Davids Medienkritik

Europe's Socialists Overjoyed at Democrat Victory: Part II

(By Ray D.)

The Washington Post reports:

"European Socialists eager to work with U.S. Democrats

OPORTO, Portugal (Reuters) - European Socialists promised on Thursday to work to rebuild Europe's strategic alliance with the United States now that the Democrats control Congress after last month's elections.

Socialist leaders attending a meeting of the European Socialist Party pledged that with the Democrats on the rise, strong ties could be renewed with the United States after years of cool relations with Republican President George W. Bush.

Howard Dean, chairman of the national comittee of the U.S. Democratic Party, is attending the two-day conference together with the leaders of leftist governments of several countries and party leaders from across Europe.

"We are not anti-American, we want the real America, your America," former Danish Prime Minister Poul Nyrup Rasmussen, president of the European Socialist Party, said in remarks directed at Dean." (emphasis ours)

Look carefully at his statement: Mr. Rasmussen is essentially saying that anyone who is not a Democrat or a follower of Howard Dean is not part of the "real America." So if you are not a Democrat, you are now a sub-American in the eyes of the president of the European Socialist Party.

His claim that Europe's Socialists are "not anti-American" is an obvious lie made even more obvious by the fact that he felt the need to make the claim in the first place. For years on end, Germany's Social-Democrats have both condoned and encouraged the most outrageous anti-American behavior (especially around election time) and looked the other way as Americans were collectively smeared as blood-sucking parasites by Germany's largest trade union just last year. There have been many other examples throughout Europe over the past several years. Mr. Rasmussen may think he can play Howard Dean and his far-left pals for chumps, but fortunately not everyone has such a short memory.   

The sad reality is that the Hate America ideology that Mr. Rasmussen and his Socialist followers have helped spread is so deeply ingrained throughout Europe that neither the Democrats nor the Socialists nor anyone else will be able to do away with the disease anytime soon. The fact that the "good" Americans are in control of Congress and the Socialists are suddenly in the mood to "make nice" will do little to change that.

Once again: The rude awakening for America's Democrats will come when they realize that the "Hate America" cancer that has spread through Europe and beyond (while many of them looked the other way because after all it was hurting Bush) is a plague that they will have to contend with directly. The chickens will slowly come home to roost as Democrats assume power in Congress and potentially take the Presidency in 2008 (although that is still a long way off and far from certain.) Democrat leaders, and those seeking to work with them abroad, will soon realize that the anti-American prejudices they have allowed to fester, grow and boil over are far wider and deeper than they could have ever imagined. It is all far more complicated than Hate Bush. They themselves will undoubtedly suffer at the hands of a monster they allowed to grow and thrive (and, to a degree, helped create).

The bottom line is this: We all continue to have a common interest in ending prejudices against the United States. The plague of "Hate America" that has infected European media, politics and society is something that we should have been working against for years now, not something to be addressed only when a certain political constellation happens to shine upon us. (More here)

Europe's Socialists Overjoyed at Democrat Victory

(By Ray D.)

Social Democrat Martin Schulz is a man of little shame. For only a man of little shame could claim that Germany's Social Democrats have "worked hard to prevent the widespread desperation among European citizens, caused by the aggressive policies of the Bush administration, from turning into a naked, entirely unjustified anti-Americanism." (Read the entire article German.)

One has to ask: Is there such a thing as justified anti-Americanism?

But beyond that: Sometimes you really just have to laugh at the monumental hypocrisy of people like Mr. Schulz. For years, his party has failed to condemn or so much as utter a peep of protest as mountains of the most vile and repulsive anti-Americanism polluted the German media landscape. Not one member of the SPD condemned IG Metall when it ran a magazine cover depicting Americans as bloodsucking insects. During the 2002 and 2005 elections, the SPD shamelessly took advantage of anti-American sentiment, going so far as to exploit the images of dead Americans on their campaign posters. Gerhard Schroeder used Hurricane Katrina to shamelessly promote his big government worldview. Yet Mr. Schulz expects us to believe the disingenuous claim that his party worked "very hard" to prevent anti-Americanism. The opposite is true: Mr. Schulz's Social-Democrats have worked very hard to spread (or at least ignore) anti-Americanism over the past six years in Germany. After all, it's helped them win key elections for decades now.   

And Mr. Schulz has another message for America: Europe's Socialists are overjoyed to have the Democrats and Nancy Pelosi as their new partners. Schulz, who is head of the 201 Socialist representatives in the European parliament, gushed his congratulations in a letter to the future House Speaker:

"Your victory has made it possible for the United States and Europe to renew their partnership and to create a dynamic and progressive agenda for global, peaceful development."

Can't you just feel the love American friends? Europe's Socialists accept you again. Let's all cuddle...

Update: Apparently, Germany's Socialist aren't the only ones thrilled with the election results. Al-Qaeda in Iraq is also hailing the outcome.

Update #2: Howard Dean and the Dems are getting cozy with Europe's far-left. See Europe's Socialists Overjoyed at Democrat Victory: Part II

Election Reaction: We Can Stop Hating America Now

(By Ray D.)

For those of you who don't know him, Karsten Voigt has been the German government's Coordinator for German-American Cooperation since 1999. He is also a member of ex-Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder's Social-Democratic party, which currently controls the German foreign ministry. In a post election interview with SPIEGEL ONLINE, Mr. Voigt expressed his hope that German prejudices against the United States would decrease now that the Democrats are in power. He also noted that these prejudices had hardened during the Bush years, the same years that he was tasked with improving German-American relations. The headline accompanying his comments reads: "Interview with Karsten Voigt: I Hope for Reduction of Stereotypes Against America."

Mr. Voigt's comments reflect a telling yet predictable logic pervasive in wide swaths of German media, politics and society. While the Republicans held power in the legislative and executive branch, people like Mr. Voigt were not as keenly interested in reducing the ugly anti-American prejudices rapidly metastasizing in German society (though they would protest that they certainly were). As we reported earlier, high-ranking German diplomats have repeatedly shrugged off shocking manifestations of anti-Americanism. When shown the outrageous May 2005 cover of IG Metall magazine, which depicted Americans as greedy, blood-sucking parasites feeding on German factories, both Dr. Guenter Pleuger, Germany's current Ambassador to the UN in New York, and former German Ambassador to the United States Juergen Chrobog dismissed the caricature as "not a problem." Other German diplomats have been even more open with their sentiments, comparing civil rights in the United States with those in North Korea.

