compulsory reading, German Politics

Two Steps To The Left, And One To The Right.

Dancing is almost never easy for men. It’s not just that most male grown ups are too inhibited to just let themselves go. It also seems that male physical coordination seems to be far more adept in everything that involves less step-sequences more balls.

Unfornuately for Gerhard Schroeder, this problem becomes especially apparent when it comes to dances with German economic policy. It’s an intricate art, and Schroeder had tried his best to keep the corporatist dance going for the last six and a half years of his term.

But lately he realised that neither the powerful German trade unions nor the employer associations seemed to appreciate his moves. The former said, the two steps to the left weren’t enough for a real Social Democrat. The latter replied that one to the right is obviously too litte for a thinking human being in light of 4.7m unemployed (German official number).

So Gerhard was torn between his two lovers that simply weren’t able to get on with each other. Suddenly, all his dancing could not save the threesome he had originally envisioned – the Alliance For Jobs was dead.

Out there on his own, Gerhard felt the need to prove to the audience that dancing can be fun, even if you have to do it on your own. So he decided to tell everybody that he would give a special public performance. Everybody was invited to come and see how he had finally figured out the right economic policy moves just by himself.

His performance was scheduled for this morning. And dance he did. It’s just that people have not yet made up their mind if it was all that good. Here’s what the Economist thinks.

If you ask me – I’d say he bought himself time to practice some more. You can see his talent – it just needs some more refinement.

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Iraq, oddly enough, US Politics

Sandy P. Informs…

Reader Sandy P. left a comment with regard to the Freedom-Fries post just below that I think is well worth telling all of you, my gentle readers. It seems there is still hope for Franco-American cooperation in the food-department –

From scrappleface:

2003-03-11 — Just a day after the head chef of the U.S. Congressional cafeterias changed the name of French Fries to Freedom Fries, he announced France would still have a place on the Congressional menu.

That’s because chicken-fried steak has been renamed “French-fried steak.”

“We didn’t want to completely exclude the French after their great historic contributions to the fields of cuisine and combat,” the chef said. “I might add that our customers can still order French Dip Sandwiches.

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Iraq, oddly enough, US Politics

Stupidity Inc., Press Release.

Freedom Fries.Spiegel Online [link in German] tells us that fried strips of potatoes, which usually have been referred to as “Fries”, or “French Fries”, will now officially be called “Freedom Fries” in the menus of House Of Representatives cafeterias. “French Toast” will now be called “Freedom Toast”.

Why, exactly, does this American administration believe the world should rally behind its cause when stuff like this makes it obvious that even people in close proximity to the US centres of power have evidently lost their mind?

But on the other hand, it would certainly be a great idea to make “Freedom Kissing” a patriotic obligation. That might even win the US some old-European support :).

Update: The New York Times finds some Congressmen who are wondering why American lawmakers choose to make fun of themselves –

“Making Congress look even sillier than it sometimes looks would not be high on my priority list,” said Representative Barney Frank, Democrat of Massachusetts. “There’s a potential war going on. There’s a lot of debate about is Congress being actively involved in foreign policy. It’s bad enough not to be able to do anything, but I think self-caricature is a poor substitute for thoughtful discussion.”

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oddly enough, US Politics, USA

Larry King Live.

So I just watched a bit of CNN’s “Larry King Live“, for I was still up. Today’s topic was “Christians debate war” – a hot debate, obviously, for religious America.

I only watched the last ten minutes. CNN probably invited a panel able to convey the opinions of most of the wide range of Christian denominations with respect to the possible war in Iraq. Among the panelists was John MacArthur, pastor at the Grace Community Churchin Sun Valley, California, and, according to the the show’s transcript, a syndicated radio host, who told CNN’s viewers that while Jesus loves all of God’s children, Muslims would certainly be condemned to burn in pergatory for eternity. Here’s the the transcript of that part of the show – note that MacArthurs remarks are opposed by Michael Manning, a Roman Catholic priest, and host of the TV show “The Word in the World” –

