An Honorable Servant has Served an Era

A leader with grace, heart, earned accomplishments,  commanding presence with principle, unparalleled competence — “Kasi”

Hamburg-born daughter of a preacher and a teacher, her childhood nickname “Kasi,” Angela Dorothea Merkel’s (née Kasner) political career extends from the eve of German unification, through unification, and on —into the Chancellorship of Germany, outstanding leadership of a party and a Continent.

On March 26, 2014, Chancellor “Merkel became the longest-serving incumbent head of government in the European Union.” In the 2017 election, “she led her party to victory for the fourth time” (currently the “senior G7 leader”).

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erman Chancellor (2005 - ) Merkel “has been widely described as the ‘de facto leader of the European Union,’ ‘the most powerful woman in the world,’ and ‘the leader of the Free World.’” In 2007, she was President of the European Council. In October 2018, she announced her intention not to seek reelection as leader of her party.

Angela Merkel completes her term as German Chancellor in 2021.

Along the way she has picked up scores of awards, honors and honorary degrees. She holds earned degrees from the German Academy of Sciences-Berlin (Ph.D.) and Leipzig University. Dr. Merkel is multi-lingual (fluent in Russian), proficient in Mathematics and physics.

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nexplicably, the current U.S. president has taken every opportunity to rebuff wisdom and schooling when offered, even if ever so gently. And he has managed to insult numerous national leaders including Chancellor Merkel.

The U.S. will fall on its entrenched, arrogant incompetence. One of the latest illustrations is this:

U.S. President Donald Trump, who rose to the U.S. presidency, from a pack of variously unfit contenders, with absolutely no diplomatic or foreign relations credentials or experience has nominated another incompetent—a TV personality (not unlike him but no doubt with fewer $ holdings) to replace the previous personality with an accounting degree and no qualifications for international relations work—to represent the United States at the United Nations.

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howing off her ignorance and ineptitude

• April 2018, the nominee “voiced support for Saudi Arabian-led (U.S. aided) intervention in Yemen, reportedly condemning “‘Iran’s malign influence’ in Yemen.”

• May 2018, the nominee responded to “the Gaza border protests” by saying “‘We oppose actions against Israel at the International Criminal Court (…) because it does not help the cause for peace.’”

• July 2018, the nominee “noted that the anniversary of the Invasion of Normandy and the long U.S. relationship since the Marshall Plan provided evidence of a strong ties between the United States and Germany.’”

NOTE

Normandy is located on the northern coast of France where on June 6, 1944, “Western Allies of World War II launched the largest amphibious invasion in history.”

NOTE

A four-year post-war U.S. initiative to aid Western Europe in rebuilding their economies, the “Marshall Plan” or “European Recovery Program” (ERP), begun April 3, 1948 handed out the greater share to Britain (26 percent of the $12 billion), then to France (18 percent), and then West Germany (11 percent).

In the same news period that Chancellor Merkel passes her party leadership baton (December 7, 2018), President Trump announces he is nominating Heather Nauert to be U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, filling the spot left vacant by Nikki Haley. Nauert, “a former TV star,” has “limited” (read ZERO) “diplomatic experience.”

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he world is in serious trouble, in large part because of U.S. policies and actions; and a U.S. President proposes sending a TV personality to represent the United States in a world body. If the members of the U.S. Senate and House want to better serve the United States and the world, they will reject this one. But very likely they will not. And so goes the decline and fall of United States of America.

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eturn briefly to some words of a Chancellor with unparalleled Grace

“I wasn’t born chancellor or party chair. I always wanted to bear my offices with dignity and to give them up with dignity.”

Facing a “humanitarian catastrophe” and reflecting on her response to floods of migrants fleeing conflict and war, she asks, “How could it have been different?” We are, after all, “family.”

The turn of an era, a new chapter begins. For her, she said, it has been “an honor” to serve.

Neither the leadership nor the country of Angela Dorothea Merkel (née Kasner) is in decline or defeat. The same cannot be said for the land that I love.

Sources

DW Germany “Chancellor Angela Merkel and her quiet rise to power” “When Angela Merkel became Germany's first female chancellor in 2005, many saw this as proof that it is not always a disadvantage to be underestimated by inner-party rivals. DW looks back at the beginnings.” December 7, 2018 https://www.dw.com/en/chancellor-angela-merkel-and-her-quiet-rise-to-power/a-1600411

DW Germany “Angela Merkel takes her leave as conservative party head” “In her final speech as party chair at the CDU conference in Hamburg, Angela Merkel stressed togetherness and subtly endorsed a potential successor. The race to replace her has gone to a second-round runoff vote.” December 7, 2018 https://www.dw.com/en/angela-merkel-takes-her-leave-as-conservative-party-head/a-46628365

DW News “Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer voted successor to Angela Merkel as head of Christian Democrats” “The moderate pragmatist with the double-barreled name beat out Merkel critic Friedrich Merz in a second-round runoff to take over from the chancellor as party leader. For Merkel herself, it was a late-career victory” December 7, 2017 https://www.dw.com/en/annegret-kramp-karrenbauer-voted-successor-to-angela-merkel-as-head-of-christian-democrats/a-46631501

PressTV “Christian Democratic Union votes in new leader, replaces Merkel” “Germany’s Christian Democratic Union party (CDU) has elected Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer as party leader, ending Chancellor Angela Merkel’s 18 years of leadership. Following a two-round vote cast by 999 delegates at a party congress in the German city of Hamburg on Friday, Karrenbauer, 56, ultimately won 517 votes, defeating millionaire corporate lawyer Friedrich Merz, 63, who gained 482 favorable ballots.” December 7, 2018 https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2018/12/07/582285/New-CDU-Leader-Elected

Wikipedia

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angela_Merkel

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heather_Nauert

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marshall_Plan

RT News “Trump nominates ex-TV host Nauert with limited political experience to be next UN envoy. Trump announced Nauert’s nomination on Friday. Currently a spokeswoman for the Department of State, Nauert will replace Haley when she steps down at the end of the year. President Trump is nominating State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert to be US ambassador to the United Nations, filling the spot left vacant by Nikki Haley. Nauert has limited diplomatic experience, but is a former TV star.”

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