January 23, 2003

Germany rules out Iraq war support

Germany has declared it will not back a UN resolution authorising war against Iraq, adding its concerns to mounting reservations within the Security Council about military action.

After starting the last 2 World Wars, Germany decides to push back from the table?
"No thanks, I'm full."
Didja ever think you'd live to see the day?
Or maybe they're just bitter that they didn't get to start it...
I'm sure the "axis of evil" could find a spot for them somewhere--betcha they've missed that whole "Axis" action.
This is not to say that Our War, the U.S.-led mission to remove an evil, arms-amassing dictator like Saddam, is not just and right--it is!-- and that Germany's efforts at world domination--also led by evil warring dictators--weren't contemptible and horrible: they were.
What offends and shocks me is Germany's "peace-loving" stance, as if they've never supported war and military action and never ever would.
Their disingenuous dovishness is what I find galling and infuriating.
Guys like my dad put their lives on the line to stop the Nazi war machine!
He was stationed in Western Europe for over 3 years.
My boyfriend's father was involved in the liberation of France and came in with the guys right behind the Normandy Invasion.
These men saw endless suffering, their comrades killed and wounded and liberated the death camps where 6 million Jews and 6 million other "enemies of the Reich" needlessly were murdered.
And that was just WWII.
We're not even talking about the two Berlin airlifts, or our bases in the former West Germany and all over Western Europe where thousands of American's finest men and women (including Elvis and Jimmy Hendrix) kept the Soviet Russians in check for 45 years.
Or the trade and tourism, which may strike some as unimportant, but do the math and see how much America's import of French and German goods and services and our tourism over there has contributed to their economies. (Hint: It's plenty!).
I think I've bought my last Chanel bag and Hermes scarf and believe you me, that makes me sad, but I have my loyalties!
France and Germany are going to be really sorry for so many reasons that they've made this poor choice: they're backing the losers and they're (perhaps) mortally betraying the Honor of the special "Allied" relationship we've had with them for over two centuries, in the case of France.
(The Statue of Liberty was a gift from them to us for the birth of the democratic republic! Can you believe it?)
It's not pretty to watch and it's almost physically painful to endure this backstabbing.
But to dwell on it is to give them more importance than they deserve and slights unfairly other countries who have given more and "been there" for us in real meaningful ways since 9/11 like Australia, Poland, Italy and Pakistan.
Au Revoir and Aufweidersehen--and good luck with those millions of restless Muslim immigrants in your borders!