The invasion of the third world into the first world was/is so predictable! Overpopulation breeds depletion of resources and poverty...and together, combined with religious extremism, breeds violence. Political correctness will not make the ills of overpopulation go away. There are approximately Six Billion people living in the third world, and they’re on the move. Where will you draw the line when they come by the millions, knocking on your door?
30
The NY Times ignores the part played by disastrous Obama administration foreign policy in igniting this crisis. The same disastrous pattern of welcoming illegal immigrants that both Obama and Merkel pursued insured the flow would only increase once the home countries like Libya were thrown into crisis. Now that the inevitable denouement has arrived this disingenuous propaganda machine wants to blame shadowy "right wingers" for a problem wholly caused and stoked by the left.
31
I don't like Merkel, and there are many Germans sharing my point of view. I am glad Seehofer put pressure on her. our country is swamped by uncertainties whenever it comes to the issue of the integration of muslim migrants, burkini issues, underage marriages, a syrian man with a wife and 4 girlfriends on social welfare, gender equality for their daughters etc. These migrants-refugees really need of a lot of social help, and basically will be hinging on the social welfare for the next decades or so. Merkel's slow and evasive answers concerning them does little to address our common concerns. We do not need Merkel Mother Theresa new development in our country. Sorry, Germany may help some number of refugees and help to finance them but we cannot perpetually help all refugees and continue to finance them for decades. As it seems, the current refugees-migrants will need our help for a really long time. Since 2015 and till now Merkel fails to address this anxiety of her nation.
29
Wasn't the argument of Cheney and Rumsfeld something like, "We'll fight them there so their refugees will flee into Europe so we can sleep well?" The absolute nerve of Trump and his party of lunatics to break a region, thereby destabilizing a neighboring region, and their demanding more money for the favor. Korea should work out beautifully in the hands of such wise men.
7
As we are turning towards a female dominated era again, it is with great admiration that I see Bundeskanzlerin Merkel refining the engagement of necessary warfare. In the past that so many commenters warn we are repeating needlessly, leaders saw a Strich on the glass when to stop with the pouring out of blood from stoic or cowardly warriors and victims. Now we see this woman always again photographed amongst men delineateing the container of humankind. Knowing quantum physics she understands that when something is full to the top, it can be a quite complicated equation, nicht wahr?
2
Liberal excess on immigration causes yet another political problem. The man in the street, be he British, American or German does not want open borders, but liberal elites keep trying to force them upon their countrymen. Hear that, liberal Americans?
34
Ms Merkels indulgence in her “bleeding heart empathy” of inviting millions of immigrants to Europe scared the Brits out of Europe (Brexit) and if the European Union ever breaks up, she may single handedly be repsonsible for the breakup due to her foolish/reckless immigration policies.
So much so for her “leadership”
30
Merkel has shown by this agreement that she will abandon her principles for power, and that too, power for a few months at most. Her so-called soft heart has proven to be bogus and in her pursuit of a Nobel Peace Prize, she has opened the door to fascism in Germany and elsewhere. Well done, Mutti, surely there will be a special place for you in the dark history of Germany.
12
Firstly I am not an American nor European but an Asian
I find it really surprising when some people in western countries espouse “open borders” or are sympathetic to mass illegal migrations (even if they are mainly economic in nature).
To each of them I ask,
Are each of you ready to house and feed at least one family of such illegals for at least one year in your own house before asking other tax payers to foot the Bill,
if your answer is no, then kindly give me some other definition of Hypocrisy
38
In the 1950's a prominent journalist dreamed she had the answer to the problems of the world and she wrote it down during the middle of the night. The word she wrote was "food". Through the years I have remembered this, and I have always thought that it really was the basis for a lot of the upheaval and migration of people. Basic necessities of life that we take for granted, are only hoped for dreams of a lot of people in this world. People are hungry for food and shelter, and they are hungry for lives where war is not a constant companion, and political oppression keeps them poor. Why do we resent these people who want a better life and risk theirs to come to this and other countries? The tough question for a lot of us, is why do they not stand in line like others have and seek legal entry into whatever country they are seeking asylum in. Desperation is the only answer I have. Especially for those fleeing war-torn areas, there is no time to stand in line for these people. For others the desperation is born of poverty where shelter is a cardboard house with whatever food can be scrounged, and a government not interested in solving the problems of poverty.
Dr. Merkel sought to ease a labor shortage by allowing a flood of migrants into Germany. However, integrating the migrants into German culture and small villages has proved difficult. It is now costing her her political career. This will fuel Trump's popularity and right wing popularity in general.
10
This issue did not begin with Trump. During the Balkan wars Sweden took in refugees for all the right reasons. Years later, these refugees live apart, do not speak Swedish unless necessary, accept transfer payments and generally do not assimilate into Swedish society. No other country has done any better. Among the locals are those who have trouble making ends meet and finding good jobs. The overall "bill" for all the social systems must be spread out among the population as a whole in order to work.
16
Angela Merkel's main mistake was not to set a limit of how many refugees or migrants Germany could take in without causing the backlash it has created.
Why people are fleeing those countries and, who are mainly responsible for causing such conditions there should be the main focus. Whether the cause is political or climate change, the solution lies in a world wide effort to stabilize those countries at the source.
Angela Merkel should not be castigated for her big heart and eagerness to alleviate human suffering.
8
The tone of the discussion is getting rougher by the day. As in the US, the people are more and more merciless towards the weakest and most vulnerable. Now we will have shameful detention centers along the German-Austrian border, just like the US on the border with Mexico. Just a remark: Merkel's party is the CDU, the sister party in Bavaria is the CSU. Both times the C stands for Christian. This is almost cynical in today's discussions. We forgot our altruism. Values, standards and humanism are fading ideas of an almost forgotten past.
4
There are so many parallels to our country concerning this issue.
Migrants/refugees flooding the shores of Lampedusa, Italy, Greece and now Spain clearly do not want to seek asylum in these countries. They want to go north to Germany, a country which has offered housing, medical, education and food.So they travel to where the social services are more liberal.
The migrants to this country do not seek asylum in Mexico,Belize, Nicaragua, Guatemala etc. They, too, want to go north where the social benefits are waiting. As are liberal lawyers guiding them through the maze of asylum.
It's one thing to help your neighbor but as a single parent with a cobbled-together income when I stand on line in my local grocery store in Westchester county and a well dressed woman with three young kids who speaks no English pays for junk food with WICS coupons, I bristle. One of the kids was smart enough to grab a candied egg from a display and walk through without paying. Like mother like daughter.
The tide is turning, not only in Europe, but here and as a responsible citizen who pays taxes it is disturbing to think that just by crossing a border one can benefit in so many ways from my hard-earned tax payments.
I understand the resentment of the conservatives in Germany, because I've experienced similar feelings myself right in my own backyard.
37
..to survive..? The American Press is wedded to hyperbole even if it means quitting the Press’s duty in a Democracy to stand up for Human Values. Chancellor Merkel has no need to merely survive. Chancellor Merkel already has a globally-enviable Legacy of leading Germany & Europe for 12 years in some of its most difficult periods. That is longer than any Leader of the Free World in the last 70 Years. Chancellor Merkel is fighting Fearlessly to uphold Human Values in Germany & Europe. She is fighting for the hopes of over 15 Million Germans who voted for her as late as Sep, 2017. When will the American Press understand this basic Truth ? Chancellor Merkel has pulled her own CDU party to left-of-Centre for over 12 Years now. Even now, Chancellor Merkel can easily team up with the Greens Party, which had already agreed to join her Govt in Dec, 2017, & ask Mr.Horst Seehofer to eat humble pie. But Democracy would have lost. Democracy in the 21st century demands compromise to thrive. Chancellor Merkel has the vision to bend to her coalition partner, with less than 25% of her popular mandate, not to Survive but to forge forward. The Transit Camps do not close Germany’s borders but offer a symbol for the CSU’s electoral prospects in Bavaria.
The Free Press is expected to Fight for Human Values. But the American Press is only making Chancellor Merkel’s Fight for Human Values more difficult by lauding Fascist forces opposing her.
That is a Tragedy for Democracy in the 21st century.
3
The purpose of government is to protect the life, liberty, and property, of it's citizens. In America, we pay 50% of our income for this purpose, in Germany, it's higher than that.
In return, we expect our government to fulfill it's duties to protect our borders, our safety, and our well being. We are not serfs for the elitists to run social experiments upon.
24
As soon as I heard that Merkel was going to allow a huge flood of migrants to enter Germany, I knew she was making a terrible mistake. I also saw it as a foolish attempt to work out white guilt and/or "German guilt" by being irresponsible about immigration policy.
Residents should be wary of being "guilted" into allowing too many immigrants into their nation, of whatever kind. Talk of the historical value of immigrants fails to appreciate the veritable tsunami that is upon all our shores.
If you care about the planet, about overpopulation, about a sustainable future, control immigration, and demand that those from other nations also control their population. But at the very least do not allow them to utterly fail to address this problem and then try to appropriate more lands and bring the problem to new places, when they have ruined their native countries with overpopulation.
18
What a cunning chameleon; changing position in a whim to stay in power. What happened to unwavering principles? She sold out Germany and EU for just a few more years at the helm. Now Germany have to deal with 1.5 million incorrectly documented migrants that refuse to leave and an EU that's entering its last decade.
15
Merkel has very much kept Europe in check and with good partnerships, was able to maintain a lid on extreme right-wing tendencies that prey on centrist's weaknesses. She helped guide Europe through the "Great Recession" which was no small task. She also came to the rescue of those fleeing war torn regions. Things could have been worse if the migrants Germany welcomed had arrived during an economic crisis.
But it should come as no surprise that her stance on immigration had to change. She is now living in the shadows of Trump just like the rest of us. And while Trump is the brunt of European jokes and not taken seriously, his total dismantling of how people speak about those that are foreigners has took hold.
Every time Trump carelessly slanders and degrades a people, we and the world become a little bit more numb. It becomes OK to be racist. It becomes more OK to spread lies and untruths. It becomes more normal to hate and spread hatred for those that are different. If you don't think that the way a President of the United States conducts themselves matters beyond our borders, you simply aren't in touch with reality.
Imagine if Obama were still President. Would Merkel be facing the challenges she now has to confront? Highly doubtful. When it comes to immigration for those seeking to escape horrific conditions, you can either take sympathy or express revulsion. Merkel's Germany expressed sympathy. Trump's America is expressing revulsion. And now that cancer is spreading.
6
While I greatly admire Angela Merkel, I have always feared her overly enthusiastic willingness to allow one million refugees into Germany without a national referendum or EU approval would come back to haunt her- and it has.
It was a reckless move and was not well thought out.
If she allowed a lower number of refugees and/or gotten a consensus on this major move with public support, it might have been okay. But that was not the case.
I cannot know what was in her mind to explain this policy, but perhaps it is overcompensation for the past Nazi era?
Whatever her motivation, sometimes the old saying turns out to come true: No good deed goes unpunished.
10
Her support was bound to diminish. Hers is almost the last generation weaned on guilt.
10
Well, she needs to disappear - like many Democrats are telling the Clinton's.
Like them, her time is way past due.
She is doing disservice to Germans by just hanging on to power.
She hails from East Germany - she should remember what happened to some of its rulers who hung on to power too long.
Her immigration has been a big time failure.
Sure, Germany needs labor for its economic engine to keep running. They had success with Turks over the years.
But this uncontrolled migration is hardly a solution for finding labor.
If anything - its proving that they are more a burden on current Germans than relieving burdens from the Germans.
She should also remember a country western song, "how can I miss you when you never go away?"
9
I believe at this stage of the game there is broad recognition that successfully receiving a MILLION refugees in a short timespan is not possible. First, at such a massive scale there are not enough resources to process them efficiently and accurately. Second, when there is a substantial culture difference (e.g. women's rights comes to mind) the resulting clashes will - and certainly have - deeply upset the host country.
There is another serious issue at play, and I cannot understand why it isn't more openly discussed: the gender imbalance. Why has Germany willingly accepted such a large majority of males? Is it a smart idea to have large groups of young, single males hanging around with a) no employment; b) few or no females their age; c) nothing in particular to do while they wait for many months on an asylum request?
This is not a harmless misstep. Gender imbalance (with males in the majority) is strongly linked to an increase in violent crime, particularly violent crimes against women. I recommend reading the following:
* https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2016/01/europe-refugees-migrant-...
* https://thewire.in/books/too-many-men-too-few-women
Note especially that Canada has had the wisdom (and courage?) to address this issue head on. Kudos to them.
Merkel has absolutely failed refugee women (by importing a large majority of males) and German women (by subjecting them to a predictable increase in violence).
22
"The nationalism and anti-migrant sentiment that has challenged multilateralism elsewhere in Europe is taking root — fast — in mainstream German politics." Unquestionably the most chilling recital of information this language can bear, without turning upon its primary practitioners with outrage for encouraging this development. Brexit, Trump: how many pillars plant a peristyle? Very well: add Putin.
It was a large migrant problem that was a major factor in ending the Roman Republic. Certain wealthy leaders competed for the support of the migrants with populist appeals (Give them bread—Pompey; Give them land—Caesar). The competition lead to civil war and the demise of the Republic.
Of course the migrants in Rome were more numerous by far than any current situation in the EU, but it may be one bit of history to bear in mind.
12
Too late, the damage is done. She needs to go. Hopefully they can find their own Donald Trump.
12
They had one about 80 years ago.
7
Europe has been generous towards the migrants. There is a limit to the number of people Europe can absorb. Merkel's closing of the borders does nothing to alleviate the inflow. Italy has been inundated with Africans due to geography and its efforts to rescue them at sea. The rest of Europe refuses to accept migrants landing in Italy. the boats have to be turned back at the source before they reach Europe's coast. Help African governments care for their population. Distribute birth control so that no woman gives birth to more children than she can raise. Syrian refugees are a different case--they are fleeing the horrors of war. We should welcome them in the U.S., but Trump has banned Syrians from entering the country.
7
The situation regarding boat arrivals in Italy has changed with the new government. NGO boats are not allowed to land and the Italian government is passing the brunt of the Mediterranean rescues on to the Libyan Coastguard, who will bring the migrants back from whence they came. Essentially the Mediterranean route into Italy is closed off. That of course now leaves Spain as the new option.
7
I'm shocked to see how popular the anti-immigrant, save-my-western-culture stance is in this typically safely left wing comments section.
I moved to the US from Germany almost 20 years ago, partly because my mixed-race husband was tired of being stared at by the citizens of our cultured East German metropolis.
But, we had also experienced privilege in Germany. When my US citizen husband had to go get a work permit, we waited for 5 minutes in an air conditioned room, while the huddled masses from les preferred countries were waiting outside in the blazing heat for hours. We felt a little lucky and a little embarrassed.
When I was last over to visit, my safely left wing mother stated how beautiful it was to hear the church bells ringing. I stated that it would be even more beautiful to hear some other happy religious noises, perhaps from a mosque. No, no, no, she said, this is our culture and they cannot take it from us. They are just adding to it, I said. No, no, this is ours. There was no reasoning with her.
This sentiment of the threatened ancestral culture pervades even the most open, well educated, world traveling minds. Angela, I am sorry your important work is being sabotaged.
Remember that the refugees are leaving their own ancestral culture and family roots for sheer desperation. Nobody makes that decision lightly.
6
You cite an innocuous example while glossing over the other elements of their culture they bring. Sheer desperation can lead them somewhere else.
5
Mass migration into the 1st World is a major problem that we have not learned to deal with. Trump attempts with a crass and sometimes racist approach. Merkel attempted a more nuanced and civil strategy. Both methods have failed. Someone, however, has to get a handle on this if the West as we know it is to survive.
12
The choice was clear: Angela could have a job as chancellor or as a civil servant registering her beloved asylum seekers at the border. Sometimes, reason prevails with Madame Merkel.
8
What is never discuss is how migrants from low CO2 footprint countries such as Africa and the Middle East to Europe which is a high CO2 footprint region exacerbate global warming or climate change. I guess you could call it 'An Inconvenient Truth'.
6
For what she has done to Europe, she should resign.
17
A tactical retreat that makes sense. This level of quality thinking and thoughtful strategy is beyond our president.
If Trump was faced with this kind of choice he would default to his basic venality and shock jock instincts. A president schooled by Roy Cohn and Howard Stern. Our honky-tonk, flim-flam president.
And while our "One Man Band" president is strutting and capering for the cheap seats the republican machine continues to dig away at the foundations of our democracy.
Trump strutting and gibbering while the United States bakes in apocalyptic, unyielding heat.
Is this how the U.S. is brought down? With a whimper and in confusion and disunity?
And what about the very real possibility of a Pence presidency?
1
Perhaps had she compromised witha more win-win merit/ rigorous screening based approach it could have worked. Perhaps if Germans were seeing hard working capable immigrants respecting German laws, language and culture, and who were eager to assimulate the policy could have been mutually beneficial.
When a country is willing to take you, perhaps you should have an attitude of sincere gratitude, and a high respect for the culture that is helping you.
21
Much ink has been spilled documenting how Trump has harmed America. And he has. But Trump’s damage can be fixed over time. Merkel has caused lasting damage to Germany and Western Europe. Her migration policies will reverberate over the decades. With low birth rates among Europeans and high birth rates among Muslims, Europe will be majority Muslim in time. Perhaps Merkel doesn’t care that this will occur but I would guess most of Europe’s citizenry does.
11
As the climate continues to warm in Central America and the Middle East, people will migrate, as heat and drought make life in their homelands impossible. This is a disaster of our making, and republicans continue to deny the reason this is occurring. They don’t like the result though, do they?
We need to do all we can for refugees. When you start to reject people because of race, your problems are just starting.
3
This kind of inaccurate and biased reporting about developments in my country, clearly informed by a certain agenda, makes me think about how I may be misinformed by the NYT about events in other countries where I have no way to detect inaccuracies.
What is reported here as a major turnaround is in reality another win by Merkel; she mostly deflected the attack by her interior minister who ended up looking like a weak fool and will not last much longer. What will happen now is mostly symbolic gestures. A few illegal immigrants will be apprehended, but only in Bavaria, not at our other borders, and in any case only a miniscule percentage of illegals will be caught by police. This is just theater ahead of local elections in Bavaria.
Meanwhile, hundreds of thousands of recent immigrants who were legally denied asylum even under the extremely generous German asylum laws, are allowed to stay indefinitely, and receiving welfare, because our political parties, government as well as most of the opposition, blatantly refuses to enforce our laws.
A real turnaround here would mean to start deporting hundreds of thousands of illegitimate asylum seekers instead of just slightly slowing the influx of more migrants. And that is not happening at all.
27
I have read there are half-a-million denied asylum seekers in Germany that still remain. Good luck repatriating them.
8
Trump wins again
Merkel neutralized.
The far left one world elites wishing to destroy western civilization suffer a setback.
10
“The security of our country begins on our borders,” the chancellor told reporters after meeting for several hours with the leaders of her party and those of Mr. Seehofer’s Bavarian conservatives." - THAT should have been the FIRST consideration. Now it comes AFTER all the cows have left the barn. A dollar short and a day too late.
9
"seen as the standard-bearer of the liberal European order".....even she gets it now. Either your with Trump or you will be destroyed. Its what Americans want and its why he was elected our President. Good job Mr. President.
3
As someone who crosses between liberal and conservative territory (they are, after all, labels, or boxes, or even cages), I shudder at the democratic focus on immigration. Immigration from Mexico, is a problem, not a solution. The democrats, in my opinion, should discuss it as a problem, not offer up ideology and slogans that many voters do not agree with on practical grounds. We can't make the world beautiful by wishing it so.
19
I admire Chancellor Angela Merkel. She is motivated by compassion for the plight of refugees. Her humanitarian instincts inadvertently propelled the growing discontent in Germany and the West with mass migrations. She was driven by political reality to chose preservation of the European Union. Her decision to compromise on the immigration issue is not because she blinked but because she realized that this decision might be the last one she'll make. If she resigns in the coming months due to a continued surge in political polarization, she can go out with dignity knowing that she was the last leader to put her ideals on the line so that the center would hold. If Europe fractures, the United States will get hit with the shrapnel. No doubt, we will bear some of the responsibility for the fallout.
3
It's not as if Germany is suddenly saying "Not one more migrant!" or expelling the many they've accepted. I have confidence in Merkel. If she chose this path, it's not for personal power, it's based on understanding what the risks are and what can and can't be done, now, to chart a sustainable, humane course for Germany and Europe.
1
Note that the AfD Party is explicitly pro-Nazi and that it is the third largest Party in the Bundestag, after the Christian Democrats and the Social-Democrats. Recall that H-word's burning of the Bundestag was H-word's excuse for abolishing Constitutional Democracy. Note that internationally,including in the United States, that the Far Right is leaning on the Center-Right hard to support the Far Right on immigration. So this is NOT a national phenomenon unique to Trump and the United States.
1
this is right where liberals hope we come to in this nation
The brink of disaster before we have real borders and enforce laws
8
Germany should be careful with its history of opening "camps"...
If I read the US's Immigration Act of 1924, I guess my Eastern European parents and my husband's Roman Catholic grandparents made it in under the wire, though they were clearly considered less than desirable additions to American "culture" at the time. What were they fleeing at the time? Poverty and lack of opportunity in their home countries.
I think that they did definitely not end up destroying the "culture" of the US - whatever that is. German "culture" produced the Nazi party not all that long ago.
1
Look at the number of comments on this story - a European story in an American paper - that in itself is a very interesting story. As someone living in Brexitland where immigration becaming the polarizing and defining issue - I fear the writing is also on the wall for the rest of Europe.
16
As a German, and a German taxpayer, I am outraged by Seehofer’s charades. Don’t these people have a country to run? And yet there he is, bickering like the eternally grumpy old man that he is, while we have actual problems to solve. Appalling.
6
When you allow anyone to enter your country and allow them to do as they please living the exact same life they just left(less the shooting war), you get mayhem.
What sounded like a good idea has turned into a nightmare for the German people and Europe as a whole.
Angela, socialism didn't work in EAST GERMANY when you were chancellor nor is it working in all of Germany today.
18
Power triumphs over principle as Ms.Merkel is pulled in the direction of Germany's tragic past with internment camps along the borders pushed by her Bavarian Minister of the Interior (Bavaria, the heartland of the Nazi movement still harbors an Ayran resentment towards the Other and the ultra-right thrives there). The Social Democrats could still refuse this concession to the racist past but are unlikely to do so having sold their birthright as socialists for a mess of pottage to participate in the government of Edom.
This reminds me of the pre-1970's basketball coach finally admitting that the fans all hate his super-slow offense winning games where less than thirty points were scored.
Merkel has been all but spitting in her citizens' faces with letting in so many men of military age that now German cities are plagued with sex crimes and the occasional war zone where no non-Arabs are admitted.
She will have time to appreciate Denmark's culture-reinforcing steps after she finds herself with plenty of free time apres the next election.
16
Merkel saved herself after she destroyed Europe.
24
What a sad day for the world: victory for the ignorant and dangerous oligarchs: Trump and Putin, whose main motivation is themselves. Saving a govt is not the same as saving your soul. What a shame that Ms. Merkel chose the former.
1
America are you watching? We should take a page out of Germany's book.
9
Well, leave it to the Germans to build camps.
They got quite the experience in building those.
This is a horrible move on Merkel’s part. She should have stood her ground and not indulge the ones who dislike immigrants.
She has no idea how bad this looks to the world.
The newspaper title should be:
“GERMANY IS BUILDING CAMPS....AGAIN”
Horrible.
Building a wall around the border camps suddenly just to save her own skin. She is not to be trusted and should resign.
1
I hope someone gives Manuel Neuer a pat on the shoulder and a look that says, "this isn't your fault, son".
1
Citizens of Germany, like many other European citizens, are watching their cultures disappear with migrations by people who are looking for a better life. It's much easier to sneak into a country that has already spent its blood, sweat and tears to become free of tyrants than standing up to the tyrants back home; it's feckless. Refugees, heal thyselves. Over throw your tyrants. Make freedom reign in those miserable places from which you flea.
27
Crime in Germany is down... but these migrants who make up 2% of the population account for 14.2% of the crime. This critical context is ignored by the NY Times. It does your readers a total disservice to not talk about the extent criminal activity is by these recently arrived migrants, including an anti-Semitic attack that was filmed recently. Shameful reporting.
33
Not surprised. It doesn't advance the narrative purported with this article.
