by "Lone Star Intruder"
As the hot conflict in Iraq cools off, the task of rebuilding Iraq and re-evaluating national relationships with the Axis of Weasels will begin in earnest. Of particular interest is what to do about Jacques Chirac and Gerhard Shroeder. They are the elected leaders of two countries that have been long-time allies of the United States, at least in name. Their behavior in the run-up to GWII has been that of outright enmity and in so doing, they may have succeeded in damaging the United Nations and NATO beyond repair, at least as far as the United States is concerned. Now, they are clamoring for attention as if nothing ill has transpired.
This won't fly. My sense of it is that many Americans will maintain this "F*** the French" attitude for a long time. This passionate disgust does not appear to extend quite so intensely to Germans or German products, however. My belief is that the American population detects some very basic differences between the two countries.
I don't have all the answers, but I have some interesting anecdotal information that illustrates German attitudes in some segments of their population. I am a former member of the American military and communicate with a number of former and current members of the services. This week, I received several emails from American officers and their families that responded to queries about their security and sense of well-being as American military living in Germany during the war. Each remarked how sympathetic their German friends were to the American position and how irritated these friends were with their compatriots’ vitriolic street demonstrations. These friends were mostly older who honor the sacrifices of the US in freeing Europe from fascism and hold in high esteem Americans and the democracy that came with them.
The following accounts were communicated to me by service folks in Germany at this time. (Formal names have been removed for security purposes).
CONTINUED...
"I've had a number of people asking me what life is like right now for us military stationed in Europe - given the overwhelming lack of public and political support from all but a few of our closest allies. First of all, let me assure you that some of the same countries that were publicly confronting our political policies were quietly leaving their borders and airspace open to us, allowing the movement and re-supply of our troops. Here in Germany, especially, we had no imposed limitations or roadblocks on our stationed troops or flow through of troops and supplies. The German military has also provided thousands of troops to assist in providing force protection for our bases here while troops flowed forward to the fight. Despite the political rhetoric and demonstrations - many Germans, especially here in western Germany where most of our forces are stationed, still support our presence here and support our soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines and their families living here.Another soldier writes:In fact just a few nights ago I was fortunate enough to attend a dinner with several other Flag officers and local... business executives, that was hosted by the 93 year old sculptress, "Grand Frau" of Stuttgart, Frau [XX]. She had the dinner to apologize for her countrymen who had forgotten what we the Americans had done for them post- WW II and had the audacity to demonstrate against the war in front of our gates. For those of you who have had the pleasure of meeting her, you will be happy to know she is still feisty and in fact got on a roll and had most of us in tears as she recalled stories..... like the one of her 60 some year old's son's life being saved over 50 years ago by occupying American Army medics..... and of her escorting American soldier wives through the rubble to the families that needed the clothes, food and milk they were donating most. And she is not the first, or only German - at least here in the Stuttgart area, that spends the first part of time together apologizing and expressing that they hope we know that vocal politicians and public figures don't speak for all of them ..... sounds familiar, huh?
I guess the bottom line is that stories like these [XX] are the real life here. Military to military, and person to person, we still do have friends and allies here...now we just have to get some politicians to put agendas aside when the time comes to stand and be counted.
Thanks, and God Bless our soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines deployed world-wide for our Freedom."
"Many of you have asked me what it is like being in Germany these days. With the pretty frank and less than civil discussions between our government and that of Germany, it would be easy to believe that things are really tough. Well, they aren't. Yeah, we have had our share of demonstrations, but for the most part they have been very peaceful. Make no mistake, the majority of public opinion has been against this war, although that might be shifting based on the recent celebrations in Iraq seen even on good ole ARD and ZDF. Somehow, seeing the citizens of Iraq fell Sadaam's statue in downtown Baghdad looks strikingly similar to the picture of young Germans striking down an ugly concrete wall in Berlin in November 1989.The Chaplain's story follows...
The narrative below comes from [a member of Landstuhl chaplain corps]. It may surprise some, but frankly seems quite normal for those of us still serving in Deutschland. Our installations are guarded by 5000 soldiers of the Bundeswehr. Our housing areas are guarded by more than 500 Bundesgrenzschutz (Federal Border Police). They are extraordinarily efficient and polite to the tee. The Germans have been totally cooperative in all of our troop movements to the Theater of Operation...not a single problem in Germany at all. And of course, the Bundeswehr still has the majority of peacekeeping troops in Afghanistan. Not too shabby for a country who has cut the heart out of their defense budget.
Things aren't the same as they used to be...but soldiers are still soldiers and most of our German friends still hold the friendships that we have developed over the past 55 years close to their heart."
