BISMARCK’S DREAM, MERKEL’S VICTORY

5/1/13

Emblazoned across the front page of today’s (i.e., Wednesday, 5/1/13’s) Wall Street Journal is the headline “Latest Leader Pays Court to Mother Europe” over four pictures of European leaders (new Italian Prime Minister Enrico Letta, Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaris, Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, and French President Francois Hollande) exchanging pleasantries with, paying homage to, or being lectured by German Chancellor Angela Merkel.   The article behind the picture, which appears on page A10, explains that, over the last few years, and especially as European financial problems have taken hold, the first stop of any new leader of a Eurozone country is in Berlin to get the seal of approval from, er, sorry, visit Ms. Merkel.

My first thought as I saw the picture and read the nearly extraneous article was the same thought that has occupied at least some of my thinking since the European “crisis” started and spread…the Germans have accomplished what has been their goal since the unification of the German state under Bismarck in 1871:  economic and political domination of what was once called Mitteleuropa, or the heart of Europe, and beyond.

Germany tried twice in the first half of the last century to achieve this goal of European domination and failed both times.   In the latter part of the last century and into the early part of this one, the Germans have finally succeeded.   They have done so not by militarism or by pursuing ghastly political and racial theories to their horrific ends.  Instead, the Germans have come to dominate Europe by being, well, German…working hard, being smart, saving money, and being fiscally responsible.   The tremendous success Germany has achieved by applying what once were simple, common sense principles is nearly enough to make yours truly consider a Volkswagen, but I digress.

There are many lessons of here, including

·        Military conquest, at least in the modern era, ultimately always fails.

·        No one, and no country, ever gets rich or powerful by spending money she doesn’t have.  A person or a country gets rich by making more money, by producing more, than one spends.

·        Blowing money, perhaps especially on the military, is no recipe for achieving domination, power, or even success.

Here is the United States, however, we are heeding none of the above lessons.   This is no surprise; we have long been of the opinion that we have nothing to learn from anybody else, especially when the lesson involves delaying gratification.