Here's the point: Mr. Voigt and his colleagues in the German government, diplomatic corps and media should not have waited years until the "right people" (i.e. the "left people") were in power to call for greater German-American understanding. They should have been working all along in a very public manner to reduce the growing cancer of German prejudices against Americans instead of allowing them to fester and explode into the enormous national disease that we see today. Here is one very specific example: Mr. Voigt and his Social-Democrat colleagues should have never allowed Guido Westerwelle of the Free-Democrat Party to remain the solitary voice of German political leadership to condemn the outrageous IG Metall "American bloodsuckers" cover. Mr. Voigt should have loudly and publicly condemned this and other specific examples of anti-American prejudice in Germany through his many years on the job.

The sad truth is that Mr. Voigt's party, the Social-Democratic party, has long been the political beneficiary of anti-American sentiment. And let's be honest, Mr. Voigt did not speak out more vehemently or publicly until now about anti-American sentiments because they have helped his party win elections for decades. Anyone who doubts that should read the following passages from President Jimmy Carter's memoir:

"In Europe and elsewhere there were sharp debates about how much the United States should be supported on the crises in Iran and Afghanistan. Germany was being difficult. An election was approaching, and the leftists were opposed to any further criticism of the Soviet Union's occupation of Afghanistan. When Helmut Schmidt came to Washington for a visit, I was sharply critical because he had yielded to this pressure." (Page 500, "Keeping Faith")

"Helmut Schmidt seemed to be torn between the conflicting political forces in his country. In private conversations he was very tough in dealing with the Soviet threat, often the leader among Europeans in proposing strong action. But in German political debates, he emphasized the opposite facet of the same question and seemed reluctant to do anything which might be interpreted as anti-Soviet. At times this conflict made it difficult for Americans to understand him and was the reason for some of our problems. There were many reports from news reporters and others in Europe and in the United States concerning his critical comments about me, Secretaries Vance and Muskie, Dr. Brzezinski, and other officials in our government. These persistent criticisms, often highly publicized, helped to legitimize anti-American sentiments in Germany. Perhaps to compensate for these reports, Schmidt would publicly deplore any negative comments from others in Germany about the United States or its leaders." (Pages 537-538, "Keeping Faith")

The same can be said of certain members of the American left, who have looked the other way or discounted the most strident manifestations of anti-Americanism as anti-Bush sentiments. The rude awakening for America's Democrats will come when they realize that the "Hate America" cancer that has spread through Europe and beyond (while many of them looked the other way because after all it was hurting Bush) is a plague that they will have to contend with directly. The chickens will slowly come home to roost as Democrats assume power in Congress and potentially take the Presidency in 2008 (although that is still a long way off and far from certain.) Democrat leaders, and those seeking to work with them abroad, will soon realize that the anti-American prejudices they have allowed to fester, grow and boil over are far wider and deeper than they could have ever imagined. It is all far more complicated than Hate Bush. They themselves will undoubtedly suffer at the hands of a monster they allowed to grow and thrive (and, to a degree, helped create).

The bottom line is this: We all continue to have a common interest in ending German prejudices against the United States. The plague of "Hate America" that has infected German media, politics and society is something that we should have been working against for years now, not something to be addressed only when a certain political constellation happens to shine upon us. For our part, Davids Medienkritik has worked tirelessly to expose the obvious and many signs of this plague. For years, German media have ignored the diversity of opinion within the United States. For years, German media have spread ugly, stupid stereotypes about the United States for cheap and easy profit. For years, German media have chosen to report shoddy cliches and pet issues instead of explaining the complex fabric of American life. For years, German media have denigrated and dehumanized the American soldier. For years, German media have relied on scare tactics and innuendo to report on social and economic conditions (i.e. amerikanische Verhaeltnisse) in the United States.

Oh by the way, where was Mr. Voigt with his deep and public concern about prejudice as wave after wave of anti-Americanism splashed through German media, politics and society for years on end? Where was he when SPIEGEL was publishing these covers?

Clearly, Mr. Voigt was too afraid of his party's powerful allies in the media and unions to speak out more concretely against the outrageous magazine covers and newspaper articles that we have documented on this site over the past several years. It would seem that fighting anti-American prejudice is a highly selective and somewhat vague act for Mr. Voigt and his Social Democratic friends. It would certainly help if Mr. Voigt were willing to clearly define the prejudices of which he speaks with specific examples. Unfortunately he doesn't, and readers are left to speculate. In that respect, his interview comments are more of the same empty, weak-kneed, feel-good rhetoric going in one ear and coming out the other.

We would also like to address the following: American conservatives have clearly been most interested in this site, there can be no denying that. But this site is and should be for everyone and anyone interested in stronger transatlantic ties, because everyone, regardless of party or political leaning, should be concerned about the problem of anti-American prejudice in Germany and around the world. The opportunity to fight for an end to anti-American prejudice in Germany has long been at hand and did not suddenly materialize with the election of Democrat majorities to Congress as Mr. Voigt implies it has. The fight against anti-American prejudices must be constant and unwavering, and it is in this regard that Mr. Voigt and his Social-Democratic party, along with their friends in the German media and diplomatic corps, have failed us profoundly.

Let us repeat this important point: The fact that some Democrats and members of the American left have chosen to discount or ignore this problem because it was politically convenient to do so in the short-term will undoubtedly come back to haunt them as they assume power. This much we can say: Because "Hate America" has been allowed to fester in German media and politics for so many years without open condemnation or opposition of any significant note on either side of the Atlantic, it will continue to negatively affect German-American cooperation for years to come. We must continue to work against harmful anti-American stereotypes whatever our common political future may hold and whatever political party or parties happen to be in power. There are and can be no politically inconvenient times to stand up against irrational hatred and prejudice.   

Some Things Will Never Change...

Like the random walk of German politics:

German Social Democratic Party Chairman Franz Muentefering said he'll step down next month, after the executive committee rejected his candidate for the party's No. 2 post. He left open his participation in the new national government.

Muentefering, 65, told reporters in Berlin today of his decision after the SPD's executive committee chose Andrea Nahles, 35, for the position of general secretary, over his candidate Kajo Wassserhoevel. (...)

Splits are emerging in the 130 year-old SPD, questioning its cohesion and commitment to an alliance that its leaders are trying to forge with the Christian Democrats led by Angela Merkel. Left-of-center lawmakers including Nahles partly blame the party's record in trying to modernize the economy for ceding votes in the September national elections. (Source)

Party chairman's are politically powerful entities in Germany. Muentefering's decision is a blow to Germany's grand coalition government that isn't even in office yet.

What's next? A leading figure of the conservatives refusing to be part of Angela Merkel's cabinet?

Just in: According to newspaper reports, Edmund Stoiber - Chairman of the Bavarian chapter of the conservatives - apparently weighs his decision to become economics minister under Merkel. Without Muentefering at the helm, so the reports, he fears a left-wing backlash of the Social Democrats - nothing he would be eager to deal with as minister.

Or not.

