'More supporters for Russia in Germany than for America'
This is my own translation (and therefore an unprofessional one with possibly many comprehension mistakes) of an article published by the weekly newspaper's online edition "Die Zeit".
Just to give you an idea about the atmosphere in Germany this morning before Chancellor Merkel heads to visit Putin.
Von Trump vergrault.
Scared away by Trump
A column by Michael Thumann
Michael Thumann:
Vladimir Putin has more sympathizers in Germany than Donald Trump. This is also what Chancellor Angela Merkel knows when she meets Russia's head of state this Friday.
May 18, 2018, 7:34 pm/211
Putin is much smarter than Trump.
Angela Merkel meets Vladimir Putin in Sochi in a new, historically highly delicate situation. There is a lot of trouble between Europe and the US. Donald Trump smashes the institutions and mutual trust in the west with frightening systematics. The last blow was the breach of the nuclear agreement with Iran negotiated by the United States and Europe.For all this, Putin has a special flair, with his experience in Germany and as a hobby historian. He knows that the global wrestling of the US and the Soviet Union for Europe in the cold war depended on who got the grand prize Germany. The compromise was the partition, cemented with the wall built by the communists and accepted by the United States by the country. After 1989, the whole of Germany went to the west, which Putin sees retrospectively as a defeat. The Russian president thinks – with all tactical spontaneity – in historical dimensions. And the story, that's just not over.
Already during the visit of Foreign Minister Heiko Maas in Moscow last week, Sergei Lavrov showed himself relaxed and anxious for a conflict-free course of the meeting. Merkel will probably also be welcomed very hospitable by the Russian President. That at least advise German connoisseurs in Moscow to Putin. Never since the annexation of the Crimea in 2014 had the Germans had so much quarrel with the USA. Russia and Germany shared common interests, in Iran, in Syria, in pipeline construction in the Baltic Sea.
More supporters of Russia in Germany
In Germany, in the meantime, the mood is spinning. The clear, realistic tone of the new German foreign minister to the Moscow government does not change the increasing horror of the Germans over Trump. In Berlin, the city commander tweet of the new US ambassador ( "German companies must evaporate their activities in Iran, immediately ") is smashed like a bomb. The outrage over the United States is unanimous, there are no opposing voices coming every time Russia is criticized. It becomes visible what Trump and his peers are just destroying in blind rage. Russia suddenly has more supporters in Germany, the US is becoming less supportive.
To do a few numbers: According to the recent Pew survey, 2017 a whole 11 percent of German had confidence in Trump, but 25 percent trust in Putin. Also not much, however: the world peace (according to FORSA )79 percent see it endangered by Trump and only 13 percent by Putin. According to the ARD trend, 30 percent of German trust Russia, but only 25 per cent trust the US – and that was even before the US broke the Iranian nuclear agreement.
Now these numbers are snapshots, but the United States should not rely on a change of mood in Germany. Putin has many fans in this country, or at least people who want good, close relations. This begins with the radical edges (left and AfD) and goes deep into the middle: the East German prime ministers and their electorate, the Bavarian CSU, the Willy and Egon Legacy Front in the SPD, the German economy with 'Ostbindung' (connectivity to the East). And then there are about three million Germans from Russia.
The USA does not have a comparable base in Germany. The only parties that still have a strong transatlantic foundation.
The only parties that still have a strong transatlantic foundation are the CDU and arguably the Greens. There are also various trans-atlanticists in the SPD and the FDP, but they are no longer so fond of being profiled siding with America. In Dresden and Rostock the Russian-Nostalgia flourishes, but that Frankfurt, Munich and Stuttgart were located once in the American sector, no one notices anymore.
Of course, associations and NGOs maintain transatlantic relations, but they do not reach ordinary citizens. The liberal elites are pro-American, but Trump rages especially against those and their beliefs. The man fights America's closest allies in Germany. That could not happen to Putin with his Russian cohorts.
Meanwhile, the US president maintains his resentment against the German economy and German exports. Planned US punitive tariffs will be met by America's advocates in the German corporations. You will be angry at Trump, not Merkel. Putin is much more skillful. His sanctions against the EU food industry do not weigh on the Bavarian dairy sector but on the federal government. Some Germans even believe the fake news that the food embargo would come from the EU.
