is the death knell for US plus lackeys should China, Russia and Germany make it to a three-way true partnership. Brzezinski knew of this all along and it was one the greatest threats that he correctly saw to US / UK domination. It is, as a matter of fact, the early Germans who managed to halt the Eastward spread of this Western imperialistic disease (Pax Romana lol) that The Roman Empire represented in the incredibly important Battle of Teutoburg. Once the most elite Roman legions were smashed, that was it, no crossing the Rhine. Bring it on now, re-discover your identity.
Yeah. Maybe. But this also might be a bit too simplistic. The Iran deal cancellation might have been a brilliant move by Trump. Trump is under assault by the Deep State faction hell-bent on keeping the US empire alive at any cost, the faction that supported Clinton. By taking a crazy, unilateral action demanded by the imperial Deep State faction, Trump (1) gives himself some badly-needed breathing room and (2) gives Britain, France and Germany the perfect opportunity to show, for the first time in a long while, that they can have a foreign policy of their own. This would truly be the beginning of the end of the unipolar world order and Trump could point the finger at the imperial Deep State faction and say “see, it’s your fault”. It all depends on whether the UK, France, and Germany will have the courage to join China and Russia in keeping the Iran deal alive. We should be grateful to Trump for this opportunity.
Very good article!
Trump unfortunately is held up by Wilbur Ross and his mates, the Rothschild, so not really different from the Deep State he is supposed to be fighting. Then again, this might work towards more independence of European countries. This might help towards decoupling from the plan toward the NWO which thus far they have supported, but with the many wars and determination to control the ME and its oil, things might change at long last.
Europe might rise again and escape the grip of the Rothschild banksters.
so dear writer – please explain about this
http://www.foxnews.com/world/2018/05/06/shoah-group-urges-german-police-to-find-fugitive-neo-nazi.html
Hi Ann,
do not worry. She is already behind bars. Justice has been done. And Germany is finally safe from this demonic almost 90 years old monster. Let’s hope she dies in prison. I feel better already.
I am just joking of course.
In general this is a very good article, maybe a bit wishful. But very correct regarding the analysis of the German geo-political situation. It’s just that personally I do not trust the German leadership at all.
Let’s see. The US pulling out of the Iran deal is really the perfect opportunity for Germany and Europe in general to say: “Enough is enough. We will not follow you down that road.” Even more so since the “justification” is so laughable.
But I do not think that the European people are governed by people who have their nations interests at heart.
Netanyahu translated to Klartext:
“The only solution is a one state solution. There will be one Israel and no Palestine. We will keep on killing them and there is nothing they or anyone can do about it. We are not even in a hurry. If it takes another two or three generations to strangle the last life out of the Palestinian people, so be it. There will be no mercy. We will get what we want, no matter what.
But before I forget, let me make my main point: We need to go to war with Iran!
And that is rather more pressing than the Palestine thing. You see, the Iranians do not always do what we tell them, and we can’t have that. So obviously we have to attack them in self defence. I’m sure you will agree. And ultimately, what are they going to do? We have nukes and they don’t, so that should work. If things escalate, we just have to escalate super fast to a level they cannot match. Nuke Isfahan and tell them Tehran is next on the first major provocation. What will they do then? I mean, we do not want to do that. But if we have to defend ourselves, we cannot afford to get bogged down in a ground war we cannot win, obviously.
But it does not have to come to that. If everyone helps us fuck up Iran, we can keep this civilised and nobody needs to nuke anybody. This can be a group effort. We just starve them to death slowly old-school or force them to lash out militarily, in which case: Jackpot! We do not even have to cook up a half assed false flag.
And I’m not alone in this. Just wait for my buddy Donald’s speech on the matter. He’s got my back. He gets it. He is a man of vision and greatness. You think Bush and Obama got into big wars for Israel? You better watch Donald. He is gonna get into the biggest war you have ever seen. It’s gonna be huge! Breathtaking! Probably the most stable and genius war in a dozen generations.
So; in conclusion.
Iran, you’re next! Don’t even try to get ready. Genocide is our bread and butter, do not try us!
Everybody else, you had better be on Donald’s and my side or else shut the fuck up.
OK, now you can have your people take some pictures of me pulling on a black cloth to reveal some colourful folders… Yes. Nice one.
