Germany's Self-Inflicted Damage:Anti-Americanism when the Americans were asking for nothing

Wall St Journal ^ | 9-24-02 | JEFFREY GEDMIN

[SJackson]

BERLIN -- Gerhard Schroeder is quite a magician. Through sleight of hand at a crucial moment in a neck-to-neck campaign, the German chancellor managed to win re-election by shifting the debate from a struggling economy to the phony issue of war with Iraq. Why phony? Because he pulled anti-Americanism and militant pacifism out of his hat at a time when the Americans were asking for, well, nothing. In fact, if a U.S. intervention ends Saddam Hussein's blood-soaked rule, it will have been with the help of British and French forces. The Germans, at best, might have sent a couple of minesweepers.

[weikel]

Funny the unions were one of the major problems of the Weimar republic too...

[Oldeconomybuyer]

Anyone who has watched C-SPAN's coverage of some of the recent congressional hearings know that when inspectors get into post-Saddam Iraq they will find most of the illegal WMD hardware will have instruction manuals written in German.

[YoungKentuckyConservative]

I, for one, will be buying NO German products until this regime is thrown out the door. To hell with Germany and the citizens that back the socialists.

[piasa]

When/if inspectors go in they will discover a lot of things.

I heard that Saddam gets his jollies off of dispatching prisoners with a human meat grinder.

When it comes to manufacturing meat grinders, Germans are the 'wurst' offenders.

[A Vast RightWing Conspirator]

The analysis is a bit phony because it's based on partially fakse premises.

The Social Democrats actually lost votes compared to the last elections. It was the Green party that gained and that is keeping the coalition in power. Without an analysis of why the Greens are becoming increasingly popular in Germany this analyis is incomplete. The article fails to comment on the spectacular demise of the East German Communists, down from 20+ seats to only 2. Did their voters go to the Greens? I don't know and this article doesn't tell me.

[FreedomPoster]

There was a map posted in one of the recent threads on the German elections that showed the vote distribution. Very much like the famous red zone/blue zone map of the 2000 U.S. Presidential election. The former East Germany was very Social Democrat (Schroeder), and Bavaria was the stronghold of the Christian Democrats (Stoiber), so your assumption is apparently correct.

[FreedomPoster]

IIRC, however, the map did not give much insight as to where the Green votes were originating.

[oyez]

Why is it when someone mentions Germany, I think of San Francisco?

[RJayneJ]

I don't know why, but your comment reminded me that I only had one thing in my archives that concerned Germany.

For what it's worth...

Bulldog Bulletin

[gcruse]

 
Funny the unions were one of the major
problems of the Weimar republic too...

Hadn't heard that.  Maybe they were
overshadowed by French occupation
of the Ruhr Valley and the concommitant
looting of German industry.

[weikel]

The french occupation of the Ruhr was one of the few moments when the trade unions helped the Weimar. The French were convinced to leave via a general strike.

[gcruse]

Didn't know that either. Thanks!

[thescourged1]

Odd how things are going on in Germany now as compared to the 20's. Rampant unemployment, a strangled economy, intense dislike of anything not German, anger at resident foreigners, et al. Look at the goings on within it's military over the last decade. Reinstating the General Command Staff, deploying forces outside Germany (even if for sorry crap like UN missions) tightening discipline within the military. Yes, odd parallels indeed. A country in Germany's position will have no choice (historically speaking) but to reform to capitalist ideals, or turn into a starving and dangerous agressor. It amazes me that N.Korea has gone so long without attacking S.Korea. Of course, there are reasons aplenty for that. I sometimes wonder if Germany will create yet another Reich, but one based upon Bolshevism rather than National Socialism.

I invite intelligent discussion. :)

[oyez]

No wonder they were always starting wars. Anne Bancroft's fameous line in To Be or not to Be, was "You people are compulsive invaders". Now we know why,

[Lurker]

Bolshevism and National Socialism were essentially the same. The only thing that differed was the megalomania of the leaders.

Both believed that the State had unlimited powers and that people existed only to serve the interests of that State.

Socialist States cannot live peacefully beside one another for very long without one invading and conquering the other. It's simply not possible.

L

[RJayneJ]

LOL

[thescourged1]

Right on the money.

IMHO it will only be a matter of a decade or so (perhaps less) before 'Deutchland, erwake!' starts to be heard again.

Moving our Germany-based military assets to Poland wouldn't be a bad idea. And what better time than now while the well is poisoned?

[McGavin999]

Actually, the communists lost votes, I think they were the ones who moved to the Green Party. The Greens appear more mainstream, have the same objectives, and wanted growth. At least that's the way it seem to me.

[Nick Danger]

Why is it when someone mentions Germany, I think of San Francisco?

It's those Hindenberg loafers.