Expect more turmoil in German politics in the weeks ahead. 

We put "Germany Inc." on "Sell".

Germany's Grand Coalition: The Social Democrat's Ministers

The social democrats have named their ministers for the grand coalition that probably will govern Germany for the next 4 years. Here is a brief assessment of their political positions:

Karsten Voigt "Deplores" Rolf Schwanitz Poster

It looks like not everyone in the SPD is thrilled with the election poster put together by Rolf Schwanitz, one of Gerhard Schroeder's senior ministers and a top SPD man in eastern Germany. Just as a reminder, Mr. Schwanitz's poster depicted the coffins of dead Americans to make the point that Angela Merkel would have allegedly sent German troops to Iraq:

SPD Campaign Poster: "She (Merkel) Would Have Sent Soldiers"

As we have already said in past posts, we at Medienkritik find this poster to be one more disgusting and exploitative manifestation of anti-Americanism in today's Germany. The abuse of those who have sacrificed everything for political gain is something that we thought even prominent members of the SPD wouldn't resort to. But unfortunately, Rolf Schwanitz sees it differently.

Karsten Voigt Blasts Rolf Schwanitz, Calls Poster "Totally Inacceptable" and "Inappropriate"

After we reported on the Schwanitz poster, several of our readers wrote to the SPD's Coordinator for German-American Cooperation, Karsten Voigt. Mr. Voigt responded to more than one of them with the following email:

"Dear -----,

Thank you for your email concerning the election poster used during a short
period by Mr. Schwanitz, a candidate of the Social Democrat party in Saxony.

The use of a picture of coffins of dead service men and women in an
election campaign is totally inacceptable and I deplore the fact that Mr.
Schwanitz acted like that.

I regret very much that your feelings as well that of other Americans and
Germans have been hurt by this inappropriate initiative.

For your information, I would like to add, that this election poster was
not authorized by the SPD party or the Federal Chancellor but was an
initiative by the candidate himself. The poster was withdrawn on Friday,
two days before the election.  My office will ensure that Mr. Schwanitz
receives a copy of your email message.

With my best regards,

Karsten D. Voigt
Coordinator of German-American Cooperation"

Mr. Voigt makes it clear that this poster was not approved by the SPD party at large or by Chancellor Schroeder. And although this is a commendable first step in the right direction, our question is this: Why hasn't the SPD more publicly distanced itself from Mr. Schwanitz and his poster? What are they waiting for? Perhaps they hope a few standardized emails will be enough of a bandaid to make this disturbance go away? Perhaps they think that most Germans and Americans won't be aware enough to care? Perhaps they hope to sweep this all under the rug and continue on as if nothing ever happened?

We would strongly welcome it if Mr. Voigt and other party leaders did more than just send canned emails to those writing in to complain. The SPD needs to publicly distance itself, once and for all, from this sort of outrageous, over-the-top anti-American populism. If this is truly as deplorable, "inacceptable" and "inappropriate" as Mr. Voigt says it is, then Mr. Schwanitz needs to tender his resignation immediately or be forced out.

And let us conclude with this: All German political parties need to finally take a strong moral stand against the blatant anti-Americanism that is running amok in so much of German media and politics. It is out of control and it is an embarrassment for Germany. And let's not forget to acknowledge politicians like Guido Westerwelle who have already gone out on a limb to stand against this very sort of ugly populism. We can hope against hope that he will soon be joined by others. But we aren't counting on it...not in today's Germany...

SPD Leader Characterizes Election Poster Depicting Dead US Soldiers as "Fully Legitimate"

(By Ray D.)

Not long before the September 18 German national election, we at Medienkritik brought you the story of a particularly disturbing SPD campaign poster that depicted the flag-draped coffins of fallen American soldiers. One of Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder's top Ministers in eastern Germany, Rolf Schwanitz, was using the images in an attempt to bolster the SPD's election chances. The poster was so over-the-top that even the German media complained of its "shrillness":

SPD Campaign Poster: "She (Merkel) Would Have Sent Soldiers"

Not long after that, our posting on the matter was linked by Instapundit, Mr. Schwanitz suddenly removed the poster from his website after earlier stating that he had "received only positive responses" to it. Davids Medienkritik is still not sure exactly why the poster was removed from the Schwanitz site as no official statement was ever made by Mr. Schwanitz or the SPD on the matter (to our knowledge).

New Schwanitz Email: No Remorse for Poster

But it is now evident that Mr. Schwanitz feels absolutely no remorse for the poster. In an email on the poster forwarded to Davids Medienkritik by one of our readers, Mr. Schwanitz writes (translated from German):

"Dear Mr. -----

I hold it for fully legitimate that foreign and security policies are made, in all clarity, into central themes during elections. Because the question of war and peace will continue to be one of existential character for everyone into the future. And, exactly for that reason, nothing should be made to look better than it is or downplayed when looking at the earlier decision on the Iraq war. This is also true with respect to the portrayal of the Iraq war in pictures.

With friendly regards,

Rolf Schwanitz

--
------------------------------
http://www.rolf-schwanitz.de/
------------------------------
Rolf Schwanitz MdB
Platz der Republik 1
11011 Berlin
Tel: (030) 22777937
Fax: (030) 22776937
------------------------------"

German original:

"Sehr geehrter Herr -----,

ich halte es für völlig legitim, wenn die Außen- und Sicherheitspolitik
im Wahlkampf in aller Deutlichkeit thematisiert wird. Denn die Frage von
Krieg und Frieden hat auch zukünftig für alle existenziellen Charakter.
Gerade deshalb darf auch im Blick auf die damalige Entscheidung über den
Irak-Krieg heute nichts beschönigt oder verharmlost werden. Dies gilt
auch für bildliche Darstellungen des Irak-Krieges.

Mit freundlichen Grüßen

Rolf Schwanitz

--
------------------------------
http://www.rolf-schwanitz.de/
------------------------------
Rolf Schwanitz MdB
Platz der Republik 1
11011 Berlin
Tel: (030) 22777937
Fax: (030) 22776937
------------------------------"

In other words, Mr. Schwanitz holds that the images of dead Americans coming home in coffins should be fair political game in Germany and politicians should be allowed to use such "pictures" in "all clarity" during elections.

Because Mr. Schwanitz is a senior member of the SPD, it would be interesting to know if the rest of the party's leadership feels the same way. We suggest our readers contact the following people to inquire whether the SPD now sees the exploitation of American deaths as politically "fully legitimate". It would be interesting to know if we can now expect this sort of sick abuse in every future German election:

Contact the SPD's "Coordinator for German-American Cooperation", Karsten Voigt. Mr. Voigt can be reached at: KO-USA-Vz@auswaertiges-amt.de

Readers should also contact the German Embassy in Washington, DC on this matter at this link.

