Where is the anger?
Berlin: On my way out of Berlin I drove past the Victory Column beside the Tiergarten. The election was over but some large posters of Angela Merkel remained.
Some of the posters had been defaced. It wasn't clever or witty graffiti, just some red lines scrawled over Merkel's face. The slash of a pen. I had seen a few other posters in the former East Germany where the Chancellor had been given a moustache, but they were rare. And then it struck me. Where, in the midst of the worst recession since World War II, was the anger?
Back in January I had gone to Paris for a union demonstration. It was colourful, good-natured but ended with the almost ritual confrontation with the riot police, the CRS. The whiff of tear gas drifted down the boulevards. At the time commentators were predicting weeks of rage on the streets of Europe. The cobblestones, however, have largely stayed in place. 
Across Europe the generation leaving universities and high schools are facing long periods without jobs. And yet, certainly during the recent campaign in Germany, their frustration was missing.
One would have imagined, certainly in the past, that this would have been perfect time for the socialist and centre-left parties. People have been questioning the future of capitalism. The international financial system was reeling. Stories of greed filled the papers. And, yet, so far, the voters have not turned to the left.They did not at the European elections, and in Germany the Social Democrats (SPD) have just posted their worst result in 60 years.
The centre-left has failed to find a script to address the recession. Many of their clothes have been stolen by the centre-right. It was Merkel and Sarkozy who led the charge against the excesses of the "Anglo-Saxon" model of capitalism. Angela Merkel went to the recent G20 summit determined to cap the bankers' bonuses. Furthermore, the right seems to have accepted the "active state". In Germany, Merkel agreed to subsidise workers to keep them in jobs. She was willing to plough in $6.5bn to keep the Opel factories open.
And elsewhere, too, the centre-right has moved into territory that formerly belonged to its opponents. In Britain, David Cameron positioned himself as a "green" leader, concerned with climate change. The National Health Service, he insisted, was safe with him.
While in Germany I discussed some of this with a political analyst. She said the centre-left stands for pumping money into the public sector, but everyone now knows the biggest challenge is how to cut the deficits, in other words, to cut public spending. New jobs are most likely to be created, in the near future, in the private sector.
Furthermore, the centre-left cannot depend on traditional loyalties. Voters who regard themselves as independent are increasing. Ties with the only working class have weakened. The centre-left has been uncomfortable addressing the problem of job cuts while significant immigration from outside the European Union continues.
Some are talking of the end of socialism and its centre-left allies. It certainly is struggling to find a message. It may, however, be premature to write off the left. Politics often goes in cycles, and parties often rebound because of the failings of their opponents.
I'm 
© MMIX~RS~q~RS~~RS~z~RS~42~RS~)
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Good Morning Gavin
You have to remember that in European countries in general we have a different attitude to national governments than is the case in the U.K. or the U.S.A. We have no great expectations and tend to be pleased when they do something right rather than blame them when things go wrong.
The United States Government is held responsible for the American financial crisis and for the knock on effect on Europe and the rest of the world, rightly in my opinion.
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For years the Centre Left have promised a government with more social conscience and none of the Commie drawbacks. They have shown they cannot deliver on the first properly and the economic incompetence is a Red as ever. So their supporters have gone home to the Centre Right or to the Far Left. It is good to see a rise in the number of non-tribal independents.
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I live in Germany and unfortunately this is quite a poorly-researched piece.
The SPD once again suffered heavy losses, there's no disputing that. However, this party long since ceased to have anything to do with the left: in their 11 years in coalition government they unleashed a massive attack on the unemployed known as Hartz IV, rejected a minimum wage and introduce the "one Euro job". If you reject one of these jobs while unemployed you lose all benefits, even if you are 60 and settled and the job is 500 miles away. This is not "red incompetence", it's the hallmark of a neo-liberal party that has lost touch with its roots.
These policies have angered a lot of their voters and millions have migrated to the Greens and Left Party, both of which achieved their best ever results. In the case of the Left, 12% is a result unprecedented in Germany for a party to the left of the social democrats, and undermines your point that the left is in decline. Believe me, I haven't read or seen a single article to do with this election discussing the "end of socialism", in fact this party has brought it right onto the agenda.
