sierakowski86_ HANNIBAL HANSCHKEAFP via Getty Images_scholz ukraine

الإفلاس الأخلاقي لسياسة المسالمة الألمانية

May 2, 2022 Sławomir Sierakowski

برلين- بعد فترة انتظار طويلة ، أعلنت ألمانيا أخيراً عن قرارها بإرسال أسلحة ثقيلة الى أوكرانيا ولكن النتيجة كانت مخيبة للآمال فالدبابات المضادة للطائرات ذا جيبارد (تشيتا ) المقدمة من ألمانيا قديمة وتفتقد للذخيرة علماً ان المصنع يمتلك فقط 23000 طلقة ذخيرة ولقد أعلنت وزارة الدفاع الألمانية منذ ذلك الحين انها سوف تبحث عن ذخيرة احتياطية في أماكن بعيدة مثل الأردن والبرازيل وقطر وبينما تتسبب روسيا بدمار شامل لجارتها وذلك من خلال قتل وتعذيب واغتصاب المدنيين فيها، ما تزال المانيا غارقة في فوضى تعكس عدم الكفاءة.

ان كلا البلدين يتمتعان بتقاليد عسكرية غنية حيث حكما كإمبراطوريات سلطوية في القرن العشرين ولقد حصل تباعد في مسارات البلدين بعد هزيمة هتلر ولكنهما استمرا بالتحرك بشكل متماثل وعلى وجه الخصوص بينما نبذت ألمانيا الامبريالية، الا انها استمرت في الاعتقاد بوجود " مهمة خاصة" لها ضمن التاريخ.

لقد أدى هذا الاعتقاد والنابع عن موقع المانيا الإمبريالية بين روسيا السلطوية والغرب الديمقراطي الليبرالي إلى بروز جميع أنواع المواقف الخطيرة وغير المسؤولة في السياسة الخارجية وذلك من التوجه نحو الشرق ورؤية القيادة الألمانية لوسط أوروبا في القرن التاسع عشر إلى بحث هتلر عن مساحة للعيش من خلال التوسع وسياسة المستشار ويلي براندت في التقارب مع المانيا الشرقية والاتحاد السوفياتي. ان من المثير للاهتمام معرفة أن أوكرانيا كانت في كثير من الأحيان في قلب تلك المواقف التي تنطوي على الخداع.

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0 Comments on this paragraph, 12 Comments on this article

Frank Mittag May 10, 2022

I understand the article and its message very well. But, I think its missing the point. The actual government with its strange decision making and its supporters share a common problem: fear. This problem is only understandable by applying psychological methods. Political analytics can't catch it really, they only scratch the surface. Seriously: We Germans are still caught by some subtle demons of the past. They are disappearing very slowly but steady. The generation of the 1950 to 1970 are most affected, but they don't know it. They really do not know, what is going on with them. It's tragic.
So, I plead for some patience (and a lot of good humor). Critics are welcome.
Especially from the Ukrainians! We Germans have to bear it.
And be cautious: In the present condition, it is no good idea to push the "Germans to the front". You do not really want this! Not now. Our time is still to come.
To the Poles: Have a "look in the mirror": What about your strange fear of the Russians?
What about your ruling politicians? Everything rational? Everything fine?
No way. Welcome in the club. WW2 isn't finished in our heads, still.
But together we will make it. Together in a vital EU. Together with Ukraine (and Belarus). And of Putin: He has already lost, regardless of the military outcome of the war. As long as he stays in power (he doesn't look very healthy, by the way..).
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Arne Wink May 8, 2022

The war in Ukraine will end. When it does there will still be a Russia and there will still be a Germany. Ukraine will also still exist, as will Poland, both - hopefully - as independent and sovereign states. The politicians' task today is to prepare for optimal conditions for all of these countries to live together on their continent in a peace that will still have to be found.
More German support for Ukraine's defense is unlikely to contribute toward that search or form a pillar of that peace. This is so because no amount of military assistance will defeat Russia. Nor does such a defeat even appear desirable because it would create a vacuum between Europe and China that Europe, including Germany, is both unable and unwilling to fill.
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Leto Atreides May 8, 2022

We should be concerned if all European countries eagerly supply weapons to Ukraine. The war has become a proxy war between Russia and NATO with a risk of dangerous escalation. Many Eastern Europeans do not seem to appreciate the danger and wish to see Russia defeated once and for all. But such a goal cannot realistically be achieved because Russia is still a nuclear superpower and will not accept a total defeat. This means that the war will continue until both sides are exhausted. The more support NATO provides without a matching effort to find a diplomatic exit ramp, the longer the war will last and the more destructions there will be. The amount of military aid Germany can provide to Ukraine is of limited value. But Germany's ambivalent position toward arming Ukraine can provide some hedge against the US position and be utilized to help find a diplomatic exit to the war, which unfortunately, has been sorely lacking at the moment.
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Henk Crop May 4, 2022

I am not German, my country also suffered considerably by WW2.
However that War ended over 75 years ago. Germans who could have had any impact on that War died almost all long ago.
The fear for Nazism pops up once in a while in all EU countries and it is stimulated by leftist politians. However that remains a marginal development as everyone knows the disaster of WW2.