US Diplomats in Germany Asleep at the Switch?

Perhaps the most disturbing part of this all is the US government's deafening silence on this matter. Apparently the US Diplomatic Mission to Germany simply doesn't want to make waves no matter what. It would be interesting to know if Ambassador Timken (who can't speak German) is even aware that this is happening? Does the US Embassy simply not care about what the German media and the German left have been up to for the past three years? Are they asleep at the switch? Are the US public affairs people really this inept and incompetent as to ignore the situation? Or do they want to avoid "rocking the boat" at all costs?

Americans need to be deeply concerned about their (lack of) representation in Germany. It seems that Jeff Gedmin is doing a better job representing the American point of view than the entire US Foreign Service in Germany and we hope we don't get him in trouble by saying that, but it is painfully true! Write your representatives America, right after you get done emailing the SPD and the German Embassy!

Election Campaign: Senior SPD Minister Exploiting Photo of Dead American Soldiers to Win Votes

German political campaigns certainly have their fair-share of mud-slinging and low blows. But even we at Davids Medienkritik did not think that German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder's SPD (or any other major Germany political party) would fall this low during the election campaign.  We have learned that one of Gerhard Schroeder's senior ministers and a top SPD man in eastern Germany, Rolf Schwanitz, is using the following poster in an attempt to win votes:

SPD Campaign Poster: "She (Merkel) Would Have Sent Soldiers"

This is truly sick. How could anyone exploit the images of fallen American soldiers in flag-draped coffins for political gain. Haven't those soldiers earned the right not to be exploited by some European politician? We honestly didn't think anyone in the SPD would resort to this. This is truly over-the-top to put it mildly. How desperate must Mr. Schwanitz be to even consider allowing this sort of a poster to run?

All we can say is that this is yet another sad chapter in the deteriorating transatlantic relationship. The entire SPD should publicly apologize for this and demand the recall of the poster immediately.

You can reach the office of Rolf Schwanitz at this link. (Scroll down to the blanks at the bottom, enter your last name, first name - first line; your email address - second line; your message - big space).

We also suggest readers contact the SPD's "Coordinator for German-American Cooperation", Karsten Voigt. Mr. Voigt can be reached at: KO-USA-Vz@auswaertiges-amt.de

Readers may also contact the German Embassy in Washington, DC on this matter at this link.

Media contact: Anyone in the media wishing to contact us on this story (or any other story on our site) should email us here.

Check the following links for the latest on German elections, media and politics:

Schroeder Legacy: Seven Years of a Germany Going Nowhere

Tight Election Race: "Grand Coalition" or "Black-Yellow"?

Schroeder on Katrina: Lack of Big Government the Problem

Germany's Largest Weekly Magazine "Stern": Americans "Could Care Less About the Rest of Humanity"

Note for our readers: SPD = German Social Democratic Party

Endnote: SPIEGEL ONLINE (one of Germany's largest weekly magazines) is wringing its hands about the "shrillness" of Mr. Schwanitz's anti-American election poster...as if the publication had nothing to do with creating a culture of anti-Americanism in Germany.

+++UPDATE+++: The SPD has now apparently deep-sixed the poster online after Medienkritik ran the story and was linked by Instapundit. The poster and accompanying text have suddenly disappeared from Mr. Schwanitz's website. Now why might that be? Fortunately one of our alert commenters noticed it and we have a screenshot of that on file along with a link to the page in the Google cache.

This is a sudden change from Mr. Schwanitz's earlier statement to SPIEGEL ONLINE  and on his website that he stood behind the poster and had received "only positive reactions" to it. Mr. Schwanitz even bragged that opponents should "bring on" the angry emails of protest. Well, we are happy to oblige him and, as his removal of the poster from his site demonstrates, we have clearly changed his attitude on this...

(Article by Ray D., Hattip Lou M., cdj)

Schroeder and the SPD Play "Peace" Position - Again

Germany's federal election campaign isn't really a hotbed of anti-Americanism or even anti-Bush rhetoric. People are more concerned about jobs and the economic misery that has befallen the country.

But the lack of anti-Americanism is not the fault of Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder. He and his party SPD (Social-Democrats) are trying hard to make resistance to the Iraq war or a possible military conflict with Iran a major topic of the election campaign.

You don't need to be a rocket scientist to understand the SPD's election posters:

Translation: "He Who Wants Peace Must Stand Firm"
(I know, I know, Schroeder's democratic credentials are head and shoulder above this guy's, but there are some optical similarities in the way they both display firmness...)

Wording and picture of the poster convey the same message: It takes a strong guy - such as Schroeder - to oppose war mongers like ... well, you know who we mean (hint for search terms: cowboy, Texas, card carrying member of the religious right, oil company's little boy).

If you think there is a contradiction between the slogan "He Who Wants Peace Must Stand Firm" and Schroeder's willingness to sell weapons to China - well, you're dead wrong. You don't get the nuances of German politics, sucker. China, after all, never ever would turn to military means to solve political problems. OK, there is the occasional brutal crushing of internal opposition, the unpleasant mass executions, the decades-long suppression of Tibet or the threat of a Chinese invasion of Taiwan... but other than that China's human rights credentials are unsurpassed by anyone Chancellor Schroeder could think of. Also, the Chinese make nice business partners...

Translation: "We Stand for the Courage (required) for Peace: What do the Others Stand For?"

Nice shot at opposition leader Angela Merkel, while at the some time questioning the moral foundation of the policies of a certain American ultra right, neoncon, non-nuanced Texan cowboy...   

Translation: "For Peace: Against Blindly Following"

For the uninitiated: the SPD does not warn against blindly following Russia's policies. Putin's personality is not of any concern for the German left - after all, the chap knows a good joke when he hears one...

Rather, the SPD warns against blindly following the belligerent, dangerous course of a certain Texan cowboy politician. Which shouldn't surprise anyone watching the treatment of the U.S. president in German politics and in the German media in the last couple of years...

Oops, we forgot to translate a piece that appears in all of the above posters. "Vertrauen in Deutschland" means "Trust in Germany".

For which Gerhard Schroeder has tirelessly worked since 1998. The results are very encouraging so far. And let's not forget that along with wanting to sell EU weapons and a nuclear reactor to China, the "peace" Chancellor has already shipped German troops out to the Balkans and Afghanistan, once even calling a confidence vote to push his policy through over resistance in his own coalition.

This just in (no kidding): German chancellor Schroeder nominated for 2005 Nobel Peace Price. Well, don't panic: there are 165 other nominees, Colin Powell included. Still, awarding Schroeder with the Nobel Peace Price would be like honoring Jacques Chirac for honest diplomacy. It couldn't happen to a nicer guy...