The FDP have attracted the bulk of it's votes from Merkel's CDU (which suffered its worst ever result), while the SPD vote simply collapsed and the increase in the Left and the Greens' vote was not enough to make up the difference. Now we could have a real Thatcherite government to contend with which is already talking about cutting dismissal protection. There are some interesting times ahead.
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I think most students in further education probably realise courtesy of a web full of information that a good job and food on the table is not a god given right.
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The German "social market" economic model has been shown to work much better than the US or British economies with their wide differences between the haves and the have nots and gross overdependence on financial manipulations. The support the unemployed receive in Germany is much better than elsewhere and in today's Internet age people are aware of just how bad it is in other countries. Germans traditionally save a lot for the "rainy day" unlike their American and UK counterparts... As to the French, the disruptive strikes season is always in the Sring to Autumn period when the weather is pleasantly warm.
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While I largely agree with your analysis, one additional factor you forget to mention is the extraordinary level of infighting in most European centre-left parties these days, the UK, France and Italy being particularly egregious examples.
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Another couple of points I missed:
The major thing that was simply brushed aside in this article is the fact that the social democrats have been in government for 11 years! And while they were there they deregulated the financial market, so they were never going to become the main focus of opposition during the recession. That role was taken on by the smaller parties, which have been growing in stature in every election since 1990.
The rise of the Left party has also led to the SPD's rhetoric taking on a more left-wing tone, unfortunately this flies in the face of the reality and the voters knew it.
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mikewarsaw, unemployment benefits were slashed heavily by the SPD and the gap between rich and poor is rising... Germany is the only country in Europe where wages have fallen in real terms over the last 20 years. Sadly the "social market economy" is nothing more than a soundbite nowadays.
Kermit, I believe that "infighting" is a sign of a healthy democracy and freedom of speech, a party should be a hive of discussion and debate, sometimes heated. The SPD's problem is that too many towed the party line.
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no to lisbon
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Indeed, as you state Gavin, parties in power are often cyclical.
Perhaps that is all us regular folk can hope for - a semblance of democracy where periodically we chuck the ruling lot out en masse and feel like we've made a difference.
Except for the 'lunatic fringe' on either end of the spectrum we do see jostling amongst the left/right centrists where what might have been thougth of as traditionally a left/right cause has been taken up by the other side (stealing their clothes as you put it). This would, in my opinion, perhaps be one reason why many are now calling themselves independent as they have become disillusioned with their traditional party.
Ironically, in America many consider themselves independent yet only vote for one party (perhaps this is a way to shield/protect oneself in some way?).
Anywho, as far as your headline "where's the anger" including the photo of those two sour looking German chaps was perfect.
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You want to know where the anger is? Right here in the good old USA.
"The support the unemployed receive in Germany is much better than elsewhere"
Perhaps if America hadn't spent trillions of dollars defending Germany from the USSR for fifty years we'd have better support for the unemployed too.
"Germans traditionally save a lot for the "rainy day" unlike their American and UK counterparts...'
Good because if it were up to me, the US would pull out of Europe, out of NATO, break off relations with its so called allies who stab it in the back every time it turns around and enact a trade embargo against them. When are Germans going to start fighting to protect their own freedom from say the terrorists who are trying to take over Afghanistan and re-establish a safe haven for al Qaeda? We couldn't even count on Germany not to vote against a resolution in the Security Council warning Iraq to comply with the UN inspectors demands or face military action after a dozen years of Iraq's violations of the cease fire with utter impunity.
Germany stinks. The US never should have gotten involved in Europe ever just as President Washington warned America not to. It was the worst mistake America ever made and we have paid dearly for it. Is that anger enough for you?
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Having lived recently in Germany for several years, I would have to say that their work / life / social benefits balance can only be admired elsewhere.
