Locked Up

Akon - Locked Up
from a great sampler entitled In Prison - Afro-American Prison Music From Blues to HipHop

A Zeit article fleetingly mentioned the fact that the American base in Rammstein (or was it somewhere else? definitely somewhere in Germany anyway) has become the most important communication and commanding centre for the American military in regard to operations carried out in Eastern Europe, Central Asia and the Middle East. In a possible worst case scenario (Republicans defending their majorities in both the Senate and the House and another - Republican or not - President elected in 2008 who decides to act aggressively and unilaterally) I wonder what kind of implications this has on Germany's sovereignty.

I realize that this will not be an issue anytime in the near or foreseeable future, but let's face it, the presence of this command structure on German soil when the German public and its politicians do not support any of the policies carried out through this base is questioning Germany's grip on its own territory. Let's ignore for a minute the impossibility of offending the most powerful German ally and reflect on this only as a theoretical aspect of political thought. The completely sovereign nation Germany became again with reunification in 1990 does have total power over its territory. When one considers this I seriously wonder about Germany's sovereignty in regard to the fact that another nation is able to act counter to any political or popular will in Germany. I have not thought this through all that well, my day has been a little too challenging intellectually but I believe this is an interesting if disturbing train of thought.

This does not mean I would endorse an attempt to close these bases and forfeiting the contracts with the USA regarding these aspects (nor do I really know how these are phrased). I actually am of the opinion that the ramifications of any kind of act like this would be far more negative than any perceived positive impact could be. But that is Realpolitik and this post I consider to be more a political philosophy nature.