In defense of Maria Zakharova, to me she speaks of German leadership, not a 'national character'. It seems these leaders have no notion of history. It is true that Czarist Russia developed its Empire, but in regard to Europe, I don't know of any Russian aggression. The Swedes invaded and got beat, the Finns invaded and got beat, the French invaded and got beat, the Germans invaded twice with one win and one big, big loss. I suspect German leaders secretly want revenge for the ass-whupping they endured in WWII. But the main lesson is that Russia defends herself against European aggression, never the other way round.
Yes, I also believe Patrick was too harsh in stating Zakharova was accusing the Germans of a genetic defect. She asked, "can one not recall the well known thesis..." [my Websters says a thesis is: 'a proposition to be proved or one advanced without proof.'] And who can argue that this is not a well known trope when it comes to the Germans? And certainly Maria Zakharova, being Russian, is well aware of the calumnies tossed at the Russians for well over a century now by the West? We need only recall it was James Clapper, former US Director of National Intelligence, who said on Meet the Press that the Russians are "typically almost genetically driven to co-opt, penetrate, gain favor, whatever..."
Otherwise a much appreciated and troubling deep dive into Germany's current political stew, especially with Merz, who just yesterday gave the go-ahead for deep strikes into Russia, presumably with German Taurus missiles.
What a sad history. If only they remembered Bismarck's advice for success in politics: "Make a good treaty with Russia."
Sad but true. There are and always have been anti-establishment parties throughout Europe. They never get more than 25-30% of the vote and they are never allowed to be part of a coalition. There will either be a cordon sanitaire (the arrogance of that term alone) or they’ll cancel the election, like they did in Romania. The AfD will be verboten before it will get anywhere near the handles of power. The only populist parties that are allowed to govern, like in Denmark, might be anti-immigration, but pro Western hegemony, pro NATO, pro Israel, basically pro Empire. Had the AfD been just that, they might have had a shot, but their anti anti-Russia stance will seal their fate.
If you walk through Berlin, every government building has a Ukrainian flag flying. These rabid ideologues will not accept the verdict of the German people. They feel nothing but disdain for the voters, they only believe in democracy if it means getting a mandate to solidify their power. As soon as the majority votes ‘wrong’, watch how quickly they’ll save democracy by cancelling the wrong parties, that are responsible. A Russia-gate would 100% work in Germany, Patrick might have hung out with independent thinkers, but the vast majority of Germans are normies, who believe whatever the Tagesschau tells them.
If the US admitted tomorrow that they did indeed blow up their pipeline, there wouldn’t be any outrage, at least not from the people that hold positions of power in society, which is what you alluded to: AfD voters are not the ones that wield any power in the fields that matter: banking, politics and the media.
As those in the eastern states often explain, they developed an abiding distrust of authority during the G.D.R. years. But a paradox here: It was in their resistance to the East German state that East German people preserved who they were, what it was that made them German. And it is this distrust and resistance that informs their views and attitudes today toward Berlin and the west of Germany—their disdain, their refusals. More than one easterner told me they view the centrist regime in Berlin as another dictatorship.
As an Australian reading this I can't pretend to know what is happening in Germany. Too complex. Hope Germany gets it together for the sake of Europe. Confrontation and division is not the answer.
We worked very carefully on our translation--phrasing, the right words in English. What you've read is a considered result.
The original Fraktur is now in a storage vault in the U.S. I am working in Europe at the moment. I am due to return to the States in early June. I'll get the framed sheet out of storage and send you a note.
Can you remind me of this, please? And be a little patient?
Thanks, & to all others, for reading and commenting.
Feral F.: We're not in agreement on this. The governing coalition enjoys very low (and declining) approval and acceptance rates, as I note somewhere in this series. There are demonstrations against the remilitarization project in Berlin and elsewhere as we speak. The coalition itself shows signs of fractiousness.
In defense of Maria Zakharova, to me she speaks of German leadership, not a 'national character'. It seems these leaders have no notion of history. It is true that Czarist Russia developed its Empire, but in regard to Europe, I don't know of any Russian aggression. The Swedes invaded and got beat, the Finns invaded and got beat, the French invaded and got beat, the Germans invaded twice with one win and one big, big loss. I suspect German leaders secretly want revenge for the ass-whupping they endured in WWII. But the main lesson is that Russia defends herself against European aggression, never the other way round.
