Eternal Evil
What Jews have been to many Germans a few decades ago, seems to be the American President of the United States, George W. Bush, to the Germans today. He is the evil and the reason for almost everything. He is the cause for the hurricanes Katrina and Rita, he is the reason for global warming, he is the white supremacist who doesn’t care about black people or muslim sensitivities, he is the arrant liar who killed not only thousands of his own soldiers but also thousands and thousands of innocent Iraqi civilians—and he is continuing to do so, he is the guy whose policy is boosting poverty all over the country, he is the tyrant whose black conscience is made up of nothing but oil, etc. To make a long story short: he is the reason for all the bad things in the world. He is the devil himself.
And because he is the devil incarnate he actually was able to bewitch the Secret Service of “Peace Chancellor” Schroeder’s “Peace Power” Germany, the BND:
You are waiting for Germany to declare it’s own liability in this case at least? Not on your nelly! In no way Germany was going to be involved in the war in Iraq! The former Peace-Chancellor said so, and so did his foreign minister. The Green Party promised, and so did the Red Party. Basta! Consequently it could only have been the devil from beyond the “big pond” who took over these investigators of the German BND. Any other alternative is utterly out of the question!
That is one of the reasons why I am terribly ashamed of my own country! Absurd and idiotic anti-Americanism everywhere. Yikes!
(Picture courtesy of Cicero)
Gerd Schröder was a consummate politician with the ability to talk out of both sides of his mouth at once. He managed to gain a lot of political capital from opposing the war in Iraq.
While it is true that Germany sent no combat troops, Schröder still quietly allowed the USA to use its military bases in Germany as staging areas for the war. We can still see the Galaxy cargo planes flying overhead on their way to Rammstein and Zweibrücken.
It should come as little surprise if it turns out that the German Intelligence Serve was also supplying information to the US armed forces.
Comment by ralphieboy - January 18, 2006 @ 10:59 pm
Laugh. Laugh hard and loud and enjoy the exposure of the whole rotten mess. Laugh so that Germany laughs with you at the foolish pretensions of the greens and the reds and the browns too. They all like to throw a public tantrum for electoral benefit while privately cooperating to serve the actual national interest.
Germany (and a great many other places) is filled with a distorted media view of the United States along with other issues. The US is little better. The only difference is that the US public has awakened and is abandoning their biased, traditional media, in large part out of embarrassment. The German public does not yet seem embarrassed by being led around by the nose into a false appreciation of the realities around them.
So laugh to wake up and enjoy the ride.
Comment by TM Lutas - January 19, 2006 @ 3:55 am
TM,
I would say that neither the US or Germany has a clue about the other. The difference lies in the fact that the US public simply ignores the rest of the world, while the Germans are quick to display their cluelessness by spouting their opinions about the US at every occasion.
I suppose the situation might be reversed if there were German forces stationed in America and if the bulk of the music, films and TV series Americans watch came from Germany.
Comment by ralphieboy - January 19, 2006 @ 10:49 am
The difference lies in the fact that the US public simply ignores the rest of the world
That is a prejudice imo. TV News from the USA actually report about Nations and areas of the world which are never covered in the german media (Africa & South-East-Asia for example). And i’m pretty sure the number of people that don’t care about the rest of the world is pretty equal in the US and Europe. I know more than enough people that don’t give a fart about the rest of the world and i guess you know where i live…
Comment by Don Loc - January 19, 2006 @ 7:08 pm
DL,
I was over-generalizing a bit. But I find it ironic that the only period of German history that most Americans know about is 1933-45, one that a lot of German are still in the dark over.
Comment by ralphieboy - January 19, 2006 @ 10:49 pm
ralphieboy - German ethnics are likely the largest group aside from those of english descent in the US. I think that there’s likely a significant number of people who read up on the land of their ancestors, certainly many more than most modern Germans seem to think. Those german ethnics do have influence in the wider american population.
I think that the US stopped ignoring the world on 9/11/2001. It will be quite some time before it goes back to ignoring the world. You are correct that thiis *is* the preferred and default US position, which is why we make such an excellent preeminent power. All in all, we just aren’t ego driven to conquer the world and if the world would get its act into gear, we’d be quite happy to go home and let somebody else do the heavy lifting.
I’d like to think that if the US were occupied, we’d act differently. We wouldn’t like foreign troops on our soil (we don’t today while we’re generally on top) but I don’t think that we’d react to complaints from occupying Germans that we don’t spend enough on our military the same way continental Europe has reacted to US criticisms that their military spending is too low.
Comment by TM Lutas - January 20, 2006 @ 1:23 am
TML,
9/11 has done a lot to make America aware of its position and role in the world. Another difference in Europe is that in order to even go on vacation, you just about have to learn a foreign language and learn about a foreign culture. And most professionals cannot get by without at least one foreign language.
Comment by ralphieboy - January 20, 2006 @ 3:40 am
a great post investigating german/american misconceptions over at:
http://whenyourerightyoureright.blogspot.com/2006/01/i-know-all-about-america-i-saw-it-on.html
disclosure: it’s not my blog, i just happened to read his post before this one. he’s an american expat in germany.
Comment by jimmmy - January 20, 2006 @ 10:58 pm
Thanks, Jimmy! That is indeed an excellent post!
Comment by Michael Meyn - January 21, 2006 @ 8:58 am
yes, an excellent post. I am still amazed to meet Germans who think that native Americans are forced to stay on their reservations, there is no welfare and that American cuisine consists exclusively of hamburgers, hot dogs and potato chips.
Comment by ralphieboy - January 22, 2006 @ 6:25 am