Wednesday 15 May 2019

EU: Das Vierte Reich in the making

EU: Das Vierte Reich in the making

Let's not beat around the bush. The purpose is clear for all to see. The rise of a new block that will be on a collision course with China, Russia and the US and presumably also on a collision course with the rest of the World. 

For those who dreamed about a peace project, this is starting to look like a project for war with its own Central Government and its own Armed Forces.

From the Common Market to promote trade between free nations to Military Alliance to prepare for a massive confrontation.

In the old days, European Nations went to war against each other. They won or lost wars, territories were partitioned or taken over depend on who was the winner and this was the way things went for a very long time. Now, we the rise of a blend of Axe and Entente that could have catastrophic consequences for those who belong to the blend of Axe and Entente and for those outside such arrangement. 

For those who believe in present arrangements with NATO as the guarantor of peace and security and not just in Europe but worldwide there is a major crisis in the horizon. As tensions rise in the Middle East and Asia Minor with the withdrawal of European forces from Iraq and elsewhere because of the confrontation of USA and some Gulf nations with Iran, other players will have to make very hard decisions. What will be Turkey's position, for example. During the second war against Iraq, Turkey wasn't very enthusiastic about it. Saddam Hussein was keeping the lid on Kurdish aspirations and the defeat of Saddam Hussein would lead to the de-facto partition of Iraq giving Kurds in Northern Iraq a free hand to help their own people in Turkey and elsewhere.

Whatever the Lib Dems and others can say about the European Union as a supporter peace, Centralised Power and the existence of European Union Armed Forces plus talk about 'uniting to stand up to China, Russia and US' are not about peace. It looks a lot more like preparation for War.

What do Americans think about the arrangement proposed? Let us remember that Isolationism was very much appreciated in the USA after the losses suffered in World War One. The American public didn't want to get involved in European Wars. Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Winston Churchill had to make huge efforts to persuade the American public that the USA had to get involved in World War Two. Had not been for the Japanese attack in Pearl Harbour and the subsequent declaration of war issue by both Germany and Italy against the USA, it would have been extremely difficult to get the USA directly involved in Europe. Sending war materials including ships and tanks was one thing that the American people could accept with the proviso that it was merely a transaction that was going to be paid for. Sending their sons and daughters to die in an European war was quite another.

Now, according to Angela Merkel, the USA is a foe, something that the European Union must stand against. Disagreements in terms of trade are now combined with disagreements in terms of Foreign Policy. But how of Angela Merkel's war-like approach is real. Lets think for a moment about the relationship between Germany and the Russian Federation. The Poles and others are complaining that while EU countries suffer because of sanctions against the Russian Federation there is no clarity in terms of German/Russian relations when it comes to oil and gas. The USA itself has criticised Germany's approach regarding oil and gas acquired from the Russian Federation.

Despite all the aforementioned, public expressions that describe USA, China and Russia as foes are not reassuring. 

 


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