(Hat tip Gabi)

(More coverage of the German Bundestag elections at Davids Medienkritik: 1, 2, 3)

Update: LGF finds the appropriate comparison for a Nobel Peace Prize for Schroeder...

Prominent Schroeder Ally Compares Opposition Plans to Death Camp Line

(By Ray D.)

More Leftist Lunacy: Parliamentary Vice-Chairman Compares CDU Platform to Famous Nazi Death Camp Slogan

We've said it before: Desperate people do desperate things. And few in Germany are more desperate these days than members of Gerhard Schroeder's SPD (Social Democratic Party). Seldom has a political party been under as much massive pressure as the SPD today. With disastrous near record-low approval ratings in the mid-twenties, the SPD is facing a self-imposed election debacle in September. So it is not entirely surprising that, in the midst of this seemingly endless political quagmire, we hear party members accelerating their own political implosion by telling voters what they really think of opponents and favored scapegoats.

The most recent outburst stems from Ludwig Stiegler, the Vice Chairman of the SPD's parliamentary fraction in the Bundestag and the Chairman of the Bavarian SPD. Mr. Stiegler lashed out at the opposition Christian Democrat platform, saying that the CDU slogan, "Sozial ist, was Arbeit schafft" or  "Social is that which creates work" reminded him of the line at the door to some of Nazi Germany's most notorious death camps: "Arbeit macht frei" or "work makes free".

Entrance Gate to Auschwitz: "ARBEIT MACHT FREI"

Unfortunately, Mr. Stiegler's outrageous comparison is an extreme symptom of a common disease in German politics. As we stated in our recent article, "Two Reasons Germany is Doomed to Mediocrity," it is quite common for German Conservatives to be shouted-down as advocates of "Sozialabbau" when proposing anything that would lead to the liberalization of the German job market through cuts in regulation, bureaucracy and taxes. Few parties are more adroit at bashing others as advocates of "Sozialabbau" than the SPD. And few things upset members of the SPD more than when the CDU points out that Germany's chronic double-digit unemployment and bloated bureaucracy are hardly evidence of social progress. So a culture has emerged in which even the 'Conservative' CDU is afraid to undertake substantial reforms by simplifying and reducing taxes while cutting back on the welfare state. This, again, is reinforced by the fact that nothing, not even George W. Bush or an act of terror, is guaranteed to get more angry, outraged Germans on the street than a proposal to cut their government handouts.

So what Germans are left with is a society in which capitalists are compared to locusts and bloodsuckers by top politicians. We are left with a society in which prominent members of parliament delude themselves with crazy conspiracy theories. We are left with a media elite that believes in its own unquestionable sophistication and nuance despite the fact that its portrayal of the United States is often little more than base, one-sided populism.

It is clear to most Germans that Mr. Stiegler's comments are entirely unacceptable. The problem is that his statements no longer represent an isolated incident in German politics and society today. Extreme statements by increasingly extreme members of the political and media elite are becoming more and more commonplace. One has to hope that, despite the election season, cooler heads will prevail and the crazy, loony-fringe rhetoric has reached its limit. Don't count on it though...we are likely in for a rough-ride until September 18. 

Berlin: Checkpoint Charlie Monument Forcibly Destroyed

Berlin's Shame: We Will Never Forget!

We really don't have much left to say about this outrage. The anger inside all of us right now is simply too much. Even we believed that the city government and the bank would have the good sense to seek a compromise...but they didn't. For more, read our earlier posts on this: 1, 2, 3.

A number of articles on the monument's removal also appeared in English language media: CNN, BBC, LA Times.

Video of today's events can be seen here.

According to Die Welt, a total of 190 police officers were assigned to ensure the removal of the crosses. Here are photos...

Police led-away those victimized by the SED dictatorship who had chained themselves to the crosses while workers ripped each cross out of the ground and hauled it off. Apparently the city chose not to use a more efficient bulldozer to cynically spare itself even worse images...

Heavy equipment was used to rip down the museum's wall segment...

"A Second Death": That is how some family members of those killed described the forced removal of the crosses dedicated to their loved-ones.

First Death: The corpse of one of the first of over 1,000 victims of the wall is removed by East German authorities. We won't forget them and we won't forget the city of Berlin's actions!

The Face-Off 1961: Checkpoint Charlie was the front-line of the US effort to contain Communism. ALL OF Germany is a democracy today because millions of American soldiers stood guard for decades across Europe. We won't forget!

Contact Those Responsible:

The bank that owns the leased land and sued to have the crosses removed, Bankaktiengesellschaft (BAG), can be contacted at: info@bankaktiengesellschaft.de. The man primarily responsible for the bank's decision to have the monument destroyed is bank director Udo Wittler.

You can email Senator Thomas Flierl's spokesperson at: Pressestelle@senwfk.verwalt-berlin.de

You can email Berlin's mayor Klaus Wowereit (SPD) at: Der-Regierende-Buergermeister@Skzl.Verwalt-Berlin.de

You can email Berlin's Senator for City Development, Ingeborg Junge-Reyer (SPD) at: oeffentlichkeitsarbeit@senstadt.verwalt-berlin.de

While Americans Celebrate Freedom: Berlin to Bulldoze History

Update: The Monument Has Been Destroyed.

Victims of Communist Violence Threaten to Chain Themselves to Monument

As Americans set off fireworks to celebrate independence and freedom tonight, a different scene will play out half-way around the world in Berlin. There, at the site of Checkpoint Charlie, where Americans stood guard for so many decades and confronted Communist tyranny, workers with heavy equipment and machinery will descend to tear down over 1,000 crosses, each individually dedicated to those murdered attempting to escape Communist dictatorship for freedom.

The planned demolition, intentionally scheduled for 4:01 AM to minimize visibility and public outrage, could develop into a massive public relations nightmare for the city of Berlin. A group comprised of victims of Communist violence has announced that they will chain themselves themselves to the crosses of murdered family members and friends before they see the city take them down.

Over our dead bodies: These five victims of Communism won't allow the monument's destruction without a fight. From left: Mario Röllig, 37, Hans-Eberhard Zahn, 77, Mike Fröhnel, 40, Herbert Pfaff, 70,  Gustav Rust, 65. (Source)

How Could This Happen?

There are numerous factors behind the destruction of the Checkpoint Charlie monument despite its enormous popularity with tourists. But it all essentially boils down to the fact that the land upon which the monument stands is not a protected historic site. It is private property owned by a bank named Bankaktiengesellschaft (BAG) headquartered in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia. The monument itself was created last year on the private initiative of the Checkpoint Charlie Museum and its director, Ms. Alexandra Hildebrandt, who leased the land from the bank. 

