President Trump comes to the fore to put the brakes on Germany’s critical situation.
Who will end up taking the initiative for world order?

Talks between U.S. President Donald Trump and German Chancellor Angela Merkel were held for the first time on 18 March at the White House. As Agence France-Presse reported, tensions were apparent, with hardened expressions on their faces like soccer players before their game.

The talks were about problems of the economy and refugees. In the joint press conference Trump demanded “fair and reciprocal trade “deals whereupon Merkel responded saying, “negotiations should be made with the EU, not Germany.”

When Trump emphasized the need for an immigration policy as an anti-terrorism strategy, Merkel insisted that her decision to accept refugees “is the right strategy. ”

The two could find no common ground, and were left with conflicting views. Both sides seem to be confident of their view, but it is actually Trump who has the clearer vision.

Here is why.

The Merkel-Trump battle over trade policy began with Trump before his inauguration. Trump says the euro is grossly undervalued, and director of the NTC, Peter Navarro, says that the U.S. must engage in negotiations with Germany on ways to reduce the U.S. trade deficit. The U.S. demanded the rectification of a trade deficit exceeding US$500 billion.

Germany’s response was that they are not to blame for the cheap euro. German Minister of Finance, Wolfgang Schauble, remarked, “No one can blame us for making a trade surplus through illegal manipulation.”

To continue the soccer analogy, what Germany has been doing is like selling their team’s tickets for unreasonably cheap prices while the competition makes it harder for other teams to sell theirs. But Germany is saying “we don’t control ticket prices; it’s a collective decision made by the EU.”

Last year, Germany’s trade surplus hit a record high at EUR 252.9 billion. When one country makes huge profit, the other experiences a huge loss. Trump came in to correct this imbalance, so it was the right decision on his part.

Germany to Trigger a Recession

Generations of U.S. administrations have long felt discontent with Germany. Merkel advocates a balanced finance policy, and pours their surplus into state finance instead of public investments or tax reduction. They refuse to use money they make from exports, making little contribution to the world economy.

In fact it was because Germany spread a balanced finance policy throughout the world that 60% of youth in Greece are now unemployed and 60,000 companies are leaving for other countries.

In contrast, Trump is a person who prefers to use money for economic growth. It is clear who ought to take the initiative if we want an active world economy.

If we continue our soccer analogy, the refugee problem will look like this.

Trump says, “We cannot let fans enter the stadium without proper tickets “while Merkel responds, “That’s unfair. They’re fans too so we should let them in.”

Trump’s anti-terrorism strategy involved the banning of people from Islamic countries from entering the U.S. Merkel has criticized him for it, but her own policy of limitless refugee acceptance is equally controversial.

Last year, there were a daily average of 10 raids made against refugees in Germany. They even constructed a wall in Munich to separate the refugees from the locals that stands close to 4 meters tall (taller than the Berlin Wall). What Merkel is doing is actually dividing her country.

Trump’s idea is the more reasonable one, as it arises out of his consideration for the safety of the fans by putting a limit on the stadium intake.

Refugee Policy An Act of Atonement

“The Holocaust is fresh in the memories of the German people,” said Happy Science managing director, Yuta Okawa, commenting on Germany’s refusal to relocate the refugees. “That’s why they don’t want to take Trump’s approach of limiting state entry. ”
The Holocaust was the genocide of the Jews by the Nazis. Yuta Okawa is suggesting that they see the persecution of Jews overlapping with the policy of limiting state entry.

Indeed Merkel is being haunted by Hitler’s ghost. She is very proactive in making atonements, and even said that the people of Germany have a responsibility to never forget the Nazi barbarism.

This self-harming view of history is being misused and is not going to bring happiness to the state. Trump’s idea is the better for protecting the country.

Trump and Merkel are also at odds in opinions on the environment. Germany aims to become an eco-friendly country and Merkel is ambitious to popularize natural energy so that they can completely get rid of nuclear energy by 2022.

Trump, on the other hand, has declared environmental deregulations and cuts in the budget. Eco-obsessed countries such as Japan may want to support Germany, but their true objective is more due to their “ego.”

In the late 1980s, Britain and France resisted the unification of Germany fearing a revival of the power that sparked WWII. Germany then began to tackle a new ‘threat’ – global warming – to ease the caution in neighboring countries. They tried to appeal their ‘goodness’ by working on global warming countermeasures.

Germany made proactive cuts to CO2 emissions, which eventually led to the Kyoto Protocol, an international treaty to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. While it may seem like a good thing on the surface, it also reveals Germany’s ego: the want to grasp authority in Europe via environmental policy.

Global Warming is Just a Hypothesis

Having consideration for the environment is thought of highly, but with regards to global warming Trump is right when he says that it is just a hypothesis.

Some scholars suggest that the earth will soon enter a period of cooling. It is irrational to strangle companies with regulations and pour huge sums of money into a policy based on an indefinite scientific claim.

Merkel is being an idealist. She’s a nice person, but at the same time she is causing suffering for her people and other countries with an irrational policy decision.

Trump is a realist with a clear calculated vision. It is obvious who will bring more prosperity to the world.

The EU tried to gather strength through collectivism, and now Germany has become its ‘number 1’. Germany has chosen extreme policies in fiscal balance and refugee intake, and imposing strict environmental policies on other countries. The EU is all over the place. The cause of EU collapse will indubitably be Germany’s self-centeredness.

Germany must stop their poverty-stricken ideas, invest in new infrastructure, and convert to a policy that will bring an active economy. It is much like preparing the field for a game of soccer. Making a great team must start with preparing the right environment.

From her refugee policy Merkel might seem like a good person, but we must realize that it actually comes from an inferiority complex: a feeling of the need to atone for Hitler’s sins.

Hitler’s genocide was horrible, but after 70 years the international community has to adopt the idea of ‘forgiveness’ so we can all move on.

German people are not children of sin. Germany is an invaluable country that produced many great people throughout history. It must now regain proper patriotism and shoulder the responsibilities of a superpower while respecting the individualism of its neighboring countries.

The Right Sort of “Germany First”

Germany should have as its model the reign of Maria Theresa of the House of Habsburg, the House now celebrating its 300th birthday.

Also known as the mother of Marie Antoinette, Maria Theresa removed the corrupt aristocracy, rebuilt the government organization and cultivated industries. She was a revolutionary of her time.

While being Christian herself, she adopted a highly tolerant policy that respected the 10 different races and languages that existed in the region.

These modernizing policies brought economic and cultural prosperity to an Empire that was on the brink of ruin. The central city of the Empire, Vienna, became known as the City of Music.

The prevailing philosophy is one of prosperity: your own country’s progress allows you to share that with other countries. It is to not think about your country alone — nor about binding other countries with a single set of values.

Maria Theresa once said, “Until my death I intend to be the most merciful of queens: a mother that protects the justice of her country. ”

Merkel has been nicknamed “Mutti,” the familiar form for “mother.” If she were able to take up the spirit of Maria Theresa she will surely become known in history as the “Hero of Europe.” A religion filled with love and the spirit of self-effort is what will guide Germany in its ideal revival.