In Denial
Germany and the United States may not always agree upon everything, but even when they do agree, or might, or even could, they just can’t. Or simply won’t. Not unless they can deny having done so afterwards, that is.
A denial is always forthcoming in German-American relations these days. A few recent ones went like this: There’s a “leak” at the Pentagon a few months ago (man, they really ought to get a plumber in there and get that place fixed) about BND (the German intelligence service) involvement in helping US forces target their strikes in Bagdad during the invasion. The German government quickly denies this and some here even go as far as to attribute this leak to being part of a psychological warfare program being carried out by the United States against Germany – shortly before Angela Merkel’s first visit to Washington, following her vocal criticism of Guantanamo, get it? Washington then quickly denies this.
Now the New York Times is denying its need to deny the validity of its recent article about German agents providing US intelligence with an Iraqi defense plan shortly before the invasion, which was, of course, immediately denied by the German government upon publication.
And where might all of this denial leading to? That’s hard to say. But it could lead to the United States confronting its denial of the fact that Germany is no longer the reliable ally who supported it unconditionally during the course of the Cold War. It might also lead to Germany dealing with its denial of the fact that despite all its good intentions and valuable advice, it is simply too weak and too disinclined to ever actually act viably upon the world stage.
So let’s just continue to refuse to agree openly, even when we do. After all, a confirmation of something might get you into trouble, but a denial never will. What? You don’t believe me? Then you are in denial yourself, pal. Come on. Don’t deny it.
PS: If you ever dare claim that I wrote this, I will simply deny it. So don’t even try.
Clarsonimus blogs here every Sunday and writes in other parts of blogosphere at Observing Hermann.