German Town Wary of U.S. Troop Pullout

Yahoo News ^ | August 17 2004 | DAVID McHUGH/AP

[knighthawk]

Europe-list

If people want on or off this list, please let me know.

[Dutchgirl]

This whole area, it's wHine,"

[Repairman Jack]

We're not there to prop up the local economy. And it's good we won't be there much longer.

[Libertarian444]

The words "boo" and "hoo" come to mind...

[dead]

But it is about more than money.

No it isn’t.

[SF Republican]

Hey Hans tough sour kraut; you help with your frog friends slap down the President and the USA and then you cry in your beer because we aren't going to subsidise and protect you anymore? eat my leaderhosen

[ruiner]

I'm totally in favor of this pullout and think Germany should bite it.

However, I'm sure a lot of these people in small communities have been supporting (and profiting from of course) our troops for decades. For them it is sad, really they're caught up in a changing world not bad blood between us. Got to have a little sympathy for them.

[msp2004]

Boo and Hoo and waaaaaaaahhhhh.

[OpusatFR]

Sixty years is way too long.

We aren't in the business of welfare. We are in the business of warfare.

[StoneFury]

I heard Richard Holbrooke (on Rush) yesterday complaining that the US troop pullout "smacks of unilateralism", and that the German government "spends billions each year to support those troops".

Can you believe the nerve of these people? They DEMAND to know when the troops in Iraq are coming home, because we went in unilaterally, yet when we bring our troops in Germany home it's also 'unilateralism'.

[JLS]

"The Americans came in 1945 and they simply belong to the city."

_____________________________________________________

Nope, the US forces belong to the US not the city.

[struwwelpeter]

I was stationed in Wuerzburg for two years, used to go out to Kitzingen because of this great little Gasthaus, can't remember the name but all the US called it "The Schnitzel Factory". That part of Germany was a good place to live, especially after 4 years in Frankfurt where we were hated only slightly less than the Turks.

Bavaria is the Texas of Germany, lots different politics than the rest of Germany, and that part of Bavaria was even nicer. The locals said: "Mann muss dem Herr fuer alles danken, fuer Ober- und fuer Unterfranken" (One must thank the Lord for everything, for Upper and Lower Frankony).

[McGavin999]

It's not he fault of a lot of these people around the bases. They aren't the ones who have been so virilantly anti-American. However, they have been proping up those who are and it's time for them all to grow up.

[CDB]

Agree

[bboop]

I think it's great too. Makes sense AND they have all been morons. It's kind of like telling your surly teenager (ask me how I know ..) "Maybe you'd be better off living on your own (money)." They can have a little Reality Check.

[bboop]

I think it's great too. Makes sense AND they have all been morons. It's kind of like telling your surly teenager (ask me how I know ..) "Maybe you'd be better off living on your own (money)." They can have a little Reality Check.

[RogerWilko]

KITZINGEN! That's where we had our regional championships for track and field when I was in high school in Germany! NO WAY!

[rightazrain]

No way what?

[Malesherbes]

These south German towns are in the most conservative, most anti-Schroeder, and most pro-American areas of the country. All things come to an end, and they will get over it. Base closures in the USA hurt the local economies here too. As the old Texan said, "I don't object to change; I just don't want to be there when it happens."