As a kid who grew up on science fiction, authors Heinlein, Asimov, Clarke, and Anderson were my entertainment. It follows therefore, I’m someone who wonders “what if...?”
This early morning I’m wondering what if Angela Merkel admitted a million Islamic immigrants to Germany because it was the easiest way to make her country unattractive to the Russians? Let me explain.
Germany spent the Cold War decades worrying about Russian tanks pouring through the Fulda Gap into Germany. With U.S. and NATO help, that didn’t happen.
Then the Germans watched the Soviets have difficulty with their Islamic minorities; all who were able opted for independence from Russia upon the Soviet breakup. Russians weren't sorry to see them go.
What I’m wondering this a.m. is whether Merkel viewed Germany admitting a substantial Islamic minority as a “poison pill” to keep the Russian bear at bay? That could be high order devious statecraft, but maybe also a case where the cure is worse than the disease. It does explain the German unwillingness to spend on defense.
You could interpret the neighboring Visegrad Group’s resistance to Islamic immigration as a mirror image of this policy. As former “beneficiaries“ of Soviet hegemony via the Warsaw Pact they saw up close the problems Soviets had with Islamic citizens and concluded they wanted no part of that briar patch.
However, before reunification Merkel was an East German and, as such, should have the same insight the Visegrad four developed. Clearly she and they drew different lessons from the Soviet breakup. Maybe my “what if” isn’t so logical after all.