OK. I’m going to do the same thing with some CDs. Yes, very good…
Alright. Just have your media print these pictures and say that these “files” contain whatever justifies the war crimes we are about to commit. I trust and rely on your judgement here. It does not seem to matter much, but maybe do not make it as outlandish as the Skripal thing. It was a good attempt but maybe we are not quite there yet.
And please don’t forget. We are going to celebrate Israel’s 70th birthday soon. Make sure to bring your kids. It will be a fabulous affair. We are going to murder so many Palestinians… In self defence of course.”
Welt on 14.05.2018: https://www.welt.de/politik/ausland/article176336866/Gaza-Palaestinensische-Terror-Drachen-machen-Israels-Armee-ratlos.html
This article describes how the Israelis are defenceless against a new Hamas super weapon. Gasoline Bombs carried by kites. I kid you not.
He is wrong. The only thing that keeps Israel standing is the US MIC and the US doesn’t have that long. And when the Empire falls or fades, no-one else is going to care who runs the country.
Sergio Weigel dreaming.
Of a cozy, comfy world where Germany is a free, sovereign nation not run by a crypto-Jewish prime minister whose biography is unfit to be made public.
Of a Germany where Germans decide the fate of the nation and not the Jewish Mafia.
What a lovely dream. What a childish dream.
But it is (mostly) true what Sergio Weigel writes. Germany, in spite of everything the AngloZionists brought upon them the last 100 years [the AngloZionist Hitler Project], is still one of the most solid and decent countries in the world, relatively well-off, and therefore hardest to control.
The Jewish Mafia, AngloZionists, Nazis, Neocons, are nothing when they can’t fool and/or tyrannize people.
There’s also the beneficial influence of East Germans, and the many Russian (Polish, and so forth) expats [not exactly indoctrinated by the AngloZionists].
“The biggest debtors of the US are Japan, China and Germany.” I assume you mean “creditors”.
Indeed.
–China (according to CNN) holds $1.2 billion in US treasury bonds.
–Japan holds very slightly more (according to RT) with $1.224 billion to China’s $1.223 billion
–A US treasury site shows as of Feb 2018, it was actually Ireland in a distant third with $0.314 Billion
–That site shows Germany in 18th place at $0.078 billion
The data on that US treasury official site is just old enough that China still leads Japan. The CNN story was all centered on the evil Chinese were slowing down their purchases of US treasury debt.
Note, that’s only US government debt. US corporate debt is another big category, especially since most US companies have been borrowing large amounts to then buy back stock and thus raise the stock price for executives that have bonuses, salaries and stock options that all make them profit by this. After a few years of that, there is a lot of US corporate debt out and about.
US treasury list throught Feb 2018
http://ticdata.treasury.gov/Publish/mfh.txt
“Ursula von der Leyen, our mother-of-seven career girl and defensive ministress, for example”.
Golly! “Kinder, Kueche, Kirche, Krieg”.
I do like Sergio’s concept The Idiot Belt all right! It really fits the Brown And Little Tiny Insect CountrieS together with Poland, Ukraine, and — yes — the Scandinavian countries. Sucking up to Massa in Massa’s final, rotting stage is a most touching manifestation of love and devotion.
One thing in need of some clarification here: The perpetual German ’guilt’ boils down to plain Zionazi coercion, propaganda, and extortion. That becomes evident as soon as you ask yourself what’s not part of it, and keep in mind also that the powers that be in Germany (Axel Springer’s CEO Mathias Döpfner is an excellent case in point) are über-committed to Zionism. Hence, Germany is not being frowned upon for what she did to the USSR or to Yugoslavia — 1940s and 1990s alike — neither her EU austerity politics wreaking havoc across southern Europe today, nor her full support of US regime change violence in Ukraine and Syria, etc. It’s a time-honoured tradition among Germany’s politicians to strut around as ”Bona Fide Westerners”, even as they face violence and oppression from FUKUS. In the wake of WW1, German Social Democracy were happy to starve and kill the poor people in Ukraine and Byelorussia for the Greater Good of the landowners and then to meekly pay the War Reparations meted out at Versailles.
Well said Nussiminen. What is now called Germany and Germans is an entity that feels contempt towards Russians and Serbs (other Slavic tribes too but Russians and Serbs are singled out for extermination while others {Croats/Polacks} will be gradually phased out too but only after they help with the first part of the project). Yet, at the same time they themselves feel less then worthless in presence of their Anglo Uberlords.
