As if.
The Germans under Schroeder have been a great disappointment to me in the last few years. We conquered them but rehabilitated them and brought them into NATO where they could become Western and prosperous. The Germans were our best ally on the continent in the Cold War. The Bundeswehr was a potent force that stood ready to kill Russian tanks as their fathers and grandfathers had done--but in a good cause. Then President Bush 41 supported unification when the Soviets went under even though many thought that was too provocative.
And what did we get in return? The Germans let their military atrophy until they couldn't even think of dealing with a third rate military power like Serbia on their very doorstep. And then on the eve of the Iraq War, the Germans decided that acting like ass hats was the smart geopolitical move. The Germans continued a century of bad foreign policy decisions only put on hold during the Cold War. But at least this one didn't result in invading a neighbor.
Ralph Peters (via Real Clear Politics) has perhaps a lot more venom for the Germans than I do but he puts it well:
Bush would be as nutty as Howard Dean to agree. There are, indeed, a few countries deserving of a new reserved seat at the Security Council's Theater of the Absurd — Brazil and India head the list — but Germany's claim to a permanent chair falls somewhere between the aspirations of Liberia and Myanmar.
Why should a decaying, neurotic country with a recent history of massive genocide be granted a seat at the world's most exclusive table? Russia already fills that bill.
But Gerhard, having stabbed the American people in the back with a dull knife two years ago, is hoping against hope that our short historical memory will kick in and we'll forget that one of his favored parliamentarians compared Bush to Hitler — and the chancellor didn't offer one word of apology.
Schroeder will blabber on about the long tradition of friendship between our two nations. Come again? We had to force democracy on the Germans at gunpoint. They sucked our strategic blood for 50 years and then chose Saddam Hussein over Uncle Sam.
Yeah, we're pals, Fritz. Here comes the big bratwurst.
The bratwurst part is vaguely disturbing but his point is correct--Germany can enjoy its EU status and kiss that permanent seat goodbye until they decide to be a responsible ally. I have hope for Germany. Once we were allies. I hope we will be again in the near future.
Oh, as for Brazil? Get real. As the joke goes, Brazil is the permanent member of the future--and always will be.