But I have also learnt some from history.
Politics is about the future. When we continue to shape our politics by the recent history we run the risk of landing in another War again.
In fact that is what happened after WW1.
The French and the Belgians sought revenge on the Germans, which resulted in them occupying parts of Germany.
It boosted Hitlers route to power.

Germany should take it's role as the most powerful, and numerous, EU member.
The other members should also recognise that.
They, as smaller members, should remain their postion as souvereign EU members.
I suggest to look at how the Canadians go along with their huge neighbour.
The weak role Germany is assuming has already impact on the EU.
- countries like France and Italy take a role they do not deserve, given their weak economic performance. Nevertheless they occupy the Presidency of the ECB for years.
- these countries also try to turn the EU into a transfer Union. Which is in breach of agreement.
- the EU commission behave as if they are the EU leaders. While they are only unelected officials.
- furthermore I think the EU could be strengthened by forming an EU management team. Members: Germany, France as permanent members plus 5 members from smaller EU members. This as a replacement of the Franco-German axis.
- in the ECB board the advanced members should have an extra seat.
- in the EU Angela Merkel has played a weak role, without vision. Mutti was mainly concerned with refugees.
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Mirek Fatyga May 3, 2022

perhaps we, and particularly the Polish people, should be a little bit careful advocating for re-militarization of Germany? It is a bit of a conundrum. Under the Cold War arrangements Germany directed her energies towards becoming an economic power, leaving the military power to the United States. It seems that everyone and his second cousin, including a large segment of the US electorate as exemplified by Donald Trump is ready to trust Germany with military power again. Be careful what you wish for is all I have to say. Perhaps some intransigence in Germany may be better than the alternative?
- K Harris May 9, 2022
  
  It’s not a matter of trusting Germany. It’s a matter of Germany pulling its own weight. Military preparedness is expensive and Germans don’t like to spend money on it. No one likes to be pointed to as a freeloader and Germany certainly took offense when called out. But it wasn’t wrong to call it out.
  - Mirek Fatyga May 9, 2022
    
    Yes, this is what Mr Trump said (to great applause from his supporters): freeloaders.
    
    First, while the US does spend more on defense than her allies, the US also derives great benefits from its leadership.
    
    1. American Dollar
    2. Technological benefits of defense spending which is closely related to (1), as the US can better afford this spending than the others.
    
    The division of labor, so to speak, is pretty clear and it worked well for 70 years after WW2. Germany is one of the major countries that hold the EU together, while the US is the primary guarantor of common defense.
    
    If you look at suspected Russian intentions in the war with Ukraine, these pretty much fall along the lines of the Ribbentrop-Molotov treaty. And indeed on the Russian side we have now a Molotov, whose name is Lavrov. Thankfully, instead of Ribbentrop on the German side we have EU and NATO. This is why we are looking at containment of Russia, rather than a beginning of WW3 on the European continent.
    
    I think it would be wise to keep it this way at least for a little bit longer. Alternative fur Deutschland may seem like a nuisance today, but things can change quickly.
    - K Harris May 9, 2022
      
      Yes President Trump said Germany should meet its NATO obligations, as did President Obama and President GW Bush. After all Poland does and France does and the UK does and even tiny Estonia does. There isn’t any justification for Germany not doing so. Other than they’d rather spend their money on things other than the common defense. And being called out is never pleasant.
      
      Don’t misunderstand. I am very much in favor of the US meeting its obligations to NATO. This isn’t a criticism of those in NATO who meet their obligations, it’s criticism of those who do not. The EU is not NATO and it has no role in the common defense.
      - Mirek Fatyga May 9, 2022
        
        but you are not addressing the main question: considering history, should we actually encourage Germany to rearm. History is replaying herself in Ukraine today, even though we thought that this sort of thing belongs to the past. It turns out though that it is happening in the present with nukes in the mix.
        
        K Harris May 9, 2022
        
        It’s not a question of encouraging anyone or anything. Germany is a NATO member and as such agreed to meet specific NATO military preparedness obligations, as did all NATO countries. And it has consistently refused to do so. And in the process consistently endangers all NATO members by being unprepared.
        
        I guess you could make the argument that Germany should not be part of NATO. Is that what you’re suggesting? Or is it your view that all NATO countries except Germany meet their obligations for common defense?
        
        I’m not sure why anyone would have thought that actions like Russias belong to the past. Should Russias recent actions in the Crimea not have woken people up?
        
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