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Merkel lumps U.S. in with China, Russia as “global rivals”
Hotair.com ^ | May 16, 2019 | JAZZ SHAW

Posted on 05/16/2019 8:40:13 AM PDT by Kaslin

Some of our European allies aren’t acting very much like allies these days. The latest example of this phenomenon comes to us from Germany, where Chancellor Angela Merkel has basically put aside all pretenses of diplomacy and is now insulting us to our faces. In remarks to the German press this week, she spoke of the “adversaries” Europe must contend with, both militarily and in terms of trade agreements, and listed three examples. China, Russia and… the United States. (Newsweek)

German Chancellor Angela Merkel lumped in the United States with Europe’s other global adversaries on Wednesday, arguing that the countries on the continent need to band together against the challenges posed by Russia, China and the U.S.

“There is no doubt that Europe needs to reposition itself in a changed world…. The old certainties of the postwar order no longer apply,” Merkel told the German media on Wednesday.

“They [China, Russia and the U.S.] are forcing us, time and again, to find common positions. That is often difficult given our different interests. But we do get this done—think, for example, of our policy regarding the conflict in Ukraine,” Merkel added.

Merkel is obviously just cheerleading for the European Union at this point, stressing the need to maintain a solid front and remain unified on foreign policy. That’s an obvious concern, particularly since it was her influence on immigration policy that drove the mass influx of refugees (with some terrorists mixed in) into Europe from the Syrian region. These remarks also come at a time when many of the EU’s member nations are experiencing shifts to the right in the upcoming EU Parliamentary elections.

But Merkel would do well to remember who her friends are. Germany’s rise to influence and economic success in the second half of the 20th century was largely possible because they had no need to fund a massive military infrastructure to protect them from Russia. The reason? Because the United States had their back. We’ve been partners for a long time, particularly all through the cold war, and casting America aside probably isn’t a smart move.

Of course, she now has the advantage of not needing to worry overly much about what sort of backlash she encounters. She recently told reporters that she’s “not available” for any future political posts after she steps down in 2021. With no more electoral battles to fight, Merkel is free to simply be herself and let her true feelings show through. That’s a rather selfish approach to take, however, when you consider that the next Chancellor will still be left to deal with both the United States and Russia. And that’s a situation where Germany is really forced to pick a side and stick with it. God only knows that the EU isn’t going to save them if push comes to literal shove.


TOPICS: Australia/New Zealand; Canada; Culture/Society; Editorial; Foreign Affairs; Germany; Russia; United Kingdom
KEYWORDS: allies; angelamerkel; antiamericanism; australia; bloggers; canada; china; emmanuelmacron; eurabia; europeanunion; eussr; fourthreich; france; germany; huawei; macron; mengwanzhou; merkel; michaelkovrig; michaelspavor; nato; netherlands; newzealand; redchina; richarddearlove; russia; tds; unitedkingdom
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1 posted on 05/16/2019 8:40:13 AM PDT by Kaslin
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To: Kaslin

So what?


2 posted on 05/16/2019 8:40:48 AM PDT by Steely Tom ([Seth Rich] == [the Democrat's John Dean])
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To: Kaslin

The purpose of the EU was to scr** everyone they could.


3 posted on 05/16/2019 8:43:44 AM PDT by Sacajaweau
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To: Steely Tom

The headline is a true statement, IMHO.


4 posted on 05/16/2019 8:44:37 AM PDT by ptsal
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To: Kaslin

Going back to the 1930s, it’s hard to really know what Hitler was thinking as a realistic goal/worldview. One interpretation that I have heard was:

Germany controls Europe.
Britain controls a colonial empire (plenty of evidence says that Hitler did not see the UK as a natural enemy; many in the UK agreed. Churchill did not.
USA controls western hemisphere
Japan controls Asia

Balance is maintained between the 4 great powers and everyone is happy. Of course, it didn’t work out that way.

Merkel’s vision is different but I’m not sure it’s better.


5 posted on 05/16/2019 8:47:58 AM PDT by ClearCase_guy (If White Privilege is real, why did Elizabeth Warren lie about being an Indian?)
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To: Kaslin
Some of our European allies aren’t acting very much like allies these days.

Any reason why they should?

6 posted on 05/16/2019 8:49:47 AM PDT by DoodleDawg
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To: ClearCase_guy
Going back to the 1930s, it’s hard to really know what Hitler was thinking as a realistic goal/worldview.

Uhh, it was all laid out in "Mein Kampf"

7 posted on 05/16/2019 8:49:54 AM PDT by dfwgator (Endut! Hoch Hech!)
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To: Kaslin

Germany hasn’t been an ally in decades.


8 posted on 05/16/2019 8:49:59 AM PDT by mewzilla (Break out the mustard seeds.)
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To: Steely Tom

“So what?”

exactly. now that Germany has decommissioned all of their nuclear power plants and will have decommissioned all of their fossil fuel power plants in the near future, they’ll be viewing Venezuela and the like as “rivals” instead of the U.S. and China ...


9 posted on 05/16/2019 8:50:14 AM PDT by catnipman (Cat Nipman: Vote Republican in 2012 and only be called racist one more time!)
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To: Kaslin

Bet she won’t team up with Japan for this purpose this time.


10 posted on 05/16/2019 8:50:29 AM PDT by NorseViking
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To: Kaslin

Deutschland Deutschland über Alles.....


11 posted on 05/16/2019 8:50:49 AM PDT by dfwgator (Endut! Hoch Hech!)
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To: Kaslin

12 posted on 05/16/2019 8:52:11 AM PDT by dfwgator (Endut! Hoch Hech!)
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To: catnipman

exactly. now that Germany has decommissioned all of their nuclear power plants and will have decommissioned all of their fossil fuel power plants in the near future, they’ll be viewing Venezuela and the like as “rivals” instead of the U.S. and China ...


Nordstream2 is coming on line. Plenty more Russian gas where that came from. No need for nukes or a German defense budget given that.


13 posted on 05/16/2019 8:52:59 AM PDT by lodi90
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To: Kaslin

14 posted on 05/16/2019 8:53:03 AM PDT by dfwgator (Endut! Hoch Hech!)
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To: ClearCase_guy

That’s not what Adolf was thinking at all. “Heute Deutschland, morgen die ganze Welt” was always his goal.


15 posted on 05/16/2019 9:02:37 AM PDT by Olog-hai ("No Republican, no matter how liberal, is going to woo a Democratic vote." -- Ronald Reagan, 1960)
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To: dfwgator
Wanna try it again?


16 posted on 05/16/2019 9:03:36 AM PDT by cll (Serviam!)
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To: ptsal
The headline is a true statement, IMHO.

I guess so. Whatever. What does she want us to be, her mommy?

17 posted on 05/16/2019 9:04:20 AM PDT by Steely Tom ([Seth Rich] == [the Democrat's John Dean])
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To: lodi90

That’s still their goal, though.

Nord Stream 2 has been compared to a modern Molotov-Ribbentrop. Whenever Germany and Russia work together, it’s always about war plans.


18 posted on 05/16/2019 9:04:27 AM PDT by Olog-hai ("No Republican, no matter how liberal, is going to woo a Democratic vote." -- Ronald Reagan, 1960)
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To: Steely Tom
She misses her back rubs...


19 posted on 05/16/2019 9:05:57 AM PDT by dfwgator (Endut! Hoch Hech!)
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To: DoodleDawg

Plenty of reasons. But they were betraying us long before the Obama years.


20 posted on 05/16/2019 9:06:05 AM PDT by Olog-hai ("No Republican, no matter how liberal, is going to woo a Democratic vote." -- Ronald Reagan, 1960)
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