Little Respect for Europe

Fasten your seat belts, ladies and gentlemen! This comment from Jochen Buchsteiner in Germany's conservative daily Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ) hits European policy makers right between the eyes. Buchsteiner - while no friend of the Americans - critizes Europeans for being nice but not effective in helping tsunami victims.

Little Respect for Europe

By Jochen Buchsteiner

Europe is not projecting a positive image these days. There is no lack of dismay and sympathy – that can be seen in the huge volume of donations coming from private citizens and the generous pledges of financial aid coming from the politicians. But this has so far has had very little effect along Asian coastlines on the victims’ acute sufferings. The first help they are seeing comes from others – from Australians, Indians and, above all, from Americans. ...

While American soldiers were delivering emergency supplies to isolated disaster areas and Australian doctors were treating the injured, Europeans were having meetings or, worse yet, trying to set dates for meetings. The French Minister of Public Health, Douste-Blazy, posed a rhetorical question while visiting Sri Lanka: was it "normal" that his colleagues in Brussels held their first discussions on the subject a full ten days after the catastrophe? His answer was devastating – Europe’s actions were "not concrete.". ...

We have resigned ourselves to an EU that cannot speak with one voice, never mind act independently, on issues of foreign policy such as the Balkan crises or the Iraq war. Now Europe has had its weakness exposed in precisely an area it always believed itself to be strong, even stronger than the Americans – in providing immediate humanitarian assistance. ...

Europe has neither the power, nor the position, nor the material to make a logistic contribution worth mentioning. It is the strong, not the likable, who can provide effective help. Help is provided not by freighters, but by aircraft carriers. The starter’s gun for this massive humanitarian action was fired in Washington, not in Brussels or Berlin. ...

Asia, which now looks like a huge catastrophe area but will be a major winner in globalization over the long term, is getting daily lessons about how the former colonial powers are losing ground. If this major natural catastrophe can be overcome with hardly any European action, then Asians can do without Europeans in other areas of endeavor as well. To consider this worthy of concern is not misplaced chauvinism.

(Translation of FAZ quote by Hartmut)

Comments

[Jarrod]

I think it's partially an unfair critique because Europe doesn't have a naval fleet deloyed to all corners of the world nor hundreds of military bases around the globe. Of course the US can respond quicker and more effectively.

[amiexpat]

FRIEDENSMACHT!!!!!!!! HAHAHAHA

[beimami]

Astounding. The commentary by Herrn Buchsteiner contains disturbing jingoistic undertones. Why should it be "alarming" that the affected countries "learn that the former colonial powers are losing influence" and that they "can master the natural catastrophe without the assistance of the Europeans"? Is it alarming that Mozambique doesn't have great influence in Norway? Of course not. Despite their history, some Europeans still seem to think that they should rule the world.

And note how he goes out of his way to avoid praising the U.S. for its quick response. He admits that Kofi Annan grudgingly made some positive statements, and that the U.S., Indians and Americans have so far provided the most assistance, but his tone indicates that he somehow perceives this as an affront. The statement, "Help is coming from the strong, not the nice." is Goebbelesque; it implies that even though the Americans are assisting, they are not nice. What a bunch of nonsense: Providing immediate and unconditional assistance to thirsty starving people is nice, while wishing you could provide assistance and three minutes of silence are simply exercises in moral vanity. Do we really believe that the massive assistance that will be coming from the UN over the next 5 to ten years will be unconditional?

The German people (power to the people) have responded to the flood with deep sympathy and large donations. It is regrettable that Herr Buchsteiner denigrates their contribution by putting humanitarian assistance into the context of a power struggle between Europe and America.

[Tina]

Amerika handelt, Europa diskutiert. My German is rather rusty, but even I can understand that. America does, Europe discusses. Isn't this exactly why people like Jochen hate America?
All the same, it seems rather hypocritical of Jochen, doesn't it? When the US acts, we are this huge bully. When we don't, we are superficial and greedy Americans trying to rape the world of oil.
My God man, make up your mind!

[Devils Advocate]

@ Jarrod

this is not a question of FAIRNESS for god's sake!

FACTS are the only issue when people are suffering or dying.

and yes, europe is impotent. this is a fact. so europeans should either get more efficcient, or band together with other powers that are enabled, or schroeder should rustle up his friend putin - who has been conspicuous by his total absense - to lend europe a coouple of antonov freigther planes.

or else, european politicos should just shut up, and not try to canvass their next election on the backs of over 100.000 dead. this is beyond cynical.

FAIRNESS can be prettily debated in a student parliament, but that debate has little place in an acute cisis.

[Sock Puppet of Doom]

To Europe it is "the white mans burden" to help. To the US, Australia, Japan and India it is our friends we are helping. To Europe it is a place to go visit and vacation cheaply. To the US, Australia, Japan and India it is where our customers live of course we would be quick to help them. It's a whole different mind set.

I think Germany is confused with an 11% unemployment rate I needs help too.

[Martin Adamson]

Jarrod: it's true the Europe doesn't have the capacity to help. But why not? They USED to have the capacity, it's just that in the last 15-20 years they've given it up, knowing that they could always rely on the Americans to get them out of whatever mess that they'd gotten themselves into, like the ex-Yugoslavia situation. Now that they'd like to do something, they can't.

[Doughnut Boy Andy]

@beimami

" Despite their history, some Europeans still seem to think that they should rule the world."

Agreed. The irony is that these people call themselves anti-imps!

As this thread deals with Europe in general and not just the German media here its perhaps not so OT to point out this article in the Guardian called "The neocons have a hand in Aceh, too", written by none other than "· Sidney Blumenthal, a former senior adviser to President Clinton, is Washington bureau chief of salon.com"

"Two days after the tsunami struck, President Bush, who had made no public statement, was vacationing at his ranch in Texas, and a junior spokesman was trotted out. The offer of US aid was $15m - $2m less than the star pitcher of the Boston Red Sox was paid that year...."

