When somebody calls you out for butting into their business, it’s usually warranted. Typically if we want advice, we ask for it, right? I’m not saying who’s right or wrong in this case, but all I know is that Germany’s finance minister essentially told President Obama to MYOB–mind your own business–when Obama dished out some advice for Germany to start cracking down on getting a handle on their debt crisis. You could argue that it is a bit of the pot calling the kettle black, since the finance minister is right that the U.S. certainly does have its own financial issues to tackle. But I’m also sensing some definitively defensive behavior from the German finance minister. Read the article from the Associate Press for his reaction:
“Germany’s finance minister is rejecting U.S. President Barack Obama’s calls on Europe to move faster in fighting its debt crisis, telling him to get the American deficit under control instead.
Wolfgang Schaeuble told public broadcaster ZDF in an interview late Sunday that, “People are always very quick at giving others advice.”
He says: “Mr. Obama should first of all take care of reducing the American deficit, which is higher than in the eurozone.”
Obama and other leaders fear an escalating crisis in Europe could drag down the world economy.”
Click here to read more about Schaeuble’s reaction and why Obama came forward in the first place.
All I have to say is this is not the time to squabble. Everyone seems to be in a financial mess these days, and it’s seeping to countries all over the world. We need to remain friends with our allies and not embarrass or insult them–even if it was through a seemingly harmless piece of advice. It’s a sensitive time, and we need to band together to weather the storm. C’mon, guys, can’t we all just get along?