Presumably, such a system is afforded because of certain priorities that the country, and its people have. Unlike America, where the military-industrial complex has become a massive burden on the country's coffers, Germany, as with other central EU countries, has chosen to spend cash on social systems, the green industry and virtually free uni education for everyone. Including foreigners. Perhaps Marcus Aurelius can be sent to university in Germany to learn something about the Continent he so despises. Do you think the US would ever offer free uni to its own people, and never mind foreigners? That would be a cold day in New Orleans.
MAII, you have become rather repetitive. The vitriol is boring and your statements false. Europe is a progressive and advanced place, and the differences between the rich and the poor are not nearly as blatant as in your beloved country. People are happier in Europe.
Your recurring comments about the US having "spent" trillions protecting Europe....Well, if that is, indeed, the exact figure, it should be noted that it was "spent" on American weapons, so the money went straight from your taxes to several big companies. And secondly, the US help in Europe after the war was not free. They were loans. At interest. The UK, for example, was paying this until recently.
Germany stinks? Sure. It stinks if you dislike marzipan, beer, sausages, mulled wine, tended gardens, and over-zealous use of manure in the apple orchards. It does not, however, stink as much of greed, money, fast food, and military-grade jet fuel as your slowly crumbling empire.
I love NYC, by the way.
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"Perhaps Marcus Aurelius can be sent to university in Germany to learn something about the Continent he so despises."
I did. I went to the University of Bordeaux for nearly two years and learned quite a bit about Germany. In the spring of 1973 at a trade show at Le Lac in Bordeaux at a German Rathskeller, our group was denied service because there were Jews among us. Lesson, anti-semitism is still very much alive and well in Europe including in Germany. Stinks!
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I want to know from Germans how many years, decades, centuries do you think it will be before someone whose ancestry is from Turkey becomes Chancellor of Germany? From the French, how long before a Moslem of North African decent becomes President? From Brits, how long before someone of Pakistani decent becomes Prime Minister? Unthinkable?
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Marcus, simply because we spent a lot of dough with our presence in europe doesn't preclude having a better social welfare system here. We've just had our priorities screwed up and that has nothing to do with the Germans or the Russians, or NATO or weisswurst.
The good German people did not stab us in the back. Admittedly, Schroeder played the anti-war sentiment masterfully, opposed the war vociferously and won relection. That's politics, baby. The US plays hard ball all the time and we shouldn't hate those who draw from the same playbook.
To imply that Afghanistan is the only front against terrorism fundamentally misunderstands its nature. By design they are dispersed, oftentimes integrated in the country they attack, and don't need to spend time camping in the middle of nowhere to learn how to hate and kill. Indeed, one of the 9/11 guys took (or applied to take) flight training courses in Minneapolis. The only flying he'd have learned in Afghanistan is how to fly a kite.
Keep contributing to a positive debate! Embrace the love of being a member of the global community and keep your dancing shoes handy because this party is global, baby! We are human first and nation-state-dwellers second (or last)!
Disco
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DiscoNected
Schroeder played the anti-American card well before the invasion. So long before in fact that Chirac seeing how well it worked did the same in France also long before the invasion. And it would not have worked in Germany if the vast popular sentiment wasn't actually against the US. This was at a time when they supposedly felt sorry for us about 9-11. The only thing they felt sorry about was that we weren't nuked. Stinks. Should have let the Russians have them. They would have been their problem instead.
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Over the last few weeks, I have become increasingly distressed, distraught and incomprehensual at the amount of server space creaking under the weight of the ramblings and ravings emanating from MA2.
Then I suddenly thought: Hey, MA2's posts, just like everybody else's, have a "complain about this comment" button. Why don't I click it? What fun it would be to see MA2's name above a post reading "This comment has been referred to the moderators. Explain." or "This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the House Rules"!
But then I thought: Hang about, there seems to be a côterie of habitués on the blog who seriously appear to enjoy reading MA2's droppings, even enjoy engaging in the Sisyphean task of correcting his vapourings and explaining to him the error of his ways, not least among them the otherwise much-respected squirrellist. So maybe it would be selfish of me to deny them their pleasure.
