The FAZ Cultural Section’s Anti-Bush Rage

On various occasions we’ve reported on the aggressive articles against the American government in the conservative FAZ’s Cultural section. The December 9 edition contains some nice examples of the FAZ Cultural section’s openly polemical style.

The occasion is the conferring of the Nobel Prize on Harold Pinter and the speech he gave on this occasion. Hubert Spiegel (sic!) writes:

"Probably nobody, not even its closest allies, views recent American politics without great concern. Everyone knows that American’s leadership unscrupulously lied to its own citizens and to the whole world about Saddam’s alleged weapons of mass destruction."

Everyone knows? A better formulation would be: "Everyone who works for the cultural section of the FAZ knows..." I mean, these folks are so smart - they know deep down in their heart that Bushitler Bush lied, though he never admitted to it, and no proof for a lie was ever provided.

In the same edition Elke Heidenreich, a left-wing book critic with limited intellectual appeal, gets the opportunity to criticize Bush at a level that has become the trademark of the FAZ cultural section. She calls the U.S. government a "gang" that is fittingly "charged with murder."

Dear Mr. Pinter, To be honest, I wasn’t really happy about your getting the Nobel Prize; there were more eligible people on the list, don’t you think? ...

I’m glad now even so. Because what you hammered home to the academy, to the USA and to all of us in your speech has something in it that rivals an earthquake. Just as Mrs. Rice hinted that no mistakes are allowed when it comes to torture, you charge the whole gang with murder. That fits.

You have to deal with it amid this fraudulent Christmas schmaltz, but it’s high time. I live in a country that hasn’t been dragged into this war. Yours unfortunately has, so I understand that you must be doubly angry. Let’s see what happens now. Let’s see whether a Nobel Laureate’s word still packs any punch. And best wishes with the prize from the bottom of my heart. Your Elke Heidenreich (article not available online)

In a commentary on the front page of the same day’s FAZ, Johannes Leithäuser challenges the new German government to dedicate itself to the “procurement of a better appreciation of the United States among the German public as well as of Europe and Germany in America.” As far as the "appreciation” of Germany in America is concerned, further efforts are certainly unnecessary: According to a poll conducted by the German Embassy in the USA, only 30% of Americans consider German-American relations to be good or very good.

Against the backdrop of coverage in the German Media, this statistic seems excessively high to me…

(emphasis added)

(Translation by Richard Bartholomew)

UPDATE: For our German-language audience, here is an excellent piece over at Politically Incorrect on why the tone of the entire transatlantic debate must change.

Comments

[LizardAbroad]

Not to mention that it's "Frau DOKTOR Rice". As an American living in Germany, I'm always amused at the German love of titles, especially the "Doktor" title in a land that lacks a first-rate university, and where a doctorate represents a level of achievement more akin to a master's elsewhere (the best German students head abroad for study).

[ming666]

btw Bushitler is out

Chimpy Bushitlerburton is in!

[amiexpat]

@Lizard..
I second that amusement. Have you noticed the higher the level of educational achievement in Germany, the higher the probability the person is a moron with no common sense?
I can't tell you how many German doctors I have met who are absolute morons.
Ditto for your observation on DOCTOR rice. I make sure and mention she is a doctor at every opportunity. See Germany, you should bow down and worship her now!

[Doughnut Boy Andy]

"According to a poll conducted by the German Embassy in the USA, only 30% of Americans consider German-American relations to be good or very good."

I cant believe that! After all there was that huge German investment in a "friendship bus" or not?

For newer readers of MK, here a picture of the bus and 6 interested members of the public.

[Cousin Dave]

@amiexpat: "I second that amusement. Have you noticed the higher the level of educational achievement in Germany, the higher the probability the person is a moron with no common sense?"

Sigh... Unfortunately, much the same is true in America these days. If a person has a Ph. D., and it's not in the physical sciences, business, engineering, or mathematics, it's practically a guarantee that that person has a best a very tenuous connection with reality.

