Reading the Oct. 24 Columbian online story, “Merkel: Restore trust after U.S. surveillance flap,” I formulated some speculations on the case of the U.S. authorities.
It is considerably questionable that the German Chancellor Angela Merkel asserts doubt in the loyalty of the United States. What is she after? She’s the one benefiting from this controversial issue. Her career is built from these arguments. To the people she represents, she needs to be the figure of action. She needs to be seen as if she’s doing something supporting her country. But she compromises Germany’s alliance without considering how Germany might suffer from it. Both sides benefit from each other’s alliances and breaking that would be a loss for both sides.
As I see it, all governments use surveillance as a source. By stating her accusations, Merkel basically says that Germany would never do such a thing. But you cannot make assumptions about someone else when you are doing the same. She has the right to question being violated and deprived of privacy but not to the point where it does harm to alliances and questions loyalty.
Milana Teplova
Vancouver
