The Germans Bush Wasn't Able to See (NYT)

[stevedeshazer]

MAINZ, Germany, Feb. 23 - President Bush of course is not the first president named Bush to come to this town on the Rhine, but the very physical circumstances of this president's stopover here on Wednesday suggest how different, how less automatically warm, German-American relations are now than they were when his father stopped in Mainz 16 years ago.

Most conspicuous was the lack of contact between ordinary Germans and an American president visiting what could almost have been a stage setting: a town with buildings but no people, the shops and restaurants in the center of town closed, and only uniformed police officers on the streets.

Compare that with the main event of the first President Bush's trip here in 1989: a speech to an enthusiastic audience of 3,500 people gathered in a flag-draped hall, thrilling to Mr. Bush's declaration that Germany and America are more than "firm allies and friends," they are "partners in leadership."

more: http://www.nytimes.com/2005/02/24/international/europe/24germany.html

[kskiska]

1. NYT: The Germans Bush Wasn't Able to See

(snip)

Most conspicuous was the lack of contact between ordinary Germans and an American president visiting what could almost have been a stage setting: a town with buildings but no people, the shops and restaurants in the center of town closed, and only uniformed police officers on the streets.

(snip)

But the dispute over the Iraq war awoke German citizens to something new in their relationship with the United States, an unease over the price that they might have to pay to be members of an alliance led by a figure whose instincts they distrust.

"Most Germans are still emotionally averse to what Bush stands for - going it alone, not paying attention to due process, which we love in Europe," said Eberhard Sandschneider, the director of the German Council on Foreign Relations.

The Germans remain anxious that their country will yet be drawn into a foreign military venture by a president who, as Mr. Bush has affirmed several times so far on his European tour, keeps all options, including military action, on the table.

more…
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/02/24/international/europe/24germany.html?oref=login

[TwentyFive]

2. Germans hate Bush. Germans are smart.

Average German citizens know what Bush stands for. I count them more as my fellow citizens than the christian morAns who voted for shrub.

[Mr_Spock]

31. Of course anybody who hates Bush's guts is really smart

I totally agree :D

[Tigress DEM]

6. Sounds like the RNC in NY or ND recent party w/*

Keep him surrounded by people telling him he's doing a good job. Keep the delusion alive.:silly:

[sasquatch]

3. Bayern Munchen win on tuesday and Anti-Bush protest all week

:) :thumbsup:

[PartyPooper]

4. The Germans and their leadership were wrong in allowing Bu$h

into their country!

Once more, Junior has been enabled!

[kineneb]

5. They only did it

so they could laugh behind his back at him. I read the German papers online, and some had rather, ummm, uncomplementary things to say. They think he and his cronies are jerks.

Sometimes I wish I could "cash in" on my German ancestry and go back.

[Lone_Star_Dem]

11. I'm second generation German-American

Sometimes I envy my family back in Germany.

[Hardrada]

14. And I wish Norway

Had a Right of Return. We would waste no time.

[TahitiNut]

7. What little time I've spent in Germany was made even more pleasant ...

... by German citizens voluntarily offering assistance and guidance when I looked a bit lost. While I've enjoyed being a guest in England, Scotland, Belgium, Netherlands, Switzerland, Luxembourg, France, and Italy, where I've been treated hospitably and kindly, I found the forthrightness in Germany to be a bit "above and beyond."

It would be sad to contemplate such experiences for Americans being less common due to the appalling corruption of Sir Smirksalot the Cowardly, the Detestible, the Slothful.

[jdots]

8. Germany learned from thier mistakes

Der Chimp is a mistake most Americans are sad to see reach his level of incompetence as the world's fool.Please stay in your bunker chimp.

[PsN2Wind]

9. Like your picture of the dork

with the dick growing out of his forehead. Does that make his nose represent a hemorrhoid?

[genieroze]

10. Oh it's a elephant, I thought it was a penis when I first seen it. Saying

* is a dick head.

[Starlight]

16. That's what I thought, too. n/t

[all.of.me]

28. me, too! hahahahahaha great picture!! n/t

[Straight Shooter]

12. bush never sees anybody, anyway. But I applaud their efforts.

Why doesn't bush just teleconference with leaders of other countries? He must be costing them a small fortune.

Props to the creator of the sign Iraqi deaths = $250,000/death. I wonder how many of my own personal tax dollars went into that. Why do I have to pay for this war, even one penny. Why?