KING: John MacArthur, you believe that Muslim people, the Islamic people are wrong. Their beliefs are wrong.
MACARTHUR: That’s right. And this is not some personal belief of mine. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the life…”
KING: Yes, but if they don’t believe that…
MACARTHUR: If they don’t believe that, no man comes to the Father but by me.
KING: You must believe that, too, Father.
MANNING: I believe very much that the love of God is strong. Jesus — Jesus loves all people. Jesus died for all people and I can’t imagine…
KING: He died for the Islamic, too?
MANNING: Of course he did. Of course he did. And he loves them with a passion.
KING: You believe that, too, right?
MACARTHUR: Well, I believe God loves his creatures, his creations.
(CROSSTALK)
MACARTHUR: But in the end he’s going to condemn to an eternal hell all those who reject his son Jesus Christ.
MANNING: And he rejoices, and Jesus rejoices…
KING: All of them?
MACARTHUR: All who reject his son Jesus Christ, the Bible says, are condemned to eternal punishment.
MANNING: Jesus rejoices when his father is glorified. And when a Muslim or Jew glorifies the father I can’t imagine Jesus coming and saying, Oh, well. When are you going to look at me? The joy of Jesus is the glorification of God.”

I am sure, MacArthur’s is a minority opinion. But given that he has been invited to a CNN panel broadcast not only in the US but almost globally, I doubt that CNN would have risked to invite someone representing a fringe ideology to be perceived as speaking for American Christianity.

So this is scary. I can’t imagine what would happen in Germany had some Christian leader told Muslims via national tv that they are doomed because they’re infidels. Oh wait, I think I know. He would be forced to resign by his own congregation.

The subtle trans-atlantic differences.

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Iraq, Political Theory

Brad DeLong. And Georg Büchner.

I’m ill, I know. But this was just too good to not to tell you about –

Ladies and Gentlemen, from the man who sometimes uses some of J. M. Keynes wise words as list-email signature –

“The ideas of economists and political philosophers, both when they are right and when they are wrong, are more powerful than is commonly understood. Indeed, the world is ruled by little else.”

– comes a new and exciting blog entry called – A Brief Dialogue on Behavioral Economics.

Believe me, I checked – it’s not only fun for economists and the like. And even though the dialogue is indeed pleasant Saturday afternoon reading about behavioral economics rather than oenophilia, Prof. DeLong inadvertently explains why most Europeans will always love Bill “Epicure” Clinton and always be sceptical of George “Moral Clarity” Bush as well as the policy styles they represent.

Hall: As an ex-Clinton Administration Senior Treasury Official, I think your duty here is clear. You have a strong and unavoidable moral duty to choose a bottle of wine for us to drink…
DeLong: That is a strong point…
Hall: An expensive bottle of wine…
DeLong: I surrender…
Hall: Two expensive bottles of wine…

Clinton and Bush. Danton and Robbespierre. Come to think of it, those two as well as the 9/11-induced “nothing is the same anymore”-discourse favouring “security” over “liberty” that has become prevalent throughout the Western world do remind a lot of the great Georg Büchner’s wonderful play “Danton’s Death“, don’t you think? –

Act 1, Scene 6. A room. Robespierre. Danton. Paris.

Robespierre: I tell you, anybody who grabs my arm when I draw my sword is my enemy. His intention is not important. Anybody who gets in my way when I�m defending myself kills me as surely as if he had attacked me directly.
Danton: Where self-defense ends, there murder begins. I don�t see any reason that compels us to keep on killing.
Robespierre: The social revolution isn�t finished. Anybody who goes only halfway with a revolution digs his own grave. The aristocracy isn�t dead yet. The vigorous, wholesome power of the people has to completely replace the wholly degenerate class. Vice must be punished. Virtue has to triumph through the Reign of Terror.
Danton: I don�t understand the word “punishment.” You with your “virtue,” Robespierre! You claim you have taken no money, you have incurred no debts, you have slept with no women, you�ve always worn decent clothes and have never gotten drunk. Robespierre, you are disgustingly righteous. I would be ashamed to run around for 30 years with that kind of moral physiognomy just for the miserable purpose of finding other people to be more sinful than I am� Is there nothing in you that doesn�t sometimes, very quietly, secretly whisper: you are lying, you are lying?
Robespierre: My conscience is clean.
Danton: One�s conscience is a mirror in front of which a monkey torments himself. Everybody preens as much as he can, and then goes out and has as much of a good time as he can. What nonsense to get all upset about such things! Every person has the right to defend himself when another person spoils his fun. Do you have the right to make the guillotine into a wash tub for the dirty clothes of other people and to make bowling balls out of their lopped off heads simply because you always wear a freshly ironed jacket? Sure, you can defend yourself when they spit on it or tear holes in it. But what does it matter to you as long as they leave you in peace? If they are not ashamed to act as they do, do you have any right to send them to the grave? Do you think you are the policeman of heaven? And if you don�t have the ability to watch life unfold as easily as can your own dear God, then hold your handkerchief over your eyes.