4
Reality check no perfect world as long as world continues present course we wil have peace on earth. Each country should have right to denie entry . USA isnt free for all inviting know criminals is huge mistake across mexican border. Maybe time no one is permitted to enter usa or leave to go into mexico. Then usa can sort out ones here illegally an send them back. Once we secure are country we can invite those who want to come an contribute .
9
A small price to pay for preserving liberal democracy. American progressive Democrats should follow her example. Fighting for every migrant to be let in and none be deported is not the hill all our rights and freedoms should die on.
20
This must be one of the worst articles of the NYT. It is more likely an editorial than a presentation of facts. Viewing the post here, everybody reads his/her own thruths into this.
What is the "major reversal"? She vowed not to close the border, because that would shift the problem to other countries. Despite the pressure from Mr. Seehofer. She is handling the immigration problem exactly how she promised to do.
2
Merkel and the Germans are imprisoning asylum seekers into detention camps.
Where is the compassion for their fellow human beings!
These “asylum seekers” are economic migrants. They should stay in their own country. The West cannot support the world’s billions of poor. The doors are closing. Finally.
17
Another absurd piece from NYT- sure no immigrant problem in EU- where are their pictures of the huge number of street people in Paris and Rome ? Of course Leno's beaches are empty -they've moved on to Germany and Northern Europe where welfare and benefits and jobs exist. If theDutch had the 500,ooo illegals that Italy had, you can be sure their perspective would be very different. If the EU funded the personnel and detention/holding centers necessary to handle this traffic in the peripheral, vulnerable border nations, and really scrutinized "asylum tourism" and immigration for economic reasons they could solve this problem....but they dont so they wont.
20
I came to the US in 1980 as a 24-year old engineer. I came alone with my job and there were not many people from my birth country. As a result, I had no choice but to quickly assimilate into my new environment. Of course it helped I was educated and had grown with values similar to those I encountered here. Assimilation of course did not mean I had to forget or abandon the customs I had grown with. It just meant I weaved them into my new reality, which I believe made me a better and more interesting person.
I wonder if I had assimilated as quickly and easily had I come with a large contingent of compatriots or had encountered a very large number of people who came from the same country and spoke the same language and did not share the same values as those of my new country. Given my admittedly unscientific observations of more recent arrivals I dare say no. So while I believe I’m proof that immigration works maybe we do have to slow down the rate of new arrivals. Maybe we have to put more requirements such as a minimum level of education as a prerequisite for entry, as I believe educated people are less likely to require and depend on government benefits. But we must do something lest bigots seize the narrative and people gripped by fear of the “others” embrace budding dictators masquerading as the nativist populists currently entering the world stage.
19
At least now the Germans have a policy. Unlike Trump who uses immigration issues to stir up his base and create chaos at least the Germans have a policy and a program. Its true that the need for unskilled labor is greatly diminished in both the US and Germany compared to the 19th and early 20th century so all modern countries need a policy and plan to balance the desire to accept the accept refugees with true economic needs.
4
Take heed America and learn from others. ".........good will has been eroding as Germany has struggled to absorb those already in the country." Mass migration and illegal entry into the US will be the one single factor that moves America into insolvency. Stop equating illegal entry with immigration. The two are completely separate. Immigration has always been a major positive factor in America's greatness while illegal entry is a criminal act and is not tolerated by any other nation. People know that our borders are porous so take advantage.
Those people seeking asylum is a different matter and need to be dealt with in a legal manor over the shortest period of time without releasing them into the country to appear later for a decision.
This is a very serious matter and needs to be dealt with outside of the political arena. The trouble is Congress is supposed to deal with this but due to political paralysis either can't or won't.
23
The american media's audience is divided into people that have lived thru some history and know when they are being fed a bunch of propaganda and those that have no idea. In other words those that know there really is biased reporting and agenda driven stories and those that wouldn't know if it hit them in the face. That's OK though, the latter group will grow up and eventually become the former. People on this forum are surprised and Merkel's reversal? Not a good sign.
8
"“The security of our country begins on our borders,” the chancellor told reporters..."
How could it take a university trained physicist so long to comment on the obvious? Why is it so difficult for the self-proclaimed intellectuals of the Left to understand this?
27
Globalists lost sight of reality. Too busy defining what was "just" and "morally right", then trying to get the world to fit their definition. Much of progressive theology is detached from reality. Perhaps that's its allure.
12
Not Merkel only but the Western print and TV media minting money by supporting and promoting the transfer of population from West and Central Asia, and Africa into the developed Christian world as well?
12
Sanity has returned; reason has prevailed. Perhaps not immediately, but travel to Europe could soon again be safe.
21
It’s not safe now? I was in Italy and Germany last year and France this year. Manage do to escape unscathed. Just lucky I guess.
3
This was predictable and some of us foresaw exactly what would happen when she threw open the border. You can find comments on this by me even before Cologne. Europe is not a receptacle for every refugee and migrant from troubled lands. The problems in these lands are almost all either self-inflicted or the result of misbegotten US policies. Europe shouldn't have to pay the price.
If the liberal order collapses in Europe it will be because of the foolish policies imposed or backed by people like Merkel.
19
Unfortunately this comes too late for Germany, the damage has been done.
26
You people who are accusing her of "inviting" or "importing" millions of "economic refugees" and thereby destroying the EU are aware that these people were already underway, when she "invited" them to come to germany, right?
You're also aware that when Merkel decided not to close the border (as you're undoubtedly aware, we're part of Schengen agreenebt, so the border WAS already open) those refugees had been driven westward through countries such as hungary, instead of, let's say, being invited by germany to visit here... Right?
In case you're not: Read up on what actually happened! Don't buy into your President's - or our own right-wingers - version of reality...
That'd be great!
Western leaders DID fail, but that was years before the first refugees actually arrived on the german border.
2
I’ve admired Merkel from afar and viewed her as a liberal bulwark against the spreading oil slick of right-wing ultra-nationalism and racism. If she is paying a political price for her open door immigration policies, I would at least appreciate it if the Times would explain to its readers why she adopted this policy and what she hoped to gain by encouraging fleeing families to head for Germany. Surely, since she has been Chancellor for 13 years, Merkel must possses some political savvy. Yet this article subtly paints her as a naive fool who brought on her own political demise. Could there not be another explanation that at least gives credence to her actual political aims?
7
Austerity for the masses has caused them to turn against one another. The elites can continue to convince the poor to blame each other for their miserable fates for only so long before they figure out who their real enemies are.
3
Careful now. Germany has one of the most expansive, generous social welfare regimes in the world. Austerity bit countries like Greece where few people worked and the economy nonsensical—there the huge welfare systems and profligate spending were drawn somewhat tighter because the standard was unsustainable.
Germany has more pressing issues than that. Immigration for sure. But also Germany has been handholding Europe for years to save the EU. People probably wonder “what about focusing back home?”
9
"Focusing back home?" Meaning we are not getting enough of the wealth?
George Bush broke the world and Donald Trump is giving what is left to the Russians and Chinese with complete republican complicity
They are definitely not working for the US. Vote like your future depends on it because it does.
9
And this has to do with German internal politics how? I’m no fan of Trump, but making every comment on every article an anti-Trump message is neither interesting or helpful. This is the NYT. Everyone on the comments section is progressive.
11
Your lede to this story is buried in the side bar, "Is it Still a Crisis?".....
'Now the challenge is (sic) how to integrate asylum seekers socially and economically into society.'
While it is laudatory to welcome everyone into your home, if you can't feed and clothe them, if it is YOU who must support them and you can't afford the financial consequences, your house will crumble.
All you have to do is look, really look, at the state of California with it's sky high deficit, crime, homelessness and the mess of their schools and public health system to see the result of offering unlimited "sanctuary."
Yes, numbers of migrants are down in Europe and I would argue that this is a very good thing.
18
Humans are tribal.
It is evolutionary hardwired in.
Any liberal order that doesn't recognize this will not be around long.
Immigration is like a spice, too much spoils the dish, not enough it's bland.
24
Merkel sealed the fate of Germany when she flung open the gates and allowed millions of migrants into the country. Everyone else is putting up walls including the one built last year around President Obama's house in Washington.
24
The authors of the article here point out "that crime is at a 25 year low but a series of high profile assaults involving migrants including the rape and killing of a 19 year old student...." In fact, the most recent inflammatory case was a 21 year old Iraqi migrant who apparently killed a 14 year old German girl and who then fled to Iraq with his seven person family all of whom were earlier refused asylum...and after he was caught apparently are now coming back to Germany for "asylum," again. The mother wrote that the benefits were good and they had a comfortable life in Germany. Then there was the slaughtering of another 15 year old girl by an Afghan "juvenile" in a drugstore earlier this year. And there are many more often by supposed "juveniles" who are quite older. In our rural area of Bavaria German women, including my wife, no longer walk in the city alone, never go in town at night, never take public transport and never go to public group activities we had a Syrian? suicide bomber downtown two years ago and pretty much have adopted the SUV dependent existence of the US. My brother in law, a security guard at the immigration offices, has warned us all not to go downtown at night or alone or to be in any group. Overall crime is at a low but sex crimes and assaults are much higher with an overwhelming number caused by young Muslim men. I wonder why the authors describe but a single case when there are so many?
38
There are obviously narratives being promoted (ex., lower crime) which hide the reality on the ground. Here in the US we have horrible gang violence, where up to 90% of a particular gang might be illegal. They butcher and slaughter people right in our New York suburbs, which was unheard of when I grew up there.
Our media never mentions gangs. Our president never stops talking about them. Major disconnect between those promoting open borders and those forced to live with its consequences.
13
I remember that a few years ago, 2012 or maybe 2013, Ms. Merkel said publicly that multiculturalism had failed in Germany and that in the future all immigrants coming to Germany would have to learn German and adopt or adapt to German culture and way of life. The NYT archive may have that on record.
Then in 2016 she allowed into Germany close to a million immigrants fleeing war and Islamic extremists.
When can we believe what she says?
12
Refusing to recognize (let alone dealing with) the elephant in the room will not do the world, and especially Europe, any good. Last few times I commented on this, the Times chose not to publish my comment.
I believe it's the innate highly evolved humanity and generosity of Europeans and North Americans that is allowing genuine refugees (and migrants) any chance of living a life free from the terrible trauma, violence and stress of their native lands.
However, refugees and migrants need to realize that they cannot then rush to recreate the exact same social and demographic situations that they fled from in the country that was kind enough to accommodate them.
I'm an immigrant to the US and I chose to assimilate fully. Refugees and migrants to Europe need to do the same. European countries are small in comparison and have finite resources.
Europe and North America gave us the freedoms, comforts and amenities of the modern world. We need to respect this, and we need to intercalate ourselves into the DNA of our respective adopted countries. That's just simple and plain common sense. To refuse to talk about this glaringly obvious issue is pusillanimous and disingenuous in my opinion...
37
Great point. It’s interesting to see the relative economic performance of immigrants in various countries. America, despite its flawed immigration system, has done a relatively stand up job, allowing them to participate in society and immigrants have prospered, finding jobs and learning English. France, on the other hand, has stacks of unemployed Arab immigrants in suburban slums, with neither the country welcoming them nor the immigrants bothering to assimilate.
7
Please, if you write an article about an political agreement, read the agreement first, think about the (non-political) implications and then write. Link to the agreement and some obvious question. https://plus.google.com/116010873343713831202/posts/iuDtzg1L1oU (in German).
3
the AFD is running Germany when it comes to immigration Merkel caved into their demands to save her own skin, she is just like Hillary doesn't want to get off the stage, she is absolutely powerless now, I guess her ego is bigger than the being disgraced on the EU stage. I go to Germany many times and have many friends there, they are tired of Merkel and blame her for the rise of the AFD. The AFD will be her legacy just as the emails will be Hillary's legacy.
4
Thanks to NY Times for allowing comments on this article. They're even more interesting, revealing, thought-provoking, and educational than the news they're written in response to.
22
I am sorry to disagree with the authors but I do not consider miracle to be a standard bearer of the liberal order in Europe. Her alliance with a hard right in Bavaria has resulted in harsh austerity measures throughout Europe. It has been cutting retirement pensions in half in Greece where people have to hire their own nurses and hospital. Her hard-line stance on debt goes over well with German voters but it has actually led to more poverty and more debt. Now Italy is threatening to leave the eurozone. Thanks for nothing Angela Merkel!
7
So Germany should have just bailed out those countries with their unsustainable profligate government spending? In Greece you were formerly eligible for government retirement benefits at 50! The economy meanwhile was always a shambles.
If Merkel had just bailed them out, she would have been booted out of office in favor of an candidate opposed to it. Also, the ECB canon just change its rules because they are inconvenient. That opens up huge moral hazard.
2
Rightly viewed as the standard bearer of the liberal values and the champion of the open border Eutopean policy as the German Chancellor Angela Merkel was, but how long could she persist when the entire crew of the European ship she was stewarding had succumbed to the headwinds of the populist nationalism? To avert catastrophe and building political storms, if she has decided to yield some ground to the far right Bavarian conservative leader it was perhaps her best choice to choose discretion over the reckless valour and save the stability of her government.
2
Border camps in Germany - a very, very disturbing prospect, and quite an about-face for Merkel - this is a decision that must have been awful to make. I agree with the comments here discussing the US role in causing this humanitarian crisis. Border camps cannot be the answer, in Europe or America. The world should not allow itself to go this route. Already proven disastrous in Texas, it will be disastrous in Germany.
2
Neither the Europeans nor Americans can hope to solve the problems of the third world or war torn nations by allowing immigration. The United States and Europe are already overpopulated considering our per capita use of energy and water. We are asked to conserve so we can share with new comers and compensate for pollution in China and India. Native populations have reduced fertility because they feel unable to afford the costs of housing, food, education, and entertainment. They are them asked to subsidize the families of immigrants, both legal and illegal, who don't act responsibly and have children they can't afford to house or feed. In the United States, 25% of all children are born to immigrants. In California and New York, the number is closer to 50% and that is not counting grand children of immigrants who originally came after 1970. The days of mass migration need to end. If we want to help the people of the third world, we need to help them where they are with family planning and sustainable development.
24
History will not remember this as a political Golden Age. Merkel was for the most part the successful manager of a prosperous country over an impressive span who also harbored humanitarian principles. Now those principles have led to her apparent demise.
Merkel will be remembered as a capable but not visionary leader. But placing her within the run of riffraff that now passes as the international leadership cohort, she inhabits the upper tier. Things are likely to go worse without her.
1
Her austerity plans got the best of her. Finding ways to support those refugees and the German People were in need of money. Austerity Strikes Again
1
In the comments of articles in this very paper I posited that things would sour in Germany over this policy Ms Merkel adopted. They thought they were getting cheap labor and all they have gotten was a headache.
Most reporting in the American media presented these migrants as mostly women, children and old people when the truth is they were mostly young men. Young men who do not share language, religion, culture or tradition with the German people.
The German people have been raised to be tolerant and accommodating in their education, but folkways and social norms are extremely important in the culture. Ask anyone who has lived for any length of time in Germany- and not on a military base.
If Germany is smart they will enact rules similar to Denmark that will increase the likelihood of assimilation into the German culture- to keep the migrants from making little enclaves "like the old country" and harming their children's chances to be fully integrated into the national culture and economy. The last thing Germany wants or needs is the mess in France where the African migrants are not well assimilated and are highly resentful of the place where they were granted asylum.
9
Angela Merkel has had her head in the sand for a long time. She has stubbornly refused to even recognized what has been happening around her.
She has refused to recognize that the refugees coming from Africa are almost entirely economic migrants who have no right to claim asylum. The home countries of these migrants have refused to hold up their end of international agreement by failing to accept their own citizens who have been deported by court order back. And Merkel has failed to develop a viable plan that pressures these countries to cooperate. She has also failed to recognize that the politics over this issue have quickly changed, and she is perhaps the number one reason for the rise of nationalist politicians in Europe and around the world.
Europeans generally would not be opposed to accepting refugees from war zones. So long as it's done in an orderly and legal manner. But this massive assault via the Mediterranean is total chaos and a violation of international agreements.
15
Can the prosperous countries of Europe with a population of perhaps 400 million people provide economic opportunity for the hundreds of millions or billions of people in less prosperous countries who would come if they could? It’s not possible. It seems inevitable that the frontiers of Europe will increasingly harden and European politicians will be forced to adopt coercive and unpleasant measures to exclude people.
14
Having a great heart is not a crime though some will say different. Ch Merkel is a realist, there are just too many people across the world that are hurting where they are and all of Europe can only save so many. She now wisely agrees to do as much as reasonable without closing the doors to those in real need. She did what had to be done. Congrats to her. May history show that she made so many wise decisions for the good of Germany and the world. Hope others learn too.
1
What is getting lost in all of this negative talk about "invaders", and "first world cultures", and "secure borders" is a truth that few in the west want to face up to.
1) The flow of migrants is slowing significantly
2) Asia is rising technologically and financially
3) Asia is spreading the wealth effectively with "third world" nations
Jobs and technologies are flowing OUT OF the west, and into the East. In the future, that is where the superior technology will come from. Also, most of the global warming is produced (in aggregate) from the west. The U.S. just pulled out of the Paris Accords, and is firing up its coal production again.
China has formed key partnerships with African nations, and is constructing high speed rail throughout the continent. China and Indian Space hypersonic and space programs are advancing rapidly. Asian industrial and financial might is growing rapidly, and its here to stay.
In fifty years, those countries current referred to as "first world", and those labeled "third world", are about to change.
2
Sure, my grandkids are going to want to immigrate to Ethiopia, Sudan and Philippines....right
9
An illegal immigrant is not the same as an immigrant. These slight omissions of the word "illegal" certainly change the connotation of any story and obfuscate the issue at hand. Poor, oppressed and victimized ethnic minorities seeking asylum are not the only type of people arriving on the borders of Western nations. Many people seeking entrance want an economic upgrade, government benefits and an escape from the horrifyingly oppressive reality of living in a non-Christian majority non-Western nation. The Times downplays the significance of the issue of sovereignty. Without a border, a nation ceases to be sovereign. Without sovereignty, the vision of globalism, identity politics and multiculturalism will be realized by hardcore leftists who view the predominantly Christian nations of the West as an affront on the so-called poor, disaffected and victimized non-Christians of the world. However, this narrative overlooks the fact that millions of Muslims seem to be attempting to risk life and limb to escape the horrifying realities of life under Shariah law in favor of the liberties, freedom and prosperity that was created by Christians. And the role of those Christians was significant. It was the pious religious Baptist who gave Americans separation of Church and State (not agnostics and certainly not Muslims). It was those American Christians who continue to provide 60% of all NGO foreign aid to the world. People of the West want sovereignty.
9
If US voters in November 2018 can start to move power away from the right-wing xenophobic extremists in this country, perhaps it will predict a similar shift back to the left or left-center in Europe. We must work toward setting a good example to the rest of the world (at present, we have no way to go but up), and Chancellor Merkel must hold on until the hateful mood also lifts in Germany.
1
Just like the US Europe is facing a steady stream of unwanted immigrants. Just like the US this is a mix of economic immigrants and genuine refugees. And just like the US the EU tries to limit the stream by making things unattractive for those immigrants. That means walking a fine line between being too open and being inhuman.
Merkel - despite being in government for many years - completely missed this line and made remarks that caused a stampede of millions of people wanting to enter the EU and go to Germany. That was a major mistake of a size that she should have paid for with resignation. She didn't do so but since then her credibility as a leader has been seriously damaged.
Those would-be immigrants have a cause. But I believe that we would do better when we stop fueling wars in their countries and open our borders for their products so that they can make money.
7
I am an African American man who lives in Austria. I am on the front lines of this problem. Here is my perspective:
1. Most of the people coming from the Middle East and North Africa are economic migrants; not refugees.
2. They are mostly young men between 18 and 30.
3. They are not allowed to work until their status is sorted out.
4. They cannot be sent back until their status is sorted out and this can take many months.
5. Some of these economic migrants resort to petty crime.
6. Germany has a labor shortage and a declining birth rate but Germany needs skilled laborers.
7. German people are haunted by WWII and feel compelled to atone for what occurred during this period.
Many people in Europe support immigration; nevertheless, Merkel welcomed immigrants without having a plan for what to do with them.
17
The displacement of tens of millions out of the Middle East into Europe has strained their societies and given rise to a right-wing backlash. Had we not attempted regime change in Syria with the covert CIA-Saudii program that gave us ISIS, and had we not invaded Iraq for oil, none of this would be happening today. We caused this mess.
2
Merkel has been the best European leader but the quick decision to allow in 1.4million refugees has not only hurt her but causing widespread dissension throughout the country. It is I even been said to be the reason for the mighty German soccer team to be torn apart politically. She has emboldened the far right and is now paying the price . The plan now in place is what should have been done in the first place.
2
"since then the number of migrants had dropped to a fraction "
Sidestepping mention of the deal with Turkey to hold them back. Some might call it a dirty political secret but it makes sense to pay other nations to protect your borders while you try to get a United States of Europe off the ground.
5
This won't change anything to remove the serious problem that is facing Europe. Merkel as well as her opponents are simply continuing to stick their heads in the sand by bickering about the consequences of a much bigger problem neither of them wants to tackle, because they feel daunted by it. Those are the conflicts at Europe's door step in the Middle East and in Africa and the reasons that have led to it including climate change.
They are not even discussed by these "leaders". Instead, they are engaging in emotionally charged, but ultimately futile, skirmishes, such as the bickering about what to do with refugees (which must be treated differently from economic migrants, but are being lumped together).
This is the reason why Merkel must step aside. She is too small to address this global problem and present REAL solutions to the EU. Such solutions will necessarily unpopular and painful as they will include military engagement and an aggressive cleaning-up of the mess in the Middle East, followed by the repatriation of the refugees. Because who else can rebuild it!?
Merkel is no leader. All she has ever done is let the country run itself. That worked fine as long as there were no major problems. Now we have one and every day that passes shows us more how far out of her depth Angela Merkel really is.
Time to step aside!
7
I wrote this in a discussion thread back in September 2016.
"As a German living outside of the country, I watch this with utter astonishment... What is the number a country like Germany can take - 100,000, 200,000, 300.000 annually? ... Like many countrymen ... I look at what happened as an invasion, made possible overnight by a once conservative party and its leadership. How do you explain to someone in small-town Germany that boatloads of funds are suddenly available for strangers while it was out of the question to rehabilitate and reconstruct infrastructure such as schools and many other things for years on end? How do you explain that the vast majority of these strangers were not doctors, engineers, and academics (as falsely advertised), well-schooled pillars of their own societies? How do you explain that most of these strangers will be on welfare for decades to come, paid for by locals who go to work at 6 am in the morning with less and less retirement coverage on the back end.
Mrs. Merkel and her coterie of yes men and women have created a massive problem not just for Germany, but for Europe. Germany as a whole will have to deal with these consequences for decades. And to think it was all put in motion in this advanced Western democracy because one stubborn chancellor decided to be “humanistically enlightened” without even so much as asking parliament for permission to open the borders."
17
What you say and of course, it is the same in the US with the HORDES of illegals that left-wingers demand we give amnesty and asylum and green cards to....while our own citizens lack even basic health care.
2
This article is putting the outcome in reverse of the facts. Seehofer, the current minister of the interior, threatened to resign on Sunday night if he does not get it "his way."
His way was only aimed to appear more "tough" than the Afd party, which is the new populist voice of the right. As his party's state, Bavaria, has election this fall, he wants to appear strong to regain votes. It back fired. He opening a pandorras box, even threatening to the disdain of his own party members, a breakdown of the current government. Many supporter shook their heads in disbelief and brought his party's numbers in polls down even further.
The "last" minute agreement found now, is in actuality a very old, multiple times discussed solution. His turn- around to save his position is seen by the German public as a dog putting his tail between his legs to save face.
The looser is not Merkel, it is Seehofer. He gambled, just to satisfy his ego (he has private bones to pick with Merkel on top of it), he was ready to let the government collapse for his own glory.
His own party was not ready at this prospect, they were frightened to loose their control in Berlin. Hence his sudden acceptance of terms, which were not worth the whole episode of madness.
It appears white, conservative men in their seventies are the main threat to democracy, they are conflating their egos above the common good, and act irrational. Every tin- pot-wanna-be-dictator feels emboldened these days, thank you, GOP
1
It took a while, but the chickens are finally coming home to roost. If Merkel had any decency, she would resign now.
