Goebbels Would Have Loved This!

Die Amerikaner sind unser Unglück!: Americans Portrayed as Parasites by Germany's Largest Trade Union

Hitler's propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels would be proud of his contemporary German journalism students. If he could only be here now to watch his offsprings' promising attempts at propaganda! 

This is the cover of "metall", the monthly magazine of Germany' largest trade union "IG Metall":

"US-Firms in Germany:
The (Blood-) Suckers"

And the inside story (View the article in PDF format/View the entire magazine in PDF format) would be even more to the liking of the Nazi propaganda master:

Title Page: "The Plunderers are Here"

American Mosquito Parasites Descending on German Companies: This is How IG Metall Portrays American Entrepreneurs...

The article's introductory paragraph (in blue) reads: "Blackstone, KKR, Investcorp - finance investors from America are slaughtering German companies. They buy the companies, only to sell them a bit later for profit. The American investors don't show any consideration for people, regions or traditions. Like flies they suck the money out of companies, then swarm out, repeating the same pattern. People are the ones who suffer."

"Blurp"

OK, Goebbels probably would have preferred to have the Americans look more like Jews, like in these two famous pieces of German anti-Semitic art (1, 2).

But then again, the IG Metall folks aren't professionals yet. They are still working on their education - following the teachings of the chairman of the Social-Democrats, Muentefering - and their results are certainly promising, at least from a Nazi point of view.

Give them more time. Nazi Germany wasn't built in one day either...

IMPORTANT NOTE: If you would like to contact the editors of "metall," the magazine responsible for the content displayed above, you may do so at:

E-Mail: metall-redaktion@igmetall.de

Telephone (If calling from the USA): 011-49-69-6693-2445, Fax 011-49-69-6693-2000
Telephone (If calling within Germany): 069-6693-2445, Fax 069-6693-2000

Mailing Address:
metall-Redaktion
Wilhelm-Leuschner-Straße 79
60329 Frankfurt am Main
GERMANY

Please feel free to publish your emails and letters to the staff of "metall" and their response (if any) in our comments section.

Update: John Rosenthal also has excellent coverage of this story. Be sure to check John's blog. (Hat tip wenk)

Update: Apparently, Guido Westerwelle, the leader of the FDP (Free-Democratic Party in Germany), took notice of the 'metall' cover and harshly criticized it at his party's convention. Bravo Mr. Westerwelle! If only more German politicians had the courage to do the same. Here is a photo:

To listen to a brief audio clip of Mr. Westerwelle criticizing 'metall', click here. Click the link that follows for the English translation...

Westerwelle on IG Metall and 'metall' magazine, our English translation:

"And ladies and gentlemen, just this on the topic of where we have arrived in the meantime. This here is the current magazine of the IG Metall, issued by the Chairman of the IG Metall, from Mr. Peters. I show you this not because it is red-green, instead I show you this because here on the cover page of the official organizational organ of the IG Metall, issued by the Chairman under the title "The (Blood-) Suckers" - inside, of course they talk about those who suck blood and the like - the investors, the entrepreneurs are portrayed as mosquitos, of course with a golden crown in their mouth that glistens. And this mosquito, the investors, that haunts and sucks the blood of one German company after the other - it is all described and illustrated in there - of course is wearing an American hat.

Ladies and gentlemen, I say this as a liberal with the greatest clarity: I am against hate of foreigners from the right, but I am also against hate of foreigners from the left ladies and gentlemen!"

(extended applause)

Note: A liberal in German is often very different from a liberal in North American English. More on that here. For more information on Mr. Westerwelle's convention speech, or to listen to the entire speech, click here.

Comments

[joan]

Patricia:

Everything you wrote about, I experienced too! I moved to Germany in 1979, and left in 1992. I started out loving the place, the architecture, the language, everything. As time passed, though, I noticed that not a day went by, when anti-Americanism was not hurled at me. Eventually I couldn't take it any more, and left. Left a very good job, with great benefits. People here in the States thought I was crazy and/or stupid for having done that. Nobody understood. It was kind of lonely in that regard. But I never wavered, not once did I regret coming home, even during the tough times. Glad to hear others have made this journey too. Too bad I didn't know you while I lived there.

[Kosmopolit]

They hate capitalism and they think Karl Marx is #3 on the list of greatest Germans of all time (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/3248516.stm)?

No wonder they have 12.5% unemployment.

Ohne Fleiss kein Preis.

[Kosmopolit]

If the German ruling class choose to portray Americans as hook-nosed bloodsucking vermin, I suppose that is their privilege, even if it is in exceedingly bad taste.

However, when push comes to shove, I am blissfully certain that Yanks will not react in the same manner as the last group that was so caricatured.

[Patricia]

@ Joan,

The funny thing is that I am feeling more and more like a real human being the longer I am here (back home). I don't expect everyone around me to agree with my views. The great thing is that you can agree to disagree and enjoy the discourse. If people disagree with me they explain why and for about 8 weeks now those who disagree with me no longer base the difference in opinion on my being a big bad stupid uneducated captialist pig and now locust - American. And you know what I like it!

Patricia
An American who has a smile on her face again!!

[Joe]

Those profit seeking, job creating foreign investors have once again struck at the heart of the social welfare state. One can only ask, “Is there no social justice left in Germany?”

The chairman and chief executive of Deutsche Börse, the operator of the Frankfurt stock market have been forced to resign.

One might ask why and the answer is they wanted to pay too much to take over the London Stock Exchange. This was a waste of shareholder value. They pushed ahead with this takeover plan. This was done in typically German manner on the assumption that support from Deutsche Börse's own shareholders could be taken for granted. What Mr Seifeit, the CEO of Deutsche Borse, hadn't appreciated was quite how much his share register had changed. Most the shares now are held by non Germans.

So the restructuring of Germany continues.

Another example for those protectors of mediocrity to attack the "Anglo-Saxon model" of economics.

[Sherry Cooper]

To:
>CC:
>Date: Thu, 12 May 2005 11:31:13 +0200

>Will the German Disneyland be this year's winner in the political "Basket Case of the EU Awards"?
>
>You are leading the competition. Congratulations!
>
>Since you despise capital so much, maybe you could fund all those lovely
>workers benefits with the tremendous farm subsidies you pay the French.
>It would be a win /win situation.
>
>You get more money for your workers and increase membership in your union.

>And the French would become serious contenders for the Basket Case award.
>
>Go for it!
>
>

[Will]

@all

You are too pessimistic,
Germans are like New York Times journalists. Dumb liberals. No reason to lose one's temper. Stay cool , counter with facts and friendly questions, you'll realize soon they just know Jack Shit.

Guido Westerwelle is right this time, but he's a smoothie,too. If there was a genuine right wing party here like the Republicans or a newspaper like National Review we wouldn't have these problems.
There are pinkos everywhere, but no real counterweight round here.