Posted on 10/11/2006 4:15:03 AM PDT by Renfield
Davids Medienkritik discovered deep condescension toward America from a German executive whose company makes most of its money here. Porsche CEO Wendelin Wiedeking defends the German “social model” of capitalism, and implies that we Americans are barely out of the backwoods with our rifles.
Europe’s culture is decidedly older than that of the USA. The Fuggers were doing business, while hunting was still the order of the day in America. Right now 37 million people in the USA live below the poverty line. The gulf between poor and rich has widened brutally. Do we want to have a situation like that in Europe and particularly in Germany?
Why would anyone buy an expensive car from a company whose head looks down on him?
I wonder what Herr Wiedeking has to say about the Japanese after a beers?
My disgust with the krauts is strictly personal and its what they have just done to the company that I have been working for for 34 and a half years after Krupp Steel became a co-owner in our corporation a few years ago.............
Haven't seen too many of those on the road with 11 years of service..........
"Porsche is owned by VW."
Yet another source says Porsche bought 18% of VW.
http://www.alacrastore.com/companysnapshot/1013420
I think we would find that Porsche is NOT a majority owned subsidiary of VW/Audi. Some cross ownership, yes. Some joint product development, yes.
I have owned all of the main German luxury/quality brands.
My personal choices are BMW and Audi (wholly owned by VW I believe).
BMW is best managed becuse it is private, and because it is supremely well focused on excellence.
VW/Audi can get goodfy like GM, when they ponder making an Audi A3 and a VW Golf. Which engines? How many doors? Which countries?
Can they cross brand to any profitable effect?
But my Audi allroad was the sweetest vehicle I have ever owner.
Sez the guy in who's country you must beg the government for a job.
(If you're not an "elite," that is.)
Thanks for agreeing.
Ping for cars, Euro snobbery and Americans who don't know their place thread.
That's right, Kraut! And remember, we still have our rifles, and we know how to use them!
Is that near Heidelberg? Some friends and I went to a race(s) at someplace near there back in '80. I think it sounded like Hockenheim, its been a looong time, and there was lots of drinking going on and 'er, other things being consumed! Had a blast tho', they were racing little Model A/dune buggy looking cars that day.
"Is that near Heidelberg? Some friends and I went to a race(s) at someplace near there back in '80. I think it sounded like Hockenheim."
Ja. It is near Heidelberg. These days they alternate the German Grand Prix between Hockenheimring, and Nurbergring.
In 1970 we saw the German Grand Prix. The year that Jochen Rindt won the title posthumously, because he was later killed at Monza in Italy. Almost went to that race, too. We were in Italy at that time, but had too many things to do. Relatives to see.
It was all wonderful. Yes, drinking too. We arrived the afternoon before the final race. Friday practice, Saturday qualifying, Sunday race.
Saturday night we spent camping with commoners in tents and sleeping bags. Some people were sooo hung over they slept all day Sunday of the race.
So we sat up most of the night drinking and talking with people from all over Europe. I was a 22 year old soldier, married, speaking pretty good German. Most of my GI friends and their wives spoke little or no German.
We went to this race track often, and saw many classes and even motorcycles, sidecars too. That is exciting!! Leather an inch off the asphalt going 100 mph!!
Overall people treated us very well all over Europe. Heidelberg is beautiful. I developed a lifelong love of German cars. Not fanatical.
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." -Manuel II Paleologus
Hey Canuck ;-)
I´m here since 2002. 2002! Do you remember what started then? D@mn right man, the Iraq crisis. And do you remember which position my government has taken? Again, right. So, of course I learned to deal with different characters here at FR. And still I think that I was able to express my position and the position of my government (in the case Iraq: two completely different views) and get some reason in the debates.
But thanks for your kind advices. They´re appreciated. :-)
I drive a Toyota pickup. Probably won't ever drive anything else.
"Porsche chief's disdain for America"
Let's see, a Porsche designed tin tube covering an engine exhaust manifold for winter heat? Wonder what happened when the exhaust manifold leaked? No thanks, keep your pos cars.
I was completely confused by the statement.
Let me guess.
"If you're not with us, you're with the enemy!!!"
Yah, I don't think I would have wanted to be here at that time (when our Gov't decided to stay out of Iraq - for the very reasons which are now becoming evident to almost everyone).
BTW, my wife & I have been to Germany several times and our favorite drive is the Romantische Strasse in northern Bavaria. I'd love to take my Z4 though that area in nice top-down weather. ;)
be proud on your granddad.
I am really sure that western germany was a better place afterwards - unarguable a better place.
It's maybe exactly this experience - that after winning a war there's the chance to change the world for the better, that drives america today.
I realy honestly hope histroy doesn't let you down in iraq and afghanistan and all over the globe where your army tries to project power and influence things today.
"But my Audi allroad was the sweetest vehicle I have ever owner."
Sorry it did not last.
When there is a steady stream of unsolicited criticism, often after the fact proven false, but never corrected.
Example: Missile defense today, nuclear deterrence in the 80s. BTW, what happened to Kyoto?
When vile and slanderous comments are thrown around and comparisons to Bush-Hitler, locust capitalists ...etc. (By German political figures) are made.
When this 'pattern' of behavior has been going on for -40 YEARS-, and this despite the US being a benevolent nation after WWII and actually reigning the others in who wanted to put a foot on your neck. A nation that quickly transformed itself into an ally and sacrificed its kids, its money, in your defense. When your national interests are parallel in all aspects. Maybe what you have are other underlying motivations for this constant criticism. But that leap in thought is a bit too much to ask for most Germans.
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Like it or not-
(History)
There are still some sour grapes over WWII. Not much but some. But there is another aspect that is related to this. There is a desire to make the US look bad, since if they are bad took then maybe the Holocaust wasn’t so bad, right? Why do you think the comparison to Indians always comes up? It’s a BS argument to anyone that knows history, but the idea is to rationalize ones own conduct. Is there a reason why the bombing of Dresden pops up ever so often?
(Idiology)
Germany ideologically moved left after 1989 and there is a deep ideological divide. Many of those growing up in the former DDR have the US as a threat picture, not ally. How does one explain the merits of an ‘ordentliche Sozial Politik’ to kids when your economy like all socialist economies is beginning to slip behind and those who embrace capitalism from Singapore to Hong Kong, what happens? People begin to concoct conspiracies and become resentful. The German has a ‘Glaube’ in this Soziale Ordnung, and he will try to force the world to fit this picture, even if it is talking about 14% population that is living at or bellow the poverty live in the US. Never mind that if the same standards are applied to Germany near 1/3 of the population would be defined as at or bellow poverty.
(Envy)
When you have the US dominate the way they do you get ‘envy’. From the Olympics, to Nobel prizes, patents, copyrights, GDP, defense, to per capita income or unemployment….. From the creation of the UN or NATO, to the global reach of the US in other political reach, turn on your TV, look at your computer and what your operating system is and who the core processor is from or what switches you run on- The US is everywhere. When most nations in Europe don’t even have the GDP of California, when a single Joint Naval Reserve station in Fort Worth has more fighters, that are more modern, than the entire air force of Austria, you realize who the power out there is. There is a reason why they spit on a cancer patient who won the Tour de France and why they hound him the way they do.
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Is there anti-Americanism in Germany? You bet. But it’s not for the reasons you’d like to believe. Maybe you need to ask your countrymen to look into a mirror to find the reason.
But the fact that this anti-Americanism is there, is slowly being understood by the American public. Do you think this will help you?
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