#rsrh Third time’s the charm?

Theodore Darlymple (via Instapundit) comes up with a somewhat bizarre thought experiment:

If for some inexplicable reason you wanted to reawaken German nationalism, how would you go about it? I suggest a three-part strategy.

First, you would replace the rock-solid German currency by one with very shaky economic foundations, against the wishes of almost the whole German population (which, of course, you would not deign to consult).

Second, you would make sure that same population paid for the gross and dishonest profligacy of the Greek government: a profligacy that was rendered possible by the adoption of the very currency that the German population did not want in the first place.

Third, you would do everything possible to ensure that the crisis will spread, last for a long time, cost a fortune in failed attempts to solve it, and fall mainly to the Germans to pay for.

Yes, that would do it.  Fortunately this is just a thought experim…

(pause)

Aw, [expletive deleted].

OK, even though it’s not a thought experiment, it’s not really a critical worry, right now?  For it to be a critical worry you’d need to have the Germans themselves reevaluating their place in the EU; a growing political backlash against the current EU-friendly German government; and, of course, an American government run by somebody who neither particularly knows much of, nor cares about, Europe* in place to hanle the USA’s response…

(pause)

Aw, [expletive deleted].

Moe Lane

*You’d also need the Germans being interested again in readdressing certain territorial concessions made by previous German governments, but fortunately I have not found any evidence that this is currently a major issue for them.  So call that your metaphorical canary in a coal mine…