EUROPE: "Germany's foreign policy: The Berlin stonewall; Has Germany replaced France as America's awkward ally?" The Economist, 1 November 2008.

You just knew this article was coming, with Sarkozy (Hungarian background) being so openly American and that Osterner Angela Merkel always clucking at us disapprovingly like some Marxist schoolmarm.

Now Germany can't hide behind France's anti-Americanism, meaning our policy clashes over Russia and Iran, two axis of diesel types whose fortunes clearly wane, will center on Berlin and not Paris.

The upside?

Germany is getting more comfortable sending troops abroad to actually do some fighting again. It's now up to #3 provider of troops in Afghanistan and it has small military missions in Lebanon, Sudan and Bosnia.