That’s not quite literal and is a bit more sensational than the original, which seems to be a favourite among American politicians. For an amusing history of the saying, I refer you to quoteinvestigator.com.
Every now and then, political leaders let slip what they really think, rather than what they have been telling others. So Blinken, or Mr Rules-based International System, was speaking his mind, for once.
But, who decides on the guest list and what’s on the menu? I think we all know what Washington thinks about that.
US taking aim at allies who avoid choosing sides, observers say
US taking aim at allies who avoid choosing sides, observers say
It’s worth mentioning who was on stage with Blinken at the security forum. Sitting next to him was German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, who often sounds even more hawkish when it comes to Ukraine and China.
Germany’s response to the war in Ukraine has given a twist to our restaurant theory. It’s very rare for a diner to volunteer to be put on the menu. And yet, under Baerbock and Co, that’s exactly what Germany has done.
After the Ukrainians, the Germans have been the biggest losers in the war. That’s why support for Ukraine is evaporating among the populace. After all, it has severely damaged their export-driven economy, making it the worst-performing of the major European economies, worse than even stagnant Britain.
Inflation, a traumatic word in Germany, has yet to stabilise. The energy outlook is dire. Even as the threat of recession remains, the country’s leaders demand to take on China by reducing trade and threatening penalties, and step up military spending it can’t afford. Living standards are worse in more than a generation. Forget about support for German industry; that was long predicated on cheap energy from Russia. And yet, through it all, Baerbock and her Green coalition within a highly unpopular government is doubling down.
These are the same people who have been pathologically incurious about who blew up the Nord Stream pipeline, a key energy infrastructure.
Wang Yi raises Taiwan, trade and anti-Chinese ‘harassment’ in Antony Blinken talks
Wang Yi raises Taiwan, trade and anti-Chinese ‘harassment’ in Antony Blinken talks
All that reminds me of a rather gruesome case in the German town of Rotenburg where someone offered himself to be eaten alive in a personal ad, and Armin Meiwes, subsequently dubbed “the Rotenburg Cannibal’’, successfully applied for the job.
As an analogy, I think you can guess who’s who here with Germany and the US.
It said: “For most people in most countries – including some inside the EU itself – we have entered an à la carte world in which you can mix and match your partners on different issues, rather than signing up to a set menu of allegiance to one side or the other.”
On security, many still admit they depend on the US. But when it comes to trade, most prefer to expand, rather than restrict, business with China.
Blinken may be right; if you are not there to eat at a restaurant, you are being served up in a dish. But increasingly, diners invite themselves rather than waiting to be invited. Many have learned it’s especially dangerous if you are invited by the American host. As ordinary Germans have learned, you might end up on the menu.