But maybe they can explain to me where the pleasure is in it?
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As this blog contains personal detail please act sensibly. This is background information, better not to be posted as I already fear for my family and my own safety. My experiences don't reflect or represent the majority of the German people. My grandmother had been married to a member of the Szinti community (mixed, Marano, other ...)in the mid 30s. It is easy for me to access and assemble information not normally communicated to authorities or written down at all.
Between 2004 and 2007 probing into changes within the child protection system in Germany carried out for Cardiff University raised my awareness on issues beneath superficial images.
First, a friend told me about another 'friend', a member of the criminal police who suggested it would be wise if I didn't carry on with my research project. Following discussion with my mentors a face saving partial version of the original project was drawn to completion in 2008.
German regional and central mortality and morbidity statistics showed marked differences regarding the under 5s. Initially accessible studies disappeared from the net. Concerns also covered potential recruitment of vulnerable people into studies sponsored by central and regional governments and perhaps the pharmaceutical industry.
Recently new legislation has been passed to limit exploitation of children.
Has quiet anger turned against the weakest members of society?
Observations within the voluntary sector seem to suggest that there is reason to voice concerns. Two examples :
A recent, rather frightening encounter occurred during a fundraising event for charity when a participant casually joked about killer games and child pornography at Lebach. (The charity has been informed, I left the fund raising group. I'll avoid travelling to Lebach).
In Aug/Sep 2009 another former member of the armed forces who never parted from my side offered to discard books and documents from the 30s and 40s for 'research' purposes at the fair trade shop Zweibruecken. She promoted herbal remedies, distributed anonymously through a Winnenden and Congo based company. Benin was mentioned. I declined to be tempted. Threats turned sour. (Another more trusted member of the armed forces knows, also police, youth services, lawyers, doctors and the municipal crime prevention team. My voluntary and fundraising activities have ceased)
So what about anger? Where lies the story?
Saarbruecken - Pascal, a young child disappeared. Evidence was contaminated. Pascal's parents died during trial, one from a brain haemorrhage, the other following an assault.
Lebach - Weapons disappeared from an army base.
Zweibruecken - A taxidriver was hijacked by masked, armed men.
Zweibruecken - Soldiers weren't sent out to Congo following an investigation into an incident of abuse.
Zweibruecken - Deaths of locally based soldiers in Afghanistan
Zweibruecken - This year there have been three potential arson attacks, one in a former unit where asylum seekers had previously been placed.
Borders between Germany and France are controlled tightly.
This blog aims to let others take over in the attempt to understand the reality of a complex society, not given to words, beyond instant comprehension at times.
An uneasy, eerie feeling remains, hidden, colourful fear rather than open anger.
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diatom; it is a well known tactic in debating that when you are losing hopelessly because you cannot in any way effectively attack your opponent's arguments, in this case Europe being undefendable, then attack your opponent. I don't mind you attacking me at all. I take it as a sure sign that you have surrendered. However, I don't choose to accept. Let the games continue.
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20. MAurelII :
Aha! I think I hear a THIRD voice! So much for those who think MAurelII is actually 2 people!
I'm trying my hardest to ignore all three of you and, inshallah, I'll do it, so help me!
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Hmmm, the definition of "prude "(one of them) is "obsessed with sex."
Perhaps the word "offend"..here means "obsessed with MAII."
Just quit reading his posts, Dictactylid. You might feel better:)
Then we can read YOUR opinions. Wouldn't that be nice!
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For, instance, writers here seem to have learned in school that... "it is widely known that the UK and the USA are the worst of the worst."
Europe good, USA and UK bad, but why bother trying to "reeducate" them-- or give them alternative views, when the older people get, the more Intractable they become.
If it makes them feel better to believe that,,,then how nice for them:)
So, the more they are challenged, the more angry they become...I could be talking about anyone, too.
Peace to you.
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MA2@14:
"I went to the University of Bordeaux for nearly two years and learned quite a bit about Germany. In the spring of 1973 at a trade show at Le Lac in Bordeaux at a German Rathskeller, our group was denied service because there were Jews among us. Lesson, anti-semitism is still very much alive and well in Europe including in Germany."