"...For Bush, the war on terrorism is the alpha and omega of foreign policy, and it did not occur to him or to his national security team that the tsunami disaster, devastating Muslim regions, provided an opportunity for the US to demonstrate humanitarian motives. In this crisis, his advisers acted in character: Vice-president Cheney was duck-hunting on the plantation of a Republican donor; Condoleezza Rice, the national security adviser, suggested nothing to disturb her boss; and Colin Powell, the secretary of state, defended Bush as "not stingy"...."

"...The coastline of south Asia has been radically altered, but the political landscape in Washington remains familiar. Behind the stentorian rhetoric about the battle between good and evil lies the neoconservative struggle to remove human rights sanctions against the Indonesian military, which is waging a vicious war against the popular separatist movement on Banda Aceh, the province hardest hit by the tsunami...."

"...In the name of the war on terrorism, neoconservatives attempt to bolster the repressive military, which flings the Bush administration's sins back in its face. In the "march of freedom", human rights are cast aside. The absence of moral clarity is matched by the absence of strategic clarity."

Boy does this guy know his target audience in Europe! Its not that an article or criticism of US policy in Indonesia is not to be justified. I dont know enough about it to comment myself BUT this is typical of the european dilemna. While the US is out there with its military and aid saving lives, all the Europeans are doing is pledging money that might turn up one day. Rather than question themselves and their capacities it is so much easier and bequem to have a stab at the US and try to find some neo-con plot to patch together the blatant untruths that the US is stingy, uncaring and that its efforts were delayed!!

[beimami]

@Doughnut Boy Andy

Blumenthal's polemic was likely written to keep the moonbat crowd in the U.S. fired up, kinda like those motivational tapes the Amway distributors used to listen to when they were feeling discouraged. But you perceive correctly that moonbat food sells very well here in Germany. In America, bookstore shelves are filled with books by Michael Moore and Anne Coulter, but in Germany it's Michael Moore and no Anne Coulter.

Come to think of it, that might be an argument that anti-Americanism in Germany isn't just media driven. No one is forcing Germans to buy Michael Moore's books, or watch his movies, but they are still laying their money down. Maybe the media is just selling them what they want to hear.

Ah heck, I'm starting to ramble, and I really have other things to do. I should actually stop reading this weblog, as I always feeled compelled to throw in my two cents worth. Kudos to the authors. I don't know how they manage to be so insightful and productive, and still lead a normal life.

[Roland]

Conspiracy (source: www.memri.org)

Advisor to Saudi Arabia's Justice Minister: The Nations were Destroyed for Lying, Sinning, and being Infidels

Ibrahim Al-Bashar, an advisor to Saudi Arabia's Justice Minister, argued on the Saudi Arabian/UAE Al-Majd TV channel that the sins of the affected countries caused the tsunami:

"Whoever reads the Koran, given by the Maker of the World, can see how these nations were destroyed. There is one reason: they lied, they sinned, and [they] were infidels. Whoever studies the Koran can see this is the result…

"Some intellectuals, philosophers, and journalists - may Allah show them the straight path – say this is the wrath of nature. Whoever is angry must have a soul and a brain in order to act out his anger. Does the earth have a brain and a body with a soul? They talk about the wrath of nature, or else they claim that what happened was due to a fissure in the depths of the earth, which the earth's crust could not bear. They connect cosmic matters.

"But who is the one that cracked it, split it, and commanded it to quake?! Why don't we ask that question? Who is the one that sent the wind? Who sent the floods? But they tell you that it was due to the ebb and tide, and that the barometric depressions are to blame. Who commanded them to do so?

"These countries, in which these things occurred – don't they refrain from adopting Allah's law, which is a form of heresy? Man-made laws have been chosen over Allah's law, which has been deemed unsuitable to judge people?! Whoever does not act according to Allah's law is a heretic, that's what Allah said in the Koran. Don't these countries have witchcraft, sorcery, deceitfulness, and abomination?" [2]

Saudi Professor Sheikh Fawzan Al-Fawzan: Allah Punishes for Homosexuality and Fornication at Christmas

The following are excerpts from an interview on Saudi/UAE's Al-Majd TV with Sheikh Fawzan Al-Fawzan, a professor at the Al-Imam University, which was recorded and translated by the MEMRI TV Monitor Project:

"These great tragedies and collective punishments that are wiping out villages, towns, cities, and even entire countries, are Allah's punishments of the people of these countries, even if they are Muslims.

"Some of our forefathers said that if there is usury and fornication in a certain village, Allah permits its destruction. We know that at these resorts, which unfortunately exist in Islamic and other countries in South Asia, and especially at Christmas, fornication and sexual perversion of all kinds are rampant. The fact that it happened at this particular time is a sign from Allah. It happened at Christmas, when fornicators and corrupt people from all over the world come to commit fornication and sexual perversion. That's when this tragedy took place, striking them all and destroyed everything. It turned the land into wasteland, where only the cries of the ravens are heard. I say this is a great sign and punishment on which Muslims should reflect.