Germany is a relatively young country. It is only 60 years older than i.e. the first Yugoslavia created by Serbs in 1918 but it did not stop the young nation of Germany in leaving such a disastrous legacy. Whether it was coerced or not by its older brethren Austria and/or the Anglos is debatable but I truly believe Europe would be a better place if Germany followed the path of experiments it took part in USSR, Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia, that is instead of one country let there be many. Maybe that way at least some of the parts of today’s Germany will be free from the US yoke and would be free to make alliances with more progressive parts of the world.
I have laid down in a comment to the commentator you responded why both your comments have nothing to do with the general attitude and mood of Germans in regard to Russia, who have violently protested against the recent hostilities.
What you write is unbiassed.
There is no country in Europe that is as hostile to bellicism too, on the European continent. Not the German people’s attitudes to war, but the German goverment’s lack of backbone to the US, are a threat to all our peace.
Here, however, I am much more sceptic than the article above.
And while I am definitely a supporter of more federalism in Germany, that means, more power to the federal states, less to Berlin, as regions are much more interested in balanced relations to their neighbour countries and know more about them, a full split of Germany would plunge the poorest German federal states, that is, especially the de-industrialist east in economic depression, while it would boost prosperity in Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg.
It would rather be sensible to find a different and more balanced economy for Europe as a whole, more equal and more solidarity-based, than we have now, than to undermine the solidarity principle by even allowing rich parts to back out for the damage of the poorer regions.
It is unequality and the concentration of economic power in elites’ hands that breeds the danger of war, not ethnic background of people. Elites afraid of losing their enormous privileges need to escalate relations outside, as they fear pressure from below.
While I like the majority of other Germans can clearly see what our politicians have been in since 1999, there has been no other European population that has as strongly objected to Nato war policies – which is definitely known in the US.
Since 2014 alienation between the German people and the German government have reached a new peak: The CDU and the SPD, parties having in 1996 85% together, have fallen to 51% (of votes, as 20% did not vote anymore, they had only 41% of the electorate), and after the election to 47% of support (of the 70% who are willing to opt for anybody). German mainstream media (which were established under US occupation: Springer was set-up under US control) have fallen to an alltime-low — starting with the Ukrainian crisis.
Since the anti-Russia media campaign, the public has violently protested against the implied hostilities. This is the latest outcome of a poll, which is the same as all the others before, following a truelly Goebbelsian media discourse for four years:
Who is the largest danger to world peace? Trump: 79%, Putin 13%, both 8%.
Are you afraid of Russia? Yes 17% , No 87%.
Good relations to Russia are important for us. Yes 94%, No 5%
We should do everything to make Russia feel as part of Europe: Yes 68%, No 26%
Who is responsible for the current east-west tensions? The US 50%, Russia 25%, the EU 7%, all three 8%
Was it right that Germany sacked Russian diplomats in the Scripal affair? Yes 23%, no 69%, don’t know 8%
Which kind of foreign policies should Germany aim at?
– clear western orientation with close ties to the US 6%
– solely European cooperation, considering as well Russian interests 89%
The pdf can be downloaded here:
http://wiese-consult.com/russland-und-der-westen/
Does this read as if Germans felt hate for Russians?
Nato is of the opposite opinion. For the current anti-Russia confrontation, a huge media propaganda structure has been set-up in advance. On one of the frequent Nato-conferences about Nato’s “information warfare” against their own populations, at the JAPCC in Kalkar, 250 representatives of politics, military and media from different Nato countries, there judgement on the German population in regard to war in general and on hostilites against Russia was the following:
“The German case study shows a marked contrast with the American and the English one. After WWII the German pacifist sentiment was very strong and remains so. The public opinion oft he armed forces is almost the opposite of the British and oft he American one. In any case of NATO using force, the Germans are far more susceptible for disinformation campaigns and anti-military campaigns than most other NATO nations. In short, a variety of political and cultural factors make Germany a very problematic case of supporting NATO military operations and to agreeing in any use of force in service of NATO.
The study of Italy very closely resembles that of Germany with a strong leftist and pacifist sentiment in the general public and also a public that opposes a use of force even if a NATO country were directly invaded.“ [58]
“Different dynamics were found to apply to public perceptions within Europe. Indeed, there is no such thing as a general ‚European public opinion‘; opinions and perceptions vary constantly from nation to nation. Such perceptions are normally based on historical issues and often there is a degree of inertia to public opionion which makes it hard to shape and change. Factors which NATO must counter in articulating its views to a sometimes sceptical public include disinformation (for instance, the constant drip feed of Soviet and then Russian disinformation to German audiences for many years). [60]”
When Nato speaks of us being “susceptible for Russian disinformation” they simply mean that Germans feel concern in regard to our relations to Russia and want to know what they have to say about points of joint interest. We definitely do not dislike Russians!
