I was stuck at a local garage for 2 hours today getting my oil changed and I didn't bring my laptop to work from so I was facing the typical array of 6 month old magazines to read. I choose one called The Philadelphia Trumpet , like most news magazines it's political leanings were obvious from the front page, this is a firmly neocon, wildly zionist, anti-welfare magazine. In the 2 hours I basically read the entire magazine. The subjects ranged from Obama wanting to destroy the constitution, to activist judges, to the "theory" of intelligent design. On geopolitical matters it lamented Obama's "softness" on Iran and the growing threat from the former Soviet Repulic. So this is all standard rhetoric and largely boring. Then I hit an article which discussed a statement that Thatcher made regarding the reunification of Germany. Apparently she was privately against the idea and actively lobbied the Soviets to intervene in the fall of the Berlin Wall. From there, throughout several articles, they made the case that Germany would ultimately be the de-facto ruler of the EU and its first two targets would be the Czech Republic and Poland. It discussed the coziness of Germany and Russia and lamented Obama's withdrawal of the missile shield pact. It further claimed that this view of Germany as a potential hegemon was a common thread in the former Soviet satellites as well as most of Central Europe.(Of course it also propped up this argument by claiming that the new rise of Germany was prophesized in the bible) Has anyone else heard of felt this theory has merit? Is it a common thread in Eastern Europe that Germany will ultimately rule the union? The entire magazine was riddled with base appeals to fear and ignorance but I've learned that doesn't necessarily invalidate the premise. Raving lunatics or is there some kernel of cultural truth there?

If I remember correctly just before the reunification West Germany had a higher GDP per capita than the United States, as such I suspect the fear was primarily based on the logical fallacy still made all the time today that economic booms will last forever.

CR and Poland the first two targets? Targets for what? Wouldn't France+England balance Germany (as they have for 100 years) leaving the other countries to play the role of swing voter (more or less)?

To me the Bible claim indicates this is an old notion repackaged to fit current circumstances. And the bits about targeting Poland and CR smack too much of the beginnings of WWII. Have you found other (credible) sources backing up the claims about Thatcher?

The current flap over Greek financial troubles might support the thesis regarding German hegemony.

Angela Merkel dashes Greek hopes of rescue bid
Germany's no-bailout approach to Greece deepening
Germans say euro zone may have to expel Greece: poll

Given that the presidency rotates every half a year, I'm thinking it's not technically possible (well, not for more than 6 months at a time anyway).

Edit: Of course, technically is not equal to practically. Following Michael Geist's blog shows that Canada bows to international (OK, well, US) pressure all the time.

Hah! Reading your account, I thought the magazine in the link might be associated with Herbert W. Armstrong and it turns out I was right. About the Trumpet: The Trumpet has a long history of accurate forecasting of major global events based on this predictive model, tracing back to the beginnings of the Plain Truth magazine in 1934 under the direction of Herbert W. Armstrong. To explore these forecasts, read our sample issue, called “He Was Right!—Remembering five decades of accurate forecasting by Herbert W. Armstrong.”

I remember hearing that guy on the radio when I was a child. And we used to get that magazine back then too. It was a freeby that always showed up in the mail. The last time I looked at the magazine was about ten years ago (give or take) and I was surprised by how good it's political analysis was relative to what I expected. Cut out the prophecy claims and the analysis would be fit for any mainstream magazine. The two articles I've skimmed over rely on Stratfor, the Guardian, the NY Times, Deutsche Welle, Der Speigel for information. The strangeness of the Bible prophecy parts reminds me of how secular I am.

Quote: Original post by Dreddnafious Maelstrom
Raving lunatics or is there some kernel of cultural truth there?

The former.

Quote: Original post by Dreddnafious Maelstrom
From there, throughout several articles, they made the case that Germany would ultimately be the de-facto ruler of the EU and its first two targets would be the Czech Republic and Poland.

FTF?

">Again?

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"Never go to war with the Russian-for any of our military stratagem the answer will be their unpredictable stupidity" (c) Otto Eduard Leopold von Bismarck

[Edited by - Krokhin on February 15, 2010 9:41:29 AM]

Both the French and British governments were privately against the reunification of Germany. They feared marrying a first-world nation with an essentially dirt poor, third-world nation would bring West Germany's economy down, and with it the rest of Europe. This wasn't some wacky fear, it was a very real risk at the time.

Quote: Original post by MDI
Both the French and British governments were privately against the reunification of Germany. They feared marrying a first-world nation with an essentially dirt poor, third-world nation would bring West Germany's economy down, and with it the rest of Europe. This wasn't some wacky fear, it was a very real risk at the time.

This is a similar reason why North-South Korean unification is a distant dream.

South Korea's economy is one of the 20th largest in the world whereas North Korea's barely exists at all, let alone dead. Joining the two would be disastrous because North Korea is so broke that the South would collapse similarly if they took on the burden.

In fact, Germany is the situation that the South Korean government don't want to see out there.

Here are transcripts of Thatcher's real time public remarks on German reunification: Margaret Thatcher discusses the fall of the Berlin Wall

Here is the supposed document: Thatcher, Gorbachev, Bush: read the secret Kremlin records. From page two: The reunification of Germany is not in the interests of Britain and Western Europe. It might look different from public pronouncements, in official communiqué at Nato meetings, but it is not worth paying ones attention to it. We do not want a united Germany.

There's more here: Thatcher told Gorbachev Britain did not want German reunification

And here: Thatcher and Kohl clashed over unity after Fall of the Berlin Wall

And here: United Germany might allow another Hitler, Mitterrand told Thatcher

Those accounts are all from the same source (except the real time remarks).

Let's look at a few stats pertinent to the German hegemon thesis.

List of countries by GDP (PPP) (2008), List of countries by population

European Union 	15,247,163 $M -----  501,259,840 -----Germany 	 2,910,490 $M 19.1%   81,757,600 16.3%United Kingdom 	 2,230,549 $M 14.6%   62,041,708 12.4%France 	         2,130,383 $M 14.0%   65,447,374 13.1%Italy 	         1,814,557 $M 11.9%   60,250,535 12.0%Spain 	         1,396,881 $M  9.2%   45,989,016  9.2%

Largest, yes. Dominant? No.