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-

[finnigan2]

Sorry to correct you, but according to Stein's own web site, he splits his time between Montreal Quebec, London England, and a small town in New Hampshire. Since his hobby is dog sledding, I suspect New Hampshire must be his winter residence. I've never heard him speak but strangely enough those who have say he talks with a pronounced English accent. That must be an interesting story all by itself. He still retains his Canadian citizenship and is a close friend of Conrad Black (lately under siege) and his journalist wife Barbara Amiel - also a conservative commentator and a very good one too.
It's through Black's publications that Stein's articles first became well known to the public.

[knighthawk]

Ping

[7thson]

Mark Steyn, V.D. Hanson, Ann Coulter, Thomas Sowell, Walter Williams, Larry Elder, Laura Ingrham - the cream of the crop. Then the second tier of conservative writers such as David Limbaugh, Paul Craig Roberts, Cal Thomas, et al. Ideas and wit flowing freely. If I were Bill Safire, I would gnash my teeth with jealousy. We lost two great ones with the passing of Barbara Olsen and Mike Kelly, but the left has nothing close to those listed above. After watching Karen Hughes last night, I wonder what her writing would be like. I have to get her book and find out.

[hershey]

The loss of Barbara Olsen and Mike Kelly hit us hard...both coming into their own and making such a difference with grace and intelligence. Great voices, integrity, decency, yup, ideas and wit. You don't see anything like that on the liberal side. Ideas are rammed down the readers' throats, regardless of common sense and truth. The ends justify the means. That's what it's all about for liberals. Sweep anything inconvenient under the rug and fog, fog, fog. It will be interesting to see Condi hand the committee members their lunch when she testifies. I expect the RATS to interrupt her, talk over her, imply that she's committing perjury, etc.

I heard Tom (idiot) Oliphant of the Boston Globe on Imus early this am. Oliphant gave Clarke's lies a complete pass...'He's only human', was one excuse. Certainly there's nothing political about Clarke's book and handling by the RAT press and committee members. His appearance is 'courageous', he was the top man in charge of terrorism under Clinton,(also given a pass about his refusal to fight terrorism), so Clarke was in a position to know what was going on. His voice went 'unheeded' by the Bush admin..

Condi Rice may have given a speech on Al Quaeda a year or two before Clarke brought it to her attention, but(nuancing like mad here), it wasn't that she didn't 'know' about Al Quaeda, actually, but that she didn't have a clue about how serious the danger was. And on and on.

I gather Imus has said he's not voting for Bush, so he has on the usual liberal suspects and lets them rant away to their hearts' content. I can't wait until Kerry picks Hill the harridan as his running mate. That should be quite a ticket. Dull and duller. They're closing North Station and a big section of I95 to the public while the convention's in town in July. Commuter horror. Maybe it will cost the RATs some votes.