Thomas Fazi, UnHerd:

Merz’s vision is one of total mobilisation — a “whole-of-society” approach that seeks to prepare not just the armed forces, but the entire German economy and civil infrastructure for confrontation with Russia. Media, education, industrial policy and civil defence are all being aligned to support this new war footing. Dissent — whether political, journalistic, or academic — is increasingly stigmatised as subversive or even a threat to national security.

Ω Ω Ω

What we are witnessing is not a return of German nationalism, but its opposite. The policies now being implemented — from massive rearmament to the escalation of conflict with Russia — are not rooted in a cold pursuit of German national interests, but in their negation. They are the expression of a political class that has internalised the Atlantic ideology so thoroughly that it can no longer distinguish between national strategy and transatlantic loyalty.

Ω Ω Ω

Merz, while publicly critical of Trump, is in fact executing Trump’s vision: pressuring Germany to drastically increase defence spending, take over leadership in the Ukraine war and sever energy ties with Russia. And yet they are presented as expressions of German and European sovereignty. Contrary to Schröder’s courageous stance against the US invasion of Iraq 20 years ago, Merz has also offered a full-throated endorsement of Trump’s recent attack on Iran.

The problem today then, is not German ambition, but German submission. And the tragedy is that this submission is being dressed up as strategic autonomy — a grim parody of sovereignty in an age of ideological dependency. If German leaders once understood that peace with Russia was in Germany’s fundamental interest, today’s leaders act as if permanent conflict is a condition of responsible statecraft. That reversal is not only dangerous for Germany, but for Europe as a whole.

There were more people than I could count on my fingers and toes!

A speaker verbosely informed us about why we were all there, which proved useful, as a certain faction of the audience persisted in chanting about Palestine however stopped when firmly instructed as to why we were there.

Before too long a squad of Polizei appeared to make sure this unruly crowd didn’t get out of hand.

Americans have got to be reading this. I mean, I’m reading it – others must be as well. It’s so bizarre.

See, this here is why I’m proud to be a 'murican. 'cause I like to strut. I wanna strut, and I can strut, when my team drops them big bunker-busting bombs. Yessir.

The music here is the US Marine Band playing the US Field Artillery March, a US Army song from WW I, to celebrate the US Air Force 2025 bombing of Iran, a country the US declares itself to not be at war with.

What I keep thinking about is that Americans are reading this – on CNN, in the New York Times they are reading the Vice President of the United States, the US Secretary of State, saying the US has just bombed multiple sites in another country but is not at war with that country. The US President tells Iran „NOW IS THE TIME FOR PEACE“ immediately before threatening to overthrow Iran’s government. How are Americans integrating this?