"All that's left for us to do is to ask for forgiveness. We must atone for our sins, and for the acts of the stupid people among us and improve our condition. We must fight fornication, homosexuality, usury, fight the corruption on the face of the earth, and the disregard of the lives of protected people." [3]

Saudi Cleric Muhammad Al-Munajjid: Allah Finished Off the Richter Scale in Revenge of Infidel Criminals

The following are excerpts from an interview on Saudi/UAE's Al-Majd TV with Saudi cleric Muhammad Al-Munajjid, which was recorded and translated by the MEMRI TV Monitor Project:

"The problem is that the [Christian] holidays are accompanied by forbidden things, by immorality, abomination, adultery, alcohol, drunken dancing, and … and revelry. A belly dancer costs 2500 pounds per minute and a singer costs 50,000 pounds per hour, and they hop from one hotel to another from night to dawn. Then he spends the entire night defying Allah.

"Haven't they learned the lesson from what Allah wreaked upon the coast of Asia, during the celebration of these forbidden? At the height of immorality, Allah took vengeance on these criminals.

"Those celebrating spent what they call 'New Year's Eve' in vacation resorts, pubs, and hotels. Allah struck them with an earthquake. He finished off the Richter scale. All nine levels gone. Tens of thousands dead.

"It was said that they were tourists on New Year's vacation who went to the crowded coral islands for the holiday period, and then they were struck by this earthquake, caused by the Almighty Lord of the worlds. He showed them His wrath and His strength. He showed them His vengeance. Is there anyone learning the lesson? Is it impossible that we will be struck like them? Why do we go their way? Why do we want to be like them, with their holidays, their forbidden things, and their heresy?" [4]

Egyptian Nationalist Weekly: U.S.-Israel-India Nuclear Testing May have Caused Asian Tsunami; The Goal: Testing how to Liquidate Humanity

The Egyptian nationalist weekly Al-Usbu' has published an investigation by correspondent Mahmoud Bakri, titled "Humanity in Danger," claiming that the earthquake and tsunami in Asia may have resulted from joint nuclear testing by the U.S., Israel, and India. The following are excerpts from the article:

"Was [the earthquake] caused by American, Israeli, and Indian nuclear testing on 'the day of horror?' Why did the 'Ring of Fire' explode?

"… According to researchers' estimates, there are two possible [explanations] for what happened. The first is a natural, divine move, because the region is in the 'Ring of Fire,' a region subject to this destructive type of earthquakes.

" The second possibility is that it was some kind of human intervention that destabilized the tectonic plates, an intervention that is caused only in nuclear experiments and explosions. What strengthens this direction [of thought] are the tectonic plates [under] Indian soil [ sic ], since in the recent few months, India conducted over seven nuclear tests to strengthen its nuclear program against the Pakistani [nuclear program].

"[Various] reports have proven that the tectonic plates in India and Australia collided with the tectonic plates of Europe and Asia. [It has also been proven] that India recently obtained high[-level] nuclear technology, and a number of Israeli nuclear experts and several American research centers were [involved in preparing this].

"The three most recent tests appeared to be genuine American and Israeli preparations to act together with India to test a way to liquidate humanity. In the[ir] most recent test, they began destroying entire cities over extensive areas. Although the nuclear explosions were carried out in desert lands, tens of thousands of kilometers away from populated areas, they had a direct effect on these areas.

"Since 1992, many research [institutes] monitoring earthquakes across the world, such as the International Center for the [Study] of Earthquakes [sic] in Britain and in Turkey and other countries, [indicated] the importance of no nuclear testing in the 'Ring of Fire,' where the most recent earthquake struck, because this region is thought to be one of the most geologically active regions over millions of years. Thus, the international centers have always classified it as one of the most dangerous regions [and] likely to shift at any given moment, even without human interference.

"But the scientific reports stated that there had been nuclear activity in this region – particularly after America's recent decision to rely largely on the Australian desert – part of which is inside the 'Ring of Fire' – for its secret nuclear testing.

"Similarly, many international reports spoke of joint Indian-Israeli nuclear activity. Moreover, only this year Arab and Islamic countries intervened more than three times in the U.S. to stop this joint nuclear activity.

"Nevertheless, although so far it has not been proven that secret Indian-Israeli nuclear testing is what caused the destructive earthquake, there is evidence that the recent nuclear tests, the exchange of nuclear experts between India and Israel, and the American pressure on Pakistan regarding its nuclear cooperation with Asian and Islamic countries [by providing India with advanced nuclear technology in an attempt to stop Pakistani activity] – all these pose a big question mark regarding the causes of the severe earthquake in Asia.

"Scientific studies prove that there is increasing nuclear activity under the waters of the oceans and seas … and that America is the first country in the world responsible for this activity. This raises an enormous question mark… What is puzzling is that all the previous earthquakes did not cause such great destruction [as this one], particularly [in light of the fact that] the earthquake's center was some 40 kilometers under the seabed of the Indian Ocean.

"One of the American researchers, Merrills Kinsey, [5] pointed out an important fact in the scientific report that he prepared after the last disaster, which is that the center of an earthquake that took place some 40 kilometers under the ocean floor could not have caused such destruction unless nuclear testing had been conducted close to the tectonic plates in these countries, or unless several days previously there had been [nuclear] activity that caused these plates to shift and collide – which constitutes a danger to all humanity, not only to the inhabitants of these countries…" [6]

[2] Al-Majd TV (Saudi Arabia/UAE), January 5, 2005. To view the clip, visit
http://memritv.org/Search.asp?ACT=S9&P1=462.
[3] Al-Majd TV (Saudi Arabia/UAE), December 31, 2004. To view the clip, visit
http://memritv.org/Search.asp?ACT=S9&P1=459.
[4] Al-Majd TV (Saudi Arabia/UAE), January 1, 2005. To view the clip, visit
http://memritv.org/Search.asp?ACT=S9&P1=452.
[5] The name was not identified by MEMRI.
[6] Al-Usbu' (Egypt), January 1, 2005.

