Re: (WAR) Proud 'n' Pray Patriotism (Was: Apparently the internet...)

From: hubert mania (humania@t-online.de)
Date: Thu Mar 27 2003 - 06:33:56 MST

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    Spudboy said:

    >because they (your kinder) have been taught to hate Americans (as a >German cultural norm) rather then a murderous dictator, or a Islamic >fanatic.

    I already told you: they hate Saddam and want him removed too, but by peaceful disarmament. It could have worked out this way: 300.000 British and US troops stay in Kuwait. The costs for this threatening scenery could be split up between all nations - and Germany would gladly pay for it, too. Then let the inspectors in and do their job.

    As I said before: you have no idea what you are talking about concerning contemporary Germany. The overwhelming majority of the German people is USA friendly since 1945. The first - justified - break happened 1968, when leftist students protested against the US Vietnam politics. From then on a fraction of the German intelligencija kept critizing American politics or ridiculed certain aspects of the American way of life - quite rightly so. But Germany as a whole felt like it were the US' best friend.

    There has never been anti-Americanism as a "German cultural norm". This is absolutely wrong though the influence of former leftist students who gained power during the 1990 (Schroeder, Fischer) is of course pretty strong. But even Fischer who was a street fighter of the radical left in the late 1960s cannot be called an anti-American politician. The crucial contemporary break in the relations between Germany and the US happened when Bush insisted of waging war against Iraq.

    This is the first time that there are major differences in the point of view of the political leaders and the people of Germany on one side and the USA on the other side. But still: all decent and responsible people in Germany resist in being called anti-Americans. They want to keep the good Atlantic relations but they are self-confident enough to say: "Hey Uncle Sugar, what you are doing here is wrong."



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