"Sunday, 30 March 2003
As usual I was running late. So you can imagine my frustration level as I approached the main gate of Ramstein Air Base only to find traffic backed up! Nearing the checkpoint I realized that not only was there a long line of cars, but traffic had come to a complete stop as a result of all entrance gates being closed. Over the past 18 months there have been many opportunities to practice our patience as we have had to "hurry up and wait" as a result of heightened security. While we realize the necessity, it's still frustrating at times for even the most easy-going folks. ...
Things seemed to go from bad to worse! The German gate guards began walking among the stopped cars, asking us to turn off our engines and headlights. I realized that no traffic was exiting or entering the Air Base. My feelings of frustration began to turn to ones of concern. Just what was going on? A few minutes later I noticed blue lights approaching from the direction of the air terminal. Close behind were two military medical buses with their RED CROSS. Lights were on in the buses, and I.V. bags could be seen hanging. It was then that I realized that these were more of our wounded warriors being transported from the battlefields to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center for treatment.
I certainly wasn't prepared for what happened next. All of the German soldiers, our gate guards, began walking toward the concrete barriers that divide the inbound and outbound lanes of traffic. As the blue lights neared, more German soldiers seemed to appear from nowhere, lining the road, shoulder to shoulder. Right on cue, without a word being spoken, these soldiers snapped a sharp salute as the buses drove pass, rendering arms until well after the last bus had passed.
Needless to say, I was speechless and deeply moved. What a show of respect for fellow soldiers!"
This, in a nutshell, seems to capture the sense of difference between our French and German allies. While I cannot say for sure that this would not happen in France, France does not have a long legacy of large groups of American servicemen being based within her borders for the last 48 years. As a result, the low level relationships forged between our militaries in Germany have no corollary in France. Friendships struck up between French civilians and American servicemen do not exist as they do between the United States and Germany. But I can say that vandalism at Allied war cemeteries has only occurred in France.
The many years of cooperation between Germany and the US have woven a tapestry that the average American has seen reinforced many times in movies set in Cold War Germany, if not in actual duty in Germany. Somehow, this collegial fabric, though tattered, has been divined by our population and, as such, it has not reacted so heatedly to German opposition. Americans know that this upset will probably pass in Germany. France does not have this benefit from my point of view. Recent polls indicating that one third of the French population wished defeat upon the US in its multilateral war against Saddam have only served to reinforce what we see as France’s pathetic grab at world influence by acting as a European "counterweight." Chirac’s own stridency in opposition to the US has simply given us a smug countenance with which to ize our disgust.
While Germany will suffer in the near term, economically and politically, I believe her prospects are brighter over the long haul. France, on the other hand, will not escape so easily (weasily?). Americans will remember her stance for a long time and if Chirac continues to force French hegemony on the EU, we will remember for much longer. And the next time France clamors at our stoop for assistance, either financially (remember the French economic collapse in the mid-50s) or militarily, she may not see us answer the door. They have made their bed and now will be forced to sleep in it.
I think that the American people are looking for a reason to like the Germans. Get rid of Schroeder and Fischer, and we'd be happy again.
In contrast, Americans seem to be looking for reasons to dislike the French.
Jeff:
It's precisely that attitude of looking for reasons to despise the French that really bugs me. As I've argued at my blog, the French will still contribute to the ongoing war on terrorism. So one day the Americans will find themselves in the unenviable position of swallowing their disdain and get French help on a matter.
xavier
First of all I'm happy to see that you do make a difference between the german people and the german government, as we make the same difference for the usa.
In my opinion, and most of germany thinks the same, americans are great people. I think very highly of the men and women i met during my stays in the us.
But especially because of my experiences with the us people I dont understand how they can support a president who is sending american people to die for oil or what ever. As everyone can see (maby not in the us media for it isn't free anymore) this war was not to fight any threat (no wmd, terrorists threat rose, ...) to the us or its people. The support for mr. bush is still up even though he lied to all of you to trick you into believeing you are not save. the su still supports him even though your country has (due to mr bushs politics) the highest debst of all times. The high spendings for military (especially for wmd, and large warfare) are supported even though the al quaida terrorists were only armed with knives.