Both, Trump and Putin, just like to play the offended. But interestingly, Putin's victim narrative works best in Germany, while Trump's narrative is not believed by anyone. Many Germans argue with Putin that NATO's eastward expansion and sanctions are wrong and unfair. Some of them even burden Russia's war against the Ukraine to the Ukraine itself. Trump's claim, however, that Germany, with its low defense budget and its export surplus, lived on America's costs, only the fewest in this country want to hear.
The US continues to attract
All of this will not lead to a change of orientation in Germany tomorrow. America beyond Trump still has strong appeal. And unlike swing policy times before the Second World War, Germany is now part of the EU and NATO – and France is not an adversary, but our closest friend. This is part of the German self-image.
But there is a lot of movement in the world. The German American critique would once again grow explosively if the United States soon waged war against Iran. And unlike the Russian invasion of Crimea and eastern Ukraine, there will be no German front for US bombs on Iranian nuclear installations out of "understandable reasons".
This is the new great weather in which Merkel and Putin talk to each other. One doesn't expect that the Chancellor will be taken in by Putin. But that she finds herself to worry about the world's affair with Putin is new for a German Chancellor as well.
Comments
Seems like Germans have more sense than Americans
Last weekend fellow musicians we talking about how horrible Putin was. Suggested I would trade T-rump for Putin and you would have thought their heads exploded. Throughout the baby boomers lives they have been taught to fear the Ruskies...better build a bomb shelter...early programing is hard to overcome. This is why russiagate carries such weight - despite the lack of evidence.
Twain had it right - it is easier to fool people that to convince them they've been fooled.
Hope all is well with you in Germany!
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
Lol, Putin has had bomb shelters for his people
and mass nuclear drills to be sure they can get in by the millions quickly, with a short warning period, for quite some time now, due to the US PBT threat - nothing like that for those of us in North America, as we Disposables know all too well.
Gotta respect him for that - unless you're a powerful psychopath planning to be inside your own luxury bunker before triggering WW3, thinking that you yourself will be just fine, of course.
And, despite all of the destructive nonsense created by those who plot against humanity in both senses, Putin continues to work on improving his people's general living standard, to build up Russia's economy specifically for this purpose, to improve their long-impoverished national health care system, previously cutting back on military spending even with NATO massing on their borders to ensure that pensions continued while Russia did - building in the face of the wreckers.
And that, of course, is one major reason why he must be destroyed by The Psychopaths That Be, as a Bad Example for the people of the world. Another is that he's known to keep any agreements he's committed to, also unlike the US PTB, and (horror!) to not engage in bribery.
All the Psychopaths That Be have is much of the world's stolen wealth, (a good deal of it based on nothing real and consisting essentially of data-dots) to buy governments and media in order to sell propaganda (unreality) at the cost of civilization and life on the planet, corporate coups sold as 'trade deals' and networked armies of spies, military and outright terrorists to effectively destroy whole countries, being weakened ready for conquest and to be used as military bases ready to attack anyone, anywhere, in now-evident preparation toward ultimately achieving that goal of overcoming the thereby-weakened world in order to absolutely control and micro-manage whatever remains among the ruins.
Assuming this is not more kabuki, I'd say that Putin's actually what's needed right now, to stand against the resurrected corporate/billionaire Reich (which was previously defeated, in great part, by Russia - another reason for hard feelings against the country on the side of TPTB). Not just to preserve his country and the people who form it, but, in a number of human and survival respects, as an example to the world and as an ally for the more aware governmental leaders to flock to against the loosely united psychopathic oligarchs of the world. The ones beginning to realize that psychopaths have no allies, just currently useful tools and the Disposables.
...
Lol, if I wasn't on any lists before, bet I'm on a lot now. Speak out while we can - June 11th approaches - and let's not forget about False Flags; as the smaller ones aren't working, a big one, or even multiples, become(s) ever more likely as censorship tightens and the gloves continue to come off to show the gory claws.