Robespierre: You deny virtue?

Danton: And vice. There are only Epicureans, some crude, some discerning. Christ was the most discerning. That�s the only difference that I can find among human beings. Every person acts according to his own personality. That is to say, he does what gives him pleasure� Isn�t that right, oh incorruptible one? Isn�t it cruel for me to cut you down to size like this?
Robespierre: Danton, vice at certain times is high treason.
Danton: You can�t prohibit it. For God�s sake, that would be ingratitude. You are too indebted to the existence of vice, mainly for the contrast it provides you. Anyway, to continue with your line of thinking, our quarrels must be useful to the republic. You can�t kill the innocent along with the guilty.
Robespierre: Who says to you that a single innocent person has been killed?
Danton: Do you hear that, Fabricius? Not a single innocent person has died! [He leaves; while exiting, to Paris:] We don�t have a moment to lose. We have to show ourselves! [Danton and Paris leave.]
Robespierre [alone]: Go on and leave! He wants the stallions of the revolution to make a stop at the bordello, like a coachman with his fine steeds. They�ll have enough strength to drag him to the Place de la Revolution. To cut me down to size! To continue with my line of thinking! Wait! Wait! Is that it? They will say that his gigantic stature threw too big a shadow on me, so I had to tell him to move out of the sun�

And what if they’re right? Is it necessary? Yes, yes! The republic! He�s got to go. It’s ridiculous how my thoughts spy on each other�

He�s got to go. Anybody who stands still in a forward-moving crowd is just as big a hindrance as if he moved against the crowd. He�ll get run over. We won�t let the ship of the revolution run aground because of the sick musings and the filthy shoals of these people. We have to cut off the hand that dares to hold us back� even if he starts scratching and biting! Away with a society that stole the clothes of the dead aristocracy and inherited its leprosy!
No virtue! He talks of virtue as if it were the high heels on my shoes! To continue with my thinking! Why do these words keep coming back? Why can�t I get rid of the idea? He points again and again with a bloody finger: there, and there! It doesn�t matter how many rags I wrap around it, the blood seeps through� I don�t know what there is in me that betrays the other side.
[He goes to the window.] Night snores over the earth and tosses and turns in an empty dream. Thoughts, desires, hardly sensed, crazy, formless, which shy away from the light of day now take form and creep into the quiet house of dreams. They open the doors, they look out the windows, they become half real, they stretch their limbs in sleep, their lips mumble� And is our waking only a brighter dream? Are we only sleep walkers? Isn�t our life like a dream, just clearer, more certain, more complete? Why should anyone criticize us for that? In one hour the mind carries out more actions that the primitive organism of our body can manage in years. Sin exists in the mind. Whether a thought becomes action, whether the body carries it out, that is pure chance…”

So if I weren’t ill, I would certainly open a bottle of red right now…

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almost a diary, music, oddly enough

Spring Cold.

Sorry for the apparent lack of entries, but even though the weather is brightening up in Southern Germany, I was hit by a pre-spring/post-carnival cold yesterday and so I’m not really in screen-staring mood. And there’s so much I would like to write about – the latest developments re Iraq, my best guess for Bush’s non-war exit strategy, exciting developments in German higher education, and, obviously, yesterday’s serious economic policy bashing by the Bundesbank which is obviously as scared as it gets of a possible downgrade of Germany’s debt rating.

But above all, on the day on which the first “German Idol” will be elected by tens of millions of phone calls, I would have loved to write something more detailed about an amazing documentary on ZDF television which covered the casting for the “Arabic Idol” [link in German]. When I see expressions of the ongoing Islamic reformation as vital as that, I can’t help but wonder if the “Arabic Idol’s” life will be made easier by a war that is likely going to seriously discredit the less inhibted, western lifestyle these young people seem to have discovered on their own.

I very much doubt it.

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almost a diary, compulsory reading, Europe, Germany, oddly enough, traveling, USA

My New Ralph Lauren Sweater.

So via Blogdex, I found this hilarious article published by USA today called “Ugly sentiments sting American tourists”.

