Berlin and Merkel Will Survive This Attack, Too

Nationalist politicians everywhere think they know exactly what happened on Monday night in Berlin, where a heavy truck plowed into a Christmas market, killing 12 and injuring 50. The police and prosecutor's office, by contrast, don't pretend to know -- a fact that makes me proud to be living in Germany.

Many have immediately jumped to the conclusions that best serve their interests. Dutch Freedom Party leader Geert Wilders, a surprisingly strong contender in his country's upcoming election, tweeted a picture of German Chancellor Angela Merkel spattered in blood and accused her -- along with Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte and other centrist leaders -- of "letting in Islamic terror" with their open border policies. French nationalist leader Marine Le Pen asked "how many massacres and deaths" it will take to get governments to close borders. Austrian nationalist leader Heinz-Christian Strache called for "a common approach against the radical threads of Islam." "The civilized world must change thinking!" tweeted U.S. President-elect Donald Trump. His British friend Nigel Farage predicted that "events like these will be the Merkel legacy."