Germany and the United States are Mercury and Mars. Germany is Mercury, the Roman god of commerce and the U.S., Mars, the god of war.
Germany has emerged over the past decade as the big winner in the West from globalization, the "Exportmeister" of the world in its class. It is the paradigm of a geoeconomic power, one that relies on its economic rather than its military power for its influence and which defines its national interest largely in economic terms.
Germany's world-class companies have a global reach and a global vision. Beyond the realm of pure politics, they are cornerstones in giving Germany shaping powers on the global stage.