14
American media loves to push the viewpoint that a functional democracy in which every party has a voice somehow amounts to "the end of the liberal world order". The New York Times thinks that a one-party state that suppresses all opposing viewpoints is "liberal". Merkel is capable of making compromises and respecting the results of an election that didn't overwhelmingly favor her own party, and that's what sets her apart from Trump and his boss Putin. If Merkel had chosen to govern like the autocrats in America and Russia, we could truly declare western democracy dead.
5
The invocation of the loaded phrases "nationalism" and "far-right" in a conversation revolving around German politics carries ugly historical connotations, and should be made with extreme care. Unfortunately, the Times and many commenters do not seem to bother employing such care, preferring to plug their ears and bellow about the "far right". The a very significant share of the Germans who oppose Merkel's reckless migration politics do so out of concern that liberal values – the status of women as emancipated and equal, free speech, secularism, among others – are threatened. You may choose to debate them on this point – that mass migration would threaten these values – but to deride half of Germans as being under the influence of the resurgent "far right" is ignorant and cheap.
6
Wake up and smell the coffee, Democrats. Totally open borders and do it yourself immigration shakes governments and loses elections.
13
RM: given all the pro-illegal-immigration articles and posts in this very publication....no, they truly have not learned a thing.
1
It is a fantasy to think that the "developed world" can have anything resembling open borders in the long run, or even in the short run. Resident birth rates are low; automation and robotics are diminishing blue collar job opportunities; chaos reins in dozens of countries with much higher birth rates and much fewer economic opportunities. I love Angela Merkel but this should be viewed as a reasonable and sensible accommodation to reality, better sooner than later.
13
Actually birth rates are still TOO HIGH. They are between 1.7 and 2.2 which is still a bit too much for Zero Population Growth!
Anyone who LIVES in the US or Europe can clearly see how overcrowded it is -- the high cost of housing -- crowded transportation and schools. It is fascinating (but depressing) how lefties have abandoned Zero Population Growth and now embrace overpopulation simply to get their favored "brown people" here in large numbers to slant demographics and voting!
Lefties really DO want open borders; read their posts. They tell you this unabiguously!
1
Back in the early 1990s through the early 2000s, I had the opportunity to travel extensively throughout Europe. My favorite countries were Austria, Czech Republic, Germany (Bavarian region), and Switzerland. Because of the flood of immigrants to those regions, especially Germany, I have absolutely no interest in returning to those places. Some may see this as "cultural diversity," but I see it as
a cultural disaster. Perhaps, Merkel's policies will eventually result in the removal of migrants from the cities and towns and place them in the border camps.
20
The two conservative parties agreed to build transit centers on the German side of the border with Austria. Asylum-seekers will be returned from those centers to other European countries where they first entered, if there are arrangements with those countries. They would be returned to Austria otherwise. But it's hardly a victory for Seehofer considering few of those arrangements exist, not even with Austria.
What this means is that Chancellor Merkel could not support the progressive vision of the West all by herself while being undermined by a race-baiting, anti-immigrant American President, as well as by anti-immigrant forces in Germany. The America of the Marshall Plan—that confident builder of the international order in which the new Germany emerged—was an umbrella that a daring leader like Chancellor Markel needed to help shelter her from the politics of fear. But Trump is all about giving oxygen to the politics of fear, here and abroad. And fear is winning, catching on everywhere.
5
Merkel and her party faced political oblivion and changed accordingly.
The more interesting issue is that now that Germany has decided to create border camps, other EU countries will certainly do the same if they have not already. That should be the real takeaway from this news item.
8
So sad. So similar to our own decline of democracy in the US. Conservatives will always be conservatives and they can easily deconstruct a working democracy given the least disruption. Yes, the behavior and criminal acts are tragedies but to take a country to the right will lead to American-like despair in the long run. Germany was a model for a twenty-first century city on a planet that is in peril.
I'm sorry people are so forgetful and easily swayed. Now having said that, perhaps encampments preceding acceptance is a good thing given a culture that is so different.
3
It doesn't come as a surprise that Vladimir Putin seeks to topple Angela Merkel by funding extreme far right parties to stoke hatred against her refugee policy. She has been the strongest proponent of economic sanctions against Russia. Putin believes if she disappeared the EU would be weaker.
The refugee crisis exacerbated since Russia started its military action in September 2013. When Merkel decided to open Germany’s borders to refugees in September 2015, her action prompted Putin to step up his carpet-bombing in Syria in an effort to increase the influx of refugees to Europe. Meanwhile people from Afghanistan, Pakistan, Africa and even the Balkans, who wanted to flee economic hardships, exploited the situation and joined the influx, enabling human traffickers to make hundreds of millions.
As humane as Merkel is by nature, she ought to be realistic and reject those who take advantage of her generosity and compassion.
22
A long overdue correction.
I applaud Chancellor Merkel's commitment to helping the victims of middle eastern wars started or aggravated by western interests. The way she chose to implement her vision has not been fair to anyone, not the refugees, not legal immigrants to Germany, and certainly not German citizens.
As chancellor it is her duty to uphold the rule of law, and throwing open the border was an abdication of that responsibility. If the chancellor wants to keep helping refugees, she should inform the UNHCR, which manages refugee camps in conflict regions around the world, that Germany will accept a certain number of refugees, which can be as large as politically tenable. This allows better vetting and ensures that those genuinely in need benefit from Germany's largess.
Her actions benefited numerous bad faith actors, from economic migrants falsely claiming oppression, to far right politicians claiming that there were no real refugees. The EU has paid the price in the form of Brexit, where the Leave campaign successfully employed fears of mass immigration via open borders, a far right trope which had remained on the fringes until that point. The troubles continue in the form of the current Italian government, a reactionary mishmash with no clear agenda other than the hate of all immigrants.
22
Merkel's cave in was always just around the corner, what better example than Brexit itself. She created the Brexit vote, basically forcing Britain to leave. The EU was so adamant of controlling who enters and leaves Britian they literally caused Brexit. And now, Merkel is forced with the same problem in the EU: trying to get the members to agree on who freely roams around and lives in the countries of the EU. EU countries said no, just like Britain. A country has its own culture and identity and no one says you have to accept immigrants, or refugees into your country. That is what Britain said too. She never learned. She went to far, she became very hard headed.
23
Eexcuse me, but how exactly the final statement makes sense. The four freedoms of the EU can't be enforced due to the problem with refugees? But how exactly the freedom of movement of the capital, goods, and services is in relation to refugees?
Freedom of movement applies only to the Union citizens and their family members. Schengen is not about freedom of movement - it is about lifting border controls, while FoM is about freedom to settle and work in another country of the Union.
The closing remark is full of pathos and shows complete misunderstanding the Union realities.
16
Alexey, you are perfectly right.
General definition of "Free movement of persons" - one of the "four freedoms":
"The free movement of persons means EU citizens can move freely between member states for whatever reason (or without any reason) and to reside in any member state they choose if they aren't an undue burden on social welfare system or public safety in their chosen member state."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Single_Market
The EU "Citizens’ Rights Directive" 2004/38/EC
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citizens%E2%80%99_Rights_Directive
- extended on Iceland Norway and Lichtenstein-(Switzerland has a special agreement)
is referring to EEA citizens their family members and owners of permanent resident permits only.
"Refugees" are no EU citizens, "Immigrants" can be EU citizens but even if they are no citizens but they entitled to refer to those freedoms also when the have permanent resident permits. Persons who are entitled for asyylum (!) with unlimited "Aufenthaltserlaubnis" also.
BTW: Turks with unlimited "Aufenthaltserlaubnis" are entitled to join the "EU citizens" queue at border control. Very useful for many compatriots here. (Many Brits will envy those Turks after 2019...)
Schengen is quite another story as you have said.
This statement proves: Mr. Kleine Brockhoff has no idea about EU law but he is talking and talking anyhow about things he doesn´t understand at all - as many Pundits do.
Jornalists: Why do you ask these guys all the time?
2
Dr Merkel has proven herself a human of principle. One may agree or not with her, but her constancy to her own values should be applauded. And yes, in between or eventually she will also have to negotiate and/or water down her views because, after all, she is only the head of a democratic government, she is not empress. Reacting to developing situations and adopting realistic stances is positive attitude. Most of us seem to be entering debates only to win them and hardly ever to try and learn from them, which gets us nowhere.
In addition to these reflections, it seems that many commentators here have an inaccurate knowledge on how the EU works at the moment. I read again and again comments about Merkel going it alone and disregarding the rest of the EU, but these readers don't seem to grasp that each member state is still largely free to decide many things on its own. Sure, there are some treaties in place, but shifting the EU from a predominantly economical union to a comprehensive, political one is work in progress. Along the way, extraordinary circumstances occur when the member states need to act and coordination across the Union is needed. Then, it becomes very hard to reconcile all member-state governments' interests, without a binding regulatory framework that distributes responsibilities equally among EU members and sets mutually accepted limits.
11
This is not a left-wing versus right-wing issue.
Angela Merkel did not consult with the German people when she opened her borders to over 1 million migrants between 2015-2016. Therein lies the problem. It is ordinary people who have to cope with additional numbers of people, not the politicians and other elites who pontificate about letting them in.
Furthermore, we need to draw a distinction between migrants and refugees. There certainly is a moral obligation to take in however many refugees are feasible. There is no moral obligation to take in however many migrants are feasible. Let's not forget that people-traffickers are cashing in on this unprecedented flow of people from the Middle East and North Africa.
Changes to immigration numbers should be a matter of consultation, not unilateral declaration. A country can only take in additional numbers if it has the resources to do so. The notion that only countries in Europe are obliged to let in unlimited additional numbers, when other larger countries around the world could also do so, is unfounded. Why do all the migrants have to come to Europe, particularly when it is so fatal for them to cross through North Africa? I know that over 1 million are already living in Jordan, Iraq, and other Middle Eastern countries. That seems a far more sensible option than making a fatal crossing through the Mediterranean.
39
This new idea drifted into my consciousness last week. That Germany, sick and adrift, has let millions of Muslim economic migrants into Germany to stoke nationalistic and ethnic renewal sentiments that have been fading since WWII. Whether one believes this argument has merit or not is immaterial - Germany is now a festering cauldron of new ethnic conflict. The populace resents the economic benefits they underwrite, fear the terrorism and crime this senseless policy has spawned, and shocked by the radical demographic and cultural change their cities have suffered over the past generation.
Though it was reported in the news last week that a native terrorist group bent on killing Muslims in France was dismantled, this was only the first such discovery. There will be a new civil war against Islam in Europe. The insane policies to permit the large scale entry of alien people could be an indication of the despair into which our allies and brothers in arms have fallen. Ironic
24
"A festering cauldron?" Sorry, buddy, but it is not that bad, not even close. It is a challenge, nothing more.
The problem was letting in too many people who were seeking work. But Merkel's decision to let in people from countries torn apart by war - actual festering cauldrons- was right and will be seen as such when history judges her.
22
The recent predicament faced by Angela Merkel brings to mind an opinion piece written three years ago by British historian Michael Burleigh.
“Forget the Greek crisis or Britain's referendum, this tidal wave of migrants could be the biggest threat to Europe since the war”, writes MICHAEL BURLEIGH - Daily Mail, 27, June 2015.
-our negotiations seem at a time when nobody — not Cameron nor any other EU leader — is prepared properly to acknowledge that Europe’s most urgent problem is the relentless human tide heading our way from several points of the compass.
It will do nothing to avert a catastrophe that is not only causing the deaths of thousands of migrants, drowning at sea, but could splinter the Continent, fostering xenophobic nationalism, as immigration swamps individual countries.
Above all, there should be a serious European debate about whether the 1951 UN Refugee Convention (designed to deal with displaced people inside Europe after World War II) should now apply to economic migrants from other continents.
And unless David Cameron and the European Union start to take it seriously — as opposed to tinkering around the edges [dispersal of 60,000 migrants EU Wide] — its effect will shatter the EU in a manner that would make a Greek or British exit look like a mild disagreement at a vicar’s tea party.
24
Merkel proved that you don't have to start a war to wreck the international order. Her actions in August 2015 have dealt a heavy blow to both her beloved EU and the liberal order in Europe more broadly.
42
Can somebody cover what is the situation with the left? Or do we only get pictures of the center, center right and far right. Who is on the left and what are their criticisms and programs? Could we get full coverage of the political scenes in other countries?
13
They are mostly out of power now.
A leftist did just win in Mexico and the NY Times has covered it.
1
In other news, the South has decided not to secede. Afraid they might lose the war.
She shouldn't change course, she should resign. Too little too late.
14
What Merkel did was undemocratic, without official consensus. The best decision would be to resign, but she fears the takeover of more radical, far-right parties. I wish there was a centrist party who could take a decisive line against mass migration.
17
This is Putin's (Russia's) strategy at work. Russia is the anti-democracy ying to the US democracy yang.
Exploit and amplify humanitarian crises wherever possible to create an immigrant dilemma that threatens to overwhelm western, democratic liberal moralities.
Fomenting nationalism and xenophobia here, in Germany and Europe are the symptom, but Putin is the problem through which the spout can be shut off.
But first things first, while we have a puppet to impeach.
20
Wow- a leader who listens to others and isn’t too proud to change her mind. How refreshing.
16
It's slightly surreal to read these comments.
Germany is implementing stricter, conservative laws due to a surge of populist nationalism and mounting hostility towards minorities. The party responsible for this put considerable effort into manipulating public opinion against these minorities. In just a few years, they've attained considerable political power, due largely to the success of their fear-mongering propaganda and outright lies.
Do you really want to argue about what should have been done in 2015, when the number of global refugees was the highest it had been since World War II? Because it looks like that's not the only thing from the era making a comeback.
That should terrify everyone, because Germany is the last place you should see this mentality taking hold again.
Germany doesn't wallpaper over its past atrocities. German school children are taught about WWII several times, and most go on field trips to concentration camps – those from the Munich area tour Dachau. Giving a Nazi salute, displaying swastikas, saying "heil Hitler" – these are crimes with six month jail sentences. Germans are raised understanding that fascism is part of their own history, and their grandfathers and uncles were likely accessories to that horror.
It makes sense for America to backslide this way; we lie to ourselves and cal it patriotism. This is something else, though. Don't get so caught up in the details that you miss the bigger picture, because it's deeply unsettling.
24
The million plus migrants she invited to Germany had to cross not just dangerous waters but also a half dozen safe countries, including other EU member-states. This went against the EU's laws and deeply offended other EU states who had to deal with unprecedented masses of people. The moment they refused to accept any help from non-German EU states, they were no longer refugees even if that's what they had been before. The reason Hungary, for example, reacted so harshly is because those migrants were not just jumping the border illegally, but because they were all too often violent and extremely insulting to the locals, even those who tried to help them. In other countries they set their own camps (paid by local's taxes) on fire. They literally spit in the faces of people who tried to keep them in their countries. All this is what NYTimes was shy to report, to put it mildly.
Merkel should have sent German cruise ships to pick up the migrants and transport them safely to her country, if that's what she wanted. Forcing other Europeans to deal with German post-WW2 guilt, in such a demeaning and insulting way, was the first step towards the end of the EU, Brexit and Trump.
46
WHERE have you been getting your news? Because this European has never read the story you´re telling here. And before you answer "fake news", tell me why any European news agencies should wish to suppress this??
One can thank the Social Democrats, who chose not to continue their coalition with Merkel's Christian Democrats (democrats who actually act like Christians!)
Her other alternative was to let the government fall and AfD rise. A statesman, she put country and justice first rather than placing blame.
We should have such a leader in the US.
23
Just as David Cameron unwittingly achieved the opposite of his intent with a terrible miscalculation (putting Brexit on the ballot, which he never expected could pass), so Merkel miscalculated terribly with her assumption that the helter-skelter admission of nearly a million immigrants in a single year would be welcome by a giddy German populace. The resulting disorder has wrought the opposite of her intent, a backlash against her pro-immigration stance and perhaps against her entire political vision. That she is finally acknowledging the breadth and depth of her error is a good thing, and the only way she may regain the trust of the German people.
16
I am not certain there's anything wrong with Mrs. Merkel's compromise. That's democracy - you disagree, negotiate, compromise. Assuming one can read someone's mind is not appropriate, and isn't "proper" journalism. I am increasingly disgruntled with the tendentious reporting of some mainstream media - here, the words "to Survive", in the headline, are not supported by any evidence.
14
This what credible and mature statesmanship looks like, America. In case you have forgotten.
26
Well said!
Far too little. Far too late. The damage is and will continue to be done.
41
Well, then maybe she should forget the whole idea of border camps.
She just can't walk away from power.
7
Power corrupts, the trappings of power absolutely corrupt.
Immigration appears to be the ultimate poison pill that my side, the left, has no resistance to.
28
It’s about time. Small towns are overrun. The people are fed up.
47
As always, NYT commenters are quick to blame GOP leaders, but slower to spread the blame around. To be sure, Bush 2 caused Iraq, but Afghanistan was a bipartisan decision. And W. was long gone by the time Syria was aflame. Obama owns Syria, and there are 12.5 MILLION refugees from that country. In other words, PLENTY of blame to go around.
37
A perfect example of Republican false equivalency. Obama doesn’t ‘own’ Syria just because it started (intransitive verb) during his presidency.
Bush II, on the other hand, started (transitive verb) the mess in Iraq by invading and destroying a once-stable country on false pretenses.
Republicans bullied Democrats into going along with their scheme by accusing those who didn’t as being un-American, intimidation (Valerie Plame) and lying (Colin Powell’s infamous anthrax speech).
8
Where was the almighty UN at when ISIS & Assad was making a mess. Where was Obama who never really knew what a foreign policy was. The many refugees who wanted to stay in their own country of origin getting killed or bombed out got no help. Really shows just how much the world has progresses. World leaders more lip than action. There is small forces in Africa fighting the bad guys there & the USA is one of them. Iran has created another problem in Yemen & they're being held in check. The world never runs out of dictators & must be stopped.
2
Don't remember the famous "Red Line?" Or the NYT glibly congratulating BO on staying out of what the editors assured us was going to be another Vietnam-style "quagmire?" And why? Answer: to preserve political capital needed to defend ObamaCare from GOP attacks. The visuals of U.S. troops coming home in coffins would've sunk the ACA. No, Obama "owns" Syria and with the Iranians peering down at the Israelis from the Golan Heights, the whole world is going to wish it WAS a quagmire.
Teeters ? It is the tragedy of the Free World that in the fight between Humanity & Fascist forces, the American Free Press has always belittled the flag bearers of Humanity & glorified the Fascists. All in the name of sensationalism & grabbing eyeballs ? Chancellor Angela Merkel is Weakest now ? NO ! The Truth is Chancellor Angela Merkel is the Fearless Leader of the World’s Fight for Humanity in the face of growing Fascism. The Truth is Chancellor Angela Merkel is boldly facing the Fiercest onslaught of Fascist Forces in Germany & Europe in the last 73 years. The Truth is Chancellor Angela Merkel has won battle after battle against the Fascists from 2015. Even NOW, Chancellor Angela Merkel has vanquished the attempt of her own long-time ally Mr.Seehofer’s to capitulate on Humanity & the Core Values of the European Union to head-off Afd’s challenge in Bavaria’s forthcoming polls.
The Free Press has a Time-Honoured Role to Stand Up for Truth, Human Values & Principles of Democracy. In the 2016 Presidential Elections, if the American Press had Boldly stood up for the Truth about NAFTA, about Immigration, about Pacific Trade Treaty, about Iran Nuclear Deal, about Obama Care etc instead of glorifying Donald Trump’s Lies, the US today would not be dragging the World towards Fascist Chaos.
Even now, the American Press has the chance to Clearly stand up for Human Values & Democracy.
18
Clever move.
You take it to the brink, the very brink, of your government collapsing and the whole EU being shattered. And then, and ONLY then, you give in a bit and do the sensible thing that everybody demands and that really makes sense if you think about it.
We (Europe) can't handle a steady stream of refugees for years and years. It taxes our resources and changes our culture. Limits are necessary. A refugee must fear for his life, not just seek a better one. That's an immigrant, and he should be treated differently (merit-based).
Real refugees need to be spread out across all countries fairly. And illegal camps like the one near the Channel tunnel can not be tolerated. We tell you to live in Portugal, you go to Portugal - except you can prove that you have folks in Poland. And if the crisis at home is over you go home - quickly and willingly. No crime, no sleaze, you are guests, just for a while. That's the rules.
Politically Dr. Merkel has covered herself well now. If attacked by the far left she can point to the fact that the coalition between CDU and CSU was about to break - unthinkable for most Germans! She didn't "cave", she didn't "bow to pressure", she is the hero that saved the continuity of government AND implemented these sensible rules on refugee-handling!
Well played, Bundeskanzler, well played...
47
Immigration issues are fueling fascism.
43
Yep. Spot on.
1
Many of us with an abundance of common sense knew this was inevitable. I don't know why anyone who knows simple math would think open borders are an effective way to build a country's economy. In the US, these Democratic-Socialist groups need to redirect their energies to helping "merit-based and legal" immigrants assimilate.
70
Many migrants are fleeing war zones and ask for asylum, esp. those in Europe who come from the Middle East. As you may know, there is an international right to apply for asylum. Last but not least, the West carries a big responsibility in creating these wars.
99
...of which Germany participated in.
Ordinary Germans did not create these wars. Politicians did. So why don't these pontificating politicians let migrants stay in their expansive houses? Instead, they allow unlimited numbers and force ordinary epople to put up with increased demand for services and lesser resources. Merkel did not consult with her people when she made this decision, and it has evidently cost her greatly. Any politician who thinks they can simply open their borders without facing any consequences will go the same way. It's called democracy for a reason.
As a civil rights attorney I understand Angela Merkel's belief that an act based on the good intentions was necessarily correct. Unfortunately, as Albert Camus wrote: "good intentions may do as much harm as malevolence, if they lack understanding." Merkel unilaterally, without consulting other EU countries, invited millions to come to Europe from the Middle East. In welcoming immigrants Merkel triggered a massive movement across Europe. It meant Merkel expected all other EU countries to automatically absorb what Germany would not. Merkel insisted that other member states, with no choice in the matter, accept immigrants they didn't want. Unfortunately, it served to confirm a far-right anti-EU narrative that Germany issued EU decrees by fiat and strengthened reactionary elements throughout Europe. The rapid rise of German nativism was also foreseeable as nativism is often unrelated to economic anxiety. (Hungary, is a prime example). German national wealth and the need for more laborers was never going to stop a rise of xenophobia. When Merkel spoke to her motivations, they proved she was misguided. In an attempt to atone for a brutal history of anti-Semitism she thrust Europe, with massive financial and social problems of its own, into a 1600 year old schism between Sunni and Shiite Muslims, many with no understanding of liberal Enlightenment ideals. Much of what followed, from Brexit, to Italy's Five Star Movement, and yes, even to Trump, is in part caused by Merkel decision.
61
The failure to consult and obtain a consensus on the refugee problem with the rest of the EU was a fatal error that may well tar Merkel’s place in history.
18
"Merkel triggered a massive movement across Europe." What? Global warfare, economic destabilization and a history of colonial and neo-colonial interference in the Middle East and North Africa caused this movement....not Merkel. Jeeeez.
11
If you are interested in history do yourself a favor and read this book:
Robin Alexander: "The Driven Ones"
(In original "Die Getriebenen",)
https://service.randomhouse.de/book/The-Driven-Ones-Merkel-and-refugee-p...
This is the best "myth free, no frills" history of Ms. Merkels role in European refugee crisis of 2015 and aftermath.
Mr. Alexander is editor of "Die Welt" and expert on CDU issues.
But this is not the issue here.
One aspect of the increasing upset and unease with this sudden influx of over one million migrants is the not really wrong impression by the many Germans who are not comfortably middle class or higher that these migrants are competing with them for scarce resources. Despite the portrayal of Germany as a country with a generous welfare system, this is not so anymore, and hasn't been for a while.
For example, the German equivalent of public housing programs, the Soziale Wohnungsbau, has been relegated to history books. If you don't believe how far the dismantling of welfare and benefits has gone, google "Hartz IV". Most cities in which one could readily find a job, such as Munich, Hamburg, Cologne, Stuttgart or Berlin, have an growing housing crisis. In many of these cities, anybody working as a police officer, mail carrier, cook or bus driver cannot afford to live there due to exploding housing costs especially if they want to start a family. If that sounds familiar to what's going on around here in New York, San Franscisco, LA etc., it's because it is familiar. In Germany, this blindness to the needs of at least 40% of the population who are not winning in this economy is the other great failing of Ms. Merkel. That those people are suspicious of the sudden influx of over one million more competing for scarce resources, on top of the cultural differences and lack of any consensus building before the doors were opened wide, is only human.
