Gettin' Kicked Around

Germany is a beautiful country. I don't really know anyway else to put it. The people have a wonderful sense of humor, a booming economy, and a work ethic that is almost unbeatable. I know a lot of Germans and am fortunate enough to say I have been all over western Germany, even living in Bielefeld for a few weeks in 2008. I have to admit I really can say nothing but nice things about the Germans.

One thing I do have to point out is that I do not for the life of me understand some of the things Germany tolerates and puts up, with regards to France and the European Union. I get that their membership in the initial EEC was important, and that their massive powerful population ad economy drives the European Union. But I do not understand how and why they continue to tolerate being bossed around by the European Union on other levels. For example, they joined the monetary union and complied with the adoption of the Euro, even though it really hurt to get rid of the Deutsch Mark economically speaking.

Interestingly, a few things should be noted. When Germany joined the EU (or the EEC as it was known at the time) newspaper editors and TV commentators hardly ever talked about the costs and benefits of Germany's EU membership. German people were not asked whether they wanted to give up their currency or admit former communist countries into the EU. It was assumed that what was good for Europe was good for Germany. Secondly, the history of Germany seems to linger above the heads of all Germans. It seems as though this guilt leads them to feel that they ought to do what Europe wants, rather than what they want themselves.

Why aren't Germans heartily tired of being the EU’s paymaster when almost 5 million people are out of work? Well, that may not be completely true. After all, Chancellor Angela Merkel was firm when she declared that Greece ought to be punished and not bailed out of bankruptcy. But frankly, this was the first time a German leader seemed to speak up and disagree with a European policy. There are a few explanations for why Merkel spoke up. First, Germany is now run by a group of leaders with no living memory of the horrors of the second world war. For the generation of Kohl, Europe was a matter of war and peace; for Merkel and most of her contemporaries, it is a question of costs and benefits. Second, Germany used to be a frontline state in the cold war. Membership in the EU and NATO was a matter of survival. Now it is not exactly the case. I guess this new change will be played out in the coming years with Germany and the EU.

On a smaller scheme, we learned the story of the Friendship Bridge between Kehl, Germany and Strasbourg, France. The project was agreed upon, and then scrapped by a French mayor who did not like the design. He instead called for a new design, and hand selected a Parisian architect to create the bridge. The point of the story is that the Germans ended up having to pay an additional 5x the amount of the original bridge. Did they complain? Maybe a little. Did they comply? Of course they did.