Just to mention, my computer worked fine off the hop at my brothers, a borrowed computer, which did have its own problems, also had the same problems as mine, and my returned and otherwise fine computer promptly began to exhibit the same issues starting 1st thing in the morning - which appear to involve signal interruptions on a cyclical basis and, later, bouts of a lot of often endlessly-repeated disconnections immediately upon reconnection with the wireless showing as still available, so far still responding to resetting the router but following the same path to utter uselessness as previously occurred with both computers.
Everything else - roommate's cell phone, wireless house phone and TV - except my computer, is fine and the provider (bought out by Bell, fighting for providers to control, through NAFTA and government decree, what Canadians can see on the internet access they pay said providers for,) says that everything's normal at their end. So I may be gone again at any point, due to whatever cause may be involved.
The dog has alerted me to seeing out my back window a lot of people in various unmarked ladder-carrying vans/trucks/cars (my roommate says this is normal) climbing up and down to and from our connection since we've moved in, so some of this could be people stealing internet access and messing up connections, although more recently I've seen either an official company van or people at least wearing orange jackets and bearing traffic cones a few times and spoken with those workers, and, apart from the first one, they haven't seen anything possibly creating an issue that they've told me about.
So, it may be something electrical that simply doesn't affect any lamps plugged into the same outlets.
But whatever it is, outrage will out. And the united, constructive outrage of humanity needs to prevail over the psychopaths.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJQu7uUmO-U
Hope can still be found even at the bottom of the barrel of shit. The insanely corrupt US government could be replaced with enough actual human people of, by, for the people to control government in the public interest within a couple of elections, if enough of everyone would vote (researched) Prog only and refuse, en masse, to accept suspect electoral results.
Consistent protest in multiple pacific forms, including via boycotts of criminal corporations, has to come from the people en masse before the point is reached that they simply are mown down and shoveled into mass graves, with no effective recourse.
Strategic voting and refusing to accept unlikely outcomes for corporate candidates, while this might still be possible, also beats hell out of what people in Bolivia went through, having hell beaten out of them before they won, by essentially standing up for human rights over the brutal bullying of the psychopathic greed-mongers in their country.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PpN_0wgj1TA
Psychopathy is not a political position, whether labeled 'conservatism', 'centrism' or 'left'.
A tin labeled 'coffee' may be a can of worms or pathology identified by a lack of empathy/willingness to harm others to achieve personal desires.
Could it be your router?
I'm no techie, but if your computer problem is just at home your router might be the issue?
Good luck, and thanks for Jimmy's links.
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
Thanks, I need all of the luck I can get, lol!
The provider claims that everything's fine at their end (it's their router) and I hear different suggestions every time I phone, from techies who can only guess and are likely not expert in this area anyway - nobody can ever know everything, obviously, especially when the 'incentive' almost certainly involves crap wages.
They have come out to check, but the cyclical problem did not occur at the time of the housecalls and this was over different problems and a generally weak, if variable, wireless signal. My roommate's been paying for high speed internet and the computer sometimes is very fast and, when functioning, has been working beautifully...
So they say they've checked the router at their end and that's not it, even though switching off the router initially fixes whichever of the cyclical flash and the disconnect problems is the issue and, going by what's previously happened, progressively worsens and eventually fails to respond to unplugging the router, merely continuing the cyclical flashing begun upon first start-up, which appears to involve cutting the wireless signal a consistent 4/5ths or so of the cycle, with the brief flash showing a normal screen progression up to the point where I'd normally sign in, and showing this sign-in screen normally while the router's off.
My roommate is finally considering switching to another, traditionally much better provider which certainly used to have great tech support, which she says has not been (yet) bought up by Bell and which has offered to buy her out of the rest of her 2-year contract - have had endless problems with internet ever since we moved in here, although there has been and is a great improvement in wireless strength per se over the past month or two, after some infrastructure work was done.
And I wouldn't be too terribly surprised if that change fixed the problem, although it does appear to be electrical as my brother now also thinks. But I have either a lamp or an air cleaner plugged into the various outlets I've tried plugging the computer into, and nothing else ever seems to be affected by it, so I don't think it's a wiring issue - not to mention that the endless repeated disconnections upon each connection occur with the wireless signal still showing as good.
