Merkel's Prostration Before Bush (SPIEGEL whines...)

DER SPIEGEL ^ | 20 February 2003 | Markus Becker

[tictoc]

Merkel's Prostration Before Bush

By Markus Becker

Angela Merkel has created a huge stir: In an op-ed published in the Washington Post, the CDU chairwoman joined in with the war chant of the US administration, denounced the German government, and thereby violated a tradition of German politics.

DDP
Angela Merkel: Bows down to US government

Berlin - The blockade of planning for military assistance to Turkey "undermines the basis for the legitimacy of NATO," wrote Merkel in the respected US daily. "The most important lesson in German politics," the CDU chairwoman went on to say, was that there must never again be a German "special way". Unfortunately, she wrote, this lesson was being swept aside by the federal government, "apparently in a thoughtless way," and moreover, only for "reasons of election tactics".

Already at the Munich security conference, Merkel had demonstrated her support to the US government by intimating that she would have signed the declaration of obedience by the eight European states, instead of pursuing a policy critical of the USA as the federal government did.

Now Merkel has launched a second attack against the government, but this time she did it abroad. This is a grievous break with German political custom. Traditionally German politics do one thing especially when they are abroad: keep their mouths shut.

The last one to violate this custom was Herbert Wehner, who in 1973 discredited his chancellor Willy Brandt to the Moscow ambassador with the words, "The gentleman likes a lukewarm bath," thus contributing to Brandt's overthrow (Wehner, a supposedly former communist, was the power behind the throne during Brandt's chancellorship - tictoc). Accordingly, the SPD's response to Merkel's op-ed in the "Washington Post" (headlined "Schroeder Doesn't Speak for All Germans") was outrage: Franz Müntefering, head of the SPD in the Bundestag, angrily said that the CDU head was preparing for her trip to the US "by defaming her own government and prostrating herself before the US administration." He added that "teacher's pets have always stood out by their cowardice and opportunism, but they don't earn any respect that way."

SPD secretary general Olaf Scholz piled on: He said that Merkel had harmed the standing of Germany and had violated the basic rule "not to badmouth your own government abroad". Scholz said that she had stabbed both the government and hundreds of thousands of peace demonstrators in the back.

However, Merkel was not content just to attack the government. Merkel, who also heads the CDU in the Bundestag, wrote that the threat posed by Iraq was not fictitious but real. Europe, she wrote, must meet its responsibility by working together with the USA. However, she did not disclose the concrete nature of the threat for the USA and especially Germany.

Merkel also wrote that 20th-century European history taught that while military force never could be a way to continue politics with other means, neither was it ever justified to renounce it as a "final means of dealing with dictators." However, Merkel's text never mentions self-defense in the face of an immediate threat. So is war a means to remove a disliked regime, after all? Is Merkel perhaps even agreeing with the new American pre-emptive strike doctrine?

This interpretation is bolstered by another passage written by Merkel: "A responsible political leadership must never exchange the real peace of the future against the deceptive peace of the present." In other words: Let us transform, by means of war, the false peace currently troubling us into a real peace. Whatever the difference may be.

[tictoc]

So, there you have it -- Angela Merkel, Public Enemy No. 1, according to DER SPIEGEL.

[elhombrelibre]

Somebody has to repair the damage, or at least try to.

[Chi-townChief]

German-American bump - The EuroKrauts "leading" Germany can go suck a big knackwurst.

[tictoc]

Could you ping the German list, please :-)

[longjack]

Thanks for the translation tictoc.

German Ping.

[americanbychoice]

It is amazing how left the Spiegel is.

[demlosers]

...denounced the German government, and thereby violated a tradition of German politics.

And Schroeder hasn't violated German political traditions?

[demlosers]

Franz Müntefering, head of the SPD in the Bundestag...He added that "teacher's pets have always stood out by their cowardice and opportunism, but they don't earn any respect that way."

And being an A$$ doesn't earn you respect either.

[longjack]

The paragraph in the complete article where the 'Greens' described Merkel's stance as Anbiederei and liebedienerischen

floored me.

She must have known exactly what to say to get that crew riled up.

longjack

[Katya]

"'Greens' described Merkel's stance as Anbiederei and liebedienerischen"

pretty strong language....kind of like calling her a member of the Bush doormat club. I personally don't think Andrea is a particularly strong spokesman for the CDU.