47
Germany is an economic paradise compared to the US. I live in Munich part of the year...
2
Not the whole year?????
If only Libya and Syria were not destabilized beginning in 2011 triggering the flood of refugees/immigrants that inundated Europe and destabilized it too !
14
Why didn't the good people of Syria and Libya unite and create good governments so they could live in peace and prosperity instead of running away to sneak into freedom loving countries that have already paid their dues in blood so they could be free. Perhaps those people of these horribly governed countries lack bravery and spines. Maybe they're diffident and feckless.
12
Isn’t it just like the West -Germany, Sweden, and a smattering of other countries excepted - to bomb the Middle East to oblivion and back, and then whine incessantly when Middle Easterners search for new lives elsewhere.
As for the US specifically, ISIS arose from displaced Iraqi soldiers. And what’s really awesome? We were WARNED that’s what would happen, and we ignored it anyway under the guise of bringing democracy to the region, even though we now know it was a sinister ploy to regulate oil markets. We are directly responsible for the needless deaths of thousands of US soldiers and untold numbers of Iraqi civilians, as well as the loss of irreplaceable historical treasure - and WE are going to complain when we find ourselves having to clean up that colossal, murderous mess that had no basis in reality, that solved NOTHING, that achieved NOTHING excpet displacing millions of innocent civilians?
Merkel is proof that doing what’s right can be a very lonely process. God bless her.
37
I absolutely agree with you. Bush, Cheney, Rice, et al created the Iraq mess with their wild notions of building a democracy in these countries and, as a consequence, created thousands of refugees. However, many of European countries can't cope for a variety of reasons. Just ask a German or Swedish policeman - crime has soared, especially sex related crimes in the countries with sizable refugees. Europeans are not used to this. Anyway, the problem is not easily solvable.
11
ISIS is Sunni. Iraq is majority Shia. Democracy, however problematic, in Iraq was going to lead to unrest.
ISIS was created by the people of the Middle-East, Sunnis, who refused to accept life under a Shia government.
Which is better? A brutal dictatorship under Hussain or ISIS? Same violence- different religious sect.
The invasion of Iraq was a mistake. That mistake doesn't mean Western culture needs to be destroyed.
14
You make America sound bad. Why does everyone want to emmigrate to the US if we're such bad guys?
17
What this article omits is the bizarre construct that is Mrs. Merkels governing Union party. It is divided into the CDU - The Christian Democratic Union, and the CSU - The Christian Social Union. The former is represented in all federal states but Bavaria, while the latter is literally only represented in Bavaria.
It has governed the Bavarian state since the war ended, and almost always without needing a coalition party. In exchange for forming the Union on a federal level, the CDU does not compete in Bavaria, while the CSU bolsters the ranks of the conservatives reliably on the Federal level.
The Bavarian people have always recognized this gives them more weight in the political debate than other Germans, and have steadily been voting CSU - until the rise of the AfD. In October, the general elections in Bavaria are held and the CSU is spooked by the specter of the AfD, reflected in polls that predict a humiliating loss of votes and of the absolute majority.
After World War 2, Bavaria almost opted out of the newly formed federal system, signing the proposed Grundgesetz only after careful deliberations and a general vote. It has always seen itself as a "Freistaat", a free state in our federal system. It is this confidence that enabled Mr. Seehofer to almost throw all of Europe into chaos just for his own regional party's political gain.
16
Ohlalà
It seems exactly what Hungary's Orban proposes since a long time. But he, saying that unlimited immigration is not a solution for anything, was a Nazi.
21
I think Mr.Orban is the the antithesis of Merkel: she solved a humanitarian crisis of exceptional magnitude by letting the mainly Syrian refugees into the country - and Mr.Orban as well as others were eager to gain political capital from it but did simply nothing beyond that. His attempt to dehumanize the hundred thousands of people who literally walked from the war zones in rhe Middle East to apply for asylum followed the same playbook that is now followe by Mr.Trump and his supporters here - who also failed (as Mr.Orban) to even get simple registration up and running for the refugees and migrants,
7
When German-speaking migrants flooded into Sudetenland, Alsace Lorraine, and into the Rhineland-Palatinate, with a little help from the accompanying divisions of Panzers, this was not a ruthless and hostile incursion – no, it was merely desperate migrants seeking sanctuary amongst their neighbours.
Whether accompanied by the brute force of heavy armour or achieved simply by overwhelming force of numbers, the net effect is the same – an invasion of the host country by outsiders.
Now, perhaps we could say, so what? But that would be to ignore the fundamental tribalism and ethnocentrism that is at the heart of human societies.
Unless one is to advocate completely open borders, then immigration control is needed. Already, there are 7.4 billion of us and by the mid-century our numbers will have increased by almost a third, and that increase in the world's poorest countries. This will increase not by millions but by billions the nu ber of illegal aliens massing at the gates, desperate to get in and share in the relative prosperity of the West.
Global population control is essential. But for that we need proper family planning, which is opposed by most American conservatives, especially by the Church of Rome and by Evangelicals. And, indeed, when involuntary, is opposed also by the American left and by feminists.
54
If people were more supportive of feminists, the real heroes in family planning, including the child-free option, we wouldn’t be choking as a species due to over-population and the resulting climate/ environment damage.
18
Yes, and those intruders, or outsiders, of yesterday shared a common culture, values, and similar ideology. Today's intruders bring the restrictive ideology of Islam, demands of culture change, extreme intolerance, lack of awareness, backward thinking. There's a big difference.
13
Brexit voters' new good guy - Angela Merkel.
1
Germany has come to its senses. There are limits to generosity and compassion and Germany reached those limits. Self preservation and orderly existence became the deciding factor for Chancellor Angela Merkel.
If only the western nations had not attempted regime change and not bombed the middle eastern countries from where the epic migration took place, the world would have been a better place.
Merkel and some other leaders from the EU miscalculated. They thought they would hold the migrants and give then refuge for a few months and USA or Canada or Australia will then take the refugees but that was not to be and the situation got worse in the 2 years.
I met a German couple 2 years ago in Helsinki and I asked them what they thought of the refugees in Germany and they did not foresee any particular problems. But as the refugees kept pouring in the Germans had enough.
Having camps at the border could be a temporary solution. The best way forward would be to rebuild the bombed out and war torn devastated homelands of the people who migrated in millions and let them back in safe places with the help of all the countries that let homes and lives in the cradle of civilization be destroyed.
Let it be a lesson to the western countries don't keep messing with countries in the middle east. Live and let live.
37
The Middle-East has a lot of problems- internal problems. Problems that have nothing to do with Western countries.
ISIS is a home grown group which practices a form of Islam. Its adherents are devout Muslims.
They were controlled by brutal dictators. Once those dictators were gone the people, regular people, decided to live the way they wanted.
ISIS is a representation of real beliefs for many tens of millions of Middle-Easterners.
5
Plan Putin proceeds apace.
Trouble in the Middle East supports oil prices while at the same time sends a wave of immigration big enough to choke a democracy.
Mission almost accomplished.
16
It's time she resign for the good of her country--whatever is left of it.
22
Showing ignorance of the situation. Have you ever been to Europe?
2
I don't understand how she is allowed four terms. Two should be the maximum. Just another power hungry politician.
2
Europe is a slow burning dumpster fire, right now.
If regaining her senses and finally listening to German citizens is considered "appeasing the conservatives", thank goodness for them.
18
The "have" countries of the world should be offering significant financial aid and educational opportunities to third world countries as incentives to encourage them to halt their rapid population growth.
Most of the projected world increase in population will occur in Africa. That would be a good place to start.
13
Michael, what about, instead, improving the economic and social system of African countries?
Population control is an appalling coercive method imposed by the rich world: how would you feel if someone told you "I don't help you unless you don't procreate"? Moreover, population control never works and where it's imposed with the force (China) brings about terrible cruelty and bad consequences.
The real problem is that those countries are a mess: corruption and tribalism bring poverty, and poor people make a lot of children. Why not looking at the example of countries like South Korea which, in a few years, passed from poverty to abundance?
3
And when in the history of mankind Has such “ incentives” worked? The only places where populations have declined ( excepting natural or man-made disasters) are wealthy, prosperous countries.
2
How about the West paying more for the resources that come from those Third World countries and free them from having to buy stuff in US dollars. If those countries could use their natural resources such as gold, diamonds and in some cases uranium as collateral it would free up money for them to spend on their citizens.
1
Merkel and Schauble cornered the fledgling Greek government and reduced Greece (a fellow Eurozone country) to a vassal state. Thereupon she agreed to allow 800,000 migrants in a single year, perhaps to acquire a kinder image after the crushing if Greece. In the process she set off forces that resulted in Brexit and the subsequent nationalist movements in Italy, Hungary, Austria and even Germany. The leader of one of these movements (Nigel Farage of UKIP) might have advised Donald Trump on how to make immigration a central issue.
So you see, it all began in Germany and now she does an about turn because it doesn't suit her politically.
18
Or maybe she's just realizing she made a mistake, or is recognizing the majority of people want stricter immigration control, and she is a responsible leader accepting that reality.
7
Meanwhile, in other news German Banks made over 2.9 BILLION euros in recent loans to Greece. Greece meanwhile, is one of only five European countries to paying 2% of its GDP to NATO.
1
Greece spends too much and lives way beyond their means
“We can manage,” Merkel said famously in 2015.
There is a big difference between, "We can manage" and "We can solve."
Trump is right again -- these socioeconomic problems, like terrorism (not to equate the two, but to make a point ), must be fought at the source, in the counties of origin.
We must build a wall at our southern border with Mexico, and also help Mexico set up humanitarian camps at its southern border with Guatemala. The UN refugee agency must manage these camps, till the migrants can safely go back to their countries.
43
surely you mean that we should do something about the terrorism that white american men commit regularly in this country, with their assault rifles. Or maybe the terrorism of the police who shoot unarmed young people of color?
that terrorism?
I want protection from white racist America.
As far as the wall goes, it won't work. plus we can absorb many many more people than we are letting in and it would improve our economy, That is not what the president wants. He wants people to think he is doing something that he said he would do, when in fact he is planning a coup against all of us. The danger is from within, sociopaths in the white house, spineless greed in the GOP. he is busy making friends with the leaders of North Korea and Russia, who resemble him way more than the heads of Germany, or other EU nations.
But, you don't want truth, you want something other than the truth, and that is what Trump gives you every day, lies, lies and more lies. When are you going to start being afraid of the very bad man in the White house and the lying GOP congress?
10
Germany can't manage. Not at the present rate the country is going. Many are people who will have to depend on the state for support. How much more is the German tax payer to take? Tax burden for the middle class in Germany is extremely high. The country cannot afford millions of people wanting in and expecting to be taken care of. It's an untenable situation.
18
"plus we can absorb many many more people than we are letting in and it would improve our economy,".
Absolutely agree with the policy of more immigration, and especially from Latin America as they are part of our neighborhood. However, it needs to be done by winning elections, and persuading enough folks to pass legislation that accomplishes the goal. Looking away from illegal immigration and justifying it on the "racism of Republicans" will lead to exactly the kind of confrontation we have today between the two sides in this country.
The US has to stop its violence and proxies in the Middle East, has to stop pouring weapons into the area. Imagine the flows of refugees if we become more aggressive in Venezuela, Syria, Somalia, Yemen, North Africa, or if Israel and the US start a war against Iran, which is likely. Our militarism is insane--a threat to the entire world.
23
Angela backs up and backs down.
Pure and simple.
3
Historically, Germans have always viewed immigration with a degree of unease.
I remember this when stationed in West Germany during the 1980s when there was so much backlash against Turkish immigrants.
However brief, Germany appeared to outgrow this bout of xenophobia.
But, xenophobia has taken on a new life with the growth of hate-mongering, neo-nazi elements throughout Europe, including Germany.
One could say this is due to a different breed of immigrants or economic stresses, but these reasons are just plain wrong.
Muslims have been part of European society for a millennia. Moveover, these immigrants are not displacing European-born workers or shredding their social safety nets.
Instead, there are systemic forces at work - mainly a growing inequality that are breeding fear in the ignorant masses across Europe and even this country who think there are simple “solutions” - like making immigrants scapegoats - to this complex problem.
What doesn’t help is that these masses are being played as fools by the bigots, racists, xenophobes and faux populists from Le Pen in France to Donald Trump in this country, with a large degree of help from Putin in Russia.
Yet, no matter what happens in Germany, one could never accuse Angela Merkel of being a fear-monger or peddler of hate, which is something we should praise and not condemn.
30
So you blame Putin - a handy scapegoat!
2
You have it all wrong. Obviously you do not live there.
2
Neither do you.
It's not Angela Merkel's fault that the world has a 7.7 billion population problem, with scare resources and worsening environment. Blame the politicians and "leaders" who deny women, anywhere, information about family planning and the means of birth control.
65
That indeed is the real problem. World population more than trebled in my lifetime, and the populations of some countries regularly suffering famine increased at an even faster rate.
45
But it is her problem to stubbornly refuse to come up with a reasonable plan that deals with the millions of people wanting to come to Germany. Perhaps if Germany stopped the generous payments to immigrants and only let people in who can support themselves, then the situation would be a lot less dire. But to take in so many people who cannot support themselves and who expect their family/extended family to follow, all living off the German tax-payer, that is just too much to handle. It's no longer fair.
17
When say Niger has 8 children per woman and other countries in Africa and Muslim world are on average, well, well above 2.1 child per woman (simple reproduction) ... whose fault it is?
The West? Trump's?
5
I am German, currently in East Timor. So I am a foreigner allthough ist easy with money in the pocket, hotel room and the flight back booked allready.
I grew up in the former East Germany and my generation opened the wall.
Now they want me to built a wall again????
That will never happen.
If you think the whole thing to the end, a border to prevent people to cross it must be the same as it was in Berlin: razor wire, mines, guns, bodies, bodies..
Never again in Germany.
13
Merkel has shown tremendous world leadership- and she is doing so again, making painful concessions to hold her government together. I wish you view Glück, Deutschland.
20
She is only doing it to remain in power. Like most politicians she only thinks of herself.
2
Nothing like closing the barn door after the horses have already escaped.
35
What if it were you and your children? What if it were your mother and father? What if your choice was to let your family be murdered, or to try to get to Europe or America? It's a cold world when humans can look at refugees and see nothing but trouble. Can anyone look into the faces of these refugees (at America's borders and in Europe), and make a cynical calculation that the country is better off if they are turned away? Is this what we've come to? I'm ashamed and frightened and profoundly sad.
13
The truthful answer to the questions you posed are: 1.Of course if I could get asylum in a safe country I would seek i I would not be deterred if a million others joined me.2. No one looks into the faces of those turned away and, yes, that is what we've come to with the intractable problem of mass, illegal, unregulated migration. The only answer is a "Marshall Plan" for those nations afflicted with poverty and violence. You should have also asked the question " Are we willing to pay for it or are we just a country of people who march and protest?
5
I look into these faces and I see sullen brainwashed young men of madrassa education if any education at all who would just as soon attack a women without a headscarf as look at her and who would love to bring his entire extended family into Europe, get lots of free benefits, never have to work, learn the language or change to be like the citizens of these countries. I am angry and revolted when I look into these faces. This is why the Times tries hard to find photos of a woman with small children instead of the actual migrant demographic.
2
They are not being murdered; they are purely economic migrants who (when asked) tell reporters "we will only accept going to Germany or Sweden, because they give the most generous welfare benefits"!!!!
And this means one more thing. The bean ciounters in Germany have said this isn’t sustainable.
12
Reuters recently reported that:"Germany sees migration-related spending of 78 billion euros through 2022". 78 BILLION euros - just on migration related costs in Germany alone. Bean counters indeed.
5
Too much, too little and definitely too late. Europe has been destroyed.
26
Surely the refugees put into camps by Germany will be happy to know they're detained in order to save the "leader of the free world's" government.
What free world government? Where does that exist? By virtual of what power, by virtue of what authority? Having lost WW2, does Germany now imagine a "world government" with Merkle as its leader-not merely of Germany, nor merely of Europe but "the leader" -the Furher of the new world? Do we get to vote?
2
Impressive feat in misreading my obviously sarcastic comment, which didn’t refer to a “world government” but rather to the idea that after the election of Trump, Merkel is “the leader of the free world” - hence the quotation marks indicating ... a quotation.
The EU is a disaster.
27
Indeed but it did take a long time to get here. Merkel is one of the globalists that probably belong to the Bilderberg group. It does seem that their experiment is beginning to fail as people have opened their eyes.
2
So... Merkel finally has to listen to the German electorate? Wow imagine that? A politician putting the needs of citizens ahead of migrants.
49
It seems like the Western world has been overtaken by sensationalism (irony), fear, and insecurity.
To all those who say that the massive “hordes” of migrants and refugees coming in are a burden to society (think about the laws preventing them from working legally) and a danger to our national identity and values: are we admitting that our values and culture afe so weak and feeble as to be subsumed so easily?
11
She is doing the same thing that Trump was elected to do. The big difference is Trump wants to do it. She is doing it to save her job. That is just despicable and we all know it. Yet the press will hold her in high regard even though she did this,
2
She wants to "save her job"?! Like most leaders, she believes she is the best one to help her country. For a long time that has really been true, but seems to be changing now. She believes she can still be effective to whatever extent possible. That is incredible dedication, not just wanting to have her "job". That's a bit offensive.
5
Allemand falls to the spirit of illiberalism.
1
First boat from China had 2000 Chinese arriving in San Francisco, population 105. The Chinese growth was exponential as Chinese fled a sick culture. But an accounting is inevitable... then and now.
1
Why is a desire to preserve one's traditional culture 'far right'? No society in the world wants to be invaded, whether through war or unlimited, uncontrolled immigration. If our Democrats finally understood that they may eventually win a national election again.
76
Ah yes... I’m sure that’s precisely how native Americans felt.. and still feel.
What goes unsaid in this article is the role of US foreign policy in fomenting the conditions that led to the refugee crisis. Our invasion of Afghanistan and Iraq were the direct cause of the destabilization of Syria. The Obama administration's incompetence in dealing with the destabilization added more fuel to the fire. Finally, our refusal to take in our share of refugees is now undermining our allies in Europe.
19
The current conflict in Syria was not the direct result of US foreign policy in Afghanistan or Iraq. The Butcher of Syria, Assad sent in his army to put down protests by high school students who had used graffiti to demonstrate against his no freedom rule. These students were arrested and tortured. The result of this was citizens taking up arms against Butcher Assad.
8
Sounds like good old Merkel to me!Stick to the center of the road. Follow what the German people want, keep stability and prosperity. Now that the number of refugees has gone down dramatically compared to a few years ago, and with anti-outsider sentiments ever-rising, her move is a perfect one and a perfectly timed one. It adds structure to the process without doing harm to too many refugees, promotes good will in the German people, and reminds everyone of her willingness to cooperate with her opponents--while the years it took for her to finally bend to the cries of the people demonstrate her willingness to wait as long as she can to keep things going as desired.
9
There are two groups of people who are moving, economic migrants and refugees. Refugees are protected by international agreements signed by virtually all governments, economic migrants are not protected.
The difficulty is separating the two. AND once a refugee reaches a country of asylum they must stop. They become an economic migrant when they continue to move for a richer country.
Lastly the wealthy countries are not actively working to solve the problems of the Middle East, central Africa, or Central America.
To solve the problem you cannot just treat the symptoms!
43
agreed? forced is more accurate
5
I think border camps are a great idea. People are safe, they get food and shelter and they keep their kids. I don’t know why we don’t do the same think here. Oh, that’s right. The ACLU. Darn, I forgot, people come second to them after their rights.
17
Not sure if you’ve seen the deplorable conditions of those “camps”.
Oh wait, ‘deplorable’ means good now.
8
They can always return to their own countries if our camps are not suitable.
2
Read a story some time back that the migrants in Norway were complaining about the food and cold weather - plenty of hot desert for them to go back to.
Open borders. Not good for any Western nation. But the damage to Europe may not be able to be undone. I hope it can. I love Europe, the way it was. Good luck to Europe and good luck to the US with our illegal immigration problems.
52
We don't need luck. We need to enforce our immigration laws.
21
"I love Europe, the way it was. " You mean the way it was back in 1939?
7
1913
I am German, and originally I would have never voted for Angela because of her party affiliation, but I fully supported her immigration strategy and I am generally in awe of how she has morphed into the leader of the free world. I am very disappointed that she is now giving into Seehofer who is the leader of a party that only represent Bavaria. Most non-Bavarian Germans are of the opinion to kick Seehofer and his CSU to the curb. Bavaria is kind of like Texas here in the US, and most of us Germans feel that we should build a wall around it and throw away the key. There is absolutely no reason to allow this party to dictate policy of all Germany. Seehofer is friends with most the right-wing nutters in Europe and really not a good alley.
I really wished she would allow the CSU to have to go it on its own. The AfD would lose voters like crazy to the CSU as many supporting the AfD don't like its fascist element and would rather vote for the CSU. The CDU (Merke's party) would then be able to campaign in Bavaria and pick up plenty of votes over there. Going into a coalition with the SPD and the Greens, Germany would have a strong government representing its people while marginalizing CSU and AfD. Merkel should know this and not cave to Seehofer. German newspaper headlines called him the resignation from the resignation yesterday, and that is exactly what he was able to pull off.
20
PhoebeS
I absolutely agree with your observations. Seehofer tried to blackmail, but it kind of back fired. "Little Seehofer" got scared when realizing he maneuvered himself and his party into a corner. So he had to resign from his resignation. What a farce it was and still is.
2
>PhoebeS
Build a wall around Bavaria and throw away the key? That's not what those fleeing the East said when they poured in after the border between the East and West was removed. If we're going to build a wall, maybe it should be around the former East, where the AfD now receive their greatest support.
1
Chancellor Merkel seemed to be a compassionate heroine by welcoming hundreds of thousands of refugees from the Syrian civil war. Unfortunately, she overstepped as the refugees brought their intense antisemitism and other criminal behavior with them and the backlash has now forced her to retreat to save her government from a far-right nationalist movement. Germans have worked hard to atone for the Nazi era and many liberal Germans have been appalled at its resurgence due to the influx of Muslim immigrants. Ms. Merkel hopefully can maintain her steadying influence in the European Union and abroad at a time of great social unrest due to the ongoing upheaval in the Middle East.
19
I have stopped reading the comments now because they are so full of the fear and hate and tribalism that seems to be more and more driving the world.
I don't think liberalism is something we need to fear in Germany. And as for my native land of America, I can only think of the camps for the Japanese and the fact that that great "liberal" FDR turned back Jews fleeing Germany when Hitler was in power.
And here we are again. I cannot think of one reason that can justify closing our doors in the face of people for whom to be turned away means death, or worse.
What is wrong with us?? We have everything. Only infants believe that to share some of it means we won't have enough.
A wise person once told me that if I was having money problems it probably meant I wasn't giving enough away. And, yes, I do realize that is a terribly UnAmerican point of view.
17
Germany has about 80 million people living in an area the size of Montana. What should their population be? How many and what type of people should live there?
Those are questions for the Germans. But given the FAR larger populations of Africa, the Middle East and South Asia it is a reasonable viewpoint for Germans to say we can take this many foreigners and no more. They don't have infinite resources. No country does. There's nothing inherently racist or selfish with Germany wanting to remain, well, German.
4
Imagine if white people had to live in fear every time a violent crime was committed that the perpetrator might be a white person and lead to a backlash against them.
5
The impression I got from the articles I read on this issue in today's Sueddeutsche Zeitung, Der Spiegel, Die Zeit, and the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, was that this latest development is much more nuanced than your headline implies. The focus of the most revealing article was Merkel's leadership style. She understands the complexity of the EU's migrant problem and knows that there are no simple solutions, no matter how loudly Seehofer insists that there are. What your headline calls a reversal is actually the next step in an incremental process. Seehofer knows that calling for a new election would be a disaster for both the CDU and the CSU, with the AfD gaining even more seats. The compromises made today are likely to lead to Merkel's desired EU solution.
13
I have been following the negotiations closely and this is an unsatisfying and sad result. There is no doubt that Angela Merkel embodies the European Union with its generous safety nets, affordable high-quality education and liberal values. She stands between Putin and his ambitions to destroy democracy and reclaim the Soviet Union without the socialist trappings. And here comes a small-minded, short-sighted Bavarian politician, knifing her in the back and endangering us all. With Merkel powerless, we can all look forward to the results of the Trump-Putin love fest. It won't be pretty for those of us who value truth, decency, freedom of speech and meritocracy.