They used to tell me the troubles were due to interference, but couldn't or wouldn't guess at what the interference might be. Lol, inquiring minds want to know why, dammit! If anyone has any ideas, I'd certainly appreciate the input.
Psychopathy is not a political position, whether labeled 'conservatism', 'centrism' or 'left'.
A tin labeled 'coffee' may be a can of worms or pathology identified by a lack of empathy/willingness to harm others to achieve personal desires.
Yes, Putin is definitely smarter than Trump but that's a low bar
Hopefully the whole of Europe will tell the US to pack sand. I'd also like to see the EU, like Turkey and South Africa, recall their ambassadors from the US, Israel, and Saudi Arabia. The true axis of evil in this world.
"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." - JFK | "The more I see of the moneyed peoples, the more I understand the guillotine." - G. B. Shaw Bernie/Tulsi 2020
I bet many Germans get a sour stomach
as they go about their daily lives driving past the many U.S. military installations and accessories (golf courses, bowling alleys, hotels, etc.) located in Germany. I remember that was the case in the 80's when I lived there, I'd imagine it's much more prevalent now that they have Trump to think about.
A lot of that has been dialed back since reunification
For example, the I.G. Farben building in Frankfurt became the Abrams Building, HQ of U.S. occupation forces for decades.
But that building and the whole surrounding area now belong to Goethe University of Frankfurt and the former living quarters for armed forces and DoD staff in the neighborhood are now just regular apartment buildings.
I suspected and expected
as much. There's really
no need for U.S. forces in Germany (except to serve as launching points for M.E. missions), and I'm surprised Merkel hasn't tossed the Americans out.
the little things you can do are more valuable than the giant things you can't! - @thanatokephaloides. On Twitter @wink1radio. (-2.1) All about building progressive media.
heh, nobody is thrown out of Germany, that's a no, no /nt
https://www.euronews.com/live
From what I gather from your translation...
It seems that a lot of Germans are getting sick of being told what to do by Washington and their puppets.
I think that's pretty much the global feel. The US can either keep trying to hang on to this, and go out in a blaze of glory, or learn from History and start pulling back NOW. (British Empire managed to get out of their global commitments with general amicability. The US, on the other hand seems to be going down the "Death Before Dishonor" path. Usually that results in both death and dishonor.
[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ql9-82oV2JE]
I do not pretend I know what I do not know.
you have to understand that I am only back
in Germany since one and a half years after having been 35 years in the US. I still have no clue about what Germans think, especially in the former East German territory. I am unfortunately only surrounded by two rather uneducated and politically sleep-walking people. (Pretty lonely here). But I ask people in the bus and trains ransomly if they feel threatened by Putin or the Russians and they look at me and say 'no', why?
The little I gather from the politicians here is that they are too careful and eager not to say 'something wrong' to anybody. In the end they will decide how much they will bow to the US', Russians' and Israel's demands by calculating which side will cause more economic and job losses to the German companies and workers. So, it's the same old, same old.
Most just can't understand why Trump behaves the way he does. It's more complete lack of understanding and being amazed about it than anger. That doesn't mean much. At least not yet. I hope through some miracle that the 'guy who likes to control everybody by being unpredictable" will be controlled by someone more predictable.
Pipedreams I guess...
Have to catch up reading the EB ... Nice to talk to you.
https://www.euronews.com/live
As usual, I agree with you -
except that I'd reverse the "Death Before Dishonor" part, personally.
The concept of honor is one of those human survival emotion things required in us, as social critters who need to work together, whether in primitive times for food gathering, hunting and child-raising or in any of the various modern enterprises, with a basic and mutual level of trust within established standards of mutually beneficial behaviour, in order to both survive and to achieve any degree of civilization, with laws and penalties to protect individuals within the whole society against those unable/unwilling to do so.
The concept of honor is part of the human package in with and developing from such as empathy and ethics, all of which psychopaths are simply incapable of regarding as anything useful to themselves except as a 'weakness' to be exploited. If their brains were capable of operating with the aid of such essentials, they wouldn't be psychopaths, which are, of course, defined precisely by such mental deficiencies.