[Ania]

@ amiexpat:
It is legitimate to appreciate the sympathy and donation of the people in Europe while analyzing the empty verbal agitions and practical inaction of their governments.
It is also legitimate to talk about power and interests in this context as they underlie every decision including the moral one. It is more honest to admit this fact rather than to pretend that states are 'nice' and act purely out of altruistic motives. The actual issue is to find mechanics to manage these interests in a fair and comprehensible way instead of denying their existence.
Power is with the doers/risk-takers and not the reluctant ones.

[amiexpat]

@ania..
I couldn't agree more with your statement..
I just found it ironic that even in a non war situation the self proclaimed 'Friedensmacht' is not in a position to offer much help.
you are right it is more honest to admit that states act for practical reasons AS WELL AS altruistic motives. Too bad the self proclaimed 'Friedensmacht' of the Rot_Grün doesn't see this.. they would just rather continue to be self righteous and hypocritical.

[Downer]

Auch die "Welt" schreibt:

"Europas von der Katastrophe betroffene Staaten waren vorerst um das Wohl und die Rückführung eigener Staatsbürger besorgt. Die versprochene Hilfe gerät nur zögerlich ins Rollen, während die Amerikaner und Australier längst mit schweren Maschinen, Hubschraubern und auch eigenen Soldaten beispielsweise in Indonesien gelandet sind. Auf Sumatras größtem Flughafen bei Medan haben australische Truppen Hubschrauber aus Transportflugzeugen geladen, während die Amerikaner seit Tagen vor der Westküste Acehs mit einem Flugzeugträger präsent sind und mit rund 90 Hubschraubern Hilfsflüge tätigen und Notgüter abwerfen."

http://www.welt.de/data/2005/01/07/384540.html

Wenn man nicht mehr weiter weiß, redet man eben darüber, wie man reden sollte oder könnte, anstatt, wie Amerika und Australien, konkrete Handlungsschritte folgen zu lassen. Europas Rolle wie gehabt, die Weltsicht von der Venus aus musste nahezu zwangsläufig zum Scheitern verurteilt sein, da sie nach dem Prinzip verfährt: Wünsch Dir was, es darf auch etwas Tolles sein!

[Don]

"I think it's partially an unfair critique because Europe doesn't have a naval fleet deloyed to all corners of the world nor hundreds of military bases around the globe. Of course the US can respond quicker and more effectively."

Why doesn't Europe have something like this? Possibly because the US provides it at no monetary cost to the US.

There is one thing Europe could have done even lacking a fleet, however. They could have arranged to meet 2 or 3 days after the catastrophe rather than 10 days. No?

One more thing Europeans and UN employees could do is refrain from criticizing the US as 'stingy', this getting us all into rounds of charge and counter-charge of who is being more generous and who is more worthy. Like a stupid potlach (giving contest among tribes of American Indians) or something.

Pledges are cheap and easy. Delivery is hard and expensive. I saw a European (a historian) quote in The Independent newspaper a couple days ago suggesting that the US didn't meet it's committments and that he could only hope the US did so 'this time'. This could be interpreted two ways I guess. He might have given up on Europe completely. Or perhaps he believes that aid is solely the responsibility of the US?

Right now it's the US, Australia, and India on the ground delivering aid. From Europe a few planefuls because that is all they are capable of until their ships start arriving in a week or two.

For now it would be meet for all to do what they can when they can and otherwise remain silent on the failings of others. I speak of loudmouths in the US as well as the UN and Europe in this case.

[Pato]

an exchange between a euronuch and an American and an Indian, showing the extent of brain power within the "eu", from varifrank.com blog-
http://varifrank.com/archives/2005/01/today_i_was_unp_1.php
"Today, during an afternoon conference that wrapped up my project of the last 18 months, one of my Euro collegues tossed this little turd out to no one in particular:
" See, this is why George Bush is so dumb, theres a disaster in the world and he sends an Aircraft Carrier..."
After which he and many of my Euro collegues laughed out loud.
and then they looked at me. I wasn't laughing, and neither was my Hindi friend sitting next to me, who has lost family in the disaster.

I'm afraid I was "unprofessional", I let it loose - "Hmmm, let's see, what would be the ideal ship to send to a disaster, now what kind of ship would we want?

Something with its own inexhuastible power supply?

Something that can produce 900,000 gallons of fresh water a day from sea water?

Something with its own airfield? So that after producing the fresh water, it could help distribute it?

Something with 4 hospitals and lots of open space for emergency supplies?

Something with a global communications facility to make the coordination of disaster relief in the region easier?

Well "Franz", us peasants in America call that kind of ship an "Aircraft Carrier". We have 12 of them. How many do you have? Oh that's right, NONE. Lucky for you and the rest of the world, we are the kind of people who share. Even with people we dont like. In fact, if memory serves,once upon a time we peasants spent a ton of money and lives rescuing people who we had once tried to kill and who tried to kill us.

Do you know who those people were? that's right Franz, Europeans.

Theres is a French Aircraft carrier? where is it? Right where it belongs! In France of course! Oh why should the French Navy dirty their uniforms helping people on the other side of the globe. How Simplesse...

The day an American has to move a European out of the way to help in some part of the world it will be a great day in the world, you sniggering little fucknob..."

The room fell silent. My hindi friend then said quietly to the Euros:

"Can you let your hatred of George Bush end for just one minute? There are people dying! And what are your countries doing? Amazon.com has helped more than France has. You all have a role to play in the world, why can't you see that? Thank God for the US Navy, they dont have to come and help, but they are. They helped you once and you should all thank God they did. They didnt have to, and no one but them would have done so. I'm ashamed of you all..."
The US, with 95 helicoptors now operating within the theater makes me wonder when the pair (2)of helicoptors from a german ship will arrive?