And if you think that there is any disregard in relation to WW2 losses of Russians, ask at the Russian Embassy in Germany how Russian graves are cared for in Germany in comparison to other countries. Especially eastern Germans, with huge involvement of ordinary people, are enormously active here.
Your post is unjust, though I share all your scepticism about our politicians.
Anja, thank you for the additional information on the attitude of German citizens. If you re-read Nussiminen’s comment you’ll realize that German citizens hadn’t been attacked. Points of (justified) criticism are German politicians, German press and the public image of Germany that had been created by the West.
Sei mir gegrüßt, Anja.
I will forever keep a friendly attitude towards the Germans as a people; not least compared to what Sergio Weigel aptly called The Idiot Belt. Believe me: I’m dead serious when I say that Russia and Germany should terminally partition the vile, silly joke of Gownopolska — a highly consenting victim of US imperial rape and a hotbed of militant Russophobia as well as religious bigotry. Also, I was all but elated hearing about the Pegida (!!) demonstration in Leipzig almost three years ago featuring the slogan Merkel nach Sibirien; Putin nach Berlin. When will the Anglo-Americans, the Scandinavians, and the rest of The Idiot Belt ever catch up? Sadly, the politicos and the presstitutes in these parts of the Empire have succeeded in keeping the majority population in thrall.
It’s certainly not any wonder that the prospect of an alliance between Germany and Russia is being fought against with utmost determination by the Anglo-Zionists and their intellectually challenged lackeys. Just imagine their anguish when similar slogans are shouted in their ears as well: ”Donald to Siberia, Putin to DC”.
Ich freue mich, bald von Dir zu hören.
Merkel has been pushing to use the EU budget to punish Eastern EU members that will not go along with her Globalist agenda. As a consequence those countries just delivered a humiliating defeat to Merkel.
https://www.axios.com/hungary-czech-romania-block-eu-statement-against-embassy-move-jerusalem-6b85f6bb-8861-4dab-8473-e542196d1368.html
_____
Italy is close to forming an anti-Globalist/anti-Germany government. If that doesn’t happen and new elections are held, Five Star is likely to become even stronger.
http://www.dw.com/en/italys-populists-make-significant-steps-towards-coalition-government/a-43733526
_____
Nothing happening during Merkel’s visit was a demonstration of her weakness. She cannot deliver any results, and therefore had nothing to offer.
you make the same mistake everyone else who takes trumPutin serious…you assume he has a plan or has thought things through….etc.
well…he doesn’t/hasn’t.
all he does is throw words out in twitter he thinks make him look powerful…for bait to his sycophants.
he has not a clue how anything works or can work and has no desire to learn anything.
remember this man REFUSES to read one page intelligence reports….
the point is….his MO is to be extreme but the moment he says something he is on to something else.
not that the people appointed are the same..they do real damage.
as far as the iran deal…purely a racist reflex in abandoning it…(it was Obamas)…again while he hasnt a clue what it actually is…notice all the lies for the faithful…as defense…
Looking back at the campaign, Trump only said whatever made the audience cheer.
Still the same for his campaign-like rallies
Bascially the same for his twitter feed.
And, we know from Syria, that what Trump says simply does not matter. Trump used the line about getting out of Syria soon to make the crowd cheer. The Pentagon generals who are really the deciders testified to a Congressional hearing the very next day that it was not happening. And that in fact the Pentagon was going to go even deeper into the Big Muddy.
It was President Assad who nailed it. No point in meeting Trump or listening to what he says because Trump doesn’t decide much if anything.
The author spelled the name of the United States Capital incorrectly, its real spelling is Brainwashingtown.
