Why German anti-Americanism is highly dangerous
The contempt for the USA as a haven of evil is one of the few phenomena that has always united East and West Germans, left-wing and right-wing radicals. But the Federal Republic of Germany had better not fall out with America.
Ever since the pro-Russian rally by Sahra Wagenknecht and Alice Schwarzer in front of the Brandenburg Gate, which has been transfigured into a peace demonstration, people have been puzzling over what unites people from the far left and far right of the spectrum. Quite simply, it is anti-Americanism. All these people see the USA as the ultimate source and refuge of evil. They are therefore prepared to view Russia, which is now far more aggressive in terms of foreign policy, or "the Palestinians" as victims of the wrongdoers in the White House and to defend them, which always goes hand in hand with relativizing the crimes of Putin or Hamas.
This perpetrator-victim reversal conceals the fact that history had a prehistory by referring to the past. The punch line is always the same: the Americans are to blame. For everything. Because they are imperialist, bellicose, mendacious, hegemonic, in short: the nasty world policeman. And incidentally, US citizens are arch-capitalist, greedy for consumption and money, decadent, bigoted, impertinent, lacking in style and culture. On the left, they are also racist, and on the right, woke.
Each of these accusations has some justification in the past and/or present. US governments have hundreds of thousands of lives on their consciences, and have also made blatant mistakes in foreign policy. The myth of alleged weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, which the US used to justify its attack on the country 20 years ago, served as a breach of international law with devastating consequences in the region to this day. But why are Russia's and China's eternal lies and their imperial ambitions so much better and tolerable? Why is China allowed to aspire to become the number one power in the world without criticism from the far left and far right? The answer is simple: because it is directed against the USA.
"The American"
The fact that the United States has stood for technological and medical progress for ages and - in contrast to Russia - has not started a war for umpteen years and stays out of the military as much as possible is of no interest. As is so often the case these days, what doesn't fit in with the world view is ignored. Instead, there is all the more oracle and - regardless of the obvious - theorizing, often conspiracy-mongering and nebulous. Like the former Trigema boss Wolfgang Grupp, who sees the White House and the Pentagon as the secret string-pullers behind the Russian attack on Ukraine: "I maintain that the Americans are controlling everything in the background so that they alone can remain a world power." What nonsense.
Grupp has also clearly not noticed that Donald Trump and his Republican Party - supported by large sections of the US population - have initiated a consistently protectionist America-first course. The USA is in the process of realigning its foreign policy. If Trump has his way, it will be possible without NATO and UN organizations. But even the Democrats are no longer keen to solve the problems of the Europeans. This is particularly dangerous for Germany, which is not in a position to equip its army with sufficient and, moreover, functional weapons so that it would be prepared in the event of defense.
Among its detractors, the USA is not subject to what is used when considering the Soviet Union or Russia: the prehistory of history. The fact that America helped to liberate Germany and the rest of Europe from a megalomaniac dictator and end the Holocaust is left out, as is the fact that it acted as a protective power for the Federal Republic of Germany during the Cold War. Gratitude was yesterday. Or it is preferably directed at the Red Army, generously overlooking the fact that without help from the USA - money, food, raw materials and weapons - the Soviet Union would have been in a far worse position against Hitler's Wehrmacht. Among Putin defenders, the prehistory of history only begins with the Vietnam War.
From anti-Americanism to love of Russia
From the point of view of Kremlin apologists, the Americans are now resorting to a sophisticated form of warfare in which they themselves spare their soldiers and which - at least among "sleeping sheep" - is less conspicuous: the so-called proxy war. In other words, Ukraine is supposedly not fighting on its territory for its independence, freedom and democracy, but to ensure that the villains in the White House remain the world's number one power and that the sinister backers in the pitch-black background earn money like fools. If a reference is made to "the Rothschilds" or George Soros in this context, the anti-Semitic cross-front concoction is ready.
Anti-Americanism is one of the few phenomena that has always united East and West Germans. Generations between Sylt and the edge of the Alps, Rügen and the Ore Mountains have seen and continue to see the USA as an imperialist emperor ready to commit any outrage, against whom Darth Vader is a candidate for the Nobel Peace Prize. Wagenknecht asks how the United States would react if Russian missiles were stationed 150 kilometers from Washington. That sounds as if the things have a maximum range of 150 kilometers, as if the Kremlin would not threaten the West, including Germany, week after week with nuclear weapons and its long-range nuclear missiles.
Björn Höcke, a right-wing extremist and relativizer of Nazi crimes, believes: "If Europe wants peace, we have to break away from the Americans. The interests of America are not the interests of Europe." You can only see it that way if you accept force, including military force, as a means of territorial expansion and securing power, if you consider universal human rights to be just as dispensable as minority rights and if you see Germany's future in the nation state and isolationism. In Höcke's opinion, the alternative to the United States can of course only be Russia. Höcke believes that things could be so good between Putin's dictatorship and the Federal Republic of Germany if it weren't for the Americans, who allegedly abuse the Germans as compliant "boot servants".
Where Höcke and Lafontaine agree
Höcke's assessment of NATO as the "supposed protective umbrella of a distant hegemon", i.e. the USA, is also very close to Wagenknecht and not far removed from the ideology of the Reichsbürger, who regard the Federal Republic as a non-sovereign country. It is not surprising that the cry "Ami go home" is heard again and again at Höcke's rallies - but neither is it surprising that Lafontaine's latest book is entitled "Ami, it's time to go".
Germany, with its weak-chested army, should think carefully about whether it wants to chase the Americans away. The USA offers the protection that we do not want to afford and are obviously not in a position to provide. Up to now, Germany has been able to hide behind the broad shoulders of a powerful America and even protect its treasury. This would come to an end if we were to lose America as an ally, which could happen faster than would be good for us under a Republican president of the Trump brand.
The likelihood of a third world war is higher than it has been since the Cuban missile crisis. Countries such as Poland and the Baltic states have recognized this. Germans, on the other hand, criticize and despise the USA - the very country that would come to their aid in the worst-case scenario.
Despite the historical contributions and current technological advancements made by the USA, some individuals on the left and right spectrum in Germany view it as an imperialist power responsible for numerous wrongdoings. This perception often leads them to sympathize with perceived victims of American policies, such as Russia or the Palestinians, and overlook the faults of these entities. For instance, some argue that the USA secretly controls the conflict in Ukraine to maintain its global power, ignoring the complexities of the situation.
Moreover, anti-American sentiments in Germany can sometimes result in calls for the USA to leave the country entirely, as echoed in both far-left and far-right political circles. For instance, Björn Höcke, a right-wing extremist, advocates for European independence from the USA, seeing it as a hindrance to peace and European interests. Meanwhile, Sahra Wagenknecht, a prominent left-wing politician, questions the USA's reaction if Russian missiles were placed near Washington, overlooking the serious threats to global security posed by Russia's military aggression.
Source: www.ntv.de