[Pato]

the stench of this re-emerging euro disease has finally reached the desks of the main stream press in the US.
In short order, we will all get to see europe once again, further on it's knees continuing to spew the idiotic nonsense it has become famous for-
http://www.usnews.com/usnews/issue/050110/usnews/10muslims.htm

[Pato]

Anyone, anywhere who gives a damn about today's geo-political madness should take a moment to read the great Victor Hanson column today-
http://www.nationalreview.com/hanson/hanson200501070750.asp
to read all his works- www.victorhanson.com
"The U.N., NATO, or the EU: These are now the town criers of the civilized world who preach about "the law" and then seek asylum in their closed shops and barred stores when the nuclear Daltons or terrorist Clantons run roughshod over the town. In our own contemporary ongoing drama, China, Russia, and India watch bemused as the United States tries to hunt down the psychopathic killers while Western elites ankle-bite and hector its efforts. I suppose the Russians, Chinese, and Indians know that Islamists understand all too well that blowing up two skyscrapers in Moscow, Shanghai, or Delhi would guarantee that their Middle Eastern patrons might end up in cinders."

[Aarrgghh]

I was just reading this last night, and it was so depressing I wrote it down. I think it speaks for itself:

"If we had even two-thirds of Germany's planes, we should have won the war. Why did America not send them in time?" -- French military pilot, June 17th 1940

Sonia Tamora, NY Herald Tribune
Reporting WWII, Volume I (1938-1944), p71

It's a heck of a book, by the way. The noises the French and English were making in 1937-1939 sound eerily familiar. But Germany, for all her present faults, has distinctly improved!

Of course, in the 1930s, the US had its head about as far in the sand as France and England did.

[andrew2]

Here's a German language website the Germans should be reading if they are so concerned about America being the evil empire.

http://www.schule.dk/islam/islam.htm

and here's one for the Rapidly dhimmifying Dutch.

http://www.pim-fortuyn.nl/pfforum/forum.asp?FORUM_ID=66

[Doughnut Boy Andy]

@beimama

"Come to think of it, that might be an argument that anti-Americanism in Germany isn't just media driven. No one is forcing Germans to buy Michael Moore's books, or watch his movies, but they are still laying their money down. Maybe the media is just selling them what they want to hear."

I agree with you 100%. After all it doesnt take half a brain to watch MM or read one of his books for the BS detector to kick in.... and even if it doesnt how many people in Germany have come out of one of his films or sat down after reading his books and simply searched the internet for opposing views or thought about it for a second? Very few I guess. Its just easy to believe his black and white stereotyped world rather than form an opinion yourself. Its def a supply driven market. Not that that makes the German media´s anti-American or anti-Israeli bias any better. I am sure we all have a few theories of why this might be as well.

@Roland

"Advisor to Saudi Arabia's Justice Minister: The Nations were Destroyed for Lying, Sinning, and being Infidels"

Thanks for that article. I wonder whether the Saudi "Justice" Minister would dare to explain the tragedy after the Iran earthquake the same way? No I doubt it as well.

@Amiexpat

" they would just rather continue to be self righteous and hypocritical."

Without finding the "bad" in America they wouldnt be able to find the "good" in Germany I guess.

@Pato

Thanks for the reminder. Friday is VDH day!

[Pato]

At some time, the great Dutch will stand up and knock some jihadi heads off. Unless the citizens flee the country first...
If asked, the US would take about 1/1000th of a second to assist.
As far as germany is concerned- if the US is ever asked for any assistance in these modern times- the US would offer nothing but flatulence for germans to inhale.
I realise europe has longed for decades to get under the robes of the mullahs, and has helped the mullahs by accepting thier citizen/warrior masses onto euro soil while getting paid handsomely by the euor taxpayers.
Could europe have have found a more desirable set of asylum seekers to fill the void left over the centuries by people fleeing the sterile confines of europe? Those people who fled europe built the US from scratch. Now listen to the euros as they holler from such a position of impotence.
Was it the iron curtain that kept europe from acccepting those from the east instead? Were the asian nations not wealthy enough to bribe europa to accept their fleeing citizens?
I don't think so, this all goes back to the pact made between euroville and the islamists back in the 1970's. It was a pact to challenge US "hegemony" and was initiated by France, the floundering whale which germany hugs and preens along with like a damn pilot-fish looking for a dangling utter......

[Joe N.]

Good grief - it really could be all that all this left invective is about something far more basic...
Stop the world! A european is suffering from low self-esteem!

[Pato]

@joe
yeah, you're right on. I've been posting to this blog for a year, saying often that it is only a phsych-ward immersion that will cure many of the countries on the continent.
I didn't think people in modern times could fall for the horse szhit put out by the euro press and the slim-dicked MPs. But the people are indeed sucking this crap up like a narcotic. It says allot about what they feel inside about their lives, and about themselves and their countries.
It is very troubling that the people themselves cannot see through the self-induced fog.
I smell big twuble.

[Joe N.]

I smell beeeg trouble two. Even professionally, in dealing with euros, one has to spend a great deal of time keeping then "on topic" and focussed.
Even when they don't drift into talking politics, it's all about them showing you who's smartest, more "complex", better. Sad. Very sad.
You have to break them in just like college grads.

[Pato]

@joe
Agree fully. I'm looking at about 7 long days of listening to this crap when in Hanover next month.
I am damn ready for it, and excited to have a chance to respond.
I'll make my deceased grandparents proud.
And my 3 dead uncles, killed while young for an insanely foolish thing like liberating a bunch of spoon-fed priks within france, will be very proud of what I'll be serving at the debates thrown my way. It may cost me business, but money is a small price to pay for such an opportunity.