1973? That's funny. There are on record very unsavoury antisemitic comments by the President of the United States at the time, one Richard Nixon. (Please don't ask me for direct quotes, though. Apparently the moderators don't like such language.)
Of course, Mr. Nixon, patron saint of the modern American right, said even less complimentary things about black people. And you can check out yourself what he considered that should be done if a white woman (like the current POTUS' mother) was impregnated by a black man (like the current POTUS' father).
Should I conclude that "anti-semitism and other forms of racism are still alive and well in the US"? Or rather that you can find racists pretty much anywhere, sometimes in positions of power, and sometimes as lowly "Kellermeisters"? Tarring a whole nation, never mind a continent, with such a broad brush on the basis of a mere personal anecdote smacks of the same kind of prejudice which you prefer to see in others.
And, BTW, 1973? Seriously? I'd already the impression that your much-vaunted European experience was out of date, but no wonder if it dates back to 1973. That's 36 years, more than one generation ago. For comparison, consider where Europe was 36 years *before* 1973.
1973 wasn't a kind year for Europe: it was, after all, the year of the first oil shock, which hit Western Europe disproportionately hard. I can imagine that you have some bad memories of the time. Still, to have nurtured that resentment with such a burning flame of passion for so long isn't very reasonable. I doubt that somebody who was teleported from 1973 to today would be able to recognise Europe.
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Diatom;
"I'm trying my hardest to ignore all three of you"
Your immediate response to my posting proves you are failing at that too. You are consistent. So far your track record for failure is 100%
Calvados;
"There are on record very unsavoury antisemitic comments by the President of the United States at the time, one Richard Nixon."
Maybe true but at least two facts stand out. His right hand man who was the defacto President of the United States of foreign affairs was a Jew, Henry Kissinger. And when push came to shove, he backed Israel when it was losing the Yom Kippur war in 1973. He not only suddenly sent vast supplies of weapons and other material for them to fight back and win that war, he put the entire armed forces of the United States on worldwide thermonuclear war alert. I think the US went to Defcon 3 or maybe even Defcon 4. Defcon 5 is a go for launch. The world was within a hair's breath of the extinction of the human race, about as close as it came over Cuba. In France people were so frightened they....let's just say the laundromats were working overtime the next day. What people actually do is what has meaning, not what they say.
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"I did. I went to the University of Bordeaux for nearly two years and learned quite a bit about Germany. In the spring of 1973 at a trade show at Le Lac in Bordeaux at a German Rathskeller, our group was denied service because there were Jews among us. Lesson, anti-semitism is still very much alive and well in Europe including in Germany. Stinks!"
Did it appear to you that Bordeaux is not in Germany? One of the obvious clues for that is that they speak French there.
"in their 11 years in coalition government they unleashed a massive attack on the unemployed known as Hartz IV, rejected a minimum wage and introduce the "one Euro job". If you reject one of these jobs while unemployed you lose all benefits, even if you are 60 and settled and the job is 500 miles away."
Sorry but I don't think you have ever been in this situation if you spread this kind of lies about it. 500 miles a about the distance from Munich to Hamburg and nobody is seriously expected to move that far for a 1 euro job. There are too many unemployed people in both cities and in between for that.
"because you cannot in any way effectively attack your opponent's arguments,"
Thanks Marcus for yet another laugh. I can't even count how often your "facts" were proven to be nothing than pure and even silly self contradicitng lies. Must be more then a dozen times. To get the best clue I should probably see how many posts you have and devided it by 3 or 4 as the rest of the comments don't contain any real facts.
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"Where, in the midst of the worst recession since World War II, was the anger?"
Germans in general are not as revolutiono-phil as French are. We hardly had any reforms introduced by revolutions in our history even the social system was not gained after a bloody revolution but given to us from politicians. And well we respect the result of the election even if some of us may have rooted for a different result. If the goverment in the coming 4 years does a good job we'll tend to vote for it again, if it doesn't there are at least three other parties to choose from and to support (by three I mean it is not entirely impossible that the pirate party will have enough votes by then to be part of the Bundestag).
