As America continues to react to headlines regarding domestic issues, such as its moribund health system, and the fiction of hope that democracy could win the day in Iran, the greatest threat to the nation’s security remains largely ignored by a press grossly ignorant of history and the underlying trends that are shaping the global order of the future.

Recently, two documents have received publicity outside the United States, each from First World nations seeking drastic changes in foreign policy as a result of a perceived drastic loss of power by America.

We have read and digested the 140-page white paper produced by Australia’s Department of Defense. The whole strategic position of the Australian government projected forward to 2023 is based on two criteria. First, that Australia, described recently by Stratfor as “America’s most loyal ally,” will no longer automatically respond to an appeal by America for military support in theaters that the Australian government interprets as having no direct interest to its nation. Second, that Australia will no longer assume that the U.S. will come to its aid in times of crisis.

Though the language in the Australian document is diplomatic, the stance being taken by Australia is quite historic. It is the first time since World War ii that a cleavage has occurred in the U.S.-Australian alliance.

But the effect of the Australian defense white paper, though it will impact the Pacific region, will be far less profound than that of another document—of much more serious and crucial undertone.

Across the Atlantic, another nation is taking the current reality of global crisis very seriously. At least, its secret service is certainly giving that impression. Given its history, that is not good news to any peace-loving society. Germany’s secret service, the bnd (which records show was originally created after World War ii by British and American collusion in agreeing to the hire of numerous former SS officers from Hitler’s Nazi spy service), is gradually leaking a “secret” document that demands debate in Germany on preparing the nation to handle what the German spy service terms a “long-lasting global crisis” (German-Foreign-Policy.com, June 19; our translation throughout).

Similar to the Australian defense white paper, the bnd document is predicated on the perceived loss of American power. “The German foreign intelligence service is predicting massive shifts in global power structure and is demanding ‘a geostrategic debate in Germany.’ The collapse of Western economies … could accelerate dramatically the rise of China and the descent of the longtime principle ally of the Federal Republic, the United States, a confidential bnd study states” (ibid.).

The team at German-Foreign-Policy.com reported that “The secret document is currently being discussed in Berlin and has been incrementally released to the press in order to prepare the public for possible geopolitical upheavals.”

The timely leakage of this document coincides with a visit by Germany’s vice chancellor and foreign minister, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, to Ukraine in an effort to reach an adequate compromise in Russian/Ukraine relations over Russia’s threat to cut off gas supplies due to Ukraine’s inability to meet outstanding payments. If the Russian threat is carried out, Europe would be in for a midsummer cut in gas supply, its fourth cut in three years.

The reason we mention Steinmeier in the context of the bnd paper is his past official capacity as Germany’s spy czar, and his continuing direct involvement with Germany’s secret service in his present dual capacities as foreign minister and vice chancellor. It is in Steinmeier’s interests to create a sense of crisis in Germany in the run-up to Germany’s federal election due to take place in three months’ time. Of course, the idea is to create the impression that he is the best-qualified political leader to lead Germany amid this global crisis. That is the tack he has taken in his campaign strategy to gain the chancellorship in September.

On the other hand, Chancellor Merkel is running an election campaign geared to creating the very opposite impression—that she has the situation in Germany firmly under control and is confidently steering Germany’s ship of state through the troubled waters of global crisis.

It is interesting that the bnd paper acknowledges Russia as being crucial to the future of the global order. “A key question is whether binding Russia to the West will succeed, or whether Moscow will defect to the Chinese opponents, says the paper on the future global conflict configurations” (ibid.). In this context, it is Frank-Walter Steinmeier who maintains the most crucial relationships to influence Russia’s decision.

Steinmeier is a confidante of Gerhard Schröder, himself on very friendly terms with Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin. Schröder, who maintains a top post in Russian energy giant Gazprom, has recently added membership of the board of the oil giant TNK-BP, a joint venture between BP and its Russian partners, to his portfolio of senior executive responsibilities in Russia’s crucial energy industry. He is well-placed to influence the outcome of negotiations between Germany and Russia for guarantees of regular energy supplies to EU member nations.

Schröder, no real friend of Chancellor Merkel, may well prove to be the card up Steinmeier’s sleeve in swaying the electorate. Germans are now being prepared to expect on the one hand, via the bnd paper, great crisis on the world scene and, on the other, domestic disruption due to imminent energy shortages on the home front.

Steinmeier, although falling behind Merkel in recent poll ratings following the Merkel coalition’s gains in the European parliamentary elections, may yet appear as the knight in shining armor promising deliverance to Germany from perceived crises on both the domestic and international fronts.

Steinmeier is playing a risky game. At stake is more than just the future leadership of Germany. The political climate is growing ripe for the remaking of Europe into a far more lethally efficient, globally dominant regime than most world leaders can imagine—one that could have Russia in its back pocket as prime customer for that nation’s energy resources, crucial both to Russia’s economic stability, and to the empowerment of European industry.

The next 14 weeks will be most crucial to the outcome of the most important national election of the year, that of the very nation that is yet again the most dominant in Europe: Germany.

We shall be monitoring the progressive release of the “secret” bnd paper. We shall especially analyze its conclusions on what German-Foreign-Policy.com describes as references to “strongly escalating nationalism, and the most difficult international tensions,” to assess their significance in relation to rapidly unfolding Bible prophecies involving earthshaking changes to the current structure and global impact of the European Union.