13
Just before Xmas in 2016 the number of refugees arriving in Europe passed the million mark. It has been mass chaos. Thirteen thousand refugees arrived at Munich train station in one day in September, & the population of some small villages in Germany doubled. Refugees were being accommodated in gyms & church halls with no end in sight. Merkel the architect of this fiasco has become a political cautionary tale with good reason. Her irresponsible decision to let in in this many refugees without a rational plan in place has empowered her enemies. The blow back will reverberate for decades to come.
Mekel hasn't governed wisely. After what happened in Europe, asylum is the third rail of government policy. No leader, wants to see refugee figures explode on their watch. Politicians also don't want to provoke a backlash that could inflame far-right sentiment. Did Europe’s socialist system the cause of the great influx of Muslim refugees? That's a fair question. These refugees aren't going to Saudi Arabia or Iran. Could it be the the magnet is free stuff...welfare. There are no jobs for the refugees, so they go on European public assistance . Even before the current crisis, Europe needed to ratchet back its social welfare programs. But now they’ve just added a million more hungry mouths to feed. Was that smart? Seems like Merkel should have asked this question at some point. The chickens are coming home to roost.
61
She made a pragmatic choice. Better for her to stay in power. Best leader in the world during her time. I wish she could come here and be President. You know raise the intelligence bar up a little bit.
14
Is there any country at the present time whose majority is not shouting to migrants, "STAY HOME!"? I can't think of a single one.
19
There’s no getting around the fact that mass migration from vastly different cultures is destabilizing. People can preach tolerance all they want, but this global swing to the right after Merkel’s unilateral invitation opened the flood gates was inevitable. There has to be a better way to assist in humanitarian ways, without creating this much upheaval in previously stable societies. We will all be paying for this short sighted debacle, in terms of political fallout, for decades. And migration will only intensify, as climate change intensifies. The Western world had better figure out some urgent, creative solutions, but I’m not holding my breath.
142
The main destabilizer in Germany are Germans fearing immigration and the far right riding on this wave and not actually the refugees. Again: the trouble in Germany does NOT come from refugees. It comes from Germans, particularly those who do live in regions with an above average LOW number of both foreigners and refugees. Western societies have to find a way how they will not be destabilized by fear and greed.
9
"Mass migration from vastly different cultures is destabilizing." Where is the economic data for that statement? I ask because there's quite an abundance of data to the contrary. Immigration is economically and socially beneficial. The vast majority of immigrants become legal, tax-paying citizens with jobs that contribute to local economies. The produce you buy in stores is grown and picked by immigrants. The heavy, manual labor jobs that Americans don't take are performed by immigrants. The low paying service industry jobs that Americans don't take are filled by immigrants. Our country depends on immigrants and the honest work they do, and I highly doubt the dynamic in Germany is any different. In the U.S. immigrants commit crimes at much lower rates than native born Americans. You are much more likely to be the victim of a crime committed by a native born American than by an immigrant. If immigration is "destabilizing" it's because of the fear-mongering that nativists like our president partake in. Native born Americans who turn immigrants into bogeymen are the "destabilizing" factor, not the people seeking better lives for themselves and their children.
11
Yea there's a better way ... stop going into countries and bombing them into the stone age. A bit destabilizing wouldn't you think.
5
One doesn't have to be part of "An ascendant far-right" to desire reasonable immigration controls. Countries that have built a prosperous, stable society -- whether German or Danish -- are entitled to protect it from dilution.
I'm not suggesting that all immigration dilutes the host country's standard of living -- that's clearly not true -- but only that immigration can be managed so that those who are admitted are those who are most likely to make a contribution and least likely to be a burden or disruptive.
80
'dilution'? Sounds a little like 'solution' to me, you can dress it up all you like, but if this isn't racist dog whistling my name isnt Bob.
5
Bob, not everything is racist just because it does not conform to your naive utopian ideals.
1
Do you have a final dilution Joel?
1
Another politician that stayed too long.
13
I daresay you either know very little or nothing about Germany and German politics, and are just sublimating it for what's going on here.
I know - calling themselves Christian Democrats and being allowed four terms is a contradiction in terms.
It makes sense that democracies will not support open-border policies like the ones Merkel championed.
I understand why economic migrants want to go to the richest countries- they want a better life.
Similarly I understand why the citizens of democracies want to limit illegal economic migrants- they want to maintain their better life.
Western countries are being torn apart by liberal moralists who talk down to their fellow citizens. If fascism and authoritarianism rises it will be because those on the left cannot moderate their views on illegal economic migrants.
I beg those on the left: stop. Please stop. Stop denigrating your fellow citizens. Stop destroying your societies. Please!
78
They're not economic migrants, for the most part. They're fleeing war and strife. Did you read the article? There are fewer people living in poverty than in recorded history.
Countries like the U.S. need to stop starting fires around the world and walking away. Who can blame people fleeing to safer places with their families?
But yes, I do agree that taking in refugees puts stress on a society. We have to admit that and find balanced yet humane approaches -- maybe Western countries could take people in while also doing more on the world stage to help stabilize these countries.
10
Thanks Michael for your calm, measured and humanitarian thinking- which starkly contrasts the hysterical thinking emanating from Durham, N.C..
DUH. Speak to liberal Germans and they will tell you there is a creeping illiberal bunch coming in through Turkey and Muslim refugees. To think otherwise is to ignore basic reality, they come with cultural baggage, period.
67
They could come to the U.S. and join the creepingly illiberal party of Trump. It’s a natural fit.
1
Merkel was faced with a stark choice: stand up for (her) principle or lose her job as Chancellor. She didn't stand up for principle. The reason is obvious for all those who aren't from the far left. Prosperous nations are terrified of a migrant flood overwhelming their nations. They constitute the majority here and there. They don't march; they have no late night television hosts backing them; they have few in the MSM backing them. They have only one thing: the majority. Those who favor controlled immigration are not unaware of the awful conditions in the nations that spawn mass migration and favor financial and other forms of support to those nations. I admit it was painful to see the word "camps" applied to a Western Democracy but no one will be incinerated. Poverty and violence are plagues and must be addressed.
9
I'm so sorry for those who will now live under the unfettered influence of the Alternative Facts Germany party.
4
The US is absolutely to blame for this mess
-Bush and Iraq
-Obama/Clinton and Lybia/Syria
Together more then 1 million deaths and millions of refugees.
But sure made Cheney, Clapper et al rich
18
Same thing will happen to the Democrats. The Democrats can kiss the midterms and 2020 goodbye if they continue the Abolish ICE rhetoric.
85
When ultra-liberal Justin Trudeau tells illegal aliens that Canada is a nation of laws, you know the West's welcome mat has been withdrawn.
44
You mean that Canada refuses to be a doormat for illegal migrants.
10
With countries tightening borders, and the number of migrants fleeing war, starvation, climate change and violent gangs, we sentence them to death when we don't allow them asylum.
Instead of slamming the door shut and forcing them to return to certain death, we should be responsibly working together around the world to create new asylum plans and immigration reform.
For the naysayers, lucky you to be born where you were. It sounds like many of the anti-immigration folks believe that they are entitled to human rights, LIFE, simply for the grace of where they were born; and that those born elsewhere don't have human rights. Greed rules.
11
Not new asylum plans but new economic plans.
We don’t have control over other nations, how they develop and what type of culture they have. We should provide assistance to them in their own countries but it is suicide to continue ntinue to bring them here.
1
The injustice and climate change that are the ultimate driving forces behind these immigrants will not be solved by confining them to camps or one side of arbitrarily drawn borders. Inequality and unsustainable degradation of the environment will destroy societies on both sides unless the oligarchies that profit from the present system are defeated.
7
Economic migrants have now soured many for the migrants and that is too bad for eventually some northern nations might be overwhelmed with economic migrants when climate change becomes dire; countries then place a sign with no more space at the inn.
Christian nations will need to self preserve.
Birth control apparently is not practiced by economic migrants.
6
Environmental degradation is indeed behind the global immigration crisis but it has far less to do with oligarchies than with human overpopulation. Africa today has one billion hungry people, and is on a trajectory to reach 4-6 billion by the end of the century. If Europe does not institute serious controls, it will face disaster in the coming decades.
6
Trump must be thrilled that he has moved Germany to the right. And will take credit for all including the rights of the 1 per cent to rule over all the world and dictate who will eat, be educated and receive healthcare. Shame on him. This is definitely the beginning of the end of "love that neighbor".
6
Trump really did peg immigration as the big issue of the current era. Nobody else saw it coming.
45
I interpret another big issue of the current era that Trump has spread...............nationally sanctioned bigotry throughout nations.
3
I am so pleased the Merkel remains, but saddened at the extremist bullying in Germany.
13
In his book, "The World As It Is," Ben Rhodes tells the story of his last trip with President Obama, after the election. They stop in Germany where Obama and Angela Merkel sit alone for a three-hour dinner. Later Obama tells his staff "that Merkel had talked to him about her looming decision on whether to seek another term, something that she now felt more obliged to do because of Brexit and Trump."
As they are leaving, Obama shakes his head and says almost to himself, "Angela . . She's all alone."
Reading this article makes me feel that the end of the world might really be very near.
What great sorrow for this woman who fought so hard and has lost .
As have we all.
23
And this particular crisis precipitated by a small-minded and short-sighted local politician afraid of losing power in upcoming Bavarian elections. Bavaria enabled the rise of Hitler. Putin must get sick of opening champagne bottles...
4
Perhaps Angela wouldn't have ended up being "all alone" if Obama and his advisors were more effective in their foreign policy. And yes, I voted for him but we have what we have and that is regrettable...
Can I respectfully disagree?
I hope these far right movements peak soon and we're can move beyond them. Sadly, their peaks may prove destructive and recoveries may prove socially, economically, and politically difficult and lengthy. Indeed, their influence will never be completely overcome or obliterated.
7
Maybe the first camp could be called "Of The Saints."
3
I'm sure that's a clever response. But most of us ordinary folks don't really know what you're talking about.
Angela Merkel's naive unilateral decision to open German borders to Muslim refugees is at the root cause of the European Union's problems.
It always was an utterly stupid policy to bring in poorly educated, poorly skilled and often unemployable people who follow a religion that produces 'closed' societies in the Middle East that are the polar opposite of the Western world. Ask Hillary !
The "border" refugee camps should be in Syria, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Egypt and Iraq and they should be protected under the auspices of the United Nations using soldiers from Middle Eastern countries.
It's about time the Islamic States of the Middle East sorted their own problems out rather than exporting their problems to other countries.
Furthermore, it's about time that the West addressed climate change and discontinued use of oil for energy & transport and dropped a cluster bomb in the heart of the Middle East economies. The money we waste on ongoing military involvement in the Middle East could be far better spent on the advancement of humanity.
Obviously, the Islamic States of the Middle East will if left to their own devices establish repressive societies chained to various shades of Sharia Law. The odd strong man dictator will pop up and brutalise his countrymen. The Taleban fundamentalists will destroy Afghanistan but only because the other citizens do not have the courage to suppress them because they do not value freedom or democracy.
Without the need for oil, who cares ?
61
Indeed. The west should have stayed well away in all respects. Leave them to their own devices.
2
The oil satraps of the Middle East have no problem dumping tons of money into radical madrassas abroad. Let them deal with the refugees. Enough already. Europe shouldn't be required to take in people who are there to leech off of benefits and destroy the local's culture.
When White settlers destroyed Native American cultures by sheer force of numbers, we correctly called it genocide and culturcide.
A friend of mine, with US/German citizenship, walked away from a lucrative business partnership after 10 years when his daughter got sent home with a note from her school telling them to dress "modestly" so as not to "provoke" men at the nearby migrant center. She's 11 years old.
Kowtowing to a sick culture that glorifies death and demeans all forms of female sexuaslity should not be a policy.
156
You are making very important points starting with the fact that the Persian Gulf oil kingdoms - mostly our allies - spend billions on mosques and madrassas around the world but show little hospitality to those supposed or real fellow-muslim refugees.
2
Outrage, Jen. You should name and shame that German school. Imagine raising "provocative clothing" in a sexual harrassment trial (in Germany) as a regular citizen, you would be thrashed and rightly so. Individual freedom and freedom of expression is held high, except around (mainly) Muslim enclaves. Then it's about "playing it safe" in the code of "active tolerance", i.e. avoiding "triggering" either fundamentalist or misogynist actions by restrictions to your own freedom of expression. So you better do not walk around with your Kippa (you might get the belt), or have a cartoon exhibition in your book store, or have your 11 year old daughter run around in hot pants and a short top. It's just common sense. Or cowardice. Still outrage. Name the school. Best,
André
2
I was born in Astoria and when I was that age many decades ago I too was aware to dress "modestly" so I don't provoke the wrong kind of attention. Had there not been an immigrant center near your friend's daughter's school it would most likely have been something else. Ever have an 11 year old daughter? I have:)
1
Gerhard's comment is "Could you imagine a US president , admitting 6+ million , without a vote in Congress , in one year ?"
My response is: No, but I can imagine a US president attempting to grant amnesty to 6 million illegals without a vote in Congress.
38
And I can imagine an American president refusing entry to Jews while 6 million are slaughtered in Germany. A cradle Episcopalian myself, I believe in the Jewish tradition that says, "Welcome the stranger, for you were once strangers in the land of Egypt."
We all were once strangers in this land we love. And what a terrible thing to read so many comments by people who have forgotten that.
Having received compassion ourselves, we rise up against the rule of compassion by Chancellor Merkel. If she overstepped, she overstepped on the side of the human heart .
Yes Angela, immigration MUST have limits. I'm glad you woke up from your dream and are ready to lead responsibly now. Please tell it to the US liberals who are still in La La Land and want every dream to come true.
65
I'd bet that you're not concerned about unlimited immigration at all. You probably don't want *any* immigration, but you're using the "unlimited" argument as a shield.
2
Stevenz, you may or may not be right about Patrick, but I, and more and more of your fellow citizens, want the border closed. And we don't need a shield to say it.
1
@Stevenz. And just how many migrants do you suggest a country should admit? (10% of its population? 20%?) And how will that affect the country? Read the latest on developments in Denmark.
Guess she decided abolishing their version of ICE was political suicide
28
The notion that migrants seeking asylum from violence and turmoil in the Middle East need to travel all the way to Western Europe for safety (and not neighboring countries in the Middle East and North Africa or even countries in Central Asia) is as preposterous as the notion that migrants seeking asylum from violence and turmoil in Honduras and El Salvador need to travel all the way to the U.S. for refuge (rather than neighboring countries in Central America or south to South America or even stopping in Mexico).
Well provisioned refugee camps will do for the purpose of providing temporary shelter and safe haven. Anything more is really just an accommodation for economic migrants, which should be governed by standard immigration law.
There is no universal human right to live in the West because jobs pay better there or the welfare state is more generous.
195
You are right that "there is no universal right to live in the West" and it is something that any discussion on immigration and reasons for migration (last yer per U.N. 68 million people were "on the move" around the world) should keep in mind.
Then again, why all those illegals from Africa, Middle East, Bangladesh and Pakistan flood to the countries of former colonial masters? Why they don't take advantage of being independent, free, use talents of their population to build wonderful economy and lives for their people?
They all want to go to the West ... and complain about discrimination, racism, Islamophobia there. Makes no sense. Then it does.
I am surprised and deeply disappointed that Ms. Merkel has chosen to survive as a damaged pawn rather than hold to her beliefs and resign with dignity. I in no way agree with her open borders policy but I seriously believe that her voice helped to define the debate which has enormous value. For her voice to be co-opted due to caving to political pressure is disheartening to say the least.
5
Did Angela Merkel have a choice? The alternative would have dismantled German political structure, and she would still have lost incredible clout. That's how politics works. Too bad that school is out because this would be an excellent case study for a high school history class.
4
She is your atypical politician. Blows with the wind.
What is happening in Germany, in otherwise decent societies like Denmark, and of course in the U.S. is a tantamount to how easy hatred of "them" can spring up. If this were merely a practical problem it could be easily solved. But scapegoating is so much more emotionally satisfying.
18
I already commented. It is not here.
The word 'hatred' should not be misused. To use it with reference to the situation in Denmark is entirely inappropriate.
It is a practical problem. Unsustainable population growth in countries of origin of many of the refugees/migran.
2
Merkel, whatever her personal motives, seems bent on completing what the Turkish sultans never could: The complete Islamization of Europe.
Western Civilization, in its geographical cradle, will hopefully survive this particular German, just as it survived another back in the 20th Century.
42
How many of you leaving comments here have a vehicle and put gasoline in it recently? Wars were fought in the Middle East mainly about oil and this is the best you can say about people who have fled from there? It wasn't their bombs being dropped but from outside countries like the United States and Europe. If you're going to wage war and not forcefully rebuild, then expect migration. Don't want migration? Then don't wage war.
22
Correct. It's colonialism by any other name. And why are those bombs being dropped? An unquestioning dedication to Israel and all of its own crimes.
Support is fine, but Israel should be as much under scrutiny as any other country, but for the US right it can do no wrong.
7
I would say leave Israel to their own devices and let them fight their own wars. As someone said previously who cares about the middle east and that includes Israel.
Is this really a surprise to anyone?
I hope this is a lesson for those who want to open our borders and eliminate ICE.
38
Eliminating ICE isn't about opening borders but about reigning in an agency that is abusing the excessive power it has been given. Don't distort the argument any more than your little friend in the White House does.
7
Whatever your views on immigration, ICE is an agency that is out of control. They have been running roughshod over border states in the north, muscling their way onto trains and buses and singling out anyone who has brown skin and asking them if they're citizens. This has been going on for years, and multiple administrations, Obama included. They're a hateful group of bullies.
Why is a country exercising sovereignty over its own borders so controversial? Oh wait...it's not except to the vast majority of NY Times readers.
The countries these migrants are coming from are raging dumpster fires. Maybe our foreign policy should focus on addressing that. Support governments and policies that are transparent and free of corruption; advance property rights and an independent judiciary. Freedoms for women and minorities. At the end of the day, I would probably invade the nearest functioning country if I lived in the developing world. Freedom is just another word for nothing left to lose.
17
I am saddened by this reversal on Merkel's part. It always looks impossible in the moment to stand up to bigotry and hate, but it is always more powerful. Fear and hate shrink away under light and truth, and their shadows make them look twice as big as they really are. The leader liberal democracy needs is out there somewhere, maybe he's a grouchy old man who yells at everyone, or maybe she's a quiet woman who refuses to give up her seat. But Merkel's caving was not leadership.
3
I already commented on the "bigotry and hate" as in "If you don't agree with me, you are guilty of bigotry and hate.
4
Politics dictated from what should have been a no to yes. Saving her job at the expense of what she considered good policy. Her legacy is damaged by this caving in.
5
Merkel's about face should come as no surprise. Once she lost the support of the conservatives in Bavaria it was only a matter of time before she made a pragmatic decision to retain power and address many German's concerns open door immigration.
12
I don't see that she has retained power. She has staved off for a little while the complete takeover by the faction whose boots I can hear not far behind.
2
Everyone can't move to Europe, the US or Australia.
There is no right to move to those regions.
Immigration needs to slow down, be controlled and in some places stop. Otherwise there will be nasty reactions.
60
Yes, nasty reactions like sentencing people to death who are trying to flee war torn zones, starvation, and violent gangs. Where would you like them to go?
4
Lilo, even the most arid and inhospitable deserts of the world have their established ecosystems and orders of life that thrive there. I envy them because unlike us they’re happy to not always be looking for greener pastures. We should all be as lucky as scorpions.
Are you a native American Indian, the original Americans, you know like the Latin American people crossing the border?
1
Sooner or later there will either be a global redistribution of wealth, or the 1% will become the rulers and the rest of us will be happy to relinquish our freedom at their feet just so that they may feed us.
Now let that sink in !
11
Both of those things are happening.
3
They are already the rulers.
4
What makes you think the 1% has any interest in feeding anyone?
1
And to think that this all started here with PNAC. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_for_the_New_American_Century
Also check out https://www.salon.com/2007/10/12/wesley_clark/
Let's all give a big round of applause to those great Republican Neocons for such a splendid global mess!
12
Looks like Bin Laden may have won.
Its been a cascade of generalized fear-based reaction and misinterpretation of the results of those reactions for a couple of decades in the West and we are surely hard at taking ourselves apart.
Pity. Democratic market economies in liberal societies were a really good idea.
7
Couldn't agree more. Al-Qaida-linked extremists in post-Gadhafi Libya organized the massive exodus of African refugees who swarmed the Mediterranean in 2014 and 2015. Europe was blindsided by the influx and totally unable/unwilling to do anything about it.
The other great migrant wave passed through Greece and into the West from Syria and Afghanistan at about the same time. That exodus can be directly traced to bin-Laden's murderous Al-Qaida and its vile offshoot, ISIS.
7
He won when he emboldened the American right to go all out on xenophobia and paranoia. They gleefully sowed fear throughout the nation and its institutions. The result is a police state and wholesale bigotry for not just Muslims but all brown people.
5
"All" Dr. Merkel was doing (unlike any other world leader) in "allowing" asylum seekers entry to Germany was enforcing Article 14(2) of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which is German law, as it is U.S. law; it's an international Treaty we all signed willingly.
She has now decided to "limit" the application of that law, as the U.S. and everyone else now does.
She should have resigned, on principle; or suggested that we tear up the Declaration, which day by day is being made a farce of by its signatories who ignore it. A sad day indeed.
5
Well, that also includes Trump. So, Trump please resign!
What if? It isn't an age for hypotheticals. But if it were, who would take us in if needed? The world no longer has a need for good Samaritans, or truthfully, practices good faith.
1
A country can only take so much before it reaches its limits. Between the stress of reunification and the 2008 recession the refugee crisis was one too many. This is the greatest refugee crisis since WWII. No one country should be expected to fix the problem, this is a burden that must be shared. Refugees have a right to sanctuary but they don't get to cherry pick the country they end up in.
58
Bottom line
No country wants these people. None.
The vast movement is against them from Europe to the US.
Politicians take note.
Countries need borders. Cultures matter. Not all peoples of the world get along.
164
In other words, keep Europe and the U.S. white. Okay, we get it.
I don't know about Europe, but in the U.S., you've already lost the battle.
13
I bet you and yours were "these people" at some point, somewhere. Lucky you.
10
There,
I don't know where you live (Russia?) but here in the U.S. "cultures matter" is a dog whistle to white supremacists and neo-nazis (is that what you meant by "the vast movement?")
We are a nation of immigrants. Full stop.
8
I wonder if Osama bin Laden anticipated this global tsunami of hatred aimed at primarily peace-seeking, mainstream Muslims. If he was playing the long game, he most certainly did.
2
Ms. Merkel responded as a compassionate human when faced with a humanitarian crisis. Some commenters blame her for not consulting with the EU. That facile argument completely overlooks what was happening on the ground. Ms. Merkel did the best she could as events were unfolding, and with little help from the EU; what help did arrive came about when the crisis had unfolded.
It's no coincidence that putin has backed assad (syria); a nation whose civil war helped instigate this migration of Syrians to the north. It appears that this is all going according to putin's plan. With trump in the White House, the pieces "may be" falling into place.
I say "may be" because the final chapter hasn't been written.
Vote come November; our republic is in peril.
21
Come November? What? Our republic is in peril as I type. We have a treasonous leader condemning our allies and happy to meet with dictators, backed by a complicit congress. We are in huge trouble, and the only thing that can slow it down is a blue wave -- not a certainty by any stretch.
5
'For how long is unclear as populism and nationalism are taking root — fast — in the mainstream of German politics.'
Quite. Exactly. Just as NYT commenters across the political spectrum, not just on so-called 'far right' or on the so-called 'ultra right' have been pointing out regularly for at least. the last two years.
Moreover, concerns about the flood of illegal aliens into the USA, Australia, the UK and the rest of Europe are not confined to those on the right. In fact, it is business owners and powerful conservative lobbyists such as the Koch Brothers who welcome legal and illegal immigration because it drives down labour costs.
34
"In fact, it is business owners and powerful conservative lobbyists such as the Koch Brothers who welcome legal and illegal immigration because it drives down labour costs."
That's incorrect. Powerful conservative lobbyists like the Koch Brothers prefer immigration policies that prevent people from entering the United States since this means that more people will be stuck in countries where there are weaker labor protections and lower wage requirements. Goods are produced for cheaper and then get exported to other countries for consumption. The Koch Brothers and the global 1% do not do business exclusively in the United States.
