Most conspicuous was the lack of contact between ordinary Germans and an American president visiting what could almost have been a stage setting: a town with buildings but no people, the shops and restaurants in the center of town closed, and only uniformed police officers on the streets.
...
Of course, in the security-minded post-9/11 world, a visiting American president cannot just stand exposed before throngs of German citizens, as John F. Kennedy did in 1963 when he made his famous "I am a Berliner" speech, or as Ronald Reagan did in 1987 when he declared "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!"
Well, he could. But he's a scardey little man who can bravely say this:
There are some who, uh, feel like that, you know, the conditions are such that they can attack us there. My answer is: bring 'em on. We got the force necessary to deal with the security situation."
- George W. Bush, July 2, 2003
When he's standing safely in the most protected environment in the world.
Preznit Yellow Stripe is not my president. He's a fucking accident of history and an invention of the end-timers mating with the American Fascists. What an embarassment.
Gee, I'm sure that Don Eberly would not approve of such thoughts or speech. I'm so sad, tore up in fact.
posted by Jo Fish on 02.24.05 at 12:52 AM
Comments:
Der Spiegel (Spiegel Online) had a defter take than the Times. The riff about the "ersatz meeting" had me on the floor.
Thanks for another terrific post, Jo. And props to Glkenn for the Der Spiegel commentary.
Via Der Speigel and it's condensation of other german papers comes other comments on Our Great Warrior Leader's majestic and regal visit to Old Europe.
http://service.spiegel.de/cache/international/0,1518,343107,00.html
(Because I've never learned how to fo HTML tags, and I apologize)
Pay close attention to the last outtake here, from the always perceptive and realistic Berliner Zeitung.
posted by: Lurch on 02.24.05 at 11:14 AM [permalink]
I wonder why the Times didn't mention Reagan's Bitberg memorial. he was out in public then, too.
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posted by: jri on 02.24.05 at 11:24 AM [permalink]
Uhm, via Juan Cole, who knows more about Iraq than GW would like to forget, comes this article from Die Welt:
' Die Welt: US President calls Europeans to take part in joint working in spite of the differences over Iraq. The Germans trust Russian President Vladimir Putin more than the American President George W. Bush.
Tasked by the Die Welt the renowned Opinion Polling Institute Dimap asked the opinion of Germans about the USA. The Russian president gets a greater degree of trust particularly in the East of the Republic, according to the results of a representative poll. While the average result across the Federal republic is 29% for Putin and 24% for Bush, in East Germany Putin reaches 37% (Bush 16%) In contrast in West Germany the value for Bush reaches 27%, for Putin 26%.
It is clear from the results of the poll that both presidents are greeted with scepticism in Germany. A majority of 37% trusts neither. Infratest Dimap polled 1000 citizens between 15 and 16 February 2005
In the meantime US President George W Bush yesterday again called the Europeans, during his visit to NATO and EU headquarters, to end the old conflict about the Iraq war, and walk a common path in the future. He understood “that the Iraq war had upset many Europeans” in unusual clarity. “The decision has however been taken, we must get over it, now it is time to work together in peace”. This is in the interest of the European lands as well as the US.
Bush praised the engagement of the alliance partners in the training mission in Iraq. “Every little helps” said the US President.
Although the Bundeskanzler Gerhard Schroeder’s suggestions on the reform of the Atlantic Alliance were not explicitly discussed at the meeting of the 26 heads of state and government, the theme could occupy them further in the coming months. NATO general secretary Jaap de Hoop Scheffer announced that he would put on the table suggestions for a political reform of the alliance. Bush said that everyone had heard “loud and clear what the Bundeskanzler had said”. He alluded to the fact that NATO is the reason why Europe is today “United and Free”. It is vital for the transatlantic relationship; the only grouping that is able to meet the challenges of the 21st century. Schroeder himself said that it had “in fact given a great measure of agreement to strengthen the political dialogue”. The form would require further talks.
After the meeting with NATO seniors, Bush travelled to the centre of Brussels where he was guest in the afternoon of the 25 heads of state and government of the EU. Subsequently a visit to the EU commission lay on the agenda. At the EU the remaining unresolved subjects of conflict of the Transatlantic Relationship were to be discussed: The EU negotiations with Iran about their Atomic program, and the removal of the weapons embargo on China, which is supported by many EU states. '
http://www.juancole.com
posted by: Lurch on 02.24.05 at 12:40 PM [permalink]
All of you, right now, read this:
http://kunstler.com/mags_diary13.html
Jeebus, this guy is good...
posted by: OTB on 02.25.05 at 12:00 AM [permalink]
Here's the thing... lesser of two evils, which the Honorable Mr. is, but we all knew when we enlisted that we were going to sweat and bleed while the guy telling us to do so was sipping his morning coffee, reading his memoirs. Get over it. We all have a job to do.
posted by: Fidelis on 02.25.05 at 07:20 PM [permalink]
Imagine that- afraid to speak about Democracy with the Germans.
Mister Shroeder- I can't talk to these people- there's no wall to hide behind?
He hoped the Pope was going to kill over while he was in Europe, so he could do his smug righteous concerned pose for all the people back home to see.
He thought after meeting Cheney the guy would surely die... old geezer is tougher than he thinks.
And he lauds his visit with Putin since daddy's Carlysle group bought into Yukos?
And he dropped the ball on former Soviet nonproliferation so damned bad the press had to give him another day pass on mentioning it.
Oh, Russia is actually helping Iran now.
The rest of the world sees Bush invading anywhere on terror hype that lacks nuke-yoo-lur deterrent. Face it, the retaliation on smaller nations would be absolute.
That is true deterrent. But some cowboy with nukes on the other side of the planet is ready to jump right into the thick of things, since his country would be last to suffer direct consequence.
Kind of strange how that goes. Is Putin now vested in missile defense lobby or just hedging his bets by making certain the countries around him are not going to keel over to US/Saud expansion?
Afghanistan backfired when Bush abandoned it after propping up Osama. Chalabi is doing the same thing with Iran/Iraq.
Europe is seeing these things and trying to vest its interests with the mideast to lessen the chasm of difference.
That would require sharing to open markets. Bush never learned how to do that or felt he had reason to.
posted by: Mr. Murder on 02.28.05 at 10:33 AM [permalink]
