Merkel praises dialogue with Bush

Please believe that Americans would like nothing better than to remove themselves from your country. You are, as you mentioned, quite capable of taking care of yourselves. This also costs us millions of dollars every year. Money better spent here improving our military defenses and capabilities. A total pullout is long overdue.

I think the same about South Korea, Japan (we are leaving there much too slowly also), and everywhere else where we maintain bases. It is time for American troops to take care of Americans, and allow the rest of the world to do the same. I say this with an eye to practicality, reality and with no animosity.

It is time for the U.S. to pull back from the world. We are much too involved. I do have a deep isolationist streak.

I am convinced that President Bush and our Chancellor have a good personal relationship. It is for sure not comparable to the Schroeder-mess and will help to restore the trans-atlantic relations.

Anyway - something fundamental happened through Schroeder between America and Germany. Before Schroeder we were a ally whose administration would have never ever critized the US in basic questions. That changed completely. Furthermore I doubt that the US will continue to count on Europe as a part of its millitary system in the same scale (as long as we speak about preemtive strikes - defense is something different) since the "coalition of the willing" was not as stable as they thought. Any US president will have to deal with democratic changes in European politics. Just think about Asnar and Berlusconi who were swept away by their voters. Even the UK is a unstable ally if we take the vast majority of Brits who dismiss the war.

All this is absolutely no reason for US isolationism since it has nothing to do with anti-americanism, but we all should think about some new definitions in our relationship.

I quite agree with all that you have said. Many Americans do not see Europe as an ally or friend. I don't mean that in a negative way it is just a fact. We are beginning to understand that we don't see eye to eye on very many issues anymore. It is okay! Like any other relationship it has its high and low points. The sense of betrayal that some Americans feel is that so many of us have European roots that the very idea that we and you do not stand shoulder to shoulder is confusing. Many of us go to European blogs and are appalled by the things that are said about our country and our people. We are waking up to the fact that Europe doesn't like us very much. This is okay too!

As we (you and us), move forward we will form new relationships and new alliances. We have different goals. All of which is also okay. That now we "smile and wave at each other" rather than being an integral part of one another's foreign policy is not a negative thing. Change usually is good, we just need time to get used to the present relationship and not expect too much from it. Our interests lie in different directions and so do yours. :0)

I would not see it all that negative. Of course we have many simular interests like free trade, a politically stable middle east, a safe international legal basement (patents, copyrights, human rights etc. etc.), the control of rouge nations like Iran, China and Russia and last but not least the strong cultural ribbon that connects both sides of the Atlantic. Europe can not do without America and America can not do without Europe. We need Elvis and you need Bach.

Do not be too impressed about the stammering of some European leftists. They simply try to pi** into our common house without knowing what they are doing.

Besides - I as a person like your country and its people very much. My personal situation is quite simular to the political situation of Angela Merkel. I have relatives in New York, Paris and Tel Aviv (this is really no joke). :-) I spent a long time in New York and travelled through most of the US and Canada when I was a young man. I even understand the necessity to do something in Iraq, although I dismiss the official justification of your administration.

Speaking of my compatriots and other Europeans (no matter if in "new" or "old" Europe): Most of them like America and Americans but they do not like the Iraq war. That is very simple.

All I am saying is that we have to define some things new. I.e. what is NATO for? Is it possible to continue with European integration without loosing America as our partner? What is with the US-installations in Germany? How do we deal with new world powers like China and India? Will the Russians return on the international scene? What is the role of Europe in international "clubs" like UNO? etc. etc. etc. The times are a changing and old arrangements are not suitable for the future.

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