Mark Steyn: One Day, Germany Will Have Had Enough

The Telegraph ^ | March 30, 2003 | Mark Steyn

[quidnunc]

In the old days, the headline "Germans Go On Offensive" would have caused palpitations among Czechs, Poles, Belgians, etc. But, in the case of this weekend's AP headline, Germans going on the offensive refers not to sending German troops to foreign countries, but keeping foreign troops in Germany. And it's the Germans having the palpitations, after press reports that the Pentagon plans to pull out half its troops.

Right now, Germany plays host to 175,000 Americans — military personnel plus their families — and reducing that number to 80-90,000 would leave a big hole in an economy that's already looking like a Swiss cheese. See the recent story in Bild: "Can't We Do Anything Any More in Germany?" Also the cover of Der Spiegel: "Germany: A Joke."

The joke keeps getting better. Karl Peter Bruch, a state official in Rhineland-Palatinate who's lobbying the Americans to change their minds, put it this way: "We realised that our installations are in grave danger. And then came the question, what can we do to make us more attractive?"

"Our" installations? As Daffy Duck famously remarked after losing yet another verbal duel with Bugs Bunny and getting his bill shot off: "Hmm. Pronoun trouble." As to what Germany can do to make itself more attractive to the Yanks, how about this? Spend less time running around playing Mini-Me to Jacques Chirac's Doctor Evil. Just a thought. And it seems to have occurred, somewhat belatedly, to Gerhard Schröder.

-snip-

[quidnunc]

Carolinamom wrote: If you have a ping list for Mark Steyne articles, I would very much like to be on it.

Pokey78 maintains the Steyn ping list.

[quidnunc]

The link does work.

Federal copyright law dictates that the article must be excerpted.

[freedumb2003]

Best line in the whole article!

I dunno -- I am still ROTFL after reading:

Our" installations? As Daffy Duck famously remarked after losing yet another verbal duel with Bugs Bunny and getting his bill shot off: "Hmm. Pronoun trouble."

[Lion in Winter]

I know that but if I hit the link I get an error message from the newspaper. Oh well....

[JoeFromSidney]

World War II is over. Let's bring the boys home from Germany. They're where they are today because that's where they stopped in 1945.

[Plutarch]

...the headline "Germans Go On Offensive"...this weekend's AP headline.

Was not an AP headline, but rather that given to the article by The Minneapolis/St Paul Star Tribune, which just happened to be the newspaper used in the Free Republic post here:

Germans Go On Offensive to Retain U.S. Military Bases (Crapweasels bemoan comeuppance).

The same AP story had different headlines in the many different papers in which it appeared.

Evidence that Steyn is lurking here on FR for his ideas.

[M Kehoe]

Der Spiegel called me a konservative click guerrilla. I didn't know what one was until I read it on FR. I'm still not sure if I should be offended, or get a subscription to their web site.

5.56mm

[Lion in Winter]

Thanks for posting.

[lainde]

bump and thanks!

[uncbob]

My nephew was activated for 2 years after 9/11

He is in the Army Engineers

He said a lot of equipment has already been transferred to Poland etc

[quidnunc]

Lion in Winter wrote: I know that but if I hit the link I get an error message from the newspaper. Oh well....

If you register with 'The Telegraph' then you'll be able to access deep links OK.

There's no downside to registering, you won't get spammed or bothered if you check the boxes that sat you don't want to be contac ted.

[magua]

great,Germany still doesn't get it.Were fighting terror frau blucker not providing economic support for germany.

[Lancey Howard]

Thanks for posting the whole thing!

[Malesherbes]

Getting out of Germany is long overdue. While Schroeder was campaigning against Bush there was even talk in his "Red-Green" government about preventing American military overflights of Germany.

By the way, we should move NATO headquarters from Brussels to Warsaw.

[AlbionGirl]

: given that the term "ally" is now generally used in the post-modern meaning of "duplicitous obstructionist",

They don't make 'em any better or smarter than Steyn.

[moodyskeptic]

You are right. The Phillipines told us to get out, and to their shock... we did.

Right as Minitaubo erupted. The billions $ are gone and they now wish we were back because, as bad as they felt treated, they're sliding down into a 3rd world slum again.

[goldstategop]

The sooner we pull up stakes in the Axis Of Weasels, the better off they and we will be. Its about time the kids took care of themselves. They're adults now and we are simply giving them permission to do what they want.

[NovemberCharlie]

Ping to the Steyn List.

[B4Ranch]

"He lives in the US, in New England, now."

Imagine what his attitude would be if he moved out West!

[E.G.C.]

BTTT!!!!!