4
Unfortunately, the facts do not support you Greg.
https://edition.cnn.com/2018/05/17/politics/immigration-koch-brothers-li...
From the article in the link I just provided:
'Washington (CNN)An immigration-overhaul advocacy group backed by the influential Koch brothers is sending out a series of political mailers aimed at backing pro-immigration members of Congress -- including a handful of Democrats.'
Simple problem; too many humans on too small of a planet.
If the planet had 1/2 the humans, it would be a fantastic place. Best get going on that as a goal.
61
One half the current population? Try one tenth.
Every year, another 800 million children are added to the 7+ billion already overcrowding the Earth. No amount of recycling can make up for that.
Which is why I don't bother. This planet is doomed.
1
Did you tell that to women in Niger (on average 8 kids), other African, Middle east and Muslim countries?
What was their response?
Angela was my hero politician, until she made the huge mistakes in handling the Middle East refugee crisis. She, and the rest of the civilized world, should have sent support and money to help those people to move to Middle Eastern areas outside of the conflict zones, until they could return to their traditional homes. It was crazy to totally stress her own society by importing a million people, the vast majority of which do not want to become European, and who fully intend to bring their culture and traditional values and behavior with them.
212
Saudi and Qatar have taken ZERO Sunni refugees from Syria since 2013.
But no one dares to say anything as they build massive vanity projects
78
Your use of the term "civilized world" shows your profound ignorance. It is not as if Angela Merkel brought people from the Middle East to Germany. They came to Germany on their own accord, and she established a policy to handle the influx. You can disagree with her approach with rational arguments. However, painting it as her fault that people fled to Europe in the first place is a gross misrepresentation, and the exact kind or misinformation that causes this sharp pull to xenophobic, anti-liberal views. As is insinuating that she could just send them back, after they arrived, to other Middle Eastern countries, as you suggest. She would have to work out some arrangement with those countries, which, since you seem unaware of this fact, are already hosting the vast majority of immigrants from Syria and other conflict areas. Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, and surrounding countries host most refugees and immigrants from surrounding countries.
1
crazy to totally stress her own society by importing a million people and who fully intend to bring their culture and traditional values and behavior with them.
MUCH LIKE THE FRENCH AND ENGLISH DID WHEN THEY GREETED "NATIVE" AMERICANS WITH MUSKETS AND FORCED CONVERSIONS.
1
Perhaps Trump was right about Merkel. She is weak. She was unable to withstand the pressure from the far-right.
8
Then Trump is really weak... he can't withstand pressure from his base, the Congress, popular opinion or the press. He changes his tune weekly and flip flops as needed to try and avoid responsibility or accountability for anything.
6
George W. Bush did not bomb sub-Saharan Africa, which is where many of these people come from, and the EU went along with the Iraqi war for long, long time, even contributing troops.. In the meantime, the EU was looking for younger and cheaper labor, so it went along with the immigration. But the immigrants are not exactly behaving as expected. A country does not turn for no reason at all. Quit blaming the US for everything that happens that you think is wrong. Many people contribute to the making of their own beds.
49
You nailed it!
3
Obama/Clinton bombed Libya, this chaos helped reintroduce slavery into that country and mass migration across the Mediterranean.
They also exported arms from Lybia to Syria to arm Al Qeada proxies to do regime change. That helped cause the mass exodus of refugees from Syria.
So yes, the US had a lot to do with this.
5
The issue is not about a country or people being welcoming or not welcoming. It is about there being limits.
61
What a travesty that Angela Merkel’s humane leadership and enlightened views towards immigrants should be attacked because of the rise of the AfD fascists.
AfD members devalue the lives of those fleeing for their lives, and have sullied Merkel’s open-hearted gesture of welcoming those in need.
I hope that Merkel’s will return to prominence as the great leader that she is, and that we will once again in America have such a humane leader as Merkel.
14
Well, as long as Trump is president you are far away from having a humane leader . . .
4
The world is currently experiencing the greatest refugee crisis since WWII.
Angela Merkel, leader of the free world since Trump took office, is a humanitarian, unlike our cruel president, who is incapable of empathy and basic human decency.
Maybe our European allies should send Trump a letter demanding that he do his fair share with regards to alleviating human suffering by taking in refugees to the U.S. (a la his recent letter to NATO.)
21
"... For how long is unclear as populism and nationalism are taking root — fast — in the mainstream of German politics."
Now those are words that should strike some fear into Western nations.. and be a great comfort to our enemies.
8
A brilliant and tactical decision for many reasons, but first and foremost because of the looming Landestag election in Bayern in October, which will literally pit the CDU/CSU Coalition against the right-wing anti-immigrant Alternative für Deutschland (AfD), because they show no signs of declining in popularity.
Not only that but the ongoing personal tiff between Angela Merkel and Horst Seehofer, who though offering to step down, had no desire to lose the fight over the limiting the number of refugees allowed to enter into Germany, there couldn't have been a better ending to keep the government from collapsing altogether.
It's time to put an end to rampant 'Asylum Tourism' and enforce the Dublin Accord for Refugees.
And that's something even my very liberal German relatives finally understand.
4
The misrepresentation or misinterpretation of what happened in Europe in 2015 and what happened in Germany these last couple of weeks that are proliferating in this forum is mindboggling. Please stop!
6
I think that they may be Russian trolls undermining Merkel in their attempts to destabilize the EU.
2
It worked here.
Americans don’t really understand the scale of what happened in Europe in 2015. Austria took him over 90,000 refugees, a country of over 8 million people so roughly 1% of the population. That would be the equivalent of the US taking in 3.2 million in a single year.
Americans also forget that we have a very expensive Welfare State in most countries in Europe and migrants are granted access to this even without being citizens.
In Austria, for instance, those whose asylum application is approved have exactly the same right to social benefits as a citizen. This means free housing, free healthcare, free education plus social welfare benefits that can be around €900 for an individual and €2500 for family per month.
Obviously such a system is not sustainable, but EU law and the Austrian constitution assure that refugees are given equal benefits.
As you can imagine, this is a tremendous “pull factor” that drives people to look for refuge in countries that provide greater benefit.
Eventually human rights law will have to be changed or the European Welfare State will become a thing of the past!
161
No wonder Austria looks to be pushing back hard
The Grand Prix held there last week was epic
2
Yes -an absolute great race - Silverstone should be epic
1
Funny things happen when liberal politicians are forced to actually listen to their citizens and modify their policies to be acceptable to the folks that elected them and end up paying the bills.
Germany will be reaping the results of Merkel's folly in bringing in a half-million potential terrorists and petty criminals for generations.
89
Throughout Europe Muslim immigrants create "parallel societies" in the countries that receive them. They are not willing to become Danes in Denmark, French in France or Germans in Germany. Do you think that creates resentment in the hosting countries? Absolutely!
226
You live in San Miguel, a perfect example. In this instance, Americans not willing to become Mexicans in Mexico. I lived there for a couple of years, and the locals just hated the Americans, mainly because they chose to live in a "parallel society". could barely speak the language and had no inkling what Mexican culture is all about, let alone history. To clarify, they were not visitors but have lived there for years. So how about resentment in the hosting country . . .
2
Except in America, we have become Americans.
2
You are misinformed. This has little to do with being a Muslim.
Once upon a time I heard tell that the History of Man is a history of continuous migration from Olduvai going North, South , East and West. Some mingling with Neanderthals but movement continued, slowed down , stopped , kicked up again . An endless cycle throughout human history. So now the unstoppable must be stopped. Good luck with your stopping, Stoppers!
10
Not sure if you're aware, but the migration/mixing wasn't the best outcome for the Neanderthals, given they were wiped off the face of the Earth. There is this assumption that everyone is going to hold hands & harmoniously sing in peace, which flies in the face of human history and natural biological instinct for contention of resources.
6
What you say is logical and does have a ring of truth. The instinct to survive is what drives it all...the migration , the warring over resources etc. etc. Kumbayas are sung when they increase the chances of survival. It all goes on.
Merkel's position on asylum seekers, political refugees as well as those after a higher standard of living, has been driven by the consience of "coming to terms with the past" (in German, Vergangenheitsbewältigung). She, as well as other West European leaders, have been closing their eyes on the much graver danger of Islamic terrorism that is no longer at the gates, but is active within the countries. As long as the European Union has neither common constitution, nor unified military command, the anti-terrorist policies remain hot air and tearing one's hair out.
7
This concession by Chancellor Merkel is long overdue. Porous borders and the normalization of illegal migration lead to the destruction of countries and cultures that are well governed and run successful economies. In the long run, that outcome helps nobody.
45
In many cases, climate change is a catalyst. Look out for more state border disruption; the "less-better" is yet to come. . .
What we can do in the US, instead of neglecting educated foreigners who may be able to provide assistance regarding a wide spectrum of challenges, is allow them to thrive, educationally, using the institutions we have created to do just that. . . Trump is doing the opposite.
The US is going down in flames and, unfortunately, it's its own demise; capitalism, mixed with democracy and a good deal of fear and racism/xenophobia will be the downfall.
6
Merkel has agreed to build a human wall of border patrol officers and accept no more undocumented immigrants, just as Austria, Italy and Greece have done. Perhaps it's for the best since Germany now detains all asylum seekers in detention facilities which they cannot leave since so many were disappearing into the country. The US is not alone in its quest to control who enters the country without papers.
34
So Merkel acts in Christian fashion, helping one million desperate migrants enter Germany and receive humane treatment. And she gets punished at the polls by people like Trump supporters, who want "them" kept away.
Such hypocrisy on the part of people who call themselves Christians. Imagine if your country were unstable and the ruling authorities didn't care if you lived or died. You run to another country, and they turn you away, so you have to go back home and die.
See the problem? Spend a minute in the migrants' shoes.
24
Attacking Christians is hardly good form on your part. Unless you’ve lived in Europe since 2015 for several years (I have), you have no idea what Europeans are saying or experiencing.
37
Leviticus 19:33-34 and 24:22 – "When the alien resides with you in your land, you shall not oppress the alien. The alien who resides with you shall be to you as the citizen among you; you shall love the alien as yourself, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.”
There is a big difference between migrants and refugees.
6
I am quite alarmed at how harshly critical some commenters are of Merkel. Say what you want, this lady has led her country well, and for that matter the European Union. She struggled to prevent a recurrence of a notorious and murderous Nazi Germany. Then they were Jews, but now they are Muslims. Always the "other." She is not the one who is defeated. What is defeated is compassion and human rights. The wave of nativism and bigotry is not unlike a metastatic cancer. Naziism is insidiously resurrecting itself, even here in the US. Meanwhile, as I heard on the PBS News Hour just an hour ago, Middle Easterners like the Yemenis are starving to death with no food, shelter, inadequate medicine and/or being killed. What a world...
27
You fail to differentiate in one critical aspect. Germany sent its own citizens to death camps. The people traveling to Europe en masse are not citizens of any European country. Have you lived there and seen what’s occurring and what the local reaction is?
36
So... it's only OK to ignore human rights if it's 'the other' I guess. I wonder if one day soon, Americans will be looking to migrate from the U.S. as it leans more and more toward authoritarianism. Or if/when we are invaded in some future century. And I wonder what the reception will be like.
You cannot be serious, SW. Nazi Germany sent more than its own citizens to death camps. Remember how they invaded and terrorized much of Europe? Not to mention that is a terrible defense to take nonetheless. Are you really positing that its acceptable to send non-citizens to death camps?
I'm glad that Merkel is showing how liberals can be realistic negotiators rather than doctrinaire zealots. US Democrats should emulate Merkel and recognize the limitations of finite national resources. If the US was a utopia, the politicians could allow open borders that embraced everyone with its infinite resources and endless stores of goodwill, but the reality is that the US has finite resources--finite jobs; finite amounts of housing; finite available transportation; finite schooling; finite health care availability. It is ridiculous, too, for Democratic US politicians to coddle illegal immigrants: instead, help out the legally immigrating folk who followed the rules and demonstrate respect for American culture and laws. I respect Merkel for adjusting her hardline open borders stance to a more realistic restrictive stance that acknowledges the needs for her existing citizens.
33
I find hard to swallow the ignorance and arrogance the democrats displayed towards us, citizens, both democrats and republicans, by siding and defending illegal aliens to the detriment of American citizens. I am a liberal democrat, instead of focusing on many people like me, they were fighting for law breakers foreigners. Brilliant logic! This is precisely the the scenario that shook Europe and distabilisiaed healthy democracies. I have heard it from my European family members and friends for years. My vote goes to whoever has the guts to fix this huge problem.
6
You are right, in one sentence: “Put realism over idealism”
But it has taken Merkel 3 years, 1.8 million migrants, 60 billion EUR, over 500,000 negative Asylum applications to get there and a threat to bring down her government to get there.
1
I don't believe for a minute that Merkel is showing that liberals can be realistic. She has simply been beaten down because she is not ruthless enough.
1
The United States caused all of this upheaval. GW Bush attacked countries who were under dictatorship and destroyed the tight order and control they had. Now, we have chaos, death and destruction, and millions of people trying to find somewhere to live that isn't a war zone. On top of the disorder America's government created, we have a new president who is happily destroying all of the trade and mutual support mechanisms that have kept prosperity and peace alive and well for decades. Did you ever think America would be responsible for the fracturing of the world? Not only does our government scoff at policies that bring about prosperity, it thumbs it's nose at policies that would save the planet from irreversible destruction. Why are conservatives so destructive? Why are they the people---historically---who cause so much chaos and pain? Read your history. We have very little time to stop this, if we even can. We need sanity restored to our government or those of you under the age of 55 will inherit a world you may not survive.
23
Did you forget that it was Obama a Hillary who presided over destruction of Syria and Libya, two main sources of migrants and refugees?
2
If you really want to stop the migrants you have to look in the mirror to see the policies that have created it. I mean just look at all the wars the Western govts have started in the Middle East based on oil profits and money and now those same western nations are all up in arms about migrants. It is like this you reap what you sow folks it is time we admit it our policies have created most of these migrants fleeing for their lives because we are too greedy and want control of their countries for our corporations to get rich off of it. I am tired of it honestly.
20
There are 1.1 Billion people in Africa.
There are 400 million people in the Middle East.
There are 1.3 Billion people in the Indian Subcontinent.
How many of these people should be allowed to move to Germany, a country that has about 80 million people and is roughly the size of Montana?
30
Democrats need to learn a lesson and stop losing.
13
You don't win by doing what your opponents want you to do. This proves that Ms Merkel is just as antisemitic as her Bavarian counterparts after all, in spite of what we were lead to believe. Shameful.
2
Of course. So much better to be on the winning team than to stand up for the values you hold dear.
4
People like Angela Merkel have a role to play. They wish to help the downtrodden, save the world, even if it means destroying her own people, culture. However, rather than condemn or discourage folks like Mrs. Merkel, they/she should be encouraged (required) to do their good work in the country of origin for those invading Europe. I'm sure she wouldn't have any problem becoming a naturalized citizen of some middle eastern country. Living with the displaced people would make her most happy..
17
Very cute.
2
Germany is stronger today than it was when Merkel welcomed the immigrants. Immigration nearly always increases local wealth and well being after the first two years.
6
She is following Trump's lead.
As I sad before , he runs the world now.
7
It amuses me how Americans are so myopic that they believe everyone in Europe is following and emulating the US. They are not.
22
The people who think that are from a different generation in my country. The world has changed, but they have not. I don't like saying this, but in a decade, or so, a lot of these people will have died off, and the world will be a better place.
2
So I assume that everyone who protested against Trump's immigration policy this weekend will now be outside of every German embassy and consulate protesting 'Mutti' putting migrants in camps until deportation. No?
29
Did the Germans kidnap kids and lie about it? Did I miss that part?
2
Speaking of kidnapping kids, until DNA testing of the migrants is implemented, leaving them in the custody of the 'parents' that they arrived with may well just place them in the hands of child traffickers.
1
This article omits the fact that the SPD has yet to approve the deal, and is asking for "many issues" to be clarified before doing so. Until they sign on, Merkel's government isn't in the clear quite yet.
6
For all the talk about Merkel and how great her policies were this act makes it clear that our President was spot on. Merkel should have simply stepped down. Her views are antithetical to her country's majority views. The ignorance of some people with respect to understanding that loving your country is not a bad thing is bewildering. Human beings sort themselves into various groups automatically.
42
"our President was spot on. Merkel should have simply stepped down.: WELL, OF COURSE. OUR PRESIDENT TRIED TO TELL HER THAT, BUT SHE JUST WOULDN'T LISTEN. SO ALOOF, THINKING THAT SHE WAS GERMANY'S LEADER AND NOT DONALD.
3
Then certainly Trump should step down. After all, his views are 'antiethical' to his country's majority views' on at least a half-dozen issues.
1
When will someone admit that these refugees are fleeing climate change and overpopulation that has caused their already shaky and often corrupt governments to be unable to govern.
Just like the Club of Rome predicted in 1970 about the time Jimmy Carter put solar panels on the roof of the White House.
When will the leaders and general public ever listen to scientists. We are not eggheads!! Some of us are as practical as you can get.
So don't say you weren't warned. Not only that but the warning comes and came with specifics.
25
Sorry.
I missed the "climate change" part of the story.
4
That's exactly my point, Kenneth. It should have been in the story but wasn't. These stories start in the middle. Folks either don't remember, don't want to remember, or just don't know about the beginning.
For instance, the seeds sown during colonial depredation of these lands is also bearing toxic fruit that impacts the story.
The ripoff of their commodities is now being paid for.....with interest. No way to undo this either. Europe and America are just going to have to experience it and try to staunch the open wound.
So the whole think is not about migrants but how to stay on power, i was really thinking very highly about Chancellor Merkel, but she is a another polittion, Mr,Trump send letters to Europe capitals , telling them they have to pay their share of money to NATO , if not he is going to pull American soldiers from Europe, report from N.Korea, Kim is building his bombs, and Trump says we can work with Russia friendly, Putin might give Trump a Russian NOBEL AWARD, there are still over 2000 kids with out their parents un our country because their parents were undocumented, and Trump is going to choose next judge to Supram Court, IT IS A NIGHT MARE
2
Face the facts people: There is a huge number of people from Africa, the Middle East and Latin America who seek a better life. For generations they haven't found it at home. In this age of heightened mobility, who can blame them for trying to find it in Europe and the USA. If you don't want them in your countries, then you better make damn sure that they can achieve a better life in their own countries. What we have now is the effects of a horrible 19th century colonialism coming home to roost. Accept them in our own countries or fix the situation in their homelands, but don't expect to solve the problem by just sending them back to an untenable situation in their own countries. The will to live is too strong for that to succeed.
18
How do we fix it? Invade their countries and shoot their leaders? That would probably work but would be messy to say the least.
The problem is, if you don't invade their countries and kick out the leaders, any efforts to make things better in those countries only seem to fatten the corrupt people in power.
13
You forgot to add the horrible policies during the 20th century. A lot of the blame is on the U.S. and the English. Nobody ever talks about Kermit Roosevelt.
Yes, European colonialism has a lot for which to answer. Howerver the Ottomans colonized Europe for much longer than European colonization in the 19th century.
Would Turks today accept unending waves of Balkan residents entering Turkey without permission? I'm betting not.
Regardless of the rights or wrongs of history, every country today has the right to exercise sovereignity.
I don't blame people for wanting better lives. But it doesn't follow that they have the right to enter someone else's country any more than I have the right to find someone with a 20,000 square foot home and move in with them..
2
WWI, WWII, and now the destruction of Europe as it was. What is it with German government leaders?
8
Yeah. You'd think they think it's their country.
2
The millions who fought and died to defend liberty in the last century and this century would most likely disagree.
What has happened to Angela Merkel is what voters are going to tell Democrats if they continue not knowing how to pick a fight.
20
Good news for once in a long time.
15
merkel will go down as the secound worst person to ever control power in Germany. She betrayed the German people, she betrayed Europe and Christianity. She should be removed asap.
19
Okay, Tom.
We'll pass that right along to her embassy.
4
Sounds like you have "betrayed Christianity".
3
Didn’t the Good Samaritan pay for the equivalent of a short hospital stay for the Jew. Then, presumably, he was back on his way to Jedea. EOS.
Can't keep foreigners come in forever in mass. German people have every right to keep Germany for German people and keep the border tight. There's an action and reaction. People who were concerned about Germany overwhelmed by foreign migrants aren't bad people. They are just people like everybody else.
135
So are the migrants!
12
Yes, I meant foreigners/migrants.
This is not good for Germany, Europe, America or the World. There must be places for people with the exigent need to move to another country to come to. With Germany's history of extreme White German Nationalism which ended badly and the current evidence in America that populist governments don't work, itught be time to give up xenophobic ideas and reach out to our fellow human beings who are deeply in need of a new home.
11
I wonder how many of those staunchly advocating for liberal admission policies with more open arms for
the " migrants" (i.e. those who have entered the country illegally) will put their money where their mouth is and accommodate several "migrants" in their "den" or will they continue to loudly proclaim "Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me...." .........but not in my backyard?
23
Where were states like yours, K.A. in 2014 when obama personally called governors and mayors to take in 500-1000 illegal immigrants? They all said no, NIMBY, and the migrants were shipped by the tens of 5ouda de to California. So sick of those of you hypocrites who say you want open borders but then refuse to take even 1000 in your towns.
9
There are countries which have experienced population loss since the EU was formed. There should be some incentives and allowances made to induce the migrants to go to help those countries rebalance their populations.
Her status as world leader had about a five minute lifespan.
Germany and camps...what could go wrong?
12
Go against the people and you will not last. Welcome to the real 21st Century, Chancellor.
48
AfD and CSU are not "the people." There were and are plenty of Germans who support(ed) Merkel's original policies on migration; a poll even just this weekend showed that Merkel's, not Seehofer's approach was the more widely supported.
10
If Merkel loses the support of the CSU, her coalition will collapse and she will not have the majority in parliament. That, not your poll, reflects the incontrovertible state of what Germans think since they voted very recently for their representatives.
I support Ms. Merkel! I am glad that she compromised for now. It's hard to be the only strong woman right now in the midst of a lot of these countries. She's no dummy and I am glad she's staying in power!
30
What is happening to Merkel in Germany will happen to the Democrats. It's unfortunate because rather than siding with open borders the democrats should come up with a plan to help the immigrants in America.
49
That's total misinformation that you're spouting there. Democrats don't support open borders... They're just not jerks about it. The Obama administration kicked out more illegals than all other administrations combine. Why didn't you hear about it? Because it doesn't fit the narrative that others are pushing. You can't be a demogouge, while admitting that the previous administration was on top of things.
13
Julia, "open borders" is an illusion; no one in power on the Left is promoting it.
You are correct re a solid Dem plan, but who would believe it? I'm a liberal, and 1000% against drumph.
"Help(ing) immigrants in America" is what we should do, as most of us are immigrants in one way or another.
8
When people say that they don't believe in borders, that no human being is illegal, that ICE should be abolished, that citizenship is an unfair caste system, and there should be not one more deportation, it's a logical conclusion that were they to have power, open borders is what they want.
Going to the EU fairly regularly now...not what I'm hearing. No one is really bent out of shape about refugees.
9
Hey Marc, maybe you’re not getting a representative view! Remember that Trump thing?
9
No one? 512 million people and yet no one?
Man, you really get around !
8
I just came back from 2 years in Western Europe. People of all walks of life are fed up with having less than 1% of their populations comprised by illegal immigrants. Maybe you are the one without the representative view in our fair city.
Chancellor Angela Merkel, who staked her legacy on welcoming hundreds of thousands of migrants into Germany, agreed on Monday to build camps for those seeking asylum and to tighten the border with Austria to save her government.
-----------------------------
It is not as if if you opposed endless migration, you are heartless. It is a matter of economics and public safety.
That Angela Merkel decided to flip rather than lose power by clinging to her ill-conceived notion of sympathy for migrants speaks volumes about which way the world is headed.
We will ignore this lesson at our own peril.
28
"It is a matter of public safety.". Are you referring to all of those bad hombres in this country that are committing all of that crime that Trump spews as gospel, or, the other fallacy that all of those migrants in Germany have cause crime to soar?
Or, is the statement based on that if a person is not native to a country then that person will commit crime?
4
"ill-conceived notion of sympathy for migrants", not sure what you mean? Is it ill-conceived to show sympathy for migrants fleeing war and extreme poverty? It is the fact that Germany did welcome migrants, and if it be that a country decides to slow the growth of migration, that so be it! It is Merkel's job to make policy decisions based not only on the past, or future concerns but current needs. Personally, the only way forward for humanity is Liberal Democracy! She is a powerhouse, let's not forget that Germany had no problem electing a woman to the highest office.
