Once upon a time a brave nation liberated itself from the tyranny of the British Empire and birthed freedom and democracy into the world. With the help of heroes like the abolitionists, Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King Jr and Malcolm X it overcame systemic racial inequality, and now it is a shining exemplar of human rights, the respected friend of free democracies around the world and the hated foe of all tyrannical regimes. It is not without its faults and its past mistakes, but it is the best leader and protector of the liberal world order that we could possibly hope to have.I also have a waking up story for you.
Once upon a time a nation rose to prominence after emerging unscathed from two world wars which damaged the infrastructure of its competitors. The world's major power players quickly coalesced around this new superpower and began maneuvering other nations into a tight empire-like alliance with it. After a long and gruelling Cold War, this empire succeeded in toppling the world's only other superpower and began working to absorb all other nations into alliance with it. If nations resisted, they were subverted, sabotaged and attacked until they either collapsed or allowed themselves to be absorbed into the imperial blob...
While some in the German establishment fumed over the US presumably keeping Berlin uninformed about plans to withdraw thousands of troops, others envisioned it as a chance to loosen ties with their turbulent NATO ally.In response to the news, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said that being a US ally is valuable but complicated:
Washington didn't bother to inform Berlin of its intent to redeploy thousands of troops from Germany to other locations, with the news coming out of the blue for the government, German media reported on Saturday. Previously, Reuters and the Wall Street Journal reported that some of the 9,500 service members would be sent to Poland, some to other allied nations, and the rest would eventually return home.
Keeping Germans in the dark is "quite unusual," but the rationale behind it is easy to recognize, Andreas Nick, a high-ranking member of Chancellor Angela Merkel's Christian Democrats (CDU), said. Everything here suggests "that it was not technical, but a purely politically motivated decision," he told Deutsche Welle.
Lamenting the move, Nick said US soldiers and their families are "welcome" in Germany.
Dietmar Bartsch, who leads the non-mainstream Left Party, wasn't as reserved. He fired off a somewhat incendiary tweet, saying the government should thank Washington and lay the groundwork for "a full withdrawal of US soldiers" during talks with the Trump administration.
If it happens, the departing troops "should take the American atomic bombs with them at the same time," Bartsch added.
His sentiment was somewhat echoed by Johann Wadephul, who co-heads the ruling coalition's faction in the parliament. Trump and his team are "neglecting a fundamental management task: the involvement of the allies in decision-making processes," he stated. For him, the news provides an opening to make Europe less dependent on the US.
The news received a mixed reaction from Foreign Minister Heiko Maas, who spoke out this Sunday. "If it comes to the withdrawal of some of the US troops, we will take note of this," Maas told Bild newspaper.In the meantime, Poland would seem to be chomping at the bit for the arrival of US troops:
Berlin appreciates "the cooperation with the US armed forces that has grown over the decades," and that bond serves "the interest of our two countries," he said.
However, the foreign minister hinted that the relationship is not always so easy.We are close partners in the Transatlantic alliance. But: It is complicated.The reported decision came out of the blue for the German government, reports indicate. Local media widely quoted top lawmakers who voiced unease over how Germany was kept in the dark about the withdrawal plans.
While some senior politicians have accused the US of sidelining its allies when it comes to decision making, others say now is the time for Europe to take charge of its own future.
Although the reports are yet to be officially confirmed, Poland has already staked a claim for its share of the US troop pie.Needless to say, bolstering NATO's presence in any area of Europe is not sending out a very positive signal for US-Russia relations.
"I deeply hope that as a result of the many talks that we had ... part of the troops based today in Germany which are being removed by the United States ... will indeed come to Poland," Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki told radio station RMF 24 on Saturday.
The decision is now in the United States' hands, but Warsaw hopes that "that the [US] contingent in Poland will continue to grow," the premier stated. Expanding US troop presence is all about reinforcing "the eastern flank of NATO," Morawiecki said, stopping short of invoking the well-worn 'Russian threat'.I think Germany understands that geopolitics is changing, that we need to strengthen the eastern part of NATO.Meanwhile, Berlin was caught somewhat off-guard by the news, local outlet Der Spiegel suggested. Washington, their report says, did not previously inform its NATO ally Germany of its plans. Notably, both the German Defense Ministry and the Foreign Office refused to comment on the matter, as did the Pentagon itself.
Comment: Of much more concern than the claimed coronavirus deaths - totaling less than the average flu season - are the deaths caused by hospitals not taking in patients in need of critical care; the elderly that were left to die while those hospitals lay empty; as well as the as yet incalculable destruction to the economy, with a million unemployed and thousands of independent businesses going bankrupt as well as the surge in mental illness, suicide, and substance dependence - to name but a few effects of the tyrannical and unjustified lockdown. These facts are available to anyone wishing to get to the truth of the matter. And with that in mind, this government advisor should be sacked immediately for his complete incompetency and the danger he poses to society holding a position of such influence.