[amiexpat]

hi dave..
actually almost ALL the doctors I meet here regardless of field (except for medical doctors)
are without a clue.
at least SOME of our academics in the USA are grounded in reality.

[David J.]

Hi,

please feel free to add the German "Handelsblatt" (the leading daily business newspaper in Germany) to the Calling-Bush-something-insulting-must-be-good-journalism-crowd. They had their "this-was-the-year-2005" edition today. Most articles were illustrated with film posters (e.g. a redesigned Star-Wars-III poster for an article about Germany's new government with some German politicians replacing the actors).

Guess which movie poster was chosen to illustrate the article about America's foreign policy?

Planet of the Apes (the 2001 version). Haha. And the ape general from the original posters was replaced by the US president. Haha. Now that is fine and subtle humor.

Note from David: Many thanks, David J. I'll do a posting on it in the next couple of days.

[Pogue Mahone]

Actually the 30% seems quite low in relation to German American relations The vast majority of American's have no idea how our nation, people and President is treated our there in Eurabia ( coming by 2050 )

If we did - the figure would drop to single digits for sure

BTW - Merry Christmas to all

[Pat Patterson]

30% seems quite high considering most Americans probably regard Germany like they regard Canada, not much. Not in the negative but simply by not even thinking about either country at all. Most Americans could likely name only four Germans; Martin Luther, Hitler, Rommel and Jan Ullrich. Many would claim this shows how ignorant Americans are but actually most Americans have immigrated here and aside from food nostalgia have little interest in where they came from.

Make that five with Katarina Witt.

[Sock Puppet of Doom]

Jan WHO? Team Tmobile an it's riders became non-entities to plenty here in the USA when it's supporters started spitting on Lance in the Tour before last. I will never have a Tmobile account. I will do without a cellphone first.

All my VW and VW parts are gone. I will never own another German made or designed Automobile. That BMW road bike I was planning on buying was not. I bought a Yamaha instead.

[wilsonkolb]

"Probably nobody, not even its closest allies, views recent American politics without great concern. Everyone knows that American’s leadership unscrupulously lied to its own citizens and to the whole world about Saddam’s alleged weapons of mass destruction."

Thank God someone will say so. The news media in the United States are either directly controlled by the White House or seriously intimidated by it. You bet we were lied to. Neither the White House nor the U.S. military has done anything but lie about each and every aspect of the Iraq War. Kudos to the German media for saying so!

[joe]

I cannot help but think back to a few months ago when the Gerhard lead government took out newspaper advertisements in many major cities touting the friendship between Germany and the US.

Even today across the heartland local newspapers continue to negatively comment on the release of a murderer of a US service man by Germany.

This only goes to further distinguish the difference in values held by Americans when compared to Germans. It is no wonder less and less Americans have a positive view of Germany.

Hopefully these views can be turned into some form of positive action, such as the disbanding of NATO and leaving the defense of Europe to the Europeans lead of course by the members of the chocolate summit.

[FranzisM]

@wilsonkolb - Are you Saddam's ambassador? If not, better pay your kudos to the Pope than to our media, he found his path out of the German Iraq lie while you have not even begun yet.

[Doug]

Thank God someone will say so. The news media in the United States are either directly controlled by the White House or seriously intimidated by it. You bet we were lied to. Neither the White House nor the U.S. military has done anything but lie about each and every aspect of the Iraq War. Kudos to the German media for saying so!

