Today I woke up to videos on the BBC showing bombs by the Russian army exploding in Ukraine. Since writing about Germany becoming neutral a month ago I have of course questioned myself. Would this be the correct approach? I cannot tell the mood of an entire country but it seemed like just another day on the streets of Munich and WeWork. An article (link below) in the Süddeutsche Zeitung today said the German government just approved last week the production of more tanks to be delivered in 2029. A little too late for this conflict I would say. Germany's momentum to fight, both in arms and mentality, still rests at nearly zero.
I am going to still advocate for what I have suggested here, not out of stubbornness but still because of what I see as reality. I will add though that American, UK and French forces need to all move entirely east to Poland and now the Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania
The idea of Germany getting to be neutral and not raise a large army still does not see fair. What price will they pay? Well for one its citizens will have higher energy costs, which has been a coming reality since it decided to phase out its nuclear energy sources. But my estimation is that these events will be an accelerant to make Germany energy independent and within five years they will be in an ideal situation. For the environmentalist, this could be a blessing in disguise.
But Americans will likely face increased energy costs and other challenging economic affects so these cost of living impacts don't seem to fit the bill. What other way can Germany pay? I selfishly offer up this fresh idea: Americans can have nearly unfettered access to Germany in the form of a timeless visa stamp and ability to work here. (This creates some Schengen area issues but let's not get bogged down in those matters yet.)
Additionally, the hurdles to dual citizenship in Germany will be drastically lowered for Americans. The security of Germany has been and will continue to rest on the shoulders of America. At this moment that weight on America has primarily been money and the strains that a society bears for maintaining a large armed forces (i.e. the challenges families face with having loved ones deployed). But if, and God help us—if, American and NATO blood is spilled over this current crisis with Russia, then the ultimate price will have been paid.
Allowing Americans who have given so much to Germany this past century, a simple right to live, work and enjoy this country seems like an appropriate thank you.
The real trick will be to get the US to go along with a shift like this because, as you mention, we have become too powerful and that kind of power makes it hard not to always be the arbiter of truth or peace or war. Hopefully, it is resolved without invasion or war, but the west cannot also allow "appeasement" policies into the fray because history would tell us that only leads to the worst conclusion.
I think if the US can view this as a "Mission Accomplished" with Germany, they can move on further to the East and repeat. Clearly, the starting point is at a totally different place than a destroyed country after WW2 but Poland could use some help. This simple movement of armies goes against my true idealist hope of reducing armies as a whole, but that is a discussion for another day.
I also don't view that all geopolitical negotiations need to flow through Berlin but at this moment over Ukraine it seems the right fit. Germany from a global diplomatic perspective is just another option, another club in the bag as we say sometimes! Actually, if Germany becomes neutral, any sort of meetings probably shouldn't be held in Berlin (too much power from the state rests there), but maybe Dresden should be the city where any sort of peace keeping organizations should exist.
There are a lot of discussions right now about how things were handled here in Munich in 1938 with the appeasement of Hitler. There are plenty of similarities to the Ukraine issue today. Some readings are suggesting that appeasement allowed Britain to arm up and allow us to really see Hitler's intent. If we would have not made a deal, blood shed probably would have occured much quicker, with Britain less prepared, the US just seeing a conflict over a part of Czech and possibly not the world dominating evil of Hitler.
So by not running to war with Putin, it is going to allow him to quite possibly take much of Ukraine, but then as we help arm up Ukraine and as I suggest move to Poland, we can see if he does have Hitler type ambitions...I don't know and I don't anybody does...
Today I woke up to videos on the BBC showing bombs by the Russian army exploding in Ukraine. Since writing about Germany becoming neutral a month ago I have of course questioned myself. Would this be the correct approach? I cannot tell the mood of an entire country but it seemed like just another day on the streets of Munich and WeWork. An article (link below) in the Süddeutsche Zeitung today said the German government just approved last week the production of more tanks to be delivered in 2029. A little too late for this conflict I would say. Germany's momentum to fight, both in arms and mentality, still rests at nearly zero.
I am going to still advocate for what I have suggested here, not out of stubbornness but still because of what I see as reality. I will add though that American, UK and French forces need to all move entirely east to Poland and now the Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania
The idea of Germany getting to be neutral and not raise a large army still does not see fair. What price will they pay? Well for one its citizens will have higher energy costs, which has been a coming reality since it decided to phase out its nuclear energy sources. But my estimation is that these events will be an accelerant to make Germany energy independent and within five years they will be in an ideal situation. For the environmentalist, this could be a blessing in disguise.
But Americans will likely face increased energy costs and other challenging economic affects so these cost of living impacts don't seem to fit the bill. What other way can Germany pay? I selfishly offer up this fresh idea: Americans can have nearly unfettered access to Germany in the form of a timeless visa stamp and ability to work here. (This creates some Schengen area issues but let's not get bogged down in those matters yet.)
Additionally, the hurdles to dual citizenship in Germany will be drastically lowered for Americans. The security of Germany has been and will continue to rest on the shoulders of America. At this moment that weight on America has primarily been money and the strains that a society bears for maintaining a large armed forces (i.e. the challenges families face with having loved ones deployed). But if, and God help us—if, American and NATO blood is spilled over this current crisis with Russia, then the ultimate price will have been paid.
Allowing Americans who have given so much to Germany this past century, a simple right to live, work and enjoy this country seems like an appropriate thank you.
https://www.sueddeutsche.de/politik/litauen-bundeswehr-lambrecht-1.5535313
The real trick will be to get the US to go along with a shift like this because, as you mention, we have become too powerful and that kind of power makes it hard not to always be the arbiter of truth or peace or war. Hopefully, it is resolved without invasion or war, but the west cannot also allow "appeasement" policies into the fray because history would tell us that only leads to the worst conclusion.
I think if the US can view this as a "Mission Accomplished" with Germany, they can move on further to the East and repeat. Clearly, the starting point is at a totally different place than a destroyed country after WW2 but Poland could use some help. This simple movement of armies goes against my true idealist hope of reducing armies as a whole, but that is a discussion for another day.
I also don't view that all geopolitical negotiations need to flow through Berlin but at this moment over Ukraine it seems the right fit. Germany from a global diplomatic perspective is just another option, another club in the bag as we say sometimes! Actually, if Germany becomes neutral, any sort of meetings probably shouldn't be held in Berlin (too much power from the state rests there), but maybe Dresden should be the city where any sort of peace keeping organizations should exist.
There are a lot of discussions right now about how things were handled here in Munich in 1938 with the appeasement of Hitler. There are plenty of similarities to the Ukraine issue today. Some readings are suggesting that appeasement allowed Britain to arm up and allow us to really see Hitler's intent. If we would have not made a deal, blood shed probably would have occured much quicker, with Britain less prepared, the US just seeing a conflict over a part of Czech and possibly not the world dominating evil of Hitler.
So by not running to war with Putin, it is going to allow him to quite possibly take much of Ukraine, but then as we help arm up Ukraine and as I suggest move to Poland, we can see if he does have Hitler type ambitions...I don't know and I don't anybody does...