Free Republic makes the cover of Spiegel Online

Der Spiegel Online ^

[DeaconBenjamin]

You need to click "Abstimmen"

Votes sind eine feine Sache, die Butter auf dem Nachrichtenbrot. Sie geben dem Online-Medienmacher ein Feedback,wie der Leser eine Sache sieht. Fast 60 Prozent der Leser von SPIEGEL ONLINE halten George W. Bush beispielsweise für einen Top-Präsidenten. Wir wissen auch, warum. Von Frank Patalong ...

[StarCMC]

ultraconservative activist Jim Robinson

Woo-hoo Jim - you're ultraconservative!! LOL!!

[Darksheare]

It is extremely disappointing that BOTH France and Germany are currently acting as they are about a butchering murderous arabic slimelord named Saddam.
France supported Saddam and even gave him weapons for oil under the guise of food for oil.
And we saved their butts at least twice.
Germany was kept from coming fully under Warsaw pact control by US support.
Reunification would not have been possible without the US.

Considering how the current German government has been acting, well.. We've had enemies more friendly than our supposed allies.

[weegee]

As to a perpective on "Germany", there are better threads to handle that on. I don't tell Germans how to run Germany and I don't care what opinion they offer in who runs America. We are a soverign nation. Some nations were trading partners with Saddam Hussein's Iraq. That may have influenced some nations' decisions whether to call for Saddam to step down or not.

Even John Kerry said that The United States of America was a soverign nation and did not need UN approval to do what was in our best interest. But Senator Kerry said this years ago when Bill Clinton was President. It seems that when the party in charge changed, so did Kerry's position on the issue.

Flashback! Excerpt from Kerry on CrossFire in 1997 (Kerry RIPS into France, et al)

SHOW: CNN CROSSFIRE 19:30 pm ET

November 12, 1997; Wednesday 7:30 pm Eastern Time

Transcript # 97111200V20

JOHN SUNUNU, CROSSFIRE: Senator Kerry, in fact, in spite of the administration claiming it has restored unanimity, that has not occurred. All the strength of this resolution had to be pulled out of it get any votes at all other than our own. Isn't this exercise actually counterproductive in sending a signal to Iraq that the coalition still remains frayed?

SEN. JOHN KERRY, (D), MASSACHUSETTS, FOREIGN RELATIONS COMMITTEE: Well, John, you're correct that this resolution is less than we would have liked. I don't think anybody can deny that we would have liked it to have threatened force and we would have liked it to carry the term serious consequences will flow. On the other hand, the coalition is together. I mean the fact is there is a unanimous statement by the security council and the United Nations that there has to be immediate, unrestricted, unconditional access to the sites. That's very strong language. And it also references the underlying resolution on which the use of force is based. So clearly the allies may not like it, and I think that's our great concern -- where's the backbone of Russia, where's the backbone of France, where are they in expressing their condemnation of such clearly illegal activity, but in a sense, they're now climbing into a box and they will have enormous difficulty not following up on this if there is not compliance by Iraq.

...

KERRY: Well, John, there's absolutely no statement that they have made or that they will make that will prevent the United States of America and this president or any president from acting in what they believe are the best interests of our country. And obviously it's disappointing. It was disappointing a month ago not to have the French and the Russians understanding that they shouldn't give any signals of weakening on the sanctions and I think those signals would have helped bring about this crisis because they permitted Saddam Hussein to interpret that maybe the moment was right for him to make this challenge.

...

SUNUNU: But isn't what he has seen is a loss of U.S. leadership and an erosion under an administration that has failed to lead?

KERRY: On the contrary. The administration is leading. The administration is making it clear that they don't believe that they even need the U.N. Security Council to sign off on a material breach because the finding of material breach was made by Mr. Butler. So furthermore, I think the United States has always reserved the right and will reserve the right to act in its best interests. And clearly it is not just our best interests, it is in the best interests of the world to make it clear to Saddam Hussein that he's not going to get away with a breach of the '91 agreement that he's got to live up to, which is allowing inspections and dismantling his weapons and allowing us to know that he has dismantled his weapons. That's the price he pays for invading Kuwait and starting a war.

...

KERRY: Correct, absolutely correct, and I believe, and they stood with us today and I am saying to you that it is my judgment that by standing with us today and calling for the unrestricted, unconditional, unlimited, you know, access, they have now taken a stand that they are duty bound to enforce and if Saddam Hussein doesn't do that, the president, I think, has begun a process which you remember very well, John, was not done in one week, in one day, in one month. It took months to weave together the fabric to lead up to an understanding of what was at stake. I am convinced that many people have not yet even focused in full measure on what is at stake.

...

PRESS: Are you suggesting, are you calling for a military, U.S. military strike against Iran now before...

SUNUNU: Iraq.

PRESS: Iraq, I'm sorry, before any other United Nations action is taken?

