Politicians don’t operate in vacuums. Certainly good ones don’t. They operate in a world of cause and effect. The things they do and more importantly say are based to a large part of things that have happened before. And it is true that sometimes politicians make sweeping statements for a variety of reasons. But my first inclination whenever I hear a politician state something is to ask: what recent event could have driven that?

So when I read things like this: Angela Merkel declares death of German multiculturalism in The Guardian, I headed over to Der Speigel and did a search on recent events concerning Der Spiegel.  And what I see is this: Could State Election Spell End for Merkel? – SPIEGEL ONLINE.

As it turns out:

Angela Merkel’s Christian Democrats are facing abysmal poll numbers and could even lose control of one of their strongholds in a key state election next March. One conservative newspaper is speculating that, if that happens, Merkel could soon be on the way out.

And given that she made her speech in front of young, German conservatives, my first inclination here is that Merkel is making sweeping statements to shore up her vote and a) help win this key state election and b) stay in power herself.

Read the article in Der Spiegel, where the fire is. Ignore the smoke of failed multiculturalism.