I suppose it was pretty tough to write this article. You can literally sense how the evident editorial intention to publish yet another “peaceful American tourists tortured to death by mad and naked European pacifists”-peace made the newspaper’s European correspondents look desperately for something anti-American to write about. Their effort wasn’t too successful, even if you insist to count Bush-policy discussions as anti-American torture, as the article indicates –

“‘I am certain that a number of American visitors will be asked about the U.S. administration’s policy on Iraq. But if indeed there have been some unpleasant encounters, I strongly believe that they are few and far between,’ says Patrick Goyet, vice chairman of the European Travel Commission in New York. ‘Furthermore, speaking as a European and for the vast majority of my fellow Europeans, I consider any such behavior idiotic and embarrassing.'”

Period.

But the best part of the article is a bullet point list by Bruce McIndoe, CEO of iJet Travel Intelligence that tells American tourists how to behave when in Rome. Well, we all know what the obvious answer is, but let’s have a more detailed look at Mr McIndoe’s propositions.

Avoid American fast-food restaurants and chains.

Believe it or not, but McDonald’s and their competitors do not just cater American tourists in Europe. Like it or not, the deconstruction of traditional European eating habits is advancing rapidly, even in France, although they don’t like to talk about it for cultural and marketing reasons. So Starbucks has just announced to open more than 200 branches in Germany. And I had my last McBurger last Monday night. Remember “Pulp Fiction“? It was a “Royal With Cheese” – basically the same, but with subtle, metric, differences.

Keep discussions of politics to private places, not rowdy bars.

Well, it’s never a good idea to go to a rowdy bar anyway, if you aren’t a cowboy yourself. I seriously wonder what kind of etablissement Mr McIndoe had in mind here. What exactly are “rowdy bars”? There are hardly any cheap-western-movie-style saloons in Europe, should that be of any help. But wait, he might be concerned about the significant amount of Irish and English Pubs where it’s definitely a lot easier for American tourists to talk to Europeans as most interaction is in English….

Take a rain check on wearing clothes featuring American flags or sports team logos.

Damn. I just bought one of those Ralph Lauren US-flagged sweaters and I am not even American. And I did not even buy it for any ideological reason. And when I recently wore it during a generally leftist (read: European left, not its kinder, gentler, liberal US cousin) theatre company’s performance I was actually a bit stunned that no one cared at all. Seriously, the American flag is not something only Americans would wear in public in Europe.

The same goes for baseball caps or university logoed sweaters. If all the Germans who wear Georgetown or Harvard sweaters with Yankee baseball caps actually knew those universities and had any real idea about the baseball team whose logo they promote, Germany would have certainly fared a lot better in last year’s international secondary education assessment. But I will tell you, should I ever feel safer not wearing my Ralph Lauren sweater.

Keep your passport out of sight.

Indeed a good idea. But mostly because it really is a hassle to get a temporary one abroad.
Keep cameras, video equipment and maps tucked away.

Right – very interesting point. Sure, there are places where its safer not to be to easily identifiable as a tourist. Just like in Miami, a few years ago, remember? So this is good advice for all tourists if they choose to visit places they should rather not. But if this is an advice specifically aimed at Americans in Europe it does come across a tad bit arrogant – there are cameras and video equipment in Europe. We also have mobile phones, T-mobile hotspots and even ones with at affordable rates…

Soften your speech; Americans typically overshadow their hosts in the volume department.”

This, I have to agree, is partly useful advice. Some American tourists do overshadow almost everyone in the volume department. That is particularly true for shrieking female undergraduate students. Strangely though, it does not hold at all for all the Americans I know personally…

I wonder what Mr McIndoe’s ideas for blending in in the US would be? Maybe you, my gentle readers do have some suggestions?

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Iraq, oddly enough, US Politics

More Paris, Less Texas.

At least oficially, Spiegel online’s suspicion that Chirac might have had a voting moodswing seem unfounded [link in German].

Apparently, no one dared saying “veto” today, but the particular kind of silence that emanated from Quai d’Orsay [official declaration in French] this afternoon will likely be read correctly in Washington: No second resolution for the time being.

Well, now let’s hear what Hans Blix has to say. May he find the right words.

And somebody tell those Bush strategists mentioned in the post below to go back and start thinking about an “no-war exit strategy”. Maybe someone could ask the Nobel-peace-price people in Oslo to start negotiating with Ms Rice… sure Jimmy Carter would not be pleased. But, hey, leading 250,000 heavily armed US troops through the desert all the way to Iraq and safely back home without firing a single bullet would certainly be sufficient for a Nobel peace price, wouldn’t it?

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