Germany, - Winds of Change blowing again?

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Curious what our German friends on this board think of this editorial:

Anti-Americanism reaches its limit in Germany.

 

Well just as most Americans could not care less what Europe thought of them in the last elections I think the same goes for Germany. The country has far more important problems than chilled relations with America and they need to be dealt with. Even though I don't exactly like the Christian Democratic party the Social Democrats have been ineffective in their efforts of curing the economical problems of Germany and their defeat is a clear sign of the unhappiness of German people. Germany needs a strong kick to get its economy rolling and so does France. And if the Christian Democrats can give Germany that kick then so be it.

 

Yep. That Schröder with Nordrhein-Westfalen lost the last state to the Christian Democratic Party tolls his bell. And he reacted, and surprised the oppoition - it is yet to be seen if announcing re-elections will give him back the initiative he and his coalition lost to the opposition.

It'll be a hot summer.

As for anti-Americanism, however, I spoke and discussed the issue in depth and extensively with friends and colleagues. We are all much younger than the 68ers and don't have this Vietnam protest background, nor did we protest against NATO nuclear armament in the 1980s - we're too young.

For us America was the country that gave us the Marshall Plan, helped us through the Cold War, allowed us pull off the re-unification and that provided most of the pop culture we consumed.

Actually, the people I spoke too didn't have a problem at all with America until Bush took office. America is cool, was cool, despite problems we saw as excesses. Of course, there is a share of 'but Michael Moore said'-folks, they are pretty unbearable as far as I'm concerned, and criminally ill-informed.

Seeing America going to start an agressive war of choice in Iraq, with the striking example of Nuremberg in mind, pissed me off, and not me alone.

A lot of the anger the US today find among the Germans of my generation is disillusionment, and disappointment with a country we thought better.

Christian Democrat rule would have probably brought us into Iraq. Schröder could have acted different, as the Kosovo example underlined where he and his party very well supported an earlier war of agression. So yes, he probably exploited the issue.

But I fundamentally disagree with the commentator, it wasn't so much Schröder 'cynically using the Iraq war' to gain votes in the elections the Germans. He did what most Germans wanted. At that time I used to say he made the right decision for all the wrong reasons.

The capitalism discussion in Germany hasn't so much to do with anti-Americanism.

It's all about us and our economy opening up to the globalisation - American investors are just one example for it. Actually, living in this country, and following the discussion rather closely, the allegation of anti-Americanism in it is rather new to me.

The debate also revolves around hedge funds. Speculative funds, including the hedge funds, played a major role in catalysing the initial devaluation in Thailand. It was only after the LTCM meltdown that the IMF took the role of hedge funds (and their great leverage) seriously. They do have and can have a substantial economic impact.

Maximising profits may be good business for a shareholder, but perhaps runs utterly counter the interests of a govermnent that has to improve the economic situation to adress urgent problems like unemployment.

One of the problems the SPD has is that as a 'center' party they are barely distiguishable from the CDU. I think, what the commentator let unmentioned, because he probably doesn't understand it, is that it is part of the Social Democratic Party to find a profile again, to go back to the left roots so to say. There is serious doubt there that neo-liberalism is the 'true faith' in economy.

I read out of this WJS OpEd a good degree of glee, lack of understanding, and a lot of fog and hot air.

Not everything is all about Anti-Americanism, America isn't all that important that all internal political disputes in Germany revolve around her.

[ May 24, 2005, 13:59: Message edited by: Ragusa ]

 

Anti-Americanism and its limits? I guess a more accurate response cant be expected from certain parties.

Münteferings (chairman of the Social Democrats) attack on capitalism on a rampage in Germany mainly adressed the less then respectable operations of "investors", mainly US company Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. (KKR). A name that doesnt provoke the most gentle feelings in certain circles.

KKR's hostile take overs are stuff for legends. Buying low and selling high, using the acquired firm's liquid reserves to pay off their creditors - indeed sucking them dry. Bought companies are "re-organized" in their structure and management, meaning that corporate branches that dont throw off enough profit are sold or dumped - usually this results in the loss of jobs for a lot of people - without any consideration for the employees fate. They go public with the held companies, however, the gained cash is not re-invested, rather sacked by KKR. And so on.

If critique of this ruthless juggling with work forces and companies is somehow perceived as Anti-Americanism... well then, we dont care too much for attempted victimization. I dont remember the US even getting mentioned in this debate, regardless of how some people would like to hear this. Socialists cant help but attackt the US, stronghold of capitalism. Right?

 

I know this is about Deutschland, but the following might think this is interesting...

Anti-Americanism in very strong is the Republic of Ireland, but not to the same degree as the North.

In an airport in Co. Meath, protesters damaged a US warplane beyond repair, the US insisted that no-one be arrested for this!

Another is the 'Go Faile' articles that print lots of anti-American propaganda, and encouraged people to damage US government property, including the warplane mentioned above.

1 more example, a US backpacker was thrown out of a window in a hostel in Belfast, and this still did not make the news. There were anti-war and capitalism demonstrations earlier that day, but we are not sure if this had anything to do with the murder.

IN the streets of Dublin US flags have been burnt, urinated on etc, and this still does not make national news, yet the same thing does from other countries!

Even old US allies such as Sinn Fein have encouraged 'peaceful' protest at US military, and that was long before Ted Kennedy and Bush banned 'Uncle Gerry' from the White House.

Strangely the above was not reported in the US.

Strange huh? Well not really as many people in the US think they are Irish, so they fear that Americans will not support the war/Bush because the Irish do not share the same opinions. I think they want to think the world love them for what they are doing.

 

And yet people still want to move to USA, even from countries with high Anti-American sentiments...

 

I don't know much about the details, but my take on this is that this fellow tried to direct dissent outwards against a visible group, and his electorate failed to take the bait. Smart electorate.

Such deflection of the real issues has been successfully done by all sorts of politicians -- Hitler did it, Japan did it in WW2, there are groups doing it in Australia these days, the Communists did it, and recently, Shrub has done it. Doesn't make it right, but it does take the pressure off your OWN performance

 

Ack! I agree with Ragusa?!?

*head explodes*

 

Hah, for how long? IMO Moore makes an excellent job -- as a polemist -- he raised the right questions, but comes to some pretty astute - and some utterly preposterous conclusions.

People are simply unable to take him for what he is - a polemist - he is certainly *not* a journalist or empiric scientist or an objective reporter.

The rightwing beancounters who are furiously trying to challenge him on his numbers and statistics are blinded by their fury on what he sais to notice this subtle difference -- there they are not alone, the folks who take Moore for gospel aren't much better in this respect -- they both miss the point:

That his movies aren't documentaries but opinion pieces.

 

I...I...I still agree!?!

*heart stops*