Decentralization, pushback against the
empire, questioning the narrative; Trump is unleashing it all.
Germany hits back at Trump criticism of
refugee policy and BMW tariff threat
I don’t care so much about the BMW tariff
threat; this isn’t a post on economics. I enjoyed the reasons for the
criticism of Trump’s criticism about Germany’s refugee policy:
Responding to Trump’s comments that Merkel
had made an “utterly catastrophic mistake by letting all these illegals into
the country”, [Germany’s deputy chancellor and minister for the economy,
Sigmar] Gabriel said the increase in the number of people fleeing the Middle
East to seek asylum in Europe had partially been a result of US-led wars
destabilising the region.
“There is a link between America’s flawed
interventionist policy, especially the Iraq war, and the refugee crisis…
Finally, a meaningful political figure has
the courage to say it. But why say it now, you ask? Well, because
it is perhaps becoming acceptable for the empire’s colonies to criticize
American hegemony now that Trump is POTUS.
…that’s why my advice would be that we
shouldn’t tell each other what we have done right or wrong, but that we look
into establishing peace in that region and do everything to make sure people
can find a home there again,” Gabriel said.
Yes, you should “tell each other
what we have done right or wrong….” Get it out there, debate the issues.
It would do the world some good if Europe
pushes back against being a colony. It might reduce tensions with Russia;
it might reduce support for interventions in the Middle East and Africa.
It certainly would increase
decentralization.
Of course, this could all be merely
negotiation posturing on Trump’s part; destabilize the counterparty in order to
get them to be more malleable in the end. Even if this is the case, it
cannot hurt the broader public dialogue that Trump throws his comments out
there and the recipients of his punches decide to publicly respond.
It will get people to talk about things
they haven’t been allowed to talk about.
