The Invisible War Between Germany And Russia
It looks like some people in Berlin dream about rebuilding the Almighty Germany. Some blogs in Athens today are even saying that the real reasons behind the proposal for the haircut on Cyprus deposits is an invisible world war, in which Germany wants to hold the reins (on all European banks) and put an end to tax havens for Russian investors (like Cyprus), that give Moscow a geo-strategic advantage in the region.
The "hidden" message that Berlin wants to get across is that Germany is the only safe destination for depositors and the only safe environment for investment, so that it can portray itself as a powerful global player. Even more so than Russia. (Which is kind of ridiculous because the only BIG players globally are the US, China and Russia).
The war which we are all witnessing over the last few days has two sides to it. One side involves Merkel and Russian President V.Putin. And the other side involves interests which are based across the Atlantic and who are rubbing their hands with glee at a possible destabilization (of the Eurozone) that will once again make them into the super power that they long to be.
Earlier on Tuesday Steve Keem, a professor of Economics and Finance at the University of Western Sydney told CNBC that Russia could avenge the loss of billions it has invested and deposited on Cyprus (if the vote was not averted) by cutting Germany's energy supply!
He said that the Kremlin could retaliate against the perceived proxy attack on its citizens, and their money.
"If you try to target the Russians, and there's President Putin acting under the image of the 'strong man' of Russia, why would he not then decide to shut down gas supplies to Germany until that was righted? If you're going to attack money laundering then attack it directly, don't make Cypriot peasants and small businessmen collateral in your campaign against Russian oligarchs. Declare the campaign rather than doing it under the carpet like this too." CNBCHe said that Moscow has been willing to play that card before, alluding to when Russia's largest state-owned gas and oil supplier Gazprom reduced gas supplies to Europe in 2009 during a dispute with an Ukraine.
He is right, with 36 percent of Europe relying on Russia for its gas supply, the threat or act of limiting supplies gives Moscow a powerful card to play should it wish to push home a political point against Germany.
So you don't really need to be a rocket scientist to realize that Germany was not in the right pushing for this decision. This type of arrogance -from nations more powerful than ours- worries us because it is always connected with self-destruction and was the root of both world wars.
In Athens things are bleak, because it is now obligating the Greek government to choose sides. Let us not forget that thanks to GEORGE PAPANDREOU Greece is attached to one side of this war.
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