How can you ask for not buying any german product just becaus the german government dosen't wont to fight the same war yours did. Don't you belive in free speech? dont' you think that everybody has the right to do what he thinks is best for himselve? as your post already says, german people supported the us and will continue to do so, but we will also continue to critisize the us if they are doing something wrong!
bastian, I appreciate your post, but I must say I think you are very very wrong. Iraq is a key part of the war on terrorism. I don't think many people have a good idea of how interconnected the terrorist groups and totalitarian regimes are. A Russian-financed and run facility in Cuba jams Iranian-American broadcasts into Iran. Did I also mention that Chinese officials recently visited Cuba? The people in Europe need to begin questioning what THEY are told by their newspapers and tvs (as do most Americans as well) because I think you've been given a really distorted view of the situation. Unless we work together to eliminate the proliferation of nuclear weapons, next time those terrorists won't be armed with just knives. Imagine a nuclear Holocaust. It would take just one vial of smallpox to kill 3 million+ in Frankfurt or Paris. This is what we are up against. War is an awful, messy business, but I do not intend to allow religious fundamentalists to destroy Western civilization. They have shown themselves to not believe in or even recognize the concept of MAD (Mutually Assured Destruction) that kept the Cold war from turning into a hot war. In fact, they welcome self-annihilation.
[...]I dont understand how they can support a president who is sending american people to die for oil or what ever.
Or whatever? Did you ever wonder about that statement? No Blood for Oil? You do realize that it would have been cheaper and less potentially damaging politically to the president to have just requested the economic sanctions against Iraq be dropped? If he wanted Iraq's oil, then this would have been the most logical decision. Indeed, estimates of this war indicate it will cost the US some 100billion+ to rebuild and occupy Iraq. More than we ever hope to get out of its oil wells for quite some time. Indeed, we'll probably buy the oil from Iraq and the profits will be used to rebuild the country, provide education, etc. If anything, we ain't making money there. Americans buy and sell things. We do not steal them. When we invade countries such as your own, once the country is stable we give the country back to its people. Frankly, we haven't the stomach for imperialism.
But let's assume this is a war for oil. That the US government knows the political situation in Saudi Arabia is not stable and the world is in danger of being cut off from Saudi oil. In fact, we know the Saudis are one of the major sources of financing for terrorists. How do you think the food gets into the grocery stores? Or the money into the ATMs? How do you get to work? If you are really curious as to why Americans use so much oil, visit this country and see how huge it is. You may notice there is very little in terms of public transport. And that our cities are very spread out. Most mornings it takes me 45 minutes to get to work on the highway. There is no public transport where I live that could get me there. Without oil to power the vehicles that transport goods in this world, the world economy would stop and there would be chaos. Oh yeah, we would starve as well.
As everyone can see (maby not in the us media for it isn't free anymore) this war was not to fight any threat (no wmd, terrorists threat rose, ...) to the us or its people.
The US media is undoubtedly free. I suggest you take a second look at Europe and its many state-run presses. This is another distortion of the situation here. The US government does not decide what goes on the news. There are many many many different news outlets in the US. Many more than in France. I don't know enough about the German media. Indeed, if one wants to read British newspapers or German papers, all they have to do is mosey on down to their local bookstore or go to a public library in their area and use the internet.
The support for mr. bush is still up even though he lied to all of you to trick you into believeing you are not save.
We aren't safe and neither are you. Get your head out of the sand. Europe seems to think it is somehow not connected to the US or America is the "Other". We are not. We are a child of European civilization, populated largely by the descendents of Europeans. If we go down, then you go down. The West should not divide itself. We are the same civilization.
the su still supports him even though your country has (due to mr bushs politics) the highest debst of all times.
And Europe has been littered with double digit unemployment for more than a decade and the government steals most of the money you make through excessively high taxes. I think its time to vote your current leaders out, but you reelected Schroder? Also, maybe you haven't noticed all the European countries going into debt as well? Sometimes going into debt is necessary, although I must admit to hating Bush's tax cuts for the wealthy. I preferred the temporary elimination of the payroll tax myself.
How can you ask for not buying any german product just becaus the german government dosen't wont to fight the same war yours did. Don't you belive in free speech? dont' you think that everybody has the right to do what he thinks is best for himselve?
Americans deciding to unite to not buy a German or a French product is not an abrogation of freedom of speech. They are actually exercising that freedom. It is a choice. No one is forcing them to do anything. The government has not at any point instructed Americans to boycott European products. Despite the hysteria and lies you receive from your elites, you have a very distorted view of America. You have the right to disagree with us and I have the right to disagree with you. I have the right to express my disagreeance with and disapproval of your position by choosing to not buy German or French products. Freedom of speech for you and not me? It's a two-way street, babe. (I didn't boycott anything because I thought the whole spat was silly though I was pissed at the French. Of course, that may also be all the French papers and offensive cartoons I've been perusing... on the internet.)