Yes, I also believe Patrick was too harsh in stating Zakharova was accusing the Germans of a genetic defect. She asked, "can one not recall the well known thesis..." [my Websters says a thesis is: 'a proposition to be proved or one advanced without proof.'] And who can argue that this is not a well known trope when it comes to the Germans? And certainly Maria Zakharova, being Russian, is well aware of the calumnies tossed at the Russians for well over a century now by the West? We need only recall it was James Clapper, former US Director of National Intelligence, who said on Meet the Press that the Russians are "typically almost genetically driven to co-opt, penetrate, gain favor, whatever..."
Otherwise a much appreciated and troubling deep dive into Germany's current political stew, especially with Merz, who just yesterday gave the go-ahead for deep strikes into Russia, presumably with German Taurus missiles.
What a sad history. If only they remembered Bismarck's advice for success in politics: "Make a good treaty with Russia."
Germany is not divided. Germany elites are united as never before, and they are the only ones who count.
Sad but true. There are and always have been anti-establishment parties throughout Europe. They never get more than 25-30% of the vote and they are never allowed to be part of a coalition. There will either be a cordon sanitaire (the arrogance of that term alone) or they’ll cancel the election, like they did in Romania. The AfD will be verboten before it will get anywhere near the handles of power. The only populist parties that are allowed to govern, like in Denmark, might be anti-immigration, but pro Western hegemony, pro NATO, pro Israel, basically pro Empire. Had the AfD been just that, they might have had a shot, but their anti anti-Russia stance will seal their fate.
If you walk through Berlin, every government building has a Ukrainian flag flying. These rabid ideologues will not accept the verdict of the German people. They feel nothing but disdain for the voters, they only believe in democracy if it means getting a mandate to solidify their power. As soon as the majority votes ‘wrong’, watch how quickly they’ll save democracy by cancelling the wrong parties, that are responsible. A Russia-gate would 100% work in Germany, Patrick might have hung out with independent thinkers, but the vast majority of Germans are normies, who believe whatever the Tagesschau tells them.
If the US admitted tomorrow that they did indeed blow up their pipeline, there wouldn’t be any outrage, at least not from the people that hold positions of power in society, which is what you alluded to: AfD voters are not the ones that wield any power in the fields that matter: banking, politics and the media.
The last sentence is especially on point.
Debt brake, one should read " it limits the (annual) 'structural deficit' to 0.35% of GDP"
"This, too, now takes a turn in the wrongest direction."
A pithy summation of not just Germany, but the West as a whole.
EXACTLY!
As those in the eastern states often explain, they developed an abiding distrust of authority during the G.D.R. years. But a paradox here: It was in their resistance to the East German state that East German people preserved who they were, what it was that made them German. And it is this distrust and resistance that informs their views and attitudes today toward Berlin and the west of Germany—their disdain, their refusals. More than one easterner told me they view the centrist regime in Berlin as another dictatorship.
As an Australian reading this I can't pretend to know what is happening in Germany. Too complex. Hope Germany gets it together for the sake of Europe. Confrontation and division is not the answer.
Oh, and by the way, what is the original German for
"It is not enough to have no ideas. You must also be incapable of executing any.”
?
FoH.
Interesting you ask.
We worked very carefully on our translation--phrasing, the right words in English. What you've read is a considered result.
The original Fraktur is now in a storage vault in the U.S. I am working in Europe at the moment. I am due to return to the States in early June. I'll get the framed sheet out of storage and send you a note.
Can you remind me of this, please? And be a little patient?
It's pl@patricklawrence.us
Thanks, & to all others, for reading and commenting.
Feral F.: We're not in agreement on this. The governing coalition enjoys very low (and declining) approval and acceptance rates, as I note somewhere in this series. There are demonstrations against the remilitarization project in Berlin and elsewhere as we speak. The coalition itself shows signs of fractiousness.
P.L.
"Can you remind me of this, please? And be a little patient? "
I will do both. Thanks for indulging my curiousity.