[HardKerry]

We Americans are getting tired of trying to explain to Europeans that you can’t see the real world or act intelligently WITH YOUR HEAD STUCK ... er.... IN THE GROUND.
If you are a rational European, please read the eloquent Victor David Hanson "Are we world weary":

Here
http://www.nationalreview.com/hanson/hanson200501070750.asp

What if...???
We decided Europe wasn’t worth it anymore
We said to the Mullahs “If you use your Euro-supplied nukes only in Europe
WE WILL NOT RESPOND... Europe is on its own

Then What ??? Nuclear blackmail (or attack) followed by raging European debate about when to start the discussion about when and where to hold a meeting to start to discuss a strongly worded protest to the mullahs??

When we leave, We won’t be back.

[Roland]

Sensation!

Spiegel critizes the UN

SPIEGEL ONLINE - 07. Januar 2005, 11:30
URL: http://www.spiegel.de/politik/ausland/0,1518,335807,00.html

Rettungsmaßnahmen

Helfer klagen über schlechte Koordination der Uno

Die Schäden in der Provinz Sumatras sind zwölf Tage nach der Flut noch immer nicht überschaubar. Die Uno will ihre Hilfe nun auf diese isolierten Gebiete konzentrieren. Doch Hilfsorganisationen werfen der Weltorganisation vor, in der Koordination der Hilfe versagt zu haben.

Transport von Hilfsgütern in Banda Aceh: Kritik an der Uno
Großbildansicht
AP
Transport von Hilfsgütern in Banda Aceh: Kritik an der Uno
Hamburg - Wenn Uno-Generalsekretär Kofi Annan sich heute in Banda Aceh mit Funktionären des Landes und Vertretern verschiedener Hilfsorganisationen treffen wird, wird ihm möglicherweise auch der Unmut vieler Helfer zu Ohren kommen. Nach Informationen der "Financial Times" werfen sie den Vereinten Nationen vor, unfähig zu sein, die vielfältige Hilfsmaßnahmen, die aus aller Welt eingeht, zu koordinieren.

Mehr als eineinhalb Wochen nach der Flut seien Dutzende Hilfsorganisationen gezwungen, sämtliche Logistik selbst zu organisieren, damit die Hilfe in die Gebiete kommt, wo sie am nötigsten ist. "Wenn wir darauf warteten, bis die Uno uns sagt, was zu tun ist, würden wir gar nichts erreichen", sagt Abdul Hadi Bin e-Raschid, Admiral der indonesischen Marine, im Einsatzzentrum am Flughafen von Banda Aceh.

"Warum warten?", fragt sich der Admiral. "Da gibt es Leute, die hungern und wütend sind. Also tun wir was." In den abgelegenen Gegenden Sumatras fehlt es noch immer an Wasser, Essen und anderen wichtigen Gegenständen. Wegen der schlechten sanitären Bedingungen und unbehandelter Wunden wächst die Gefahr von Seuchen. Ein führendes Mitglied einer nicht genannten westlichen Hilfsorganisation wird in der Zeitung zitiert: "Die Uno ist langsam gestartet. Andere Organisationen mussten die Lücke schließen."

Konzentration auf Provinzen

Der Weltorganisation wird vorgeworfen, manche Hilfsaktionen seien aus mangelnder Koordination gleich zweimal gemacht worden. Das Hauptproblem bestehe darin, dass die Uno am Flughafen von Banda Aceh nicht präsent sei, dem Drehkreuz der eingehenden Waren.......

[Joe N.]

Pato:
Just remember, there will be a great deal of emphasis on co-operation and getting along. In fact it's a kind of religion.
Get your listener to discount it for a moment. They actually quickly realize that co-perating and wanting to find common-ground with someone who propagates policies which are deadly is worst than bad - it's betraying oneself.

Scale and perspective. Just like the first week of Architecture school...

[Pogue]

"If we had even two-thirds of Germany's planes, we should have won the war. Why did America not send them in time?" -- French military pilot, June 17th 1940

Sonia Tamora, NY Herald Tribune
Reporting WWII, Volume I (1938-1944), p71

-------------------------

Of course the irony is that France had MORE planes than the Germans - and even later models
( same goes for tanks ) - and just refused to fight

[Roland]

Wie wählen psychisch Kranke?

http://www.medical-tribune.de/GMS/bericht/wahlverhalten

[Anthony]

>Of course the irony is that France had MORE planes than the Germans - and even later models
( same goes for tanks ) - and just refused to fight

First off, the French had fewer planes than the Germans, and the French planes were inferior.

The French did have more and better tanks (though some argue that French superiority in quality has been overstated). But the French used the tanks badly. Other than deGaulle (who was only promoted to General after the German invasion), the French had no "apostle of armor," like Patton in the US or Liddle-Hart in Britain. They tended to spread out the armor and use it more as a defensive weapon.

The one sucessful counterattack the French pulled off was when De Gaulle, given command of a division that largely existed only on paper, gathered tanks and other stray forces were in the vacinity of the divisions assembly point and attacked the Germans.

As for not fighting, the French suffered about 300,000 killed and wounded.

[Anthony]

Here is another thing. Despite the storyline that US-French problems only began when George Bush got elected (or, as the Europress might say, when the stupid rednecks elected the moran Bush), the fact is that soon after WWII ended, troubles began.

In fact, in 1945, the US Army in Europe felt the need to address the "common gripes about the French" and produced a phamphlet.