Not surprisingly, the monument quickly became a thorn in the eye of the city government of Berlin, a political coalition consisting of Gerhard Schroeder's Social-Democrats and the PDS, the Communist successor of the SED party (Sozialistische Einheitspartei Deutschlands) that ruled East Germany with an iron dictatorial fist. Members of both parties in the city senate, particularly Senators Thomas Flierl (PDS) and  Ingeborg Junge-Reyer (SPD), repeatedly criticized the monument, stating that the somber crosses were turning the city into a sort of Disneyland. Bankaktiengesellschaft (BAG) also heard the grumbling coming from the city government and felt obliged to terminate its lease with the Checkpoint Charlie Museum. When it did so and Ms. Hildebrandt defiantly refused to remove the monument, the bank sued to have the monument torn down and won. When, as a last resort, Ms. Hildebrandt offered to buy the land to save the monument, the bank asked for 36 million Euros, a price that, according to Henry Nickel of Republicans Abroad, is far above the actual market value and nothing more than a smokescreen created to frustrate efforts of monument proponents. The city fully backs the court order and demolition was initially scheduled to be carried out in the early morning hours of July 4th Berlin time. After widespread protest from groups representing American veterans and victims of Communism, the date was cynically moved back a day.

Massive Conflict of Interest: Senator Flierl Joined the SED in 1976!

The entire situation is even more disturbing because Senator Flierl of the PDS, the monument's primary antagonist and critic, joined the SED in 1976 and was actively engaged in the politics of the former East German dictatorship as an employee of the GDR's Ministry of Culture right up until the wall came down in 1989. It was the SED dictatorship that was directly responsible for the hundreds of murders that the crosses at Checkpoint Charlie memorialize. So is it any wonder that Senator Flierl wants the monument bulldozed and has repeatedly attacked it as the wrong monument at the wrong location?

Unbelievable: Why Isn't Checkpoint Charlie a Protected Historic Site?

The Berlin CDU (Christian Democratic Party) has demonstrated alongside American groups to stop the planned demolition. And they have also raised the 36 million Euro question: Why hasn't Checkpoint Charlie been designated a protected historic site by the state? No one would allow a bank to own land upon which the Brandenburg Gate stands, so why can a bank own a part of Checkpoint Charlie?

An Unforgettable Moment in Cold War History: October 1961: Tanks Square-Off at Checkpoint Charlie (Source)

But Senator Flierl, once the loyal servant of the Honecker regime, doesn't want to hear any of it. He supports the Bundestag's (German parliament's) plan to erect an "information center" and a "place of remembrance" at the Brandenburg gate and banish all other remains of the wall to a museum in Berlin's Bernauer Strasse. According to the Berliner Morgenpost, critics of the government's plans believe that "the wall has been systematically banned from the city's image."

Berlin's Tourism Chief Fears Massive Damage to the City's Image

Just removing the monument will cost the city an estimated 20,000 to 100,000 Euros ($24,000 to $120,000 USD). But the damage to the city's image could be far larger. How will images of the destruction of crosses representing the victims of Germany's Communist past play internationally? Hans Peter Nerger, Berlin's chief of tourism, recently said, "When pictures go around the world of bulldozers mowing down crosses, that is bad for Berlin."

Certainly, the major cable news networks would be insane not to film such symbolic, tragic and historic images as the city of Berlin allows the forceful removal of the monument. Hopefully, a last-minute solution can still be found and an unnecessary disgrace to the city of Berlin can be avoided.

Important: Let Them Know How You Feel!

The bank that owns the leased land and sued to have the crosses removed, Bankaktiengesellschaft (BAG), can be contacted at: info@bankaktiengesellschaft.de. The man primarily responsible for the bank's decision to have the monument destroyed is bank director Udo Wittler.

You can email Senator Thomas Flierl's spokesperson at: Pressestelle@senwfk.verwalt-berlin.de

You can email Berlin's mayor Klaus Wowereit (SPD) at: Der-Regierende-Buergermeister@Skzl.Verwalt-Berlin.de

You can email Berlin's Senator for City Development, Ingeborg Junge-Reyer (SPD) at: oeffentlichkeitsarbeit@senstadt.verwalt-berlin.de

Also check out our earlier articles on this situation here and here.

Berlin Outrage: Checkpoint Charlie Monument to be Bulldozed July 4th (Part 2)

Update: The Monument Has Been Destroyed.

We at Davids Medienkritik have been closely following events surrounding the planned removal of the Checkpoint Charlie monument. The monument, which consists of over 1,000 crosses adorned with the names of those murdered attempting to escape Communist East Germany for freedom during the Cold War, was to be razed in the middle of the night at 4:01 AM on July 4th Berlin time. After widespread protest from victim's families, American veterans groups and many others, the city decided to move the scheduled bulldozing back a day to 4:01 AM on July 5th, cynically explaining that its initial decision had been "mediawise imprudent." But, as we have already noted, the irony is that at 4:01 AM Berlin time on the 5th, it will still be July 4th in the USA! It will be 10:01 PM in New York and 7:01 PM in LA, just about the time Americans will be setting off fireworks to celebrate the anniversary of their independence!

The Checkpoint Charlie monument scheduled for destruction July 5th in Berlin (July 4th in the USA): Each cross has the name, and in some cases, photo of a victim of Communism murdered attempting to escape East Germany during the Cold War. Three Americans are among those honored.

Berlin's Socialist-Communist City Government Behind the Monument's Planned Removal

Unfortunately, the portion of Checkpoint Charlie on which the monument stands is not a protected historic site. It is owned by a bank named Bankaktiengesellschaft (BAG) headquartered in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia. It was Bankaktiengesellschaft which leased the land to the Checkpoint Charlie Museum and its director, Ms. Alexandra Hildebrandt. On her own initiative and with the help of others, Ms. Hildebrandt began putting the monument together last year. According to John Fund of the Wall Street Journal, it was officially unveiled on November 15, 2004 to mark the 15th anniversary of the Berlin Wall's fall. Since that day the monument has been a thorn in the eye of the city government of Berlin, which is made up of a coalition between the SPD (Gerhard Schroeder's Social-Democrats) and the PDS (former SED party that ran Communist East Germany). This despite the fact that the site attracts thousands of tourists daily and generates a significant income.

Perhaps the monument's most outspoken critic has been city official Thomas Flierl of the Communist PDS, who has blamed the site for what he sees as the "Disneyfication" of Berlin. He and others in the Berlin city government have repeatedly called for the crosses to be removed and put pressure on Bankaktiengesellschaft to terminate its lease to the Checkpoint Charlie Museum. The bank cooperated and successfully sued Ms. Hildebrandt when she refused to remove the monument. Since the court decision was handed down, those wishing to preserve the monument have been told by Bankaktiengesellschaft (BAG) that the site can only be purchased for 36 million Euros (or about $43.2 million), an outrageously inflated price. Clearly, the bank's so-called offering price is completely absurd and clearly designed to frustrate the monument's supporters since the real estate's true market value is not worth even a fraction of the bank's asking price.