And in general we are pragmatic enough to know that protest seldomly solve problems better than elections do. So protest are only common if you can't vote about something (e.g. cuts of jobs)
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MA2:
Nixon's anti-semitism has been established more than well enough thanks to his compulsive (and oh-so-damaging) taping habit. That he had Kissinger as Secretary of State (but definitely not his "right-hand man") reveals not the contrary, but rather the fact that he also was a supreme pragmatist. Remember that Nixon also was the President of the US who shook the hand of Mao (and I'm sure you won't call him a closet Maoist because of that). Kissinger was knowledgeable, clever, and even more cynical than Nixon. At the time Nixon needed the best SoS he could get, and he was too intelligent to reject the first choice because of race.
US presidents do not necessarily select the Secretary of State they best get along with, but the one they believe best fits the job. Need I remind you who the current Secretary of State is and her previous history with the current President?
As for the Yom Kippur War, the US intervened only after it was apparent that Israel was preparing its Jericho nuclear missiles for launch:
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/10/06/opinion/the-last-nuclear-moment.html
Nixon's (and Kissinger's) decision was thus far less driven by sympathy for the Jewish people, let alone Israel, but by a righteous fear of a nuclear war in the Middle East. In addition, I can't have escaped them that a victory for the Arab allies of the Soviet Union (Egypt, Syria, and Iraq) would have suddenly shifted the power balance in the Middle East's, possibly precipitating the fall of the Gulf states, and locking out the West from two-thirds of the world's oil reserves.
US aid was thus driven by pure self-interest, just like the US military presence in Europe during the cold war.
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Sarah Phlegm
"Did it appear to you that Bordeaux is not in Germany? One of the obvious clues for that is that they speak French there."
These were Germans being German. They represented Germany. They wore leiderhausen. They were dressed and acted their parts. This was a small piece of Germany transported to Bordeaux. This was a trade show were people were advertising who and what they were about. A university of life I'd say. They taught me a lesson I haven't forgotten. And I did get up and make a speech about it to everyone around me...in French...and in English...such as I speak them. Not particularly flattering either. Consider it my valedictory speech at the University of Europe. Europe may have physically changed somewhat in 30 years and there may be some differences in policies but when you come down to who and what the people are and are about, watching it suggests to me that it hasn't really changed much in substance but if it has, it's clearly for the worse.
Calvados, all people and nations ultimately act in what they see as their self interest. Do you think America is Europe's military ally and trades with it because it actually likes Europe? The only probem here is IMO a matter of perception. American perception that it is in its interest is incorrect. Its view is distorted by ignorance of what Europe is actually about. If it knew the truth, its policies would be very different. I think the lack of substantive support Europe has shown for American objectives is demonstrating that its interests are not the same as America's. Hopefully, that will lead to an end of American self delusion and wishful thinking about Europe and a realignment of its policies based on reality, not myths. It is long overdue for America to make a clean break and separate itself from Europe. It is time for America to recognize that its own interests are diametrically opposed to Europe's and it is in effect at war (not a military war but in every other way) with Europe whether it recognizes it or not. Once it does, it is a war America can easily win.
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During the seventies, I was lucky enough as a 12 grader to travel to Paris, France.
During my stay with a relatively affluent family, I was lucky enough to go to the French high school with one son and one family friend. The family friend was a communist ("of course, I am a communist," she said)
And I sat with all the communists, my All-American (tho intelligent) self, and had fun. They would sit at the back of the class and just talk amongst themselves...bout politics and such. This doesn't happen in America..and probably not in France, today.
But, that is the definition of democracy, where people are unafraid to be different and are let to think for themselves.
I'm sure there are "socialists" still today (ex-communists) whom are very political, but this is unthreatening to the governments. Whereas in China, probably, if a group of students had their own communist party gatherings that were unofficial, there would be huge payback..
I know off topic, but I keep hearing about the lack of democracy in Western nations. It isn't perfect, but it is like feeling safe, maybe not wealthy, but safe.
