Don’t look now, but Angela Merkel is stealing Joe Biden’s cookies. If you had your windows open on Inaugural Day, that popping sound was from Berlin, where the German chancellor was drinking champagne and singing, Herr Trump is not just nearly dead. He’s really most sincerely dead! Almost overnight, the folks in Berlin returned to the good, old pre-Trump days. Just you wait, Uncle Sam. It won’t be long before Angela has Biden dancing a Polka in Der Reichstag.
Last week, President Biden froze the withdrawal of US troops from the Federal Republic of Deutschland to ensure “our military footprint is appropriately aligned with our foreign policy and national security priorities.” Since when is America’s security priority to keep Russian troops out of Germany in a conventional war? I remember when Democrats were doves that wanted to stay out of a war with Russia.
Of course, Merkel hated the troop withdrawal. It was punishment for not keeping her NATO financial promise and signing the Nord Stream 2 Deal (Russian oil pipeline). The Trump “call out” hurt Merkel because the German electorate is drifting right of center. Friends in Germany post that Trump lost Merkel with “hell-o” on her visit to the White House in 2017. Hence, it’s no shock that she’s thrilled to see Biden.
Merkel is, of course, elated that Biden froze the troop withdrawal, because it means America will continue Germany’s defense with US troops and treasure, giving German taxpayers a freebie. Mind you, Der Spiegel reported in 2018 that only 4 of Germany’s 128 Eurofighter jets were combat ready (for lack of missiles and operational combat radar). Merkel is taking pacifism to new levels – only because of American largesse.
Biden also dropped the US sanctions that went into effect over the Nord Stream 2 agreement (that effectively made Germany energy-dependent on Russia). The old US logic was this: it’s madness for a NATO ally to willingly give NATO’s enemy so much leverage. The new US logic is this: we liked things just they way they were…we think…actually we just do the opposite of Trump and feel good about it. Putin’s sides must be hurting from laughing so hard.
Merkel is no friend of the US. When Biden wisely continued America’s tough-on-China policies, Xi asked the EU to not take sides – and Merkel prevailed upon the union. Germany is keen on human rights – except when it involves Red China’s treatment of the genocidal actions against the Muslim Uighur minority. True fact: one in three German cars (4.8 million) are sold in China. No wonder Merkel won’t comment on Uighur genocide.
Before Biden, the US was moving the Middle East toward peace through Israel and the Sunnis; thereby leaving Shiite Iran on the outside looking in. Now, Biden wants to re-kindle the Obama-Kerry nuclear deal with Iran. Guess who’s happy? That would be Merkel, because Germany is Iran’s largest European trading partner and she wants “normalized trade with Iran,” according to former US ambassador to Germany, Richard Grenell.
What a Christmas gift for Merkel: oil from Russia, troops from America, car sales to China, and unbridled trade with Iran…with no commitment! What’s Biden thinking? I’m guessing her hair smells nice (the man loves sniffing). Then again, it could be a BMW board seat for Hunter. Any reason but Schadenfreude, because delighting in destroying all things Trump would mean Biden’s lost his marbles.