German Town Wary of U.S. Troop Pullout

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

[WideGlide]

No sympathy whatsoever. The claims processors who followed the American units around and wrote out the checks for "track damage" are out of work too. Greeting customers at Walmart isn't soooo bad. Velcomen to Vall Mart. Yah, ve haff 2 forbeinin 1 Lederhosen speciall today Hans.

[WideGlide]

Jorge

[ruiner]

What do you mean? What track damage. I've never been there so I'm not familiar with the more unsavory characteristics.

[Bonaparte]

Having those 70,000 in Germany was very like having that many tourists on permanent vacation there, spending lots of US dollars. This is a blow to the faltering German economy and it heralds the start of necessarily higher appropriations for the German military.

[Bonaparte]

Do you remember all the false bravado coming from the Germans when this pull-out was first being publicly contemplated? They said, "go, we don't need you." What are they saying now?

[Starstruck]

Ah! Neutral steer.

[albee]

In the immortal words of William Jefferson Clinton.....

"Put some ice on it!!!"

[RJL]

I heard Richard Holbrooke (on Rush) yesterday complaining that the US troop pullout "smacks of unilateralism"

Unilateral? If we don't decide where and when our troops come home, who should decide ? France, Germany or the UN?

the German government "spends billions each year to support those troops".

Germany should now save billions each year, there should not be any complaining at all.

[Katya]

Oh please, having spent too many vacations in Bayern, I know from first hand experience how much the Germans were annoyed with the American troops. This situation should have been ended a long time ago. It's certainly hypocritical to be upset now that the financial cow is fleeing.
Now, I have to say having met too many American soldiers on the ski slopes, I was often annoyed with them. They always used the most repulsive and inane pick up lines in broken German, and when I would reply in English they'd sheepishly retreat. Manners for single military men loose in foreign countries would be a great diplomatic exercise.

[anonymoussierra]

Thank you.

America soldier are welcome in my country. I agree with your president, it is good what he does, about good time.

[anonymoussierra]

Thank you.

[rrrod]

The Germans have proven they make better enemies than friends.......bye bye!

[BlueLancer]

"..."track damage"..."
"Ah! Neutral steer."

Ah ... pivot turn ...
Tactical driving ...
Big honking holes in somebody's field ...
Field expedient fighting position.

[BlueLancer]

"They always used the most repulsive and inane pick up lines in broken German..."

I took four years of high school German, two years of college German, and went through the Gateway German course when assigned to Mannheim. I quit trying to speak German when a five-year old on the German strassenbahn talked me into complete confusion. That brought me down to Earth in a hurry.

Broken German indeed ... I spoke English only after that, except for "danke", "bitte", and "Eine bratwurst und eine bier bitte".

[Starstruck]

And the all important "wo ist die toilette?" after you've "ein bier bitte" several times.

[FierceDraka]

Europeans and will now learn that there is a price to be paid for their rabid, knee-jerk, and counterproductive anti-Americanism.

Time to stand up on your own two feet, Fritz. Uncle Sam is picking up his toys and going home, and it's about damned time in this running-dog Yankee's book.

[bfree]

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".

If that were close to being true, then the Germans should be happy to have us pull out, think of the savings for them. Typical leftist BS, make things up to back up your outrage.

[Arpege92]

My father was stationed in Rhein Main back in the late 70's. I don't recall how the Germans treated us, but I do remember the country side as being really beautiful.

[StoneFury]

My father was stationed in Weisbaden from '75-'79. I was pretty young at the time, but I remember being told that we couldn't go into town for a few days, because the German police and military were running a war exercise simulating an attack by American forces. I understand it was just a contingency plan, but jeez.

[lainde]

bttt