Germany Awards 1st Military Medals For 'Bravery' Since World War II

The German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, has awarded military medals for bravery to 4 German soldiers that have served in Afghanistan, the first time Germany has awarded any bravery medals since World War 2. She has used the event to highlight the lack of dialogue about the country's soldiers' work abroad, within the German public, saying that it is down to the German collective conscience over World War II. But this is more likely due to the public not agreeing with the war in Afghanistan. And furthermore, this new 'bravery cross' is more likely a distraction, created by Merkel, to take the public debate away from the countries economic crisis, and it may backfire on her.

July.08.2009 - George Valentine Corr, Blatant News Editor
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THE AWARD & THE BUNDESWEHR
The award is called the 'bravery cross', and it is the 1st bravery medal which the German army - the Bundeswehr - has created for it's soldiers since World War II. Up to now the only medals the Germans gave out were for "loyal services" and "in appreciation of exemplary soldierly acquittal of duty". By law the Bundeswehr are forbidden to fight in any war of aggression, but the war in Afghanistan is being considered a peace-keeping mission so there are over 3,000 of Germany's soldiers fighting the Taliban as part of the US-led multi-national force. There are also another 4,000 on other 'peace-keeping' missions abroad too, so the country does not have huge numbers of soldiers circulating the planet like most of the other global powers. For example, these numbers pale in comparison to the 10's of thousands the UK has abroad and the 100's of thousands the US has. Apart from the obvious WWII reasons, there doesn't look like there is much appetite in Germany for it to begin to do so, but Merkel seems to feel differently.

THE LACK OF PUBLIC DIALOGUE
She believes that "there's too little discussion in Germany about the efforts, pressures and risks taken by the soldiers... [in Afghanistan]". A clear sign that she feels that this war is legitimate, and that there is a chance that the public might get behind it. She is actually being quite brave to put it to the public, sections of which are violently opposed to it, but I think she is way off the mark there. It is much more likely that we are in a different age, and that this is a time where most average Europeans disagree with the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and believe that they were started for the wrong reasons. It's hard to find the bravery in that, and this is why the public are not treating their Afghan-fighting soldiers like heroes. Like most European countries, this war on terror has polarised the population of Germany.

THE ACTS OF BRAVERY
You cannot take anything away from a singular human being who has been duped into believing that he/she is on a mission to save a great many people, and especially if he/she is willing to put their lives on the line for those people, whom they do not even know personally. But at this point in time we are all aware of the frailties in the reasoning for this war and it is hard to celebrate anything for these four guys, who will now inevitably be thrust into the media spotlight in their home country. The four soldiers were given the medals for "exceptional bravery" during an attack which reportedly killed five Afghan children and two German soldiers. They are said to have risked their lives to save two of their comrades during the attack, but does the German public care? It's hard to gauge, but the interest is limited, so Merkel's plan may have backfired.

THE REASON FOR THE AWARD & THE TIMING OF IT'S CREATION
I believe she was just trying to take the emphasis off her burgeoning political pressure, due to her imperfect handling of the economic crisis, and the opposition party's are also saying this too. She wants to start a reckless debate and doesn't mind taking a bit of flak in the process, if it takes the growing public/media pressure off her back. The thing is she need not have done it, as her Christian Democrat Union (CDU) party appears to be streets ahead of their main opposition, the Social Democrats, who suffered their lowest ever results in the recent EU parliament elections, just 21% to the CDU's 38%. With these actions Merkel may have also ignited an international problem too, as many people, and in particular Jewish people from all over the world, will be unhappy that the medal resembles the Iron Cross, made famous by the Nazi's during World War II. This was un-necessary as they already use the Iron Cross as the army's emblem. Germany is famous in some areas of design, couldn't their talented designers come up with something completely new? To mark a completely new time? I bet most of them would say the same too.

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