An excellent article. The point is that Germany is on the way to joining the Russian-Chinese economic camp, as Bismarck advocated in the 19th century. It’s only a matter of time before Germany joins the Eurasian Economic Union. However, things will not go smoothly. As Sergio Weigel points out, the Atlantist presence is still strong in Germany, not only in the media, but in the form of US troops stationed in Germany. The Anglo-Saxons won’t easily permit the creation of a German-Russian-Chinese economic alliance, backed by Iran and others. A new war is needed. Yes, two world wars were fought to prevent a Russian-German alliance, where Germany and Russia foolishly fought it each other. For whose interests ? As the old saying goes, third time lucky. Germany is now looking towards the East, and this is certainly true as far as German industrialists go, where 500 of them have been conducting negotiations in Russia. And the US ? It has been beefing up it’s troop strength in Europe, bringing extra troops, ostensibly to counter a Russian “threat”. One has to wonder if those troops are intended for aggression against Russia, to contain Germany, or for both.
Iran is again on the table, being set up for a possible war scenario. Since Iran intends to join the Eurasian Economic Union, then of course it is a logical target. However, Iran is not Iraq. Europe has investments in Iran, and a new US war will indeed turn the world against the US, which will lose the little esteem it has left.
The US is losing it’s empire and influence. As analysts are pointing out, countries are now beginning to ignore the US. They are also pointing out that it is only a matter of time before a split occurs between European and US elites. After all, interests come first.
The only question which as yet has no answer is how Washington and Wall Street will react to the loss of their empire. Will they sit back and watch, or will they instigate one more wider war to prevent this. If they do, what will the results be ?
“One has to wonder if those troops are intended for aggression against Russia, to contain Germany, or for both.” Well, one of those countries has at least a half-dozen combat-ready divisions that could eliminate any NATO assault force in a couple of days. The other has a pretend army that can’t fight its way out of a wet paper sack, even if they can get ammo issued for their heavy weapons, which is doubtful. So what do you think?
Andrew
To contain Germany perhaps ?
“One has to wonder if those troops are intended for aggression against Russia, to contain Germany, or for both.”
I think Germany is still officially occupied by the USA and thus doesn’t really have much room to maneuver.
Ramstein is a big NATO headquarters, also headquarters of drone warfare, and more:
“n April 2015 the Ramstein Air Base was reported by German and international media as an important control center in the drone war staged under the Obama administration against targets in areas like Pakistan, Yemen, Afghanistan and Somalia.[8][9][10] The German government claimed not to have been informed about this function of the U.S. base.
In a TV and online documentary the German Das Erste channel cited 2014 reports from Norddeutscher Rundfunk, WDR und the Süddeutsche Zeitung that revealed Ramstein to be an important hub in the drone war against terror suspects. New data provided by Edward Snowden affiliate Glenn Greenwald supported these reports with classified documents from inside the U.S. administration, and were also presented in the Citizenfour video documentary.[11][12]
Potentially illegal arms and munition transports
In 2015, the Serbian newspaper Večernje novosti reported about Ramstein Air Base being used by the United States Armed Forces to transport arms and munitions to Syria.[13] At the end of 2017, an anonymous US official stated that the US does indeed use Ramstein Air Base to supplement Syrian rebels with arms and munition.[13] The Cabinet of Germany stated that it did not grant permits for these transports, nor that it had been informed about them.[14] The public prosecutor’s office of Kaiserslautern is currently auditing whether an official investigation should be launched.[15] However, such investigations are complicated by the fact that despite Ramstein Air Base being located on German territory, ****German officials and politicians are not allowed to enter the base without permission of the US commander.*****[14][15] Previous investigations of the Ramstein Air Base, such as the Abu Omar case, have proven to be unsuccessful as of yet.[15] Should the investigation about the arms and munition transports be successful, it would constitute a violation of the German War Weapons Control Act.[16]”
I don’t see how Germany can chart any kind of independent course or lead one within the EU as long as it is occupied by a foreign military that is definitely not planning to go anywhere soon. Perhaps the best thing that could happen wuold be if the dollar collapsed and the bills are Ramstein an delsewhere coulnd’t be paid. But the USA would find other ways to wring cash out of Germany to support American bases. (An old Nazi trick!)
Katherine
Small point: 1.33 million is indeed millions.
Uh, a fraction less than two is not plural in any language I’m aware of. You said it yourself, “1.33 million” not “1.33 millions.”
Germany has, I understand, from 21 to 80 US military bases. It already is occupied and has been for close to 100 years.
Germany is the key in Geopolitics and Economics. Turkey is also very important, as these two nations hold the balance of power between Eurasia and Atlantic ideologies. From rhetoric it really does seem some German politicians and Turks want to turn away from USA-UK and make an alliance with Russia… but have they the courage? Big money is available to NGO and media to produce anti-Russia sentiment and raise some of the old ethnonationalist (anti slavic) Germanic Supremacist tendency which came from the times of the Teutonic Knights. Russia’s best friends in Germany are the people of the DDR who Putin admired so much. Their lives were shattered when West Germany absorbed them into Anglo colonial rule and will never support agression against Russia.