16
That’s the dumb down logic of the left. Shame the other side and assume their evil intentions. Tie everything from the conservative side to the Nazis. And you will save the world! Right?
7
Let them come here! We can house everyone in Detroit! Not too mention we can relocate our U.S. homeless population there too. Detroit has open land and there thousands of empty tract homes. All we need to do is rebuild them and we can establish a multi-national refugee community. We can also ask the EU to help pay for it- What do we have to lose?Our nation would gain in diversity, creativity and we would be helping people start over. I think it's a great idea!
24
Wow, I could never imagine seeing this idea on the nightly news....but WOW, both sides of the aisle would have to pause to say "Let's make Detroit great again". I think this the kind of thinking our society needs to heal, grow, and sustain!
2
Sounds like segregation to me! What about free-agency and once accepted, our constitutional rights are their constitutional rights. As for Detroit, I heard that city was rising, after all, don't Americans live there? "Our nation would gain in diversity, creativity and......" but let's put them all in one place?
You may think you are being sarcastic but in fact refugees have contributed to growth and economic activity in many small towns across America where the mainstreets were dying.
In NYC, the 1980s-era immigration law that let refugees and immigrants come out of the shadows protected Queens from the earlier fate of the South Bronx---Queens is thriving, full of small businesses and enriched by its refugees.
3
"But whatever the outcome, after nearly 13 years in office, Ms. Merkel is weaker than she has ever been." I submit the opposite is true. She has weathered many storms and we have heard such statements commonly made the last couple of years. Do not underestimate her Ms. Bennhold and Ms. Eddy, she is still the undisputed leader of the free world.
17
Ms. Merkel made a political mistake but demonstrated moral fortitude. I agree with many of her distractors that EU cannot possibly absorb all the refugees. However, many of her distractors and supporters of Mr. Trump in US have no qualms of closing the borders and leaving refugees to die because they are "different." This is morally repugnant. Unfortunately, this is one of the issue with no easy answer and both the extremes are wrong. How can we help as many people as we can without destabilizing the now fragile democratic institutions? How can we convince the more "racist" states to share the burden? How can we stabilize the war torn countries so that people can return home? There is no easy answer and many people are dying and will die. History will and should judge how our generation respond.
5
Moral fortitude? The tall dark shadow cast over Germany by the Halocaust certainly didn’t leave to many practical options for Angela. Once that debt appears to be settled, however, we’ll just have to wait and see.
2
Leaving refugees to die? That would be Algeria, which recently took hundreds of subsaharan migrants back to the desert and left them there without food or water.
5
I remember back in November 2015 in a report to Congress from Homeland Security - there was legitimate concern that ISIS affiliates slipping into Europe with the refugee population. Fast forward and we now know that those involved in the Paris and other attacks did just that. In light of this information, a wise and prudent leader might think there needs to be stronger border controls or that if Germany wanted to accept refugees - vetting should take place first, or that Germany would arrange for refugees to travel safely to Germany (rather than let everyone arrive and then fly them out) ....but no....instead she opened the borders not just to Germany, but to all of Europe with the result that we have refugees, economic migrants, and terrorists all together. I am surprised her government didn't fall after Cologne. She has had three years to sort this out.....apparently that was not enough time. Her time is now up.
33
Unfortunately your statements don't resemble the truth. Truth is that the unprecedented upheaval in the middle east caused a massive influx into Europe in 2014/2015, mostly hitting the southern countries like Greece and Italy. Truth also is that at the time the EU did not have the border patrol or other processing capabilities. Since then, the EU under Merkel's leadership negotiated with Turkey to stem the tide. Fact is that now the flow of immigrants to the EU is a trickle, but public outrage continuous. Fact is also that the crime rate in Germany did not rise, it is at historic lows but very few high profile cases have distorted public perception. Fact is also that the population of Europe is declining, so absorbing immigrants should not be impossible if done correctly. Truth is that the ugly face of racism is rearing its head. Just like in the US.
16
Brian, that demographic argument is an old chestnut at this stage!
According to the Austrian employment agency (AMS) 30% of Afghan Refugees in Austria lack even a “primary education” - ie illiterate. Many migrants from Africa have the same profile.
In a modern developed economy without a basic education you are unemployable.
Long term studies across Europe show that refugee communities have much higher long term unemployment rates - 40% in Austria, Germany, 50% in France and 60% in Spain. This after billions invested in integration.
In 2017, according to the German Finance Ministry, 20 billion EUR was spent on integration for approx 1.6 million Asylum seekers / Refugees. To put that cost into perspective, the whole social security system for the Republic of Ireland costs 20 billion a year and that covers over 4.5 million people, most of whom are tax payers.
The Facts are that rather than solving Europe’s demographic problem, mass economic migration is a burden that will only add to the pressures on an increasingly weakened European Welfare State.
To solve the European demographic problem, the best way is for Europeans to have more babies. Just like they have already done in Ireland.
7
To Brian: Frontex is there to help countries manage their external borders. Their effectiveness is directly tied to EU budget considerations. So, look at the report from 2014 - "EU Funds for asylum, migration and borders". For more facts and security concerns see "SYRIAN REFUGEE FLOWS SECURITY RISKS AND COUNTERTERRORISM CHALLENGES
Preliminary Findings of a House Homeland Security Committee Review" and finally - crime rates in Germany are lower - but "According to the criminologist Dirk Baier, who led a team that analyzed statistics in the state of Lower Saxony, the rise (in violent crime) in 2016 was almost exclusively from refugees" (see in Spiegel online "Donald Trump's Tweet: The Truth About German Crime Statistics").
2
Is it my imagination or do I keep reading what is essentially the same story over and over again? Merkel's government is on the brink of collapse... Oh wait, no it isn't... Oh wait, yes it is. I can't keep track anymore.
3
This time she was really on the brink - for the first time in her career. She didn´t realise it.
From now on it´s a party government not a chancellor government any more. She will stay as long as she will get along with her party - parties, to be correct. She must learn this (I know what "must" means in English.)
If she does her government will be more stable than in the last 3 years. If not she will be replaced soon.
EU will be much stronger from now on. CDU/CSU is much more embedded in actual Europe than she is. When a chancellor is fully backed by his parties things will get much harder for Trump policies in Europe. The person doesn´t matter.
4
Admitting 1.5 + million foreigners, in one year, without allowing a vote in the Parliament , is political suicide.
Could you imagine a US president , admitting 6+ million , without a vote in Congress , in one year ?
The equivalent immigration into the US, by population. By area it would be 42 million (Germany by area, is smaller the US State of Montana)
Any US President thus proceeding would face impeachment.
72
The EU population is declining, in Germany especially so. One thing is for sure, with declining population, you will be faced with a weakened labor force, less taxes. Rising powers grow. Look at China. That's another fact the US right now ignores... the US is in a much better state due to immigrants settling here. Germany can only survive in the long run if it increases its population.
1
Germany has made tremendous efforts to recruit other EU citizens, including providing free language training. Germany does not need to loom outside the bloc to find labor.
5
There needs to be some realistic expectation of assimilation by immigrants, and I have seen a number of cases where that realistic expectation has not been met. My first example is that at least five times in the last 18 months in California, I have encountered US citizens who cannot speak enough English to have a basic conversation. These immigrants could speak only Chinese or only Spanish or only Russian, and they were gainfully employed in ethnic enclaves where they never had to bother to learn English. This is where tribalism is borne: in ethnic enclaves that don't value assimilation even to their adopted country. Economic migrants are not in the US out of respect for US laws or democratic institutions or innovative entrepreneurialism, but just to get a quick buck without adapting. Second, when the introduction made by immigrants to the US is to break the law by entering the country illegally or under false pretenses, then those immigrants are not trustworthy and respectful of American legal norms.
22:32 German time (4:32 EDT) a three point compromise has been announced:
1. about regulating German-Austrian border that prevents asylum seekers for whom other EU countries are responsible (whatever that means) from entering.
2. Establishment of "transit centers" from which (unsuccessful) asylum seekers an be sent back to their home countries. Needs to be in agreement with involved countries.
3. Agreement for asylum-seekers at Austrian-German border in case responsible countries refuse agreements.
Seehofer and the coalition remain intact for now
1
Merkel's open invitation to "Come to Mama" is now haunting her. It was a huge mistake on her part to invite migrants without any real planning. I like Merkel. I pity her since her heart was in the right place, but she messed up. There should have been a unified system to screen applicants for asylum. Fortunately othe EU Countries have kicked in and established their own guidelines.
17
The MSM is stating that the migration rate has dropped precipitously, but the press is comparing the drop to the absolute spike in 2015, where 1.5 M and possibly 2 M foreign nationals migrated at Merkel's ill-advised open borders invitation. In another piece, the NYT has reported that still 10,000 cross per month, into Germany alone - that is 120,000 per year, no small sum. That is the official rate, the actual rate is probably higher.
Merkel is not the standard bearer for liberal democracy that the press claims. She did the bidding for the German bankers by squeezing the Greeks to death with extreme austerity measures, and Merkel was against gay marriage and even voted against it when she was tricked into allowing the vote in 2017.
Merkel has only been liberal regarding immigration – she has put non-citizens above citizens. Enough people see that for what it is.
Finally, the surveys showing that support for the Bavarian Christian Social Union has dropped is not all all because voters disapprove that Horst Seehofer is standing up to Merkel, but rather because his party is losing these voters to the AfD, who are pressing for real concrete border control. These voters are not fooled with the fudge and short-on-details deal that Merkel just made with the EU.
After the poor showing in Sept, it is time for Merkel to go and see if a successor can do a better job, and be more aligned with the German voter.
25
Merkel has been a sensational German leader, and to be stymied by German social-rightists who have intentionally forgotten the past is and will be tragic.
22
I think Germans are very conscious of their past, particularly the Bavarians. People have literally opened their houses to take refugees in out of a sense of atonement when other countries have left their doors solidly shut.
Just because you don’t agree with Merkel, just because you want to apply the already existing European procedures does not make you a “Nazi”.
If anything, if we are to really worry about contemporary fascism look no further than your own back yard.
4
No good deed goes unpunished. SOME cliches ARE true.
14
I can't take it anymore. The European Union had no border control between the member countries in 2015. That is (was) the famous Shengen Area. Merkel was not allowed to reinstall border controls back in 2015 because of the Shengen Agreement. Besides that, no police force would have been able to perform border controls during that time. The advisers to Thomas de Maizière (Home Secretary during that time) told him that border controls could only be upheld for about a week, before the forces would be exhausted. Merkel did the only thing she could do during that time. Public discussions are only emotional and not fact-based anymore. Crime rates are on a historic low in Germany, but guess what? Everything we talk about is criminal refugees. I am so fed up by this. Why is the AFD (Alternative for Germany) so strong? It is just because all the established parties know no other topic than the so called "refugee crisis". It is not even a crisis for God's sake, we just exaggerate it to one. We have bigger problems in the European Union right now. But all we care to do is, to treat the people, who had to flee their countries due to a war they have not started, as badly as we could. Shame on us all. And especially shame on the CSU for sacrificing the stability in Europe for their idiotic plan to win next years Bavarian election by becoming a far-right party. Great idea guys.
19
That is true. Once in Iceland, anyone can walk thru a border within the EU. It has been much too open. Iceland and Ireland have the weakest points of entry.
12
I am fan of the Shengen Agreement... I am not criticizing it. Or would you argue for a border control between all U.S. States?
Max,
European nations are not the same as US States. It is delusional to think otherwise. US states have a common history, culture and language, not to mention robust and effective representation within a federal structure.
You seem to think this is so easy. But in America it took almost 300 years and a Civil War, even with all those advantages. Far better for you to stay within the Common Market than drag millions of people--ultimately violently--into a union they do not want.
There is no EU team in the World Cup or the Olympics for a reason.
You have overlooked
- the common faction meeting of CDU/CSU at 2 pm,
- the 3 persons-meeting of Ms Merkel, Mr. Seehofer and Mr. Schäuble - the grey eminence of CDU. Mr. Schäuble is the only person who has enough authority giving both a dressing-down and is personally capable enough to act as chancelor for a short transition period
- the fact the MS. Merkel and Mr. Seehofer are not allowed to talk person-to-person but have to deal with 6 head delegations on both sides consisting of the most influential co-leaders from now on,
- some very clear statements of influential members of bot parties without own personal ambitions announcing "agreements" and "compromises" of both in the afternoon.
This means: Both brawlers are not allowed to act alone any more. Too risky.
The Federal Ministery of Interior hat stated that rejection are compatible with European law - the complete opposite to Ms. Merkel opinion constantly repeated in the last days - as a "government" opinion, this means after approval of Ms. Merkels own "Kanzleramt".
This means: Ms. Merkel will have to accept rejections by national German authorities. The solo flight of Ms Merkel in the refugee issue will be over soon, Mr. Seehofer and CSU will stay.
But this is no good news for Mr. Trump. The German "Union" ranks will be closed again. Refugee politics will cause no fissures any more in the conservative camp. Why? Even conservative Bavarians can´t stand his policy. BMW, Siemens, Allianz are Bavarian companies!
1
Merkel is toast
Trump has now won Britain, Italy ,Austria, France ( kind of) and soon Germany
European leaders now pay the worst of the worst in North Africa to keep their people from migrating.
9
Unfortunately this is a very superficial article - one that oversimplifies the political realities. What Seehofer / CSU is complaining about is the missed opportunity of 2015 (the height of the immigration influx), namely, for the Bavarian only CSU to branch out past its quasi Bavarian monopoly position into other northern German states by presenting themselves as a right of center, tough on immigration, party. Because they did not do that, and because they completely underestimated the then nascent AfD, they lost the opportunity to establish themselves as the center right choice. Consequently, the AfD gained significantly. The CSU lives and dies by having 55+% in Bavaria, a position they have held for more than 50 years, guaranteeing the Bavarian Minster President position (I think they only lost their majority for a brief 3 or 4 year period). With the AfD nibbling at the CSU base, the CSU feels vulnerable. The CSU needs to stay in power in Bavaria in order to guarantee its national influence. It needs to stay above 50%. Merkel on the other hand just needs +1 vote in order to rule in Berlin. Personality conflicts feed into this as well.
12
Remember the Palestinian girl who cried? Merkel succumbed to the girls tears. I predicted, as many others did, that her invitation would be the beginning of the downfall of Europe. Virtually every country in the Union is now grappling with ghettos and the crime that goes with them, as the result of unfettered immigration. From Denmark to Rome, no one was prepared for the deluge. The numbers are down, but make no mistake, these are not refugees, these are economic migrants, they have phones, they are clever, they know where the best benefits are and above all they have nothing to lose. I will never understand, why it is that western civilizations that have fought wars, have reformed, have become united in enlightenment, feel compelled to invite people into their countries that view them as blasphemous and continue to treat women as less than goats. What I do know, from being in each of these countries, is that they do have individual cultures and their culture are being challenged. What the EU has ended up with is a million young, mostly illiterate men, who will never be integrated or educated. They will live in a ghetto and become bitter. You can't intergrate water and oil. This is why the backlash is happening now, people are waking up to the fact that they won't 'manage', they can't 'do this' as Merkel said, without fundamentally changing who they are. Merkel will be forgotten as the great leader and remember for her failed immigration policy.
190
I am sorry but your nativist fear and white nationalism is on the losing side of history. 150 years ago people wondered if Italians and Irish could culturally integrate. Then they asked the same question about Jews and Eastern Europeans. Now is is skin color. Wrong again
4
Thewriterstuff, thank you for saying it so perfectly. Happy 4th.
5
Dharma, wrong. It is about people adapting, yes, assimilating to the culture of the country they have chosen to live in. It’s not about race. Enough with that tired old card.
1
She must resign. She insulted all of the EU by unilaterally allowing one million immigrants to enter without EU consensus and then not solve the problems.
114
Mrs Merkel is associated with big corporates,big business and moneyed class who is behind her to hang on to power, though German public have rejected her policies through ballot at the election.Is it democracy or anti-democracy to hold on to the power when Germans in large numbers do not wish her to continue?
She has outlived her usefulness for a large section of the working and middle class who have become poorer and financially deprived during her 12 years of rule.
The immigration is the most knotty issues in Europe or in America today.Though the official data ,recently released, indicate a massive decline in European immigration ,still the perception that foreigners ,particularly people from Africa, are snatching away from native Europeans the employment,social benefits etc are dominating Mantra championed by the xenophobic ,conservative ,extreme right ideological acolytes.This is appealing to the Europeans and a climate against migration is a political advantage to a neo-Nazi recent German ' Avtar' like AFD gaining electoral dividends.Mrs Merkel is using this as a political shield and holding a coalition of divided political parties.
It is bound to be mired with bickering in day to day functioning of the government at the peril of common people struggling for bread,butter and roof over their head.
In the larger German interest Mrs Merkel ought to step down and let the German people determine their future course.
6
Good riddance (hopefully) to a woman who single handedly destroyed the E.U. and probably paved the way for Donald Trump in the U.S. with her foolish call to over one million economic migrants.
She should be in jail for allowing her country to be invaded.
116
no, whilst she failed with Greece (the her policies were very wrong, at the behest of Schäuble), she was the only one doing the right thing when confronted with a huge humanitarian crisis of the wests' making. shame on those who refused to help. and they have the falls to call themselves 'christian'
“...observers say Ms. Merkel is a political dead woman walking.” She committed political suicde when she decided to open Europe to unlimited numbers of people who are poor, uneducated, some illiterate in their own language, unskilled, and some who despise Western culture and refuse to assimilate. She will be reviled as the person who destroyed Europe.
94
No, she won't...this honor will go to Mr. Seehofer and his minions in Germany, Putin in Europe and our very own Trump who has made is acceptable to spread hatred and lies. Angela Merkel stands for Europe's very best soul and commitment to moral values. Her downfall precedes our own.
Wow, what a great idea, building a wall to keep out people that try to get into the country illegally. We should try that here.
21
I'm a progressive socialist and was incredulous when Merkel invited refugees from the Middle East into Europe without consulting her EU allies, and knew immediately this was a recipe for disaster. I am just surprised it took this long for her to lose her post as chancellor.
And as a descendant of four European grandparents from the Southern Europe, I never understood why she did invite other chronically underemployed Europeans into Germany, including but not limited to the Greeks, Italians, Albanians, Czechs, Slovenians, Croats and Serbs to supplement German's workforce, and who are from a similar cultural and religious backgrounds.
Inviting in millions of people into Europe who don't believe in gender equality, LGBT rights, secularism, the separation of church and state, just a few Western values, was and is a recipe for disaster.
305
You are apparently unaware that citizens of the EU have the right to freely relocate in other member stages and seek work there.
You also don't know that after WWII Germany solicited and welcomed guest workers from the countries you list here, at least those that had not fallen behind the Iron Curtain.
I'm betting that If you had any direct knowledge of contemporary Europe (I recommend a tour), you would quickly find that Germany, France, the UK, et al. are polyglot, multi-cultural societies, in which people from different backgrounds and ethnic origins constitute functioning social bodies, whose continuing challenges are not so much ethnic or religious difference, but the discontents of a rapidly changing global economy and the predictable problems caused by assimilation (for the immigrants) and adjustment to a changed social atmosphere (on the part of the "native population"). These problems are real enough, but the American hard-won success with the absorption of those once thought to be completely alien (such as the Irish, the Italians, and the Jews) should give cause for hope that the Enlightenment universalism of our Declaration of Independence was not a lot of pretentious hot air from a canny Thomas Jefferson eager to justify the treason that he and his colleagues were in the process of committing.
What disaster? Everyone here seems to just state their opinions instead of reading the article. Crime in Germany is down! Immigration is down. Are our Western values now to leave people dying in front of our borders? If so, I want no piece of it.
1
Italians, Slovenians, and citizens of EU need not be invited. They have the right to work and reside in Germany if they wish to...
Corporate globalists created this mess. Middle and working class citizens, who, as opposed to the billionaire beneficiaries of globalism, actually have to live with the results, are refusing to clean it up. Who’d a thunk it?
76
You seem clueless about the many ways our nation's long run of economic success- including that which supports our 'middle class'- is because of 'globalism.' It's time people stopped throwing this term around like it's the bogey man.
Liberals are failing around immigration because they take the hard stance that "all are welcome". I recommend to pay a visit to a Muslim country before you trot out that reactive phrase...The Conservative anti immigration stance fails because a reasonable concern about illiberal immigrants becomes anti gay, jewish, <insert minority of choice>. Basically both sides are wrong and no one has it right.
29
I have never encountered anyone who thinks ""all are welcome".
6
I have. You just need to hang around forums with bitter not-democrats who spend all their time virtue signaling to one another and competing to have the more extreme and edgy "progressive" position. All while never actually contributing anything of substance to actual democratic causes.
They're an embarrassment, but then, it makes sense for there to be a Tea Party equivalent on the left (besides ANTIFA who are their own special brand of terrible)
2
@Henry Wilburn Carroll: every liberal posting here in favor of Merkel is saying PRECISELY that -- that every western nation MUST have open borders (because every bad thing in the world is OUR FAULT!) and any attempt to vet immigrants or stop them is "mean".
The only logical conclusion is that they want open borders and massive unchecked illegal immigration.
Angela Merkel is a leader with a heart and intelligence.
Not many of them around.
None it seems in the USA.
Hang in!
29
Merkel will survive this challenge, with or without Seehofer.
Nevertheless, she is notably weakened not only in Germany, but across Europe.
The backlash from her 2015 decision is now hitting all across Europe. Anti-immigration sentiment has become strong/dominant in Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Slovenia, Austria, Italy, Denmark, and Sweden, not to mention in a growing portion of the populations of Germany, France, Belgium, and Netherlands. They are rejecting her “We can do it.” approach for a “We won't do it.” approach.
She has one more chance to change direction. The recent EU immigration plan is a good start, if it is actually enacted (which many people doubt).
Angela Merkel should hope that it is enacted and effective, because not only her current position, but her entire legacy, depends on it.
21
Ordinary people around Europe are - at last - waking up and selfish elites and corporation serving Merkel, macron, etc. have to make some adjustments.
2
So this isn't about immigration but the perception of the public created by politicians. Merkel is identified with corporate Germany. The big banks and the big auto companies. The Syrian Civil War brought sympathetic attention to the plight of people fleeing from that country that now lies in ruins. Merkel stepped into help these people. Poland, Hungary and Austria are now strongholds of right wing antiliberal antiimmigrant gov'ts. The antiimmigrant contagion has infected many Germans and is being exploited by German nationalist antiimmigrant parties (AfD) that seem poised to take over power in Germany. Seehofer is your typical opportunist pol who sees the AfD threatening his base. As was stated these antiliberal groups have gained a foothold because of the pessimistic era Germany has moved into that has made politics take a nasty turn.
7
Wrong. The resistance to figures like Merkel is fueled more by a desire to stabilize values hard won through centuries of war and reform. Too many people suffered and died to create art, science and discourse in Europe.
For many, their reward has been an uptick in crime and vile rhetoric, fraud, abuse and religious fundamentalism. Assimilation has become coded as another word for xenophobia, which makes a nation very difficult to run.
Of course, most of the migrants and refugees could have found safe haven in the dozens of countries between their homes and Europe, which speak their languages and understand their cultures. But the soft bigotry of low expectations prevents most of us in the West from considering that a viable option.
So Europe must now choose between poverty and unnecessary strife or being labeled maniacally right wing by a world that has no personal investment in the place.
4
Merkel deserves to be deposed. She totally bypassed the entire EU decision-making process when she invited refugees into Europe in 2015. She neglected to consult with any of the other then-25 heads of EU governments, her own coalition partners, or other German officials who would be responsible for taking care of the refugees. Even if you agreed with her, Merkels' unilateral, almost dictatorial, actions contributed to the rise of the far-right, the Brexit vote, and have produced serious divisions within the EU. She is a lightning-rod figure who has to go.
234
Yours is the only comment I agree with and is based on factual information.
6
I concur Virginia. Perhaps you (might) perform a little house cleaning yourselves...
5
When you take down all the lightning rods, lightning will just strike everything else.
Today, it's Pelosi and Merkel. Next, the far-wrong will pick twice as many more to spam attack ads and below-the-line comments about, and we throat the bait to the hilt. Then again, with twice that, and beyond. Eventually we just call each other lightning rods for the GOP and their racist ilk, while putin laughs in the Kremlin and counts his billions-to-trillions in GOP-NRA "donation" interest.
The refugees would feel as rich just surviving the bombings.
