Horst Köhler, Bad Politician
June 1, 2010
by William P. Meyers

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Was it a slip up? German suddenly-ex-President Horst Kohler said (presumably in German), in public: “A country of our size, with its focus on exports and thus reliance on foreign trade, must be aware that military deployments are necessary in an emergency to protect our interests, for example, when it comes to trade routes, for example, when it comes to preventing regional instabilities that could negatively influence our trade, jobs and incomes.”

Most Americans would not have noticed the gaff. What German politicians say is seldom covered in the United States. But Horst resigned, probably after he got the "resign or be terminated" message from powerful world leaders like Obama, Chancellor Angela Merkel, Steve Jobs, and unnamed oil tycoons. Kohler (or Köhler) was a friend of Angela, so she probably felt bad handing him the ultimatum.

Imagine if Barack Obama, or his Vice-president .... um ... Joe Biden, said “A country of our size, with its focus on exports and thus reliance on foreign trade, must be aware that military deployments are necessary in an emergency to protect our interests, for example, when it comes to trade routes, for example, when it comes to preventing regional instabilities that could negatively influence our trade, jobs and incomes.”

The problem is the implications. "Of course, we just use the word terrorist to influence the public. Our killers are soldiers. Our opponents have terrorists and gunmen. It really is not about religion. it is all about money. Afghanistan is about controlling raw materials, global trade, and the allocation of investments. Same as it ever was."

Don't worry, Barack and Angela, the average German, much less the average American, has the political memory of a squirrel. Few follow the political news in detail, and most of them have already forgotten ... what was his name?