While our foes like China, North Korea, and Iran hope to wait out Trump to get better relations with America, our German ally doesn't even try to pretend that Trump is the actual problem rather than America:
In other words, in the calculus of the supposedly sober and judicious Merkel, the democracy that saved Europe twice from a carnivorous Germany — and Germany once from itself and once from becoming a Soviet vassal — is now similar to the world’s two largest authoritarian dictatorships, nations that not so long ago murdered respectively 30 million and 70 million of their own citizens.
We saved Europe from them twice, saved Germany from being an international pariah forever more after World War II, saved West Germany from Soviet conquest, and advocated for reuniting Germany after leading the Western defeat of the USSR.
And this is what America gets in return? All because Merkel peddles the insane notion that the growing European Union is the cause of Europe's prosperity and peace since 1945? Just ... wow.
And it gets worse. Even as Germany oddly condemns and rejects America despite even Trump's strong defense of the trans-Atlantic alliance (without Germany also rejecting our protection within NATO), Germany proclaims that they can't be trusted with a military. That is our 21st century German question's oddest paradox.
It would almost be cosmic justice if the militarily weak Germany fell under Russia's dominance if not control, given the bizarre hostility that Germany directs toward America (and this is longstanding and not based on Trump).
Unfortunately, actual European friends and allies would be hurt in the process of inflicting that cosmic justice. And an aggressive Russia would be strengthened.
Plus, we have a deep interest in making sure that Europe isn't controlled by a hostile power:
It is easy to forget--and this was a useful reminder to me--that Europe with its autocracies and monarchies was not fully part of a free West (although obviously part of the Western tradition) until we rebuilt Western Europe in that template after World War II. And NATO expansion after defeating the Soviet Union was more explicit in demanding democracy and rule of law for new members.
We really do need Europe in our team. Which is one reason I am a firm supporters of America's leading role in NATO and do not think the alliance is obsolete.
But Europe does have a role in keeping America in Europe by remaining worthy of defending--as we designed it to be. Which is why I so vocally despise the European Union.
Which is why we can't walk away from Europe in disgust as Germany--the strongest economic power in Europe and the natural leader of a united EU despite France's pretensions that it can lead Germany from behind--leads the anti-American faction in Europe.
The Russians have a longstanding fear of German invasion, and given Russia's boundless paranoia it is not hard to imagine Russia itching for the day when they can end that threat forever no matter how weak Germany's military is.
And if the Germans are as dangerous as the Germans claim to be, maybe America, Russia, Britain, and France will one day take the Germans at their word and deal with the threat.*
Is it the only way to be sure? Because nearly 75 years of nurturing and protecting a prosperous German democracy just doesn't seem to be building the nation we hoped to have as an ally.
UPDATE: I've often asked what the Hell happened to Germany, given their refusal to shoulder the defense burden of Europe that their economic heft should require. But the German military--what little there is and regardless of how poorly funded the rump force is--has good people in its ranks.
*I kid, of course. I'm just saying that Germany's position on America and NATO does have logical conclusions that the Germans shouldn't want to encourage.
