Free Republic

BERLIN: The decision by Senator Barack Obama to speak at a landmark monument in Berlin this Thursday has opened up yet another controversy, with conservative and opposition politicians saying the site recalls Germany's Nazi past and Prussia's militaristic tradition. Obama is planning to address what organizers expect will be huge crowds at the Siegessäule, or Victory Column, which is located in the center of a long and busy intersection that straddles the lush, public Tiergarten gardens and stretches up to the Brandenburg Gate. SNIP After days of back and forth between the chancellery and the Obama campaign, the Victory Column...

After receiving a hailstorm of criticism for considering Brandenburg Gate for a public speech, as well as official German dissuasion, Barack Obama moved the venue to the Siegessäule monument. Obama will speak about “historic” US-German relations, but once again, Obama’s own grasp of history has been proven deficient. Not only does the site contain a monument to Prussian victories over other American allies in Europe, its placement was decided by Adolf Hitler — in order to impress crowds in his idealized version of Berlin called Germania: Still, even as the issue of his speech’s location has now been settled, a...

Received this one from a friend: A Brief History of Germany 1871 - Bismark founds modern Germany. 1890 - Bismark sacked, warmonger Wilhelm II takes direct control. 1914 - Germany starts World War I 1914-1918 - Germany kills millions upon millions of people. 1917 - Germany force peace loving Americans to enter war. 1918 - Germany loses World War I. 1920's - Germans try democracy. 1933 - Germans reject democracy, allow Hitler to take power. 1939 - Germany starts World War II. 1939-1945 - Germany kills millions upon millions of people. 1941 - Germany force peace loving Americans to enter...

Berlin (CNSNews.com) - Adding another sticking point to strained relations with the United States, Germany says its troops will not come to the rescue of American soldiers if they invade Iraq and face a chemical or biological attack there. German defense minister Peter Struck said Friday that his forces will only defend and assist American soldiers and civilians based in Kuwait, where some German troops are currently stationed. German soldiers in Kuwait possess equipment to detect contamination by biological and chemical weapons. But if the attack takes place in Iraq, German troops will not go forward to assist U.S....