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May 27, 2005
Without Shedding a Drop of Blood
Davids Medienkritik, a truly excellent German blog (don't worry, it's in English) has outdone itself with its response to this quote by German Ambassador to the USA Wolfgang Ischinger (as quoted on page 70 of the May 30, 2005 edition of The New Yorker):
As older societies, we tend to think of ourselves as more experienced in the way societies evolve, and we tend to be skeptical of Americans who seem to think that if you believe hard enough, and you muster enough resources, you can change the world.
In the last year or so, as we've engaged in discussions about the transformation of the Middle East and democracy, I have told my American friends that the region in this world that has seen the most transformation and change is Central and Eastern Europe — without shedding a drop of blood. So don't preach to us.
Rather than try to paraphrase, I highly recommend you see for yourself how Medienkritik's Ray D. responds. Very powerful.
Posted by Van Helsing at May 27, 2005 8:02 PM
Comments
About what I'd expect from a piece in "The New Yorker" too.
Posted by: Redhand at May 27, 2005 11:54 PM
Terrific find VH. Might have to throw this up myself.
Posted by: Scott D at May 28, 2005 1:19 AM
A great service, spreading this compelling blog around in new circles. Thanks VH!
Posted by: The MaryHunter at May 28, 2005 10:04 AM
Van Helsing, great find.
It is amusing that the German embassy's 'clarification' of the Ambassador's comments added an 'after 1990' to the above quote. The Soviet mindset still exists. Since 1932 to 1990 is painful for the minions of Schroeder to think about, they pretend it never happened. All hail the glorious people's revolution. Feh.
One would think after almost twenty yeras without the Soviet/Warsaw Pact threat to turn West Germany into part of the Soviet Socialist Republic of MittleEurope the anti-Americanism bred by the Soviets would have died out. Kennedy's Berlin speech was welcomed while Reagan's 'tear down this Wall' was met with boos. Then we see revisionist history being promulgated by the likes of Herr Ambassador Ichinger. So I guess not. Then last week's elections in Germany happened. Schroeder's party got emasculated in the last election, now reduced to controlling the former East German areas and Rheinland-Pfalz. So unless Schroeder somehow cobbles together a coalition, we will be seeing someone new in Germany and hopefully with more common sense versus German self-importance. Then Herr Ambassador Ichinger will hopefully be recalled and fired to join the 12% unemployment rate current in the Fatherland.
Posted by: Anna at May 28, 2005 10:27 AM
" I have told my American friends that the region in this world that has seen the most transformation and change is Central and Eastern Europe — without shedding a drop of blood. So don't preach to us."
Didn't the cold war have something to do with it?
Posted by: gindy at May 28, 2005 12:06 PM
I think 250,000 American troops in West Germany for 49 years definitely had something to do with it.
What a pompous, deluded asshole.
Posted by: Irene Adler at May 28, 2005 12:13 PM
Powerful is an understatement.
But, of course, that's gratitude for you. No Americans in World War II, and the entire continent would not only be speaking German right now (well that's not so bad in and of itself), but would be living under the heavy German fist of whatever brutal succession followed the Fuehrer.
I'm quite proud of my German heritage, but these kinds of people are an embarassment to everyone with German blood in their veins.
RWR
Posted by: RightWingRocker at May 28, 2005 12:57 PM
Outstanding find. My take? Bring Our Boys Home (from Germany, that is)!
Posted by: Ranten N. Raven at May 30, 2005 1:46 AM