The USA-UK are already happily in bed with open Neo Nazi in Latvia, Estonia, Finland, Ukraine and Croatia, so it is quite believable that they would support some kind of ultranationalist movement in Germany, so long as it was carefully controlled in a purely anti-Russian and anti-Islamic direction and did not become anti-anglo. The AfD and Pediga supporters may well prove to be a great enemy of Russia if things go wrong. Being anti-immigrant and against the EU does not neccessary mean moving in a pro Eurasian direction, quite the reverse in fact. A desire to restore German influence and militarism would only result in Germany imitatating the Anglo in colonising eastern europe and opressing the slavic people again. Russia has nothing to gain from German Nationalism. Anti-EU figures are being helped by UK to divide the continent before the UK crashes out into poverty and isolation next year. Its’ designed to spread chaos and weaken EU economy. We can see it in characters such as Orban and now Salvini in Italy and the entire Polish political establishment. Making problems for Brussels to distract from the wicked failed schemes of UK. And if Le Pen had won, we can be sure that just like Macron she would make no moves that threatened Anglo interests. EU really frightens Anglo Saxons. Mogherini was a friend of Yasser Arafat and was a Communist member. When critisising EU in these times remember that the Anglo will be very pleased ;)
Excellent comment. You’re addressing some points that have to be considered as well. Around the time of the US presidential elections I had read (could’ve been on german-foreign-policy.com) that a Trump presidency could cause European countries to break away from US influence and continue the imperial game of their own with Germany and/or France setting the direction. Anti-Trump sentiment is used to push for a more powerful Brussels (EU), which includes a stronger European army as well.
You’re correct with your statement that the lives of East Germans (DDR) were shattered when they were absorbed by West Germany. The sad aspect is that those whose lives were shattered are now the strongest AfD and Pegida supporters. Most citizens of West Germany got used to live with migrants from all over the world, This can be seen in the (mainly distorted) statistics of the last German parliamentary elections. In East Germany almost every 5th eligible voter chose AfD, whereas in West Germany every 10th person voted for them. The press tried to downplay larger percentage of votes for AfD (20% East / 10% West) in the East by focusing on the absolute votes. Indeed 10% of 60 million people is way more than 20% of just 24 million.
More power for Brussels would play into the hands of those lunatics with imperialist dreams. The only ones against a dominant Brussels are the politicians of neo-liberal AfD, who’re using Islam as scapegoat for every political failure of the past administrations.
Basically it doesn’t matter from which point you look at the whole situation. The future doesn’t look bright.
One additional aspect comes to my mind. For the case that the masses will eventually wake up and realize that refugees / migrants are used as scapegoat in order to divide the citizens, so nobody will realize that the real battle is fought by the rich against the poor, politicians are hastily implementing laws to pre-emptive spy on and lock away “endangerers”. In the federal state of Bavaria laws shall be implemented that would allow the police the use of grenades, to spy and alter the content of communications. Well, … bankers have to be saved at all cost and politicians are their obedient servants.
Hmmm, focus the attention of people on both an internal enemy and an external enemy. I wonder which German leader fo the last century used exactly that policies?
Today, the names have changed, “Jews” have morphed into “Muslims” who as refugees fleeing wars and countries destroyed by the west are easy targets for hatred.
Meanwhile, the rich get richer and more powerful.
I saw another article which said Trump wanted three things from Merkle.
Not sure I completely remember the list. Support against Iran and of nixing the Iran myth-nuke deal was one. Support to accept trade restrictions into the US was another. Not sure of the third, might have been Syria or raising German purchases of American-made weapons (stated as increasing the war budget).
Trump’s results, in baseball terms in honor of Spring.
Swing and a miss, strike one.
Swing and a miss, strike two.
Swing and a miss, strike three. Batter’s out.
A meeting where nothing much happened was a loss for Trump. He’s found himself with only the rest of the Axis of Evil (Israel and KSA) supporting him as he accelerates towards both military war and trade war on various fronts.
“Personally, I think Germany should work on its own version of an S-400 anti-aircraft defense, Kalibr cruise missile, and similar electronic warfare systems like Russia appears to have” – Germany cannot do this because it is still under occupation and is prohibited by post WW2 treaties to do that, Germany is not a sovereign nation state, it’s to the USA what Palestine is to Israel.