Henry Nickel of Republicans Abroad correctly described the bank's actions as a smokescreen and a total lack of good-faith aimed at giving the Berlin city government what it wants: Clearance to bulldoze the site. Mr. Nickel also pointed out that the bank is now refusing to take calls on the matter, instead asking those who oppose the monument's removal to send a written letter. The bank's disingenuous stonewalling and outrageous pricetag clearly demonstrate a sense of profound arrogance and condescension towards those wishing to preserve the monument.

Massive Conflict of Interest (from our first article)

What makes this story all the more disturbing is the obvious conflict of interest involved. As we indicated above, the Communist PDS is currently a member of the coalition that governs the city of Berlin. But prior to 1990, the PDS was known as the SED (Sozialistische Einheitspartei Deutschlands), the party that ruled East Germany with an absolutist iron fist. It was the SED dictatorship that was directly responsible for the hundreds of murders that the crosses at Checkpoint Charlie memorialize. And guess what? The PDS wants the monument torn down!

According to Deutsche Welle:

"The Berlin Senate for Urban Planning, one of the project's main detractors, fears that the capital is fast becoming a "Disneyland" version of its former self and insists the wall monument is too reminiscent of the Holocaust project at the Brandenburg Gate. The authority stresses that the East German dictatorship cannot be equated with the atrocities of the Third Reich."

In other words, the Socialists and Communists in Berlin's city government don't want to be constantly reminded of the murders that the SED dictatorship committed during the Cold War. How unpleasant that would be for them! So they would rather allow the crosses to be bulldozed and mockingly associate the monument with Disneyland, a place that many Germans see as a symbol of trivial American commercialization.

July 3: Rally to Preserve Checkpoint Charlie Monument in Berlin

We at Davids Medienkritik would therefore like to support efforts underway to gather at the monument site this Sunday, July 3, 2005. Anyone who can make it to Berlin this Sunday is encouraged to attend. Here are the details:

Overview

On Sunday July 3, a temporary photomontage will be set up at Checkpoint Charlie to demonstrate international support and solidarity for preserving the site as a monument to the struggle for freedom. The installation will consist of a montage of approximately five photos illustrating the history of Checkpoint Charlie and the division of Berlin. Under the theme "Ich bin ein Berliner - I support preserving Checkpoint Charlie as a monument to the struggle for freedom." visitors to the site will have the opportunity to sign their name and provide their country of origin on the installation.

Volunteers will be mobilized to Potsdamer Platz, Brandenburger Tor and Alexander Platz on Sunday morning July 3 at 11 a.m. to pass out flyers notifying visitors to visit Checkpoint Charlie and sign their name on the installation.

Everyone taking part will then gather at the monument site at 3 p.m. Berlin time on Sunday, July 3 to express their support.

A BBQ will follow in Mitte starting at 17:00. Press will be notified of the effort, the emphasis will be to maximize public turnout at the Memorial site on Sunday up until the scheduled demolition on July 5 and provide as many signatures and expressions of support as possible.

Like Disneyland? How can Schroeder's SPD Support the Monument's Destruction on July 4th of all Days?

This all comes in the wake of Monday's visit of German Chancellor Schroeder to the White House in which Mr. Schroeder attempted to convince Americans that all is fine and well with German-American relations. As John Fund of the Wall Street Journal pointed out, the monument's planned destruction is one item that should have been on the agenda but wasn't during Schroeder's meeting with President Bush. Have Germans already forgotten the sacrifices of thousands of Americans who stood guard at Checkpoint Charlie and throughout Germany for decades during the Cold War?

Important: Let Them Know How You Feel!

The bank that owns the leased land and sued to have the crosses removed, Bankaktiengesellschaft (BAG), can be contacted at: info@bankaktiengesellschaft.de

You can email Thomas Flierl's spokesperson at: Pressestelle@senwfk.verwalt-berlin.de

You can email Berlin's mayor Klaus Wowereit (SPD) at: Der-Regierende-Buergermeister@Skzl.Verwalt-Berlin.de

You can email Berlin's Senator for City Development, Ingeborg Junge-Reyer (SPD) at: oeffentlichkeitsarbeit@senstadt.verwalt-berlin.de

You can email Walter Momper (SPD), who also compared the monument to Disneyland and is the president of the Berlin state parliament at: walter.momper@parlament-berlin.de

Note: Be sure to check out our first article on this issue.

(Article by Ray D.)

Berlin Outrage: Checkpoint Charlie Monument to be Bulldozed July 4th

Update: The Monument Has Been Destroyed.

Important Update: Henry Nickel of Republicans Abroad in Germany has been closely following the planned removal of the monument and has just emailed us this vital information:

"Dear Friends:

It looks like the Berlin bureaucracy has bent a bit to pressure, apparently they have postponed demolishion one day (rather more cynical than considerate).  Nonetheless the story is taking on a life of its own and has spread considerably. (...) Thanks to all of you who kept the story alive.

Henry"

So now instead of bulldozing the site at 4:01 AM on July 4th, the monument will be razed at 4:01 AM on July 5th. (Yes, the authorities wanted to remove the monument at a minute past 4 in the morning so that no one would notice.) The irony of this? At 4:01 AM Berlin time on the 5th, it will still be July 4th in the USA! It will be 10 PM in New York and 7 PM in LA, just about the time Americans will be setting off fireworks to celebrate the anniversary of their independence! There is even more to this story...and it has already been mentioned in the Wall Street Journal and the Sueddeutsche Zeitung. Stay tuned for more soon...

---

Original article: We didn't think it could get much worse in Germany...well, it just did. Davids Medienkritik recently learned that the Berlin city government, made up of a coalition between the SPD (Gerhard Schroeder's Social-Democrats) and the PDS (former SED party that ran Communist East Germany), has decided to allow the razing of the Checkpoint Charlie monument by court order.

And get this: The monument, which consists of over 1,000 crosses adorned with the names of those murdered attempting to escape Communist East Germany for freedom, will be bulldozed on the 4th of July! (See update above, now rescheduled for July 5th because of the pressure we put on!)
 

The Checkpoint Charlie monument scheduled for destruction July 4th in Berlin: Each cross has the name, and in some cases, photo of a victim of Communism murdered attempting to escape East Germany during the Cold War.