Here is the page on French casualties during teh war.

http://66.218.71.225/search/cache?p=%2B%22Battle+of+france%22++%2Bcasualties&toggle=1&ei=UTF-8&u=www.acrocom.com/gripes/106.html&w=%22battle+of+france%22+casualties&d=759C44EB82&icp=1&.intl=us

[Anthony]

Sorry, wrong link

http://www.acrocom.com/gripes/106.html

[Gabi]

"Sexvergehen von Blauhelmsoldaten in Kongo bestätigt

New York. SDA/baz. UNO-Blauhelmsoldaten in Kongo-Kinshasa haben in mindestens 19 Fällen minderjährige Frauen für Sex bezahlt und damit gegen die Vorschriften der Vereinten Nationen verstossen. Das haben Ermittlungen der zuständigen UNO-Abteilung in New York ergeben.

Wie die UNO am Freitag bekanntgab, haben Blauhelmsoldaten den einheimischen Mädchen in der nordöstlichen Provinz Ituri einen Dollar, ein Ei oder andere Lebensmittel für Sex bezahlt.

Die UNO prüfen 72 Fälle angeblicher sexueller Ausbeutung minderjähriger Frauen im Kongo, konnten bisher aber nur 19 Fälle ausreichend nachweisen. In den anderen Fällen standen die Betroffenen oder Augenzeugen nicht mehr zur Verfügung. Die beschuldigten Soldaten erklärten sich überwiegend unschuldig.

Zusätzlich zu der Prostitution habe es «ausgedehnte sexuelle Kontakte zwischen den Blauhelmen und der örtlichen Bevölkerung in Bunia», der Hauptstadt von Ituri, gegeben, hhiess es in dem UNO- Bericht. «Von Hunger getrieben, suchten Kinder den Kontakt zu Mitgliedern der UNO-Friedensmission MONUC in Kongo».

Die sexuelle Ausbeutung junger Mädchen hätte zwar schon zuvor begonnen, durch die ethnischen Milizen, aber sie habe sich mit den Blauhelmen weiter verschärft, hiess es weiter.

Wegen der schweren Kämpfe zwischen ethnischen Gruppen in 2003 waren 4500 UNO-Blauhelme in die Region entsendet worden. Ihre Zahl ist inzwischen auf rund 10 000 angestiegen."

Da fällt mir die Berichterstattung über Abu Ghraib ein. Und diese Ekelsachen sind auch aus dem Jahr 2003. Ich kann mir das Geschrei vorstellen, wenn Amerikaner das gemacht hätten.

[Thomas Hazlewood]

For the record, Sidney Blumenthal has lost his job with Salon.com. The reason was not given.

Also, for the record, can we please DESIST from pointing out how much the US has done for this or that continent/nation in WWII? That 'whine' surely has soured by now.

[Joe]

Thomas,

I agree with you about the US and what has it done.

I think a more timely question would be....what have you done for me lately..

[Pato]

I hear the mighty country of spain, under the watch of Bambi (chump) Zapatero has offered 70% of it's aid to the region with strings attached that state- "the aid is for reduced rate loans for the affected area to buy back spanish goods at a reduced rate."
I sense that the concept of shame has left the "eu" continent along with the IQs.
So as spain now tries to subsidize it's welfare state off the backs of the tsunami region, you really have to wonder at the little "eu" diapers this guy Zap wears. are the subsidized?
So OK, how do you say "soclialist whores" in french or german?
En espanaol este- putas socialistas.

[Alan E Brain]

Es macht nichts. Just get out of the way and let the grown-ups do it, OK? We're just a bit too frigging busy here in Australia to worry too much about EU posturing, pro- or anti-Ami. There's people in need here who will die if we don't act now. If you're not able to help, piss off.
If you are able to help, any and all helos, transport, pottable water etc gratefully appreciated, even if only a single planeload.

[Alan E Brain]

@Jarrod :
Re EU's distance from the problem. Indonesia is less than 24 hours from Europe, by Air. It's 6 hours away from Sydney, for that matter. Aceh is as far away from me here in Canberra as Baghdad is from Berlin.
There are things called "airports". "Flughafen" auf Deutsch. Even a dozen UH-1s and medical teams from the Katastrophenshutz in Germany, loaded aboard a few Volga-Dniepr Antonovs and shipped within 72 hours would have gotten there only a day later than ours. In fact, maybe earlier, we had to wait until the Antonovs reached Australia before we could pack ours and ship them.
It's not resources or distance, it's the mindset that Europe is missing. Ah well, Mai Pen Rai.

[Joe]

Alan,

Yes........but.....

did you have a meeting? You cannot do anything properly without a meeting... The leaders need to have a good photo op ... so that the people know they not only care but things are being done in their name.

[Gary in New Jersey]

It took one small news story and photo to sum up the differences between Old Europeans and the nations that have been helping southeast Asia since the beginning.

Thai rescue workers were complaining that even as they recovered bodies and tried to regroup, European tourists went back to the beach to resume tanning. The photo showed a work crew clearing debris just a few feet from some indolent euro-trash.

One worker even said a Swedish woman returned to the beach as soon as the water receded!

As for you Germans, please explain why your government's first action was to send an EMPTY plane to the region to recover your countrymen. And why did they leave, when so many people were in such dire need?

The story ran nationwide. I'm sure you superior Europeans will think that's just us bashing you, though.

[Joe]

Ruben,

Well if you had added one more Zero to that... there would be no french period. What would the Germans do for allies?

[Mike H.]

Doughnut Boy Andy,

"I wonder whether the Saudi "Justice" Minister would dare to explain the tragedy after the Iran earthquake the same way? No I doubt it as well."

Actually, the Saudis are Sunni, and Iran is Shia'a. The Sunni Wahhabi think that the Shia'a are infidels, and slaughter them when they have a chance.