It isn't their fault, but people and societies still need to be protected from those literally unable to see beyond their own egos and desires, being incapable of feeling anyone else's pain and possibly even enjoying it.
Psychopathy is not a political position, whether labeled 'conservatism', 'centrism' or 'left'.
A tin labeled 'coffee' may be a can of worms or pathology identified by a lack of empathy/willingness to harm others to achieve personal desires.
Honor is a concept that the Americans LONG abandoned.
I probably should have clarified that I was thinking of the "American" idea of honor. Which basically seems to come down to "Never show weakness" "Never Admit You're Wrong" "Never settle for half when you can take it ALL".
Honor as a tool of respect and fitting in with a society? It makes sense and has uses. To go on my own tangent, I'm a member of a Traditional Judo Dojo. I'm still pretty new, but the first thing you learn and are drilled on is etiquette and respect for your opponents and teacher. This is because the objective is that everyone will walk away at the end of the day, having learned from the experience. Even how you bow is practiced, with particular emphasis on working with the partner, making the motion fluid and respectful.
In a US martial art school... the first thing they teach you is ready stances. How to get ready to fight.
The difference could not be more stark, IMHO, in highlighting the cultural differences.
I do not pretend I know what I do not know.
The propagandists are Orwellian, aren't they?
Opposite Day forever...
Congrats in finding what sounds like a good dojo, as well as on the essential points made.
I'd suggest that another factor might perhaps involve that even 'just' (lol) the practicing of whole-body coordination/connection and correct technique is vastly different in both mental and physical results than when thinking in terms of force and winning and in even just that area, an entirely different mental perspective may be gained. They are indeed arts, in a good dojo, with good instructors.
Psychopathy is not a political position, whether labeled 'conservatism', 'centrism' or 'left'.
A tin labeled 'coffee' may be a can of worms or pathology identified by a lack of empathy/willingness to harm others to achieve personal desires.
I did a LOT of research first, I have to admit.
This particular Dojo is almost as old as Judo itself. (At least the lineage. They had to close down during the Japanese Internment) It's actually associated with the head school in Tokyo and our Sensei trained there. http://kodokanjudoinstitute.org/en/
The Head Sensei is extremely involved with even the beginner's classes.
I am actually amazed that more people don't take it. It's CHEAP compared to the vast majority of modern combat schools, (60 bucks a month for unlimited practice sessions and training) The entire gamut of ages is there. I think our oldest member is 78 and I can barely keep up with him.)
Sorry, just very enthusiastic. TIRED... but enthusiastic.
I do not pretend I know what I do not know.
Wow! Lucky to find a school like that!
Never apologize for enthusiasm! Especially over something that'll be a life-long and interesting learning experience that'll be good for you all over, assuming that nothing rips or breaks, lol. And since it's so wonderful to see you enjoying life.
Lol, trying to type with a lapful of puppy bored with the other dog not here right now, keeps grabbing my arm; probably hinting that we ought to start her training to get her tuckered out, though the two dogs do kinda do a lot of similar stuff, albeit carefully, as the one could swallow the other. But funny that she started doing that while I was reading and typing about your Judo classes, lol.
Edit: missed a letter just when she's waiting for a tug-of-war game. You should see the pathetic look she's giving me!
Psychopathy is not a political position, whether labeled 'conservatism', 'centrism' or 'left'.
A tin labeled 'coffee' may be a can of worms or pathology identified by a lack of empathy/willingness to harm others to achieve personal desires.
Did he study or work with O Sensei?
Here's a video:
Ah, perhaps not; this man was more bout Aikido . . . wish I had known more about this 50 years ago.
Nothing against Aikido...
I took it when I was a teen and it was very good at helping me learn Ukemi...
It's about the only thing I remember, honestly.
But they don't spar, so you really don't get a good sense of what it feels like to do a technique against someone who doesn't want you to do it.
I do not pretend I know what I do not know.
The demonization
of Russia extends to primetime now as though ripped from the headlines.
New episode of Hawaii five-oh shows a Russian submarine surfacing in presumably Pearl Harbor (I didn't watch the episode) frightening the five- oh crew.
What drivel.
