It is alleged that the US has spied on her allies, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel. So much about friendship!
The fact is: spying allows the US to choose leaders of their choice, as scandals destroy leaders. That may be the real reason for spying.
The German Chancellor Angela Merkel expressed outrage at reports that the NSA, US government, may have monitored her mobile phone, according to Washington Post, 23 October 2013 3:14pm. Merkel said she "unequivocally disapproves of such practices and sees them as completely unacceptable."
The US press secretary said "The President assured the Chancellor that the United States is not monitoring and will not monitor the communications of Chancellor Merkel." They have chosen the tense carefully (past tense not included in the statement).
Merkel said spying on friends is "really not on".
Obama could have answered: "What are you afraid of, if you have nothing to hide?" Of course, his honest answer is: "if I don't spy on you, how can I be sure that you are still my friend?"
Merkel said "we need trust between allies and partners, and such trust needs to be restored".
Obama could have answered: "Some husbands and wives spy on their partners. Some parents spy on their children".
The real reason for spying on Merkel and other leaders may be the following: Scandals destroy leaders. By spying on leaders and potential leaders of its allies, US holds the means to choose the partners that they favour and destroy leaders that they don't.
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Related: Mass Surveillance in Secret - a Dangerous Act
