Today, a united Europe is no longer a dream.  It is a reality, and it grows stronger each year, even though the process of unification has been a very messy affair (and will continue to be a turbulent and sometimes comical process.).

Europe today has a larger economy, a larger population and a larger army than America.  It also has a very large defense and armaments industry.  If the world situation continues to go downhill, Europe could gain the political will to deploy a far larger military machine than America.  Indeed, due to changing technology, a major European rearmament campaign at the end of the decade could give Europe a decisive military edge over America, particularly in light of America's huge budget and trade deficits that will make it very hard for America to respond in kind.

AMERICA AND THE EUROPEAN UNION

Under President Bush, America's relations with Europe are at an all time low in history.  The post World War II "Atlantic Alliance" was held together by fear of Russia, a threat that no longer exists.  The American attack on Iraq in 2003 was and is strongly opposed by most Europeans.   America and Europe are also very much at odds over global environmental policies.   Trade tensions between America and the EU are also heating up.  

Looking at America and the EU, radical internal and cultural differences can be seen.  America is the only modern state that does not have a commitment to the ethic of national health insurance.  America's social problems are so serious that it has more people in poverty and in jail than the entire EU combined.   Equally serious is the growing disgust in Europe with the influence of  many "Christian" religious elements in American politics.  These groups are perceived by many Europeans as threatening the global environment by opposing responsible efforts at family planning, sex education, many aspects of the war on AIDS and  trying to stop needed medical research.  In Europe  campaigns by various American "religious" groups against gays, Muslims, Hindus and other minorities are seen as particularly offensive. In Europe it is not at all clear that these people need to be "saved".  The most popular American version of Christianity, the evangelical version of  Christianity born in England in the 18th century, has little support on the continent of Europe  What little support it ever did have is rapidly declining due to the previously mentioned actions of the "religious" right and their attachment of the name of their version of "Jesus" to political projects such as tax cuts for the rich and the invasion of Iraq. 

Today, the number one economic and military power in Europe is Germany.  Indeed, Germany's position of power is now in some ways more advantageous than ever before.  Russia is a pale shadow of its former self.  England has gone from being a world empire to a small island.  France is also no longer a world empire.

Germany's emerging power is hidden by the political legacy of World War II.  German politicians still play down any pretences of nationalism.  However, the Schroeder government has charted an independent foreign policy, particularly in relation to America, that is truly a decisive break with the German postwar past.

It is hard to follow some aspects the political debate in Germany because the country still has official censorship laws in place.  However, in the last ten years there has been a far more open environment.  Many books now appear discussing in great detail the previously heretical notion that America and England committed terrible wars crimes as well as the Nazis.  Specifically, these books argue that  the decision to use "area bombing", which as a matter of deliberate policy razed whole sections of German cities to the ground, was a war crime.  More books are now appearing relating the slaughter of millions of German civilians in the campaign of "ethnic cleansing" organized by the Poles and the Czechs to deport millions of Germans from their lands at the end of World War II.

The end result of such books and public discussions (regardless of their merit or lack of merit) is likely to weaken America's moral authority in the eyes of the German people.

We are not in a position to resolve debates such as these issues in German history.  However, we believe it is critical to know about them.  We have listed below a wide collection of German books and political organizations.  Some are from the far left.  Others are from the far right.

As we have always stated in our publications principles, the listing of  these groups does not in way imply an endorsement.  We are not a rating service.  Nor do we have the resources to determine which of these groups does or does not have real power in Germany. 

What you see here is what is available to the German people today.  Germany is going in new directions.  As the most powerful nation in Europe, it is important that people understand what is going on.

NOTE:  A BRIEF STATEMENT OF PUBLICATIONS PRINCIPLES

The World Future Fund serves as a source of documentary material, reading lists, and internet links from different points of view that we believe have historical significance.  The publication of this material is in no way whatsoever an endorsement of these viewpoints by the World Future Fund, unless explicitly stated by us.  As our web site makes very clear, we are totally opposed to ideas such as racism, religious intolerance, and communism.  However, in order to combat such evils, it is necessary to understand them by means of the study of key documentary material.  For a more detailed statement of our publications standards click here.

POLITICAL ORGANIZATIONS • ONLINE AND PRINT MEDIA OUTLETS • GERMAN VICTIMS IN WORLD WAR II

CENSORSHIP • BOOKS AND VIDEOS