OCONNOKR@LEMOYNE (02/08/90)
I've been listening to all the talk about German reunification and there are a few points which strike me as interesting. 1) Kohl's proposal to join the marks of East and West is utterly preposterous given the state of East Germany's economy. I wonder how he came up with this proposal without any background--even the chairman of the Bundesbank called it ridiculous. 2) Why is is that people think that reunification is really going to happen. Right after the wall was breached the news media kept stating that reun- ification would occur and kept fanning the flames. However, people don't seem to realize that both governments have their own interests to protect-- not to mention that at least some East Germans are reticent about the pro- spect of reunification. Many many things need to be worked out before any type of reunification can take place. The news media seems to think that reunification is as easy as registering a car--this is a highly complex issue. 3) I take exception to any calls by anyone--USSR, US or any European countries "Voting" on reunification. This is not 1945, and we have to stop looking at any question regarding Germany with WWII glasses. The two Germanies are sovereign any we have no right to interfere in their affairs. A world vote is out of the question. Could you imagine what the Soviet response would be if the US called for a world vote on nationhood for the three Baltic states? Countries like France have to be kidding when they say they are worried about their security interests--this is 1990--wake up and smell the coffee. As Kohl stated, German Reunification is a German question, and no one elses--not anyones. Kieran OConnor OCONNOKR@LEMOYNE Syracuse, N.Y. I welcome any responses--either directly or through History@finhutc