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#14 MarcusAurelius
You obviously were not paying attention, because Bordeaux is NOT in Germany, but in France. Please, do not confuse the two.
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not so handy Andy;
Which part didn't you understand. I was dealing with Germans. But frankly the French weren't a whole lot better. Not only was there also plenty of anti-Semitic feeling among the French to go around, they still had considerable hatred for the Germans. One professor used to take delight in taunting a German girl who was in his class in front of the other 800+ attendees in the lecture hall, mostly French. From what I can tell, anti-semitism in France has grown even worse now.
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OK, stellarBeloved, here's my two-penn'orth. It's directed at MA2, not at you (and he's perishing difficult to ignore when the better part of the remaining postings are responses to what he's written: the three of them must be very proud of the way they've arrogated the blog to their own agenda).
I remember reading (and I've tried to track down a source via Google without success) that back in the 19th century the Germans were, and were universally seen as, a nation of farmers in love with their vision of their land of mountains and forests, dedicated to producing world-class music and literary products of the Romantik, whereas it was the French who were the warmongers, taking up arms against all and sundry at the drop of a hat. As for the French themselves, they despised the English because of their filthy habit of kissing each other on meeting instead of shaking hands like a civilised person.
By the turn of the 20th century all this had changed: the English were buttoned-down and made fun of the French for being effete and doing too much kissing and cuddling, while the Germans, through a strange metamorphosis, had become the warmongers.
Fast-forward to the early 21st, where it's all-change again, much as MA2 would love to deny it. The new generation of Germans are peace-lovers, there is a museum to the Holocaust in Berlin, belligerent action against a foreign country is banned in the constitution and even displaying a swastika is illegal. Meanwhile, the English, far from being buttoned-down, are the ones who put fear into people in far-flung tourist spots by drinking to excess and letting everyone know it.
My point being that if the French, Germans and English can change so diametrically from one century to the next, and even in 50 years (because the Britain of 1995 was unrecognisable as that of 1945), anecdotes from 36 years ago, let alone twice that, have little relevance if any.
Right then, back to my forlorn quest of learning how to ignore them ...
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I tell you what WE will have a conversation. Japan also has changed into a dedicated to peace society and I think that has influenced China...
China is more interested in besting Japan in friendship with the US than raising hackles amongst its neighbors--peace and love and (bs) non intererence and prosperity by letting America bear the brunt of military defences.
If America were to go back to pre-WWI, it would be a basically passive agressive isolationist type nation ...S. Americans especially would hate it.
But, its very possible, think of the money saved...like Britain we could sell off some assets to China or Europe--our bases and some of our military hardware (budget prices..ack ..sounds more like Russia) and then become (hopefully) prosperous like Germany is.
Here's hoping..
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BTW, I've heard all Marcus has to say...before Marcus said it...so that may be why I'm not so offended or insulted...
he is not representative of think tank thought, but he actually writes well (very) and says what some Americans do think. (well)
That is why it is so ...scary to Europeans and others.
But, I actually can see the good with the bad in all peoples (...mostly-not perfect here at all) writings...and it helps me.
Magic Kirin, who writes in the other blogs does say things I can .. agree with ..some things.
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BTW, last comment, I swear.
On American television, there is a series now on American National parks...by Ken Burns.
It is mostly history, but that is one thing America did do that was rather unprecedented...reserving beautiful things for all its people, rather than just private citizens.
I realize Russia probaly did this too, during later years of its communist phase and Europe has done this also.
But, one thing I did not know was that a private citizen had control of the Grand Canyon and he wanted to KEEP it all to himself.
Nope, it was bought from him (forced from him) and he was from then on a conservative politician with revenge on his mind...Arizona has since been Republican, needless to say.
I'm realizing this is a European site, but another American perspective could be handy here....we are not all villians or rapacious minded as many think -- (mostly) in the UK and east of the EU.