[JD]

Alan,

I salute your comments. All these comments about whose is bigger or better are a waste. WWII insults - Really!!! The Australians have got it right. Just go do it because it's the right thing to do. The people need the help! Don't worry about who gets the credit. The Americans were right behind along with a 'few' other countries. I'm sure if it had happened in America's back yard they would have been the first to respond. Let's all just get it done. Lead, follow, or get the hell out of the way.

[Tyranno]

Pogue posts:
"If we had even two-thirds of Germany's planes, we should have won the war. Why did America not send them in time?"
-- French military pilot, June 17th 1940

Sonia Tamora, NY Herald Tribune
Reporting WWII, Volume I (1938-1944), p71

-------------------------
Of course the irony is that France had MORE planes than the Germans - and even later models
( same goes for tanks ) - and just refused to fight

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

. . . It's deja vu all over again!

"I could have had a significant administration, but I didn't have a 9/11 happen on my watch!" George Bush is sooOOoo lucky!"

Of course the irony is that so many things happened on clinton's watch . . . but he proved himself impotent over and over again. He proved that he didn't possess the character to deal with any of them. He just refused to fight. (a-la the boisterous verbal , feckless actual France!)

Tyranno

PS: could of, should of, would of !!! . . . the modern 'progressive' liberal has nothing but the best of intentions!

[Tyranno]

Anthony posts:
"As for not fighting, the French suffered about 300,000 killed and wounded."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A meaningless freefloating statistic. One could also say "1,000,000 Rwandan's killed and wounded," or "6,000,000 Jews killed and wounded," and it would provide the same depth of understanding.

As I read my way through European author's history on the war I find the consensus being the Free French force, that mythical "French resistance:"
1) Grew exponentially with each passing day at the end of the war and continued to swell in each new French history book published. When it became safe to do so, they proclaimed, "We are all the resistance now!"

2) The "resistence" had positioned itself so that it could have, just as easily, swung over to the victorious Nazis, if that had been the ultimate outcome.
Had that happened we would now be reading about the French resistance's phenomenal support for the liberation of France from the invaders," those damnable "occupying" Allies.

Tyranno

PS: Some common themes I hear in conversation;
1. The French resistance, with some help from the British, won the war in the west.
2. The Russians really won the war because they experienced the most casualties.
3. The Allies victory in the war liberated the Germans from Nazism.

[Tyranno]

Thomas Hazlewood posts:

"...Also, for the record, can we please DESIST from pointing out how much the US has done for this or that continent/nation in WWII? That 'whine' surely has soured by now."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Interesting perspective. Emotion over fact. The world is suppose to marvel about every evanescent European promise and each 'best of' European intention that sours . . . but is suppose to stop talking about events that have really happened?

Bottom line is that I agree with Mr Hazelwood. And I will immediately stop talking about the U.S.A.s contribution in the world ~ just as soon as the Europeans stop trying to rewrite history and blame the U.S.A. for all the sins of and in this world.
Tyranno

PS: I consider my posts more of an effort to present the other side of the ubiquitous Anti-American conversation/ herd mentality, taking place on this continent.

[Doughnut Boy Andy]

@ Mike H

Good point and one I hadnt considered. I still doubt that the Saudis would dare blame the earthquake in Iran on Irans lack of sharia law. That would be a bit silly but agreed, after what you said it is possible.

OT - From Expatica (English)

"BERLIN - An anti-Semitic book review referring to rabbis "rolling in gold" has been posted on Amazon.com's German website in connection with a book on a World War II battle between the Soviet Red Army and Adolf Hitler's Wehrmacht.

"The review will be removed as quickly as possible from our website," a company spokeswoman said on Friday.

The company banned anti-Semitic and racist content from book reviews, said Christine Hoeger, spokeswoman for Amazon's German division.

The Amazon customer review - dated 29 October 2004 - says the 1945 Battle of Halbe near Berlin was "the last act of a 30 year civil war in which the

Christians (the British Empire) and the godless Jews (plutocrats and Bolsheviks) allied to bomb the German speakers in the centre of Europe back into third class status."

The reviewer, identified only as "kksspeer" from the German city of Celle, goes on to claim it is clear where this led following the 11 September 2001 attacks on the US."

[Jeff]

As usual, I come here to get my daily dose of depression.

H. Buchsteiner's position is proper but depressing.

It is proper because of course the effort of the US government is motivated by a desire to advance the interests of the American people. That is what the US government is for. If the US government recognizes that a friend in need is a friend indeed and is prompt in assisting those in need, then that is sound governmental policy. If the US government recognizes that "friends make gifts, and gifts make friends:" that is the "public diplomacy" and "soft power" that nattering critics deny the Bush administration is smart enough to do. (Personally, I agree the Bush administration has done a generally terrible job of public diplomacy and SO am pleased as punch to see them get this one absolutely right.)

I am depressed because, as usual in these discussions, no reference is made to the voluntary and private efforts of Americans, which generally have no political motivations at all.

I am depressed because the wisdom of the Scottish philosophers is neglected. Why question the motives of a good act? It may not be from benevolence that the baker provides us bread, but providing bread is a good thing WHATEVER the motivation.

I am depressed because H. Buchsteiner views this issue primarily on the assumption that America and Europe are hostile powers in conflict worldwide, and he worries that America has gained over Europe in the opinion of Asia. Weltmacht oder niedergang. Such attitudes may not cause war, but they enable it. The next step will be that Europe is encircled. And we already see mentions of Kultur. Those who do not know history are doomed to repeat it.

[Goldmember]

An oldie but a goodie :

"BERLIN, July 23 (Reuters) - Almost one in three Germans below the age of 30 believes the U.S. government may have sponsored the September 11, 2001, attacks on New York and Washington, according to a poll published on Wednesday.

And about 20 percent of Germans in all age groups hold this view, a survey of 1,000 people conducted for the weekly Die Zeit said. "