2
It's a very sad day for the world when the woman who held Europe together during the Great Recessin of 2008 thru 2010, and who was the epitome of a liberal, open, democratic nation that cared not only about her own citizens but the fate of our planet as well, could possibly soon be out of office.
The refugees fleeing Syria have caused right wing governments in Italy, Austria, Poland, and Hungary. The people that voted for these governments may have believed that they were voting for secure borders but what they got in return were governments who have sharply curtailed freedom of the press, freedom of assembly, the judiciary, and the media.
The right wing knows how to do one thing perfectly and that is to demonize minorities, deprive all of their citizens of their basic human and civil rights, all in the name of facism and dictatorship.
The dictator in Syria is responsible for the deaths of 600,000 people, has used chemical weapons repeatedly against his own citizens, carpet bombed his cities, and caused five million of his people to become refugees.
This evil man caused millions of innocent men, women, and children to flee his country and wash upon the shores of Europe. Now this war criminal could be responsible for the end of Angela Merkel's government.
Respect for all people. I am my brother and sisters keeper. All that is disappearing all across Europe and sadly in America as well thanks to demagogues in Germany, Italy, Poland, Austria, Hungary, and America.
248
Here, here...How eloquently opined.
3
Quite right. But as you can see from many of the comments here, the extreme right wing rhetoric has taken hold even among the readers of this paper.
And they're probably not going to read an extremely interesting article also in today's paper about how the perception of immigrants is largely divorced from reality. Immigrants everywhere are thought to be more numerous, more unemployed, more dependent on public assistance than is really the case.
"Respect for all people. I am my brother and sisters keeper."
My childhood neighbor had been an only child, until her parents took in a child whose parents had been murdered by Hitler. The child kept speaking of her missing brother. The adoptive parents searched until they located the child's twin brother. These twins had been subjects of Mengele's twin 'experiments."
The couple that not only welcome a child into their home, but searched for her brother.located him adopted both children, and raised them as their own, along with their one biological child.
You wrote:"I am my brother and sister's keeper." Do you intend to do as my neighbors' parents did, and welcome one or more refugees into your own home ?
"The first woman and the first easterner to run a reunified Germany, the chancellor is more than a beleaguered European leader who has stuck around for a little too long. " This sounds like editorializing of a most unattractive sort. Angela Merkel is fighting to preserve the European Union and liberal values.
159
Think that's editorializing too.
2
President Trump has been making the argument that our Allies should pay more for our protection. Our protection under the Neocons has caused one of the worst refugee and crisis in memory.
This crush of humanity fleeing wars that the US was instrumental in creating is bringing down Western liberal democracies. The greatest wealth creating machine in world history.
The argument could be made that the US military industrial machine run by neocons is the greatest threat to our Allies and Democracy in the world.
Merkel's government along with the entire EU may well fall because of the US neocons policies. Trump, Pompeo and Bolton are a clear and present danger to democratic governments across the globe.
321
"This crush of humanity fleeing wars that the US was instrumental in creating is bringing down Western liberal democracies. The greatest wealth creating machine in world history.
The argument could be made that the US military industrial machine run by neocons is the greatest threat to our Allies and Democracy in the world."
HL, gotta be the Comment of the Year, here, and well worth repeating. Thank you!
2
It would be better for the world if we didn't exist. Think concentration camps for children a Trump creation. He's a housing specialist.
1
Truly shameful. What is also shameful, unfortunately, is that Obama and the Democrats failed to deliver on their promises to extricate the US from the neo-con wars. Obama ended his presidency with shameful distinction of longest wartime president in US history, having continued Iraq and Afghanistan his entire 8 years. And then doubled and tripled down on the failed policies of neo-con, intervention-first regime change against Libya and Syria.
And then nominated a woman who cynically voted to authorize the Iraq War; claimed to have learned from her "mistake," but who then reportedly strongly supported Obama in the destruction in Libya and Syria. And then lapped up the endorsements of numerous neo-cons during her 2016 presidential run, refusing to disavow their support.
Courageous and principled politicians like Democrats Ted Kennedy & Paul Wellstone; Republican Jim Jeffords; and Independent Bernie Sanders all voted against authorizing Iraq War.
5
No good deed goes unpunished.
Here is Merkel showing talking the talk, walking the walk, showing how we are all connected by one thing or another - war, hunger, magnificent aspirations. She is showing that we must do what we can to care for one another even in this cruel world ruled by pessimists and narcissists. And what she gets is tribal backlash.
Listen to the poet Gwendolyn Brooks: "“We are each other's harvest; we are each other's business; we are each other's magnitude and bond.”
This is not a Kumbaya moment; this is survival. In the real world, we must learn to live together, finally. It ain't easy, but who's said it was? Grow up already!
75
One day, and it may years to come out, we are going to learn the real reason why sane politician across the western world though that flooding their happy peaceful countries with foreigners from a bunch of miserable areas of the world where the only way the people are kept in check is with secret police and dictators, why they thought it was all going to work out. Politicians are at first sociologists, they know the inner emotions and prejudices of the human mind better than anyone else. How could they have seen the end result would be disaster, disaster not only to their countries but to their political parties.
In the United States Obama's plan to flood the country with Muslims on one hand and from one direction and Migrants from South America on the hand and from the other direction, didn't go unpunished. He lost the Senate, the House, and finally the Presidency and the Supreme Court. And people are still so emotional about it, November may see a red storm rather than a blue wave.
Believe it or not politicians, the people are powerful, more powerful than any one politician. Obama and Merkel never ever mentioned immigration when they ran for office, but once elected they foisted it on their countries. It cost Obama his legacy, and its going to cost Merkel's hers.
Learn the lesson. You can try and fool the people, but it always backfires in the end.
141
Seriously? Average people get fooled all the time. Hitler was elected, as was Putin and Trump. Even ISIS has managed to convince a large number of people to join them and die for them.
Goebbels already knew that people are like sheep, easy to manipulate. Just give them something to be afraid of, and they'll sign up for literally everything. How many Americans were supporting torture, even though it's a direct violation of the Constitution and American Values, besides being proven to not provide usable intelligence?
Oh, and Obama lost the Senate because he was black. BPWB (Being president While Black) is still frowned up on in flyover country (and they wonder why people call it 'the backwater').
And if that wasn't enough, the same people elected a moron who is in love with Russia's and North Korea's leaders, both long-term adversaries of America. People I'm sure who claim at every opportunity to love their country. Aren't they true patriots?
Why do you think have most countries a representative democracy, i.e. you elect some people that make decisions on your behalf? Simply because the mass of people is to busy, uninterested or dim to understand the complexity of our world.
It seems it's you who's in dire need to learn a lesson from history.
40
I’d like to shake your hand!
Spoken like a white person of privilege. This is not the America our forefathers envisioned, immigrants themselves.
1
Though Progressives think you can easily change
human nature, it is, if even possible, very, very
difficult.
Yes, you can wave your arms and say Immigrants
from quite different cultures should be allowed in
and then think quite well of yourself for your generousity
but the reality is different.
It is much harder to decide that a dictator and his murderous thugs must go and then organise a coaltion of
nations to remove him. After all is it not just as much a
human right to live in peace in your own native country
and not be terrorised by gangster politicians ?
Just as in Denmark, people are tribal and government
leaders who ignore that simple fact about humans should
not be surprised when the voters turn them out, and so
if the Germans turn out Merkel, she really has no one
but herself to blame.
Meanwhile, can we not do something to help people
live safer lives no matter what country they live in ?
38
The consequences of Merkel's immigration policy will be felt around the world. She made the biggest political mistake of the century. She minds well have handed her country and the entire European Union over to the right on a silver platter.
172
Doing the right thing when faced with a massive refugee crisis caused largely by the US war of choice in Iraq has had consequences.
Rather than creating a Democratic ME, it has unleashed a power vacuum and refugee crisis that might possibly topple democracy in Europe and the US.
We can thank the Neocons under Bush who are now working for Trump.
63
No, the consequence is the result of political opportunists who see an opening for political gain. Merkel had the courage to stand up for the commitment to human rights to which the European Union and the Federal Republic of Germany are supposed to be committed, rather than doing what was politically expedient. In a world of political opportunism, she deserves credit, not scorn.
155
The US war of choice didn't create the refugee crisis. These are Syrian refugees, not Iraqi. But your point is well-taken.
For centuries, Europe and, later America, colonized the world, fought wars, took what they wanted and branded themselves overseas.
Now the migratory chickens have come home to roost. Merkel had had the courage to understand that the West has some responsibility to the Third World it exploited.
As for migrants taking native jobs, that is a laugh. There are plenty of jobs in America that white citizens won't do -- or can't pass a drug test for. -- thegamesmenplay.com
1
See
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/09/opinion/germans-secret-labor-experime...
The fact is that Germany needs the workforce desperately.
I recall (anecdotally) that in the 1990s the housecleaning staff in Berlin hotels were from Eastern Europe. Now (again, anecdotally) they appear to be running hotels, and the housecleaning staff seem to be these new migrants.
The refugee issue in Germany is not so straightforward. It is salient right now because the Bavarians are scared to death that they are going to have to cede power in some form to the AfD, the new right, and so are returning to their own nativist roots.
Happens everywhere, I guess.
13
Any explanation about the need for labor driving the acceptance of these economic migrants is completely ludicrous. Portugal, Italy, Spain and Greece all have huge amounts of unemployment, especially in their youth (and this was before becoming the gateways to Europe). A rational approach would have been to draw on those untapped laborers within the European Union, rather than taking in millions of under educated migrants who will have an extremely difficult time finding work, and often form enclave societies instead of integrating into the host nation.
Angela Merkel accepted these millions into Germany (and Europe more broadly) because she didn't have the stomach to see German troops at the boarder blocking migrants, so instead she opened the doors and in doing so potentially caused the permanent radical changing of western European society as we know it.
157
Welcoming and attempting to integrate these refugees is a better way than having them die in their attempt to reach the EU and Germany in particular, wouldn't you agree? This mirrors our Southern Border. People will come if pressed to do by need, no wall, no restriction will stop them. This is just the beginning...and the world gets hotter and dry and very wet in coastla lands, more people will come and move. I say let's find a solution together and let's embrace change.
That 'rational approach' is already a reality. Hundreds of thousands of South Europeans work in Germany. They're EU members.
And we should be surprised by this? ANYONE with half a brain could see this coming, a LONG time ago. Merkel's "down Germany citizen's throats" open borders invitation to undocumented migrants into Germany (whose people, by the way, were going to PAY for this largesse ), was going to cause a severe economic, not to say social stomach ache; no two ways about it. The surprise should be that the people didn't begin to "throw up" sooner.
278
What's going wrong with German economy causing stomach aches to you?
If you claim, like Trump, that crime rate in Germany is increasing by 10%, you may feel a social stomach ache, agreed. But the crime rate in Germany is declining - as a fact.
50
A word of advice though. While the overall crime rate in Germany has been on the decline, the violent crime rate has been on the increase, and many of those accused of such violent crimes happen to be among the asylum seekers.
And some of these violent crimes, like the mass groping/rape attacks in Cologne, the girl who was stabbed to death, and the girl who was raped and strangled, are very high profile.
Instead of denying these trends and incidents, which are easy to see, with the claim that the crime rate is declining (technically true, but immaterial) I think it's better to argue from the moral position, and to point out that when doing good things like opening borders, sometimes a few bad apples slip in.
In other words, don't sweep the violent crime increase under the rug, or try to be sneaky by using general crime statistics to dispute. Instead, go with the argument that to make a delicious omelet with a diversity if ingredients, it sometimes necessary to break a few eggs. I think this argument goes over much better, and is more honest. Everybody loves omelets.
1
German unemployment is ~3.5%. I do business with German companies and they are experiencing a labor shortage. Germany has one of the largest economic surpluses in the world -- and let's give kudos to Dr. Merkel. The issues the Right are trying to use to mask racism and xenophobia is sheer propaganda. I'll stick to facts, thanks.
394
Angela Merkel’s legacy is that she is a fascinating woman. Period.
half of you got that.
21
So was Empress Dowager Cixi and it took China a century to repair what was broken.
2
The CSU under Horst Seehofer is in panic mode, and tries to repeat a strategy that it used successfully in the late 1960s, when the right-wing extremist (and basically neo-nazi) NPD surged especially in Germany's South: go hard right, and mop up votes from the right fringe. However, Seehofer's current tactics go beyond that, and are very risky for the CSU itself, although there may be method to the madness. You see, the CSU currently only operates in Bavaria, where it's ability to gain sufficient votes is now in grave doubt, if not downright unlikely. Part of the union of the two unions (the U in each party's name stands for union) is that the CSU stays in Bavaria, and the CDU stays out of Bavaria. Some polls suggest that if the CDU would also run in Bavaria, it might capture almost half of the CSU's current votes. So, the CSU and Seehofer have a lot to loose, too, but yes, Merkel's time as chancellor would be over if the CSU pulls out. However, this might be also a strategy of many in both CDU and CSU. Historically, what-if polls have suggested that if the CSU runs nationwide in Germany, it might garner about 10-15%. Having the two sisters run nationwide might be a strategy to regain votes: the CDU's position pretty much stays where it is, and the CSU runs nationwide on the right and collects the anti-immigration and assorted right fringe votes of the AFD. However, that would also be the end of the more liberal era Merkel, and transform Germany's political landscape.
15
The right, nationalism, the lack of a strong ally in the US will see the fall of a moderate German government. Tribalism in the 21st century will see the rise of dictators and the extreme law and order groups that hate immigrants and the fall of democracies around the world. Trump is drawn to the strong man, maybe because he isn't one. But in the end if the people don't stand up and say enough our century will be a repeat of the 20th century with a fight to hold democracy.
44
Can you say German backlash? Anyone paying attention knew this would happen eventually. Merkel will be remembered for allowing unfettered immigration into Europe and potentially the downfall of modern Europe. With the exception of a handful of countries who defied her and the EU. This could become a very contentious and angry situation with not so nice results. Good job Angela.
295
@Jon You call them immigrants. I call them refugees.
You probably do not remember the cause. I do. It was the US destabilizing the Middle East (Thanks, Bush) that caused ISIS to rise and that caused the refugee problem.
Merkel did the right thing. What about America? How does it treat refugees?
395
Only some were refugees. Many more were economic migrants from countries that were not "destabilized by the Bush administration".
1
"Good job, Angela"? She should be out.
Scapegoating frightens me.
Think post WW1 in this same Country.
41
Scapegoating? Tell that to the mother of the student who was raped and murdered.
5
Merkel is NOT under fire from the Far Right and Conservatives. She has come under fire from ordinary German citizens, from the wide political and social spectrum, who have stood by and watched their country, culture, and national identity be stripped away by economic illegal refugees.
239
There is no such thing as an 'illegal refugee' Refugees have the right to seek asylum. Migrants do not. The distinction is important.
Those arriving in Europe in 2015 were mainly refugees, escaping the war in Syria. The vast majority of those arriving today are migrants from Sub-Saharan Africa.
They are escaping poverty, and the lack of opportunity in their own countries. Their situation is not covered by the UN Convention on Refugees.
After processing, most will be deported and returned to their countries of origin.
2
Bill,
The Germany you describe in your post does not match the Germany where I have lived for decades and know intimately well.
The small German town where I live has accepted a proportionately large number of refugees. In fact, I live practically next-door to a refugee dormitory that at times housed several hundred refugees. Yet the only change I see in local culture and national identity as a result of the refugees is a stronger sense of community and social responsibility together with a deeper respect for what the many German refugees of the WWII era endured.
4
Sure, plenty of “ordinary German citizens” hop on the xenophobic bandwagon of the right-wing firebrands and casually express resentment over the alleged “privileges” enjoyed by the refugees. But in one-to-one conversation, the resentful are quick to acknowledge the immense privileges that they, as German citizens, enjoy — a war-free country with sufficient food and shelter for all, pristine water from the tap, proper sewage facilities, hot running water, winter indoor heating, grade A health care, an outstanding education system accessible to and affordable for nearly all not to mention everyday luxuries such as orange juice, coffee and chocolate with breakfast. In short, everyday German citizens now live like the kings of recent centuries.
Countries and cultures invariably change over time in ways that we can and cannot steer. We should not lose sight of how well-off we are and should invest our energy in upholding core values like basic human rights and functioning representative government rather than following the siren songs of the power-hungry populists.
The pronouncements of EU failure may be a bit premature. The most enduring success is the fact that post WWII Europe continues to enjoy its longest run without continental war since the Middle Ages. More remarkable still is the measure of political independence that its modern states have enjoyed following the collapse of the Soviet Union.
However, the underlying premise of the EU that so many countries could balance their respective fiscal and, by extension, political prerogatives against a monetary compact bound to one currency was always flawed.
Despite this challenge, the EU managed through seemingly impossible odds to reconcile fiscal disparities across Mediterranean and North Sea members through the Great Recession, albeit at great social cost to many nations' standards of living.
Ironic then, isn't it, that after surviving the greatest existential threat to the EU's political/economic resolve, it is old-fashioned European xenophobia against those parts of the world on whose backs Europe ascended that may now cause the EU's self-inflicted undoing?
41
Xenophobia is now stripping away the veneer of modern civilization leading back to warring tribes of old. There is now a global economy and going backwards can only result in misery for all.
"...post WWII Europe continues to enjoy its longest run without continental war since the Middle Ages..."
Thank you, United States Army/Air Force.
2
Mass migration will be the force which breaks the 1st world. We are not ready to deal with it, at all.
203
And there is much more migration to come in future years as global instability keeps growing and expanding with these never ending wars.
6
To contain mass migration it would be useful
- not to further destabilize the Middle East, which e.g. would require to change US politics
- to help African and Arabian countries to develop, instead of exploiting them, which would e.g. require the EU to make fair trade agreements.
If the 1st world is driven only by greed, it will have to deal with the backlash.
I appreciate the inclusion in this article of sidebars on larger questions of migration--larger, that is, than the political fortunes of Ms. Merkel that are the subject of the article. But the comments of most readers respond to the political debate over migration and ignore the facts in the sidebars that suggest that the migration "crisis" is no longer a crisis, if it ever was one. I would like to have a few more facts, so I found a report published by the EU in 2016 and based on a survey of migrants in 2014. It said that around half of migrants 15-64 were employed after one year. Employment rates varied a great deal by country, and migrants' employment was far less stable than that of the native-born population. The report also noted that many migrant women had low levels of education and little workplace experience, making it more difficult for them to find employment. More up-to-date reports would be good to have in order to understand how migrants are adapting to living in Europe. Without the facts, we're just debating our prejudices, and that's not helpful.
100
Dear Daniel, You might want to look at a report from the OECD (Organization for Economic and Commercial Development) from 2017. It is a long report - but it will probably answer all your questions.
It's entitled: "Finding their Way LABOUR MARKET INTEGRATION OF REFUGEES IN GERMANY"
https://www.oecd.org/els/mig/Finding-their-Way-Germany.pdf
4
There will never be enough 'facts'. In the end we are human, and that means dealing with prejudices.
Yes! Bring on the facts. Our only true allies.
1
. The German economy is long past the grunt labor stage. Germany will not tolerate the establishment of banlieues. Expect a winnowing of the refuge population by repatriation for the slightest offense.
It is a privilege to live in a nation you are not a citizen of.
128
Merkel indeed IS the most effective voice for general moderation in Europe, although there are others -- including Macron of France and May of Britain; and protecting moderation is worth a mass, particularly in light of a destabilizing Spain and Italy.
Her stance on welcoming migrants actually was not moderate by today's standards but served as a decidedly leftish counterpoint to reactionary voices from Marine Le Penn and from Eastern Europe and elsewhere. She needed to moderate her position. If "transit centers" does that, fine; but what was important is that moderation survive in Germany generally, and that means Merkel.
75
Interesting comment considering that Macron is now refusing to accept boatloads of refugees into France...
3
At last a Richard Luettgen comment I can agree with.
1
You're mad if you think Merkel is "leftist." Behind her "humanitarian" facade, she's a pro-austerity, pro-big business conservative who likes open borders because it provides a continuing stream of cheap labor to Germany. And the so-called "socialist" Social Democrats aren't any better (large-scale migration does not benefit German workers).
1
The general narrative is that Merkel sent an invitation to refugees out of the blue and single handedly started the European refugee crisis.
The reality is that at the time when she said ‘Germany welcomes refugees with open arms’, there was increasing tension and East German extremists started burning down refugee centers again.
She made a statement against xenophobia and to calm the situation down.
I hope history will get the timeline and context right.
102
So the response to East German extremism was to welcome in over 1 million migrants without consulting with members of the public? You don't seem to understand that anger has increased against her becaue of this calamitous decision.
7
I sure hope that what you state is correct and that history will give her fair treatment. She alone has given quiet strength to silence much xenophobia.
It hurts a lot to have dumb Trump call this very smart lady from a very smart hard working country a low IQ person when the description surely fits him. Too many Americans & Brits get our thinking cap from Rupert Murdoch's Fox so we do not get real news.
Merkel was forced to do the inevitable which I feel was a good decision.
She is not closing the borders to refugees and migrants, what she is doing is trying to separate refugees, who really need protection and safety, from migrants who just want to pick and choose the country with highest social benefits.
No refugee who’s life or welfare is at stake is being deported and migrants should not be able to take advantage of this.
Europe, and the US for that matter, seem to lump migrants and refugees together. They are not the same and must be treated differently.
My non-European wife is not allowed to move with me back to Denmark even though she is a highly qualified specialist. Middle Eastern and North African countries are not the only ones with political repression so should Europe open the borders to i.e. all the ex-Soviet republics as well? Arriving by boat does not automatically justify refugee status.
177
Distinguishing "needs" from "wants,"complex, dynamic, human states and processes, is not easy. It is even more difficult when mixed with ideologies. Used and misused by influential individual and systemic stakeholders and their transparent and hidden agendas.."Refugee" and/or migrant" represent continua. Nuanced by whether each of US knows one of THEM, or not, in our daily,enabled,violating WE-THEY culture.Country.World. It is all too easy to fall into binary banality and semantic surrealism in situations and contexts, local to global that foster complacency. Complicity. Willful blindness of so many of ummenschlichkeit. In words and deeds. Which should not BE. Willful deafness of pained as well as exhausted muted voices. Ignorance about existing facts being harassed, daily, by agenda-based alt-facts. What are the temporary as well as more permanent implications and consequences of protecting oneself, our kin, and just selected OTHERS when our fear of being violated results into our becoming violators of targeted, created "the other?" As WE can and do dehumanize? Marginalize? Exclude? Discriminate against? As WE "thin"mutual trust? As WE abandon daily, interpersonal, civility and mutual respect? As we distance ourselves from mutual help, with and for those whom WE know, as well as with and for strangers,if and when needed? As WE practice Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, and endless other ethical paths for daily BEING. In all of their nuances and hues.In name only?
If I read the current Danish immigration laws correctly, i see no prohibition on your spouse moving back with you to Denmark although they would not be allowed to apply for citizenship for 4-6 years, be self supporting and learn Danish. This is a high bar but it hardly prevents your family from moving back to Denmark right now ceteris parabis.
2
Merkle’s invitation is a failed experiment with endless negative repercussions not only for Germany, but for the whole developed world ( most recently South Korea which saw 500 citizens of Yemen declare asylum on a South Korean island).
Meanwhile, Europe’s charitable and ”welcoming hearts”( I quote a previous Swedish Prime Minister) have seen clearly, thanks to the full colour reporting in all media, that the sheer numbers of available candidates to emigration from the many source countries in the developing world and in areas of conflict and war, refugee camps etc is an endless flow of needy humanity. We all need to be courageous and start talking about urgent population control. Decades of tax payers money has been given to developing countries in the form of development aid and loans, and none or very little of it has been spent on family planning; this is unsaistainable for our planet.
110
Has anyone considered that capitalism might be a Ponzi scheme? The ultra-rich don't have to work at all. They make all of their money through the labor of others. This continues down the "wealth pyramid" until the level of wealth is too low to support significant "investment" in capitalist financial instruments. These wealthy people remove themselves from the workforce and produce no value. More workers are required to grow the pyramid, where value is created. Cheap workers are best.
1
I note both left and right choose to ignore the underlying problem of rapid and unsustainable population growth in the countries exporting population. Unless that is dealt with, Europe will be inevitably swamped by people from countries that do not accept European value of tolerance, democracy, rights for women, gays, religious minorities etc.
147
Europe will be swamped with Russians?
2
Controlling population for any reason including global warming is not sexy on the agenda of any political party worth the name !