KING: No, I'm saying is that very soon, though, we would have to use the threat of military force because as Bill Richardson said that this, these are delaying tactics brought about by the Iraqis and this is very serious. When you're talking about biological warfare and when you're talking about the fact that they've already adjusted the cameras, they've already fooled around with the equipment which gauges the air, they've already moved some of the devices away from the U.N. inspectors. This is a very, very serious situation and I'm saying that we would have to, I think, threaten very severe military action at an early date. Now exactly what that would be is obviously, we have to get more information on it, but based on I think what all of us know, it is very, very critical and not too much time more can be wasted.

[KangarooJacqui]

it gets "hot and heavy at times".

Sounds more like my datings days (& nights), than the discussion forum at FR...

[Jeff Head]

Verziehen Sie es mir, mein geshriebenes Deutch ist nicht so gut...lange her seit Ich Deutch geshrieben habe und Ich habe viel verlehrnt.

Aber, dass alles haben Sie in eine Stunde aussgedruekt? Ich denke nicht..dass waere zu schnell.

Und...

president bush is an evil man, i can literally see the oil dollars in his eyes everytime he is on cnn

Mensch, dass ist nur so viel Quatch. Hier, guk mal on volgendes...

Winning Iraqi freedom

[Petronski]

That's gold.

[Citizen of the Savage Nation]

i`m surfing this site now for nearly an hour (the "spiegel-online" article brought me here). first of all, there is no word for FREEPING in German and i hope there will never be one (well, maybe the "German Idol" finale on saturday should be freeped;-)). i am German and i spent a year in the U.S. as an exchange student. i got to know so many nice, decent, caring, loving and open minded people. it makes me deeply sad, that in recent years american policy has changed so dramatically. people over here in europe as in the rest of the world are afraid of america. that is what president bush has reached. is that how the americans want to be seen - as a threat??? i know, that the vast majority of americans is not like that, but in this forum i sense so much aggression and hate, but if that`s the core of being conservative, fine. i pray to god that john kerry may win this election and not because i think this would weaken america. nobody wants to take anything away from you, that is just silly, but for the sake of world peace. president bush is an evil man, i can literally see the oil dollars in his eyes everytime he is on cnn. ok, that`s it for now. sorry for the bad english, but it´s been quite a while...feel free to answer to this statement. i am of course especially interested what feelings and points view conservative americans have towards germany

Welcome! I think your viewpoint is typical of someone who only sees 100% negative opinions about Bush. Having spent some time in Europe last year, I can see the media influence and power is tremendous, and they all hate Bush and hate any Republican US president.

With that in mind, what is happening now is pure brainwashing hatred into the minds of millions, which is exactly what got Fortuyn killed. Its too bad because all things considered, Europeans are mostly good people.

[AppyPappy]

president bush is an evil man, i can literally see the oil dollars in his eyes everytime he is on **cnn**

You are a good German. You are good at following orders without question.

[weegee]

I bookmarked it the day it got posted/excerpted.

FR is a clearing house for information you will never see from the alphabet networks.

[raloxk]

Great job guys

[MeekOneGOP]

His/her only reply and mappe registered today.
I bet he/she is 'gone' by morning, huh ? ...

[Spruce]

With all due respect,

I do not think Europeans can imagine just how ANGRY America is. Until the same thing happens to you, you will never know.
We are going after any SOB that gets on our list.

So you can help or get out of the way. No anger or hatred intended.

[Darksheare]

Könnt ihr uns hören?
Wir hören euch
Könnt ihr uns sehen?
Wir sehen euch
Könnt ihr uns fühlen?
Wir fühlen euch
Wir verstehen euch nicht

[.38sw]

Well, mappe, I'm of German descent - my grandparents were Germans from Russia who came here to escape the Bolsheviks. And, I would love to visit Germany and Russia some do. But - I'm proud to be an American. As to being of afraid of America? the only reason to be afraid of America is if you are harboring and sponsoring terrorists. Thank God we have a president that isn't afraid to take the fight to terrorist nations before we suffer another attack like the one on 9/11.

[Petronski]

is that how the americans want to be seen - as a threat???

Yes, Americans want to be seen as a threat -- by those who contemplate doing us harm.

[Darksheare]

is that how the americans want to be seen - as a threat???

You are either with us and for us, or you are with the terrorists and against us.
Does GERMANY want to be seen as a threat to us?

[Petronski]

i can literally see the oil dollars in his eyes everytime he is on cnn.

And I can see the hammer & sickle in your eyes. Or is that a swastika? It doesn't matter: they're both broken crosses, and they both represent the same kind of creeping statism that does and should frighten many of us.

[Soaring Feather]

Yupper, I think so. Both gone and forgotten.

[KangarooJacqui]

i can literally see the oil dollars in his eyes everytime he is on cnn.

I can see the hammer & sickle in your eyes. Or is that a swastika? It doesn't matter: they're both broken crosses, and they both represent the same kind of creeping statism that does and should frighten many of us.

NICE comeback. In fact, effin' brilliant. We mere mortals just stand and appalud, Petronski...