Pearls of Wisdom from the German Ambassador, and a Response

Wolfgang Ischinger, German Ambassador to the United States, says:

"As older societies, we tend to think of ourselves as more experienced in the way societies evolve, and we tend to be skeptical of Americans who seem to think that if you believe hard enough, and you muster enough resources, you can change the world...In the last year or so, as we've engaged in discussions about the transformation of the Middle East and democracy, I have told my American friends that the region in this world that has seen the most transformation and change is Central and Eastern Europe--without shedding a drop of blood. So don't preach to us. And don't think transformative change will work according to mechanistic rules. This is very complicated. Changing the way people think often has to do with religious and cultural issues--we tend to think of them as long-term, and Americans think, Let's solve the problem in the next four years!"

I would like to respond:

You, Mr. Ischinger, must be the most hypocritical man on the planet. “Four years?” “Without shedding a drop of blood?” What the hell are you talking about? Was it not Germany that invaded Poland and launched the world into war, requiring the Americans to destroy the vile and cancerous national socialist (i.e., Nazi) movement in Europe? Come to think of it, wasn’t it Germany that started both World Wars? If Germany hadn’t, in its great experience and wisdom, invaded every country in its vicinity, those poor eastern and central European countries wouldn’t have had to exist in a Soviet slave state for the ensuing 50 years, but because of Germany, they did, and more than a few drops of blood were shed. Millions of human beings in these central and eastern European states were butchered (and not just Jews) and the “experienced” Germans are the ones who put them under Stalin's knife in the first place. And do you actually imagine that it was the Germans that caused the U.S.S.R. to splinter, allowing the eastern bloc states to regain their identities and become free nations again? Hilarious! It was the Americans who provided economic assistance both to Russia and the eastern bloc countries in their transition towards democracy. The Cold War may not have had many spectacular battles (though the Korean and Vietnam Wars do ring a bell), but it was expensive and the United States bore its financial burden almost exclusively. The Europeans as a whole couldn’t even handle that bloody little spat in their backyard, in Bosnia and Kosovo. You had to call on the Americans to fix things. Why should we Americans shed our blood in Bosnia and Kosovo, we asked? Because Europe is a tinderbox and the conflict in this tiny part of Europe could spread. At great cost, both financially and in blood, Americans spent their treasure and continue to do so to protect European interests. Now, not after four years but after 60 years, the US has plans to finally pull its military out of Germany itself and guess who is kicking and screaming about it… the Germans! Talk about changing people’s minds! Guess what, ass-wipe, we Americans (our military in particular) have been changing the world through great sacrifice, through blood, sweat and tears for a very long time now, not that you would give a damn. Don’t lecture us, Mr. Ischinger.