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diatom;
I think you should re-read posting #19 on this thread again. Your fantasy of Germany doesn't jive with reality. Perhaps they don't broadcast stories about the way Turks and people of Turkish descent are treated there. Perhaps they don't tell you that many brutal beatings of minorities are ignored by the police and now because of that don't even get reported. It seems to me that the reunification of Germany was very bad for West Germans. They were on the right track but having been contaminated by East Germans who were the same barbarians that never progressed since WWII ended have brought the country backward socially.
It is one thing to be peace loving if that is what they are. It's another to use that as an excuse to not fight to defend your own freedom the way the Germans are about the Islamic terrorists in Afghanistan. I for one am sick of my country footing the bills and bleeding for them. If they and the rest of NATO will not do their fair share of the paying, the fighting and the dying, then I say America should pull out and let events run their course. Well see whose country is the softer closer target for terrorists.
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These new missiles are just dangerous enough to hit Europe?
But, I think they are mainly for show...see what Iran can do in the future to Israel? No nuclear weapons, yet.
Poor Obama, to have a jumped up Israel on his back,
But, maybe he can convince them he is serious about freezing settlements or they will lose monetary aid ..the only thing that would keep their military superiority a continuing reality.
Oh the frustration of watching this ....our domestic problems being so serious and foreign policy being now of the utmost importance. Time to look elsewhere for infotainment.
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I don't find what MA2 writes scary. I do find it a waste of space. But I'm sure if I met him in person he'd be scary - because he's bound to turn out to be totally unpredictable in his actions (and you can read that as a euphemism if you like) and people who are unpredictable are always scary.
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This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the House Rules.
Marcus not even the Hofbraeuhaus in Hamburg is really bavarian. They only copy parts of it and though it is owned by bavarians you'd be surprised when you go to the Oktoberfest.
+ I really don't buy your lame story about a jew not being permitted to enter the thing as I have never been asked what my relgion is when I wanted to enter any public places. And unlike Hitler claimed it is not possible to decide whether someone is jewish or not just by his look.
From what I read in your post 38 you should stop writing about things you don't have any clue. If you hadn't mentioned that your description was about Germany I had thought ti would be rather be about life on Mars than about Germany because your picture is so much different from the real situation. But well when your only experience is from a cultural fair dating almost 40 years in the past - I don't really wonder anymore. When were black people allowed to sit in the front seats of a bus again in the US? Must have been around the same time.
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MAII.... My my my, what a lot of resentment you have built up inside of you! I am still trying to figure out (as a new reader) wether you stubbornly hold on to outdated views of Europe and Germany in particular, or wether you are simply jealous/envious of what we have here in Europe?
Where do you get off on saying that all Germans or most Germans 'hate' the US? Speaking as one, I can tell you that although you are certainly not loved by us (like you are, say, by British politicians), we in general have no problems with you and generally like and admire you. We do (again, in general) oppose war (with our history, that is also understandable) and do not want further involvment in Iraq/Afghan/Iran. Most Europeans do not trust the reasons for being there anyway, believing that the Iraq war especially was for financial gain.
And how you harbour resentment to the USA involvment in WW2 and the following 'occupation' is beyond me?! Your economy depends in a sizeable part, on the industry of war. You can buy a gun in your local supermarket for heavens sake. America loves war. Fact. You even played a leading role in starting a coup/civil war in Chili for financial gain. But ours is not to reason why, we just generally oppose violence/war/terrorism. And before you harp on about terrorists taking over the world, the biggest terrorists are current and previous governments (UK and US in particular).
On to another point about Turks in Germany... Would it please you if I told you that there are problems and that sometimes there is violence, that some people would prefer not to have them here? Would is suprise you to hear that those same problems happen in the UK with the Asian population.. Or the Spanish and Africans?
I actually never knew the US does not have these issues... It is nice to know that the rednecks now love the homosexual population, rather than want to beat seven shades out of them, that the blacks and the whites walk hand in hand with eachother, that the Mexicans are now welcomed with open arms.. Need I go on?
As much as I have loved reading your posts, you do need to lighten up a little and wake up to 2009!
James.. Hessen, Deutschland
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