We can conclude that one or more of the following are true (in descending order of probability):
1) You're barely exposed to news media in the United States, if at all
2) You don't pay attention when you are
3) You can't define the word "lie"
4) You've just now reluctantly made a brief sojourn into reality, and can't wait to get back to your private world
5) You're much too subtle to register on my Sarcast-O-Meter

[wilsonkolb]

Doug, the word lie means to intentionally repeat a falsehood. Some examples include:

1) Telling the world that the Saddam regime possessed weapons of mass destruction, when in fact it did not,

2) Telling the world that the Saddam regime was involved with al-Qaeda, when it was not,

3) Telling the world that the U.S. military would treat prisoners humanely, when it intended exactly the opposite,

4) Telling the world that "We do not torture," when this is exactly what the U.S. military does,

5) Telling the world "Mission Accomplished," when in fact it has barely begun

George W. Bush is the worst liar ever to occupy the presidency. In fact, he so consistently lies that he'd better never open a casino because it would surely go broke. Fortunately, there are still independent media left in the world that will tell the truth. They don't exist in the United States, but elements of the European media will still tell the truth.

I hope the German media will continue to do so.

Note from David: I approved the publication of this comment because it demonstrates in an almost perfect fashion the twisted mindset of the Left - in Germany and/or the U.S.
About the only accusation missing from wilsonkolb's list is Bush's alleged involvement in the 9/11 conspiracy...

[Scout]

David, you're more generous than I would have been.
wilsonkolb is a shining example to all of us of why it is so important to remember to take your prescribed medication.

[FranzisM]

@wilsonkolb - The Russian roulette the tyrants are playing with the weapons inspectors is not one of your casino games. The difference is, in Russian roulette the bank cannot go broke, but it may take your life.

[Doug]

Doug, the word lie means to intentionally repeat a falsehood.

Knowing that it's a falsehood is the difference between a lie and being wrong. Everyone from opinion journalists to US Senators have called it a lie without anyone troubling to make any case that it was a lie and not just wrong. Repeating the claim does not make it true. Show me any credible evidence that he knew the intelligence was wrong (even though it agreed with the intelligence of many other countries) - or are you lying about this "lie"?.

Telling the world that the Saddam regime possessed weapons of mass destruction, when in fact it did not

It hasn't been concluded that this was in fact wrong yet - we have found small amounts of WMD, as well as program apparatus that was hidden, and there are still missing declared materials that the u.n. inspections regime never found, illegal missile engines and facilities, etc. We've pulled planes, tanks, missiles, bodies, and Saddam himself out of the sand, and we're STILL finding things there; I think we have a good idea what happens to things he doesn't want us to find, and there's an awful lot of sand in Iraq.

Telling the world that the Saddam regime was involved with al-Qaeda, when it was not

He didn't say that the regime was involved with al Qaeda, he said it was involved with "terror" (they are not synonyms), and it was. From paying $10 million to the families of dead terrorists to providing a training camp and hijacking practice plane to Abu Nidal, he was hardly uninvolved. Maybe you can explain why Zarqawi went to Iraq from Afghanistan and was treated to free medical care?

Telling the world that the U.S. military would treat prisoners humanely, when it intended exactly the opposite,

The U.S. military treats prisoners more humanely than U.S. soldiers taken prisoner have been treated in any war in history. A few specific abuse cases do not support your blanket indictment of 'the military's intent', nor does the fact that it prosecutes people who go over the line.

Telling the world that "We do not torture," when this is exactly what the U.S. military does

The military kills. The military takes and controls ground. The military enforces security. These are what it trains to do, and what you can safely make broad generalizations about. "The military" does not torture, nor do a handful incidents go any distance to establishing the pattern of behavior that you so comfortably allege.

Telling the world "Mission Accomplished," when in fact it has barely begun

As you're well aware, getting Saddam out of power was the mission, and it was accomplished. He also said that we wouldn't do nation building - yet here we still are (that may have been a lie, depending on whether he really could have thought there was a way out without doing nation building). You can say that the mission changed, was extended, or was replaced with a new one, but you don't get to make up what the mission was to suit whatever's most ideologically convenient to you at the moment.

You still don't convince me that you know a thing about U.S. media. Every claim you've made has been repeatedly made (and just as poorly) in the media for two years now - the chief difference in the U.S. is that you actually hear another side sometimes.