EU Riga summit 'not against Russia', Merkel says

[DetlefK]

6. Uhhh, you didn't say that.

First off, I am german.

1. You know why Germany has so big a say in the EU? Money. Whenever there's a major EU-project, like bailing out Greece, every country pays its share. And Germany pays the biggest share. Germany's power in the EU isn't the power of "Yes", it's the power of "No".
Germany isn't leading the EU (which some Germany-haters like and some Germany-haters dislike), it is using the threat of denying its money as a veto-power in the background.


2. Don't worry. Russia won't conquer Germany. Germany is a NATO-member and the US will defend it.
After all, the US needs Germany as an ally in Europe.


3. Yes, Germany had the Nazi-stuff. And we Germans owned up to it, we worked on making things right again. You know how long it took for Germans to consider it okay to be proud of being a German? 2006, the Soccer World Cup hosted in Germany.

Has the US yet apologized for overthrowing democracies during the Cold War and replacing them with bloodthirsty, torture-happy, mass-mudering tyrants? The people of Iran and South-America would like to have some words with you.
When was the time when Americans said "We did horrible things but we made it okay again and we have re-earned the right to be proud of the United States of America again?"
Yes, we Germans did some awful, awful shit. But at least we are sorry for that.


4. People being more afraid of Germany than of Putin?
- There is no censorship in Germany apart from the usual neonazi/communist/anarchist/islamist stuff. Germany has a thriving culture of independent media.
- Opposition-figures in Germany do not fall victim to mysterious assassinations that never get solved.
- No german head-of-state has ever stolen a Superbowl-ring.