[longjack]

It doesn't seem like the CDU has anyone who exhibits the strength and leadership they need.

OTOH when I think that the "Greens" determine what happens over there, I also shudder to think that that they analyze a political event using those analogies.

Also, Katya, did you see the German Ping list we've started? There a number of German or German speaking Freepers who like to read articles from the German press. If you'd like to be on the ping list, let me know.

longjack

[Michael81Dus]

Katya: Actually, her name is Angela. ;-)

BTW, she is travelling to Washington DC on Sunday and is going to meet Vice President Cheney, Secretary Rumsfeld, National Security Advisor Rice and Federal Reserve Banks chief Greenspan.

It´s amusing that the politcial leadership of the US has no problems to talk to our opposition, but to speak with our leaders. :-)

I´m glad that so high-ranking members of the Bush administration will meet her.

[longjack]

Here's an update from "Die Welt" 15:00. I have the original German if anyone wants to see it. Sometimes the press releases on the ticker are removed.

At least Merkel his getting some help....

Continued Stir Over Merkel's US Article

Berlin (dpa) -- Shortly before Angela Merkel's US trip the stir around the criticism of the Federal government by the CDU Chief has intensified. Government spokesperson Bela Anda seemed visibly angry on Friday, above all over the style of the censure. It's not usual for the Federal government to be criticized by a German politician in or through a foreign nation. That wouldn't enter a foreign politician's mind.

The party and fraction leader defended her actions and stated the reason as the damage to foreign policy consensus through Gerhard Schroeder (SPD). Merkel had sharply attacked Schroeder's position in an article for the "Washington Post" and accused him of ignoring the most important lessons in German politics with his "special way" on the Iraq issue.

Merkel travels to Washington next Sunday. There she will meet U.S. Vice-President Richard Cheney, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and U.S. president George W. Bush?s security advisor, Condoleezza Rice on Monday. The Iraq conflict will be the focus of the discussions. Further discussions in Washington and later in New York are planned with senators, Federal Reserve Bank boss Alan Greenspan as well as representatives from finance.

. Merkel said in the ZDF "Morning Magazine" she considers herself an ambassador from one part of Germany and is going to America as a politician from Europe, also. "It would be wrong to say that I absolutely agree with everything the Bush government does, but it does concern how one treats the USA as a friend and ally." The Hessian governor Roland Koch (CDU) encouraged Merkel to publicly criticize Schröder. "It is extraordinarily important to national interests that Americans know that all Germans don't share the same opinions as Gerhard Schröder. This is a service to Germany." Koch told the "Leipziger Volkszeitung" (Saturday edition).

Meanwhile Merkel was applauded for her criticism of the Federal government's Iraq policy from the American congress and German finance. The U.S. congressman Tom Lantos, at a meeting with representatives from German finance in Bonn, was "pleased" with Merkel's article. He criticized Schröder sharply at the same time. The chairman of the Federal Association of German industry, Michael Rogowski, said he stands fully behind Merkel.

erschienen am 21.02.2003 um 15:00 Uhr © WELT.de

"Die Welt" News Ticker..15:00 Weiter Wirbel um Merkels US-Beitrag

Translated by longjack

[americanbychoice]

As usual, thanks longjack

[Michael81Dus]

Thanks Jack.
The problem is the people! Have you seen the results of the recent Politbarometer? Puuhh, Bush gets the worst mark ever (-2.7 on a scale form +5 - -5, Chirac has 1.6!).
I fear these dumb people!

[longjack]

Link was broken, sorry. This seems to work.

"Die Welt" News Ticker..15:00 Weiter Wirbel um Merkels US-Beitrag

longjack

[longjack]

I saw a public service advertisement once where they asked little kids to tell about something they din't like to think about.

The best answer was:

"I don't like to think about what I don't like to think about."

That about sums it up.

longjack

[denydenydeny]

This is a grievous break with German political custom

Oh really? So when Joschka Fischer and his fellow Greens defamed the Kohl government in the 80s for allowing the deployment of Pershing missiles, that was different?

[americanbychoice]

It simply reflects the mind altering onslaught by the left media. If you would poll independently minded business people, it would be different. Remember, if you tell lies often enough, thry become the truths.

[Michael81Dus]

Very true.

The media loved to present the President as a dumb, foolish Cowboy - because it´s so easy to say it. And the people like these images, too. Peoples in general enjoy to think in blach/white patterns.

I wish you all a nice weekend!