Germany’s Failure of Vision
It is in Germany’s paramount interest to keep the eastern frontier of Europe as far east as possible. The United States is already overextended in the Middle East and in East Asia. If Germany is to deter Russia effectively, it must gain the continuing cooperation of Greece and other NATO allies, like the Baltic countries, that because of proximity are potentially in the line of fire. But instead of heeding Mr. Obama, Ms. Merkel chose the path of humiliation.
.. If Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras was considering backtracking from key campaign promises, it was only right for him to consult voters at this crucial turning point. To encourage sober deliberation, Ms. Merkel should have urged theEuropean Central Bank to keep Greek banks open during the run-up to the referendum. But the Eurocrats did the opposite, using brute force — choking off the flow of cash — to impress Greece’s vulnerability on its voters.
.. But Ms. Merkel instead gave the I.M.F. the silent treatment, allowing Syriza to convince Greeks that a “no” vote was the only way to break out of the austerity trap. They rejected Europe’s bullying.
.. she should encourage the I.M.F. to mediate the increasingly bitter dispute.
.. It represents Germany’s last, best hope for avoiding a catastrophic re-entry as the unquestioned power on the Continent. Preventing the consolidation of such power in a single country (and in a single leader) was one aim of the European Union’s architects.