Nevermind. It's a rhetorical question. They've all become rhetorical questions under bush.

[fooj]

13. "We lived through our Hitler. Will America live through theirs?" Heard

it on the radio...Apparently the German authorities confiscated it (banner) from a protester. Pretty powerful message! Yikes!!!

[Selteri]

17. But we can still own their car companies and drive the quality into the

ground, right?

[jdj]

15. um, does this mean we ain't popular no more?

this is so embarassing.

[choicevoice]

18. When was the last time an american has seen Bush

who wasn't pre-screened, pre-approved, and signed a "yes i'll kiss *'s ass" hail to the furor oath? Are you truly surprised they wouldn't let a FERINER close to him?

[Tansy_Gold]

34. "Hail to the furor"

I don't know if it was intentional, but it's a great pun.

:thumbsup:

[TOOLZ]

19. I love how they make signs in English...

because he sure isn't going to read their language.

[mod mom]

30. Unfortunately if it isn't on faux tv, he doesn't bother with it. Signs,

schmigns, why bother reading them.

[leftchick]

20. Note: No town hall meeting but,carefully screened "young leaders"

But this president was entirely sealed off from Germans - other than Chancellor Gerhard Schröder and the German journalists at a news conference, and even a town-meeting-type encounter with Mainz residents was scrubbed out of worry the mood would be hostile. A meeting with a group of carefully screened "young leaders" was put in its place.

<snip>
But what of the eerie absence of the population of Mainz, and the cancellation of the town meeting? Mr. Voigt said that, aside from restrictions imposed for security reasons, the invisibility of ordinary Germans illustrated the skepticism felt by a majority of Germans toward Mr. Bush.

"It's simply a fact that the German government is moving in this direction," Mr. Voigt said, meaning toward warmer ties with the United States, "but that the German population is skeptical."

<snip>

"Most Germans are still emotionally averse to what Bush stands for - going it alone, not paying attention to due process, which we love in Europe," said Eberhard Sandschneider, the director of the German Council on Foreign Relations.

The Germans remain anxious that their country will yet be drawn into a foreign military venture by a president who, as Mr. Bush has affirmed several times so far on his European tour, keeps all options, including military action, on the table.

[Demeter]

21. This Is A Very Strange Article

or is it just me? No mention of the ban on public viewing of the presidential cavalcade as it cruised down the streets of Mainz, or any of the other "security" precautions. If Bush is that insecure, then maybe it's time for a presidential shrink session.

[The Zanti Regent]

26. The Screw York Times blows Bush 24/7

except for Krugman.

[Mark E. Smith]

22. Millions Of Cheering Germans In Streets To Greet President Bush!

Actually the streets were empty. They don't seem to like this guy very much.

John Kennedy he ain't.

[lostnfound]

23. Funny CNN wasn't showing these this morning either; just cheering crowds

Wonder if they are photoshopping their videos now!!

The bubble world they have created for Americans watching corporate news is so revolting.

[Suziq]

24. Got Me Thinking . . .

how Clinton was SO welcome is ALL Euopean countries. The crowds that came out to see Bill was astounding with NO PROTESTS! Europe truly loved him. What a contrast is just 4 short years.

It really saddens me :-(

[blm]

33. Kerry was greeted with cheers and respect just one month ago.

And without ONE of Bush's 10, 000 security guards.

[Bridget Burke]

25. Earlier this morning, bbcamerica showed Bush in Slovakia.

He was speaking to an audience. Stirring words about the Protests that preceded the fall of Communism.

Does he have any idea that so many protest against him?

[0007]

27. Everyone else does that reads!

How can the freepers not know that junior is the biggest joke in the world?

[Nordmadr]

29. Funny how the tides have changed since the 1930's and 1940's.

Germany remembers. So should we.

Olaf the Viking

[athenap]

32. Almost...

...makes me feel sorry for the poor, deluded bastich.

No, wait...just a bit of indigestion...it went away.

There's another ramification of this--post 9/11, everyone shouted and screamed that we had to, as a country, not live in fear, yadda yadda yadda...and our "Leader" now makes his appearances in the highest state of fear short of agoraphobia, waving to cardboard people, surrounded by police and bodyguards, and carefully, almost psychotically, insulated from the slightest message of disagreement.

If Leader travels in this kind of fear-state, then by association, the country does the same. So in essence, the message we're sending is that we're all scared sh!tless.