Berlin's Socialist-Communist City Government: Massive Conflict of Interest

What makes this story all the more disturbing is the obvious conflict of interest involved. As we indicated above, the Communist PDS is currently a member of the coalition that governs the city of Berlin. But prior to 1990, the PDS was known as the SED, the party that ruled East Germany with an absolutist iron fist. It was the SED dictatorship that was directly responsible for the hundreds of murders that the crosses at Checkpoint Charlie memorialize. And guess what? The PDS wants the monument torn down! 

To justify their decision to allow the removal, both members of the SPD and PDS have described the Checkpoint Charlie monument as an eye-sore or as something that trivializes the Cold War by turning the city into a Disneyland-style theme park. (How solemn rows of crosses with the names and faces of those murdered by the SED government could possibly make any place seem like Disneyland is something that perhaps only members of Germany's Left can truly comprehend.)

The monument grounds were leased to Ms. Alexandra Hildebrandt of the Checkpoint Charlie Museum by a bank named Bankaktiengesellschaft (BAG) headquartered in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia, and Ms. Hildebrandt and a team of others began erecting the crosses in October 2004. The bank subsequently refused to renew the lease and, when Ms. Hildebrandt refused to remove the monument, sued and won. Ms. Hildebrandt wants to buy the land from the bank and keep the monument at its historic location, but the city government has made it clear that it will oppose her and wants the monument to go despite its enormous popularity.* 

According to Deutsche Welle:

"The Berlin Senate for Urban Planning, one of the project's main detractors, fears that the capital is fast becoming a "Disneyland" version of its former self and insists the wall monument is too reminiscent of the Holocaust project at the Brandenburg Gate. The authority stresses that the East German dictatorship cannot be equated with the atrocities of the Third Reich."

In other words, the Socialists and Communists in Berlin's city government don't want to be constantly reminded of the murders that the SED dictatorship committed during the Cold War. How unpleasant that would be for them! So they would rather allow the crosses to be bulldozed on July 4th and mockingly associate the monument with Disneyland, a place that many Germans see as a symbol of trivial American commercialization.

President Bush Ought to Ask Schroeder About the Monument's Destruction

Certainly, we feel that the outrageous timing of the monument's destruction is incredibly insensitive not only to the families of those killed at the wall, but also to all those Americans and their families who served in Berlin and around Germany during the Cold War. To bulldoze this monument on a date that symbolizes liberty to millions of Americans around the world is an incredibly insulting gesture. We hope that President Bush brings the matter up with Chancellor Schroeder tomorrow during their White House meeting. Hopefully the media present at the meeting will also quiz Mr. Schroeder on the matter.

Need Another Reason to Demonstrate?

This much we can say: Davids Medienkritik will absolutely, positively bring the matter up tomorrow during our demonstration at Lafayette park in Washington, DC. We will also be supporting plans already underway to demonstrate in Berlin on July 4th should the plans to raze the monument go ahead unchanged.

Like Disneyland? How can Schroeder's SPD Support the Monument's Destruction on July 4th of all Days?      

You can email Berlin's mayor Klaus Wowereit (SPD) at: Der-Regierende-Buergermeister@Skzl.Verwalt-Berlin.de

You can email Berlin's Senator for City Development, Ingeborg Junge-Reyer (SPD) at: oeffentlichkeitsarbeit@senstadt.verwalt-berlin.de

You can email Walter Momper (SPD), who compared the monument to Disneyland and is also the president of the Berlin state parliament at: walter.momper@parlament-berlin.de

The bank that owns the leased land and sued to have the crosses removed, Bankaktiengesellschaft (BAG), can be contacted at: info@bankaktiengesellschaft.de

Our commenter Trish writes:

"The land may be the (is the) property of the bank, but Checkpoint Charlie is a part of history. It is difficult to understand that neither the city of Berlin nor the Federal Government preserved this property to do what Ms. Hildebrandt is doing, namely commerating more than 1000 people who died trying to attain FREEDOM! Furthermore the choice of the 4th of July, our Independence day, the birthdate of the oldest Democracy on the face of this earth, a Beacon of Freedom to many, to bulldoze this site is quite curious. The educated Germans pride themselves on being knowledgable of history - should the choice of the 4th of July really just be a coincidence?"

Thanks Trish. Very well said. As an aside, the US is one of the world's oldest democracies, but not the very oldest. That honor goes to Iceland.

(Article by Ray D., *hattip Americanbychoice)

Schroeder Casts for Votes at IG Metall Ceremony

(By Ray D.)

Just last Wednesday, June 15, 2005, Gerhard Schroeder was the guest of honor and keynote speaker at the opening of IG Metall's enormous new headquarters in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. Schroeder, whose Social Democratic party has long been a close ally of Germany's largest trade-union, gave a hearty handshake to IG Metall's First Chairman Juergen Peters and made a speech at the opening ceremony. Below are the photos:

Schroeder Speaks to Potential Voters: IG Metall Boss Juergen Peters Greets the Bundeskanzler

Remember: This is the same Juergen Peters and the same IG Metall that published this just last month in the official union magazine 'metall' (circulation 2 million):

The Magazine's Cover Reads: "US-Firms in Germany: The (Blood-) Suckers"

Of course Mr. Schroeder made absolutely no attempt to scold or criticize IG Metall for its over-the-top, anti-American racism despite the fact that he will be visiting the White House in a week. He was much too busy trying to win the union-members' votes and convince them about his government's reforms.

In fact, the General Secretary of Mr. Schroeder's SPD, Klaus Uwe Benneter, attacked FDP leaders' criticisms of the unions and the 'metall' cover as "near anti-democratic populism." And in the meantime, Schroeder's party Chairman, Franz Muentefering, (who has been a member of IG Metall since 1967,) has been busily attacking firms, most of them US-owned, as "capitalist locusts." But of course that is not populist or even "near anti-democratic populism" to the SPD. It is simply the party getting back to its Socialist roots.

Schroeder Wants to Have His Cake and Eat it Too

But none of that seems to bother the Chancellor in his attempts to pander to the American people. During his June 27 visit to Washington, DC, Schroeder will make a speech to the US Chamber of Commerce. He will have an entire captive audience of "capitalist locusts" to preach to on the virtues of buying German-export power-drills and luxury cars. And the Schroeder government has been running full page ads in US newspapers to convince Americans that he really does support the war on terror...REALLY:

Now that's convincing! The German government must be extremely confident that it is a good partner to the US if it feels the need to take out full-page ads in the Miami Herald...

Diplomacy at its Finest: The German-American "Friendship Bus" in DC

And if that doesn't convince Americans that Germany really is a good partner, they can be pandered to some more on German Ambassador Wolfgang Ischinger's German-American "Friendship Bus" down in Washington, DC. But let us give fair warning: Anyone wishing to board this bus should be sure to take along plenty of Dramamine, the ride might just make you sick to your stomach...