It cites another article that basically addresses why I think we need to know what Germany is doing.
That NRO post also brings up an issue I haven't flogged for a while, namely that Germany in the EU makes the Germans more EU than German---and that's a problem:
So yes, Germany is an ally, but Germany-in-Europe, not quite so much.
Not just Germans, of course. I hold that while Europeans can be our friends, Europe--as a single political entity--cannot be our friend.