And again - Who the hell cares what Merkel has to say about the US?
I don't.
Nobody asked her, nobody cares, nobody in the US is interested in her remarks about our country, other than as a point of contention.
As my sainted old granny used to say: "Be sure you sweep your own doorstep before you say something about how dirty your neighbors is."
She is Chancellor of Germany, not of the US. You´re also talking about the war in Chechnya or the executions of religious people in China, not to speak of Irans nuclear program. Foreign policy is an issue, especially for heads of governments. The Frau Bundeskanzlerin was asked by a German magazine, and she answered. She wasn´t interviewed in the US TV or addressing the American people. Are foreign states(wo)men not allowed to speak to their people without permission from you? I don´t think that Bush or Rice have problems with that.