The drums of war are all over our media, glorifying death and destruction while our heroes fire away with weapons that never run out of bullets.
I refuse to watch any of it, including the adult cartoons strait out of the old comic books.
The dumbing down of America is complete. An entire nation of morons.
And we wonder why there are so many mass shooting events.
Thanks Mimi, for the ray of hope that the rest of the world is not circling the drain.
Neither Russia nor China is our enemy.
Neither Iran nor Venezuela are threatening America.
Cuba is a dead horse, stop beating it.
My reply went to the wrong comment
Sorry Earthling
Beware the bullshit factories.
People in Europe appear to be generally smarter than Americans
They have healthcare, education, and a whole bunch of other benefits, and we who have nothing call them commies.
"Religion is what keeps the poor from murdering the rich."--Napoleon
not smarter, just different social history,
I guess some hundred and forty years ago or less, people emigrated from Europe to the US in the hope to be free from the feudal class and totalitarian ideologies and find better chances to build their own lives n the US, without being enslaved by debt and servitude.
Today I could imagine some Americans seek out European countries to find better and fairer social conditions and opportunities. I don't think they will find what they may look for.
I just regret the divide.
https://www.euronews.com/live
It is why I got dual Italian citizenship.
Also gives us EU citizenship. An escape route for my grandsons.
"Religion is what keeps the poor from murdering the rich."--Napoleon
oh, I am always for as many passports one can get ...
...just kidding, I wish you good luck with it. Italy as I remember it is a very kind country. Just keep your purse close to your bossom. Pick pocketing foreigners is just a national sport but their food and wine and art is a joy to experience.
https://www.euronews.com/live
I'm going to Sweden in August.
Should I carry a sign that says I did not vote for Trump.
"Religion is what keeps the poor from murdering the rich."--Napoleon
Red baseball caps are probably a bad idea
Beware the bullshit factories.
Swedes have gone into full panic mode over Russia
Yah, no red hat. For Swedes might be communist which means Russia.
no, say I am proud of my countries musicians.
You shouldn't underestimate how much the arts influence the friendly feelings of the people from both sides of the pond for each other.
https://www.euronews.com/live
This is so true
for me. Part of me knows the reason I always feel solidarity with Russia is the music, Tchaikovsky, Stravinsky, and especially Prokofiev. There's a lot there.
Don’t worry
Trump voters don’t travel. Unless they are oil barons.
We can’t save the world by playing by the rules, because the rules have to be changed.
- Greta Thunberg
One thing I would take exception with in the article
Is the notion that Putin saw Germany as the Grand Prize and the transferal of E. Germany to the west as a defeat. What upsets him IMHO is that NATO has aggressively expanded eastward--ignoring the initial verbal agreement that it would not do so. This, alloyed with the objective reality that the US is trying to work behind the scenes to overthrow the governments of any Russian allies, and would clearly like to overthrow Putin's government, and the "shock therapy" driven by the US under Yeltsin that wrecked Russian society such that it had to be rebuilt, makes E. Germany a minor consideration at most.
yes, I agree, it's more a feeling that NATO
has broken its promise.
https://www.euronews.com/live
US making Germany pay dearly for US foreign policy
It started really with Obama with the first sanctions against Russia. Putin ordered counter sanctions and lo-and-behold, those Russian sanctions did hurt EU countries. And now with the second round of Russian sanctions, and the sanctions against Iran, once again the Germans will have to pay dearly. Just today or yesterday Sandra Oudkirk, US deputy assistant secretary of state threatened sanctions against German companies involved with Nord Stream 2. And then course the US ambassador ordering German companies out of Iran.
From what I can tell, Russian sanctions have cost American companies nothing--in fact, Trump is pushing American LNG as an alternative to Russian natural gas.
There is nothing that the EU governments can do to protect their companies. Already even power houses like Siemans are caving in. The cost to them would be enormous if their American businesses were hurt.
yes, the Germans calculate which sanctions will hurt
them most and then decide to cave in to the side (US) that will ruin Germany's profits and jobs more. Unfortunately. I wished it were differently. But I don't expect some 'heroic, standing by our values, no matter what' kind of attitude.
https://www.euronews.com/live