Good article.
Ukraine has PMS, ha ha ha.
Well written, made me think.
I appreciated to read this as well as the first article written by Sergio Weigel. However, I do not agree in all the points. Generally I consider Sergios remarks as too optimistic.
(Side note 1: I am Swiss, my native language is german, and I know both German MSM and the German political landscape not too bad.)
As most of the European governments and leaders Merkel was astonished about Trumps election, not enthusiastic about and from the beginning until now Merkel was and still is reserved towards Trump. (Note that the german government was supporting the Clinton foundation.)
Some observers were hoping that Trumps election may lead to more autonomy and less submission of European governments towards the US empire. These hopes were mentioned directly after the election and repeated now and then, the last time now after the US withdrew from the JCPOA. For sure I would love to see more autonomous European leaders, but I do not believe this before I see clear actions.
When Merkel was in the US recently, she was saying „Iran-Abkommen reicht nicht aus“, the deal is not sufficient (1). But some days later, there was this common statement given by Merkel, Macron and May concerning JCPOA (2). These statements contradict, but this should not surprise.
(Side note 2: When it comes to Macron or May – I do not trust them, not at all, not one micro-meter.)
As far as I can remember, Merkel always obeyed the overlord, although it was quite often against the wish of the Germans, to the disadvantage of German economy even against Merkel herself phone) etc, pp. For instance the sanctions against Russia has hit the German economy on many levels, hardly, it affected the „little craftsman„ as well as the big guys listed on the DAX (3).
Why should Germany become wise and autonomic now?
Iran compared to Russia is a “smaller fish“ on different aspects.
The current cabinet consists of a bunch of spineless, inexperienced and sometimes even sneaky „clerks“ not serving the people of their country – at least not its majority. I observe German politics since nearly 40 years, and I have never seen such a week troop! Note that the new foreign minister Heiko Maas recently visited Israel (4). His submissiveness towards Israel seems tremendous even for a German politician after WWII.
About the completion of „Nord Stream2“ – I really hope this happens. I was tempted to consider the development of this pipeline as a ray of hope, but I think that would be exaggerated. I rather see it as strong necessity – skipping it would have devastating consequences concerning the energy supply for Europe and the price to pay for it.
I don’t have a „crystal ball“ – but my pessimistic prediction looks like this:
(But before going into divination, another side note is required:
Note that a few days ago Tero Varjoranta, the chief of inspections at the UN nuclear watchdog has resigned suddenly (5).)
Varjoranta will be replaced by a guy who is more critical towards Iran and who is willing to search a fly in the ointment – whether there is one or not … “at the end“ coming with a vague statement slightly blaming Iran or at least not fully disencumbering her.
Paris and London will confirm the new findings of the IAEA supplied by their inerrable intelligence.
A little change of mind by the IAEA plus an additional meeting between Angela and Bibi could already be sufficient to let Merkel also change her mind and clearly remark the need to restrain Iran and its weapon program – if necessary with weapons: Rewind the Irak / Saddam / WMD bullshit story. With the tiny difference to have Merkel onboard this time – since Merkel is not Schroeder.
–
I really, really hope that this is not happening – but I do not see Merkel (or Macron or May) to stop this lunacy.
The overlord / borg / however-you-want-to-call-it seems to have the power to let Merkel dance Schwanensee ballet naked on the Alexanderplatz. (No, nobody wants this to happen, right?)
(1) https://www.tagesanzeiger.ch/ausland/amerika/trump-begruesst-merkel-mit-innigem-kuss/story/22712136
(2) http://www.voltairenet.org/article201079.html
(3) https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/DAX
(4) https://www.zeit.de/politik/ausland/2018-03/heiko-maas-israel-analyse-botschaften
(5) https://www.reuters.com/article/us-un-nuclear-official/un-nuclear-watchdogs-inspections-chief-quits-suddenly-idUSKBN1IC21P
Excellent analysis but possibly overly optimistic. So much of Western Europe, especially the UK, is in thrall to their US overlords. I hope Germany has the clarity indicated but I’m not so sure.
Excellent analysis and excellent synthesis. Mr. Weigel sees Germany’s ascendant role clearly and we can only cheer them on.
Now that was a delightful read – thank you – and it certainly inspires hope and best wishes for Germany. :-)