Germany's President Joachim Gauck has stated that he will boykott the Olympic Winter Games in Sochi to protest Russia's deplorable human rights abuses. Meanwhile, Angela Merkel has signaled her support of the protestors in Kiev who are against the alignment of the Ukraine with Russia. All this Russia-bashing is too much for Spiegel columnist Jakob Augstein:
Oft muss sich die Bundesrepublik wegen ihrer läppischen Außenpolitik schelten lassen. Syrien, Nahost, Libyen: "Wo ist Deutschland?", möchte man da in Erinnerung an eine denkwürdige Sportübertragung rufen. Aber wenn es um Russland geht, dann ist Deutschland kaum zu überholen. Im Vergleich zur gewohnten Gelassenheit wirkt die deutsche Außenpolitik gegenüber dem russischen Großreich derzeit geradezu aggressiv. Gaucks Olympia-Boykott ist ein diplomatischer Affront. Und Merkels offene Unterstützung für Klitschko ist eine Einmischung in die inneren Angelegenheiten eines souveränen Staates.
(The Federal Repubiic is often chastised for its weak foreign policy. Syria, Mideast, Libya – one is tempted to shout "Where is Germany ?", echoing a a well-known sports broadcast. But with respect to Russia, nobody beats Germany. In contrast to the usual moderate approach the foreign policy of Germany with respect to Russia is downright aggressive. Gauck Olympia boycott is a dipolmatic insult. And Merkel's open support for Klichko is interference in the internal affairs. of a sovereign state.")
For Augstein, the Federal Republic is going after the wrong nation. The true enemy of Germany is the United States:
Gauck kann sich gar nicht vorstellen, dass die viel größere Bedrohung unserer Lebensweise heute aus dem Westen kommt. Merkel könnte es sich vielleicht vorstellen, will aber nicht.
(Gauck is incapable of understanding the much greater threat to our way of life comes from the west today. Merkel could perhaps understand, but choses not to.")
And in Augstein's magazine Der Freitag Gauck is also harshly criticized for his anti-Putin attitude. After all, Putin and Russia have a right to pursue their own interests, even if these collide with western values:
Genau genommen wird diesen Staaten das Recht bestritten, Interessen zu haben und diese offensiv vertreten zu dürfen. Oder Traditionen und Wertesystemen zu folgen, die nicht mit westlichen Mustern – oder was dafür gehalten wird – gleichen wie ein Kuckucksei dem anderen.
(To be precise, these states are being denied the right to have their own itnerests and to pursue these aggressively. Or to pursue their own traditions and value system that doesn't conform to western standards – or what is considered as such – like one cuckoo egg after another.)
By "own traditions and value system" I assume the writer is referring to the brutal repression of gays and lesbians in Russia, the detention of political opponents, the destruction of the free press (including the murder of investigative reporters).
On the very day Augstein's column was published, Putin dissolved the respected news wire service RIA Novosti, and replaced it with a pro-Putin propaganda outlet. I am still waiting for Augstein to condemn this latest attack on a free press in Russia.
