Obama's Itinerary Irks German Government

SPIEGEL ^ | 05/29/2009 | jcm

[george76]

Differences over Obama's itinerary in Germany suggest his ties with Angela Merkel remain awkward.

The stopover is expected on Thursday, after a widely anticipated address by Obama on his Middle East policies in Cairo on June 4 and prior to his visit in France on June 6 to commemorate the 65th anniversary of the landing of the Allied troops at Normandy in 1944. In Germany, Obama plans to skip the capital in Berlin and instead visit the eastern states of Thuringia and Saxony.

And even there, the German government has had little influence over his itinerary. The White House has so far blocked the wishes of the German government...

Instead, Obama will be focusing his attention the Buchenwald concentration camp memorial site. There, the trip will take on a personal dimension -- Obama's great-uncle, Charlie Payne, took part in the liberation of Ohrdruf, a Buchenwald satellite camp, while serving in the 89th Infantry Division during World War II.

For his part, French President Nicolas Sarkozy -- who will host Obama both in Paris and at Normandy -- seems content to just poke fun at Merkel over her scheduling tug of war.

"Merkel can't even host the US president in the capital city," he is quoted as saying, "I can meet him in Normandy and in Paris."

[rdl6989]

But the love Zero in Germany.

[rdl6989]

the = they

[o_zarkman44]

Obama is going to desecrate the sacrifice of the thousands of soldiers who died on the beaches of Normandy.

What does Obama care about the defense of freedom and the cost when he wants to turn loose terrorists from Gitmo??

I think most world leaders dislike Obama and don’t trust his administration.

[pepsionice]

The article is a bit false...and dimly written. To be absolutely factual...Merkel and the majority of the German conservatives want Obama to go into Saxony and Thuringia. These are all old East German regions...with a significant amount of disinterest in Obama and his offerings. There will be crowds....but if you consider the events of this past week with Opel...and how GM screwed them over...then there will be Opel protesters at each stop.

Lets review simple facts of history...as the old East German government existed...they spewed Obama-like facts and programs on a weekly basis. The East Germans have heard just about every story in the book...and they can laugh through propaganda speeches with the best of them. This is the last place in German where propaganda works.

Spiegel’s article? Imaginary material and no facts to base it on. They are hoping some folks in the US read it and get pumped up about it. The visit to the concentration camp? It simply drags up German history...which most folks under 40 can’t stand anymore. When the state-run media runs one of their yearly “remember the camps” episode....they dislike it with passion. Most kids from 15 to 18 in Germany...see these required history lessons on the camps as being worthless...that was then, and this is now.

[SoCalPol]

I was in Saxony and Thuringia, (East Germany)in 1983.
The oppression was beyond just writing about.

[Cheap_Hessian]

I was in Dresden, Germany about a year ago. The East Germans are quite a gloomy bunch, but it is getting better thanks to capitalism.

[libh8er]

How does Dresden look today after all the bombing ?

[libh8er]

To answer my own question, not bad.

[SoCalPol]

A lot of historical areas in that part of Germany.
Difficult for most Americans to understand, the population
went from WWI to Weimar, to Hitler and Nazis to Communism
during the 20th Cen.

[Cheap_Hessian]

"How does Dresden look today after all the bombing ?"

They have rebuilt everything just recently. The picture you have is known as Old Town, and it is one of my favorite places in Europe. New Town is kind of a slum, but I didn't hang out there much.

Here is a picture I took from the top of the Frauenkirche Church.

[joejm65]

Yes, the Germans will always love and hail The Kenyan. We were told so repeatedly during his (2 year) campain, so it must be true.

[PoliticsAndSausages]

Yeah, we love the Keyneyan...you ARE talking about John Maynard Keynes, right?

[Carley]

Sarkozy is beginning to act like a clown.

[joejm65]

I wrote Kenyan, not Keyneyan. So, no. :-(

[Verdelet]

This is the last place in German where propaganda works.

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Correct me if I'm wrong but it is Eastern Germany where Neo-Nazis of NPD got 7,3% votes in Mecklenburg, similar in Saxony I think, and DVU entered parliament in Burgundy. Both parties are populist, feeding on those too lazy or too dumb to take care of themselves and blaming others for their own inadequacies.

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It simply drags up German history

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German history is something you just CAN'T wipe under the carpet.

[wolf78]

Correct me if I'm wrong but it is Eastern Germany where Neo-Nazis of NPD got 7,3% votes in Mecklenburg, similar in Saxony I think, and DVU entered parliament in Burgundy.

You are wrong, indeed ;).

German history is something you just CAN'T wipe under the carpet.

German history - for better or for worse is European history and that goes for the 1200 years before those 12 years from 1933-45, as well. Germany is at the very heart of Europe. Classical music without Germany? Reformation? Enlightenment? Industrialization? I mean, England invented the steam engine, both the internal combustion engine and the jet engine originated in Germany. Mathematics without Gauss and Ries? Philosophy without Leibniz and Kant?

[Verdelet]

That was supposed to be Brandenburg, seems I need to read what I write 15 times before I post it...

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German history - for better or for worse is European history
That is something we can say about almost every European country
Oh, I know German history very well, however all this seems to be nothing when compared to "achievements" of 1933 - 1945. More often I hear of The Third Reich then any other German invention. Guess that's what pepsionice meant with "dragging up". Surprisingly lately, more often it's the German politicians or journalists I see, bringing the subject on and on.

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PS. You forgot about two great German "philosophers" Marx and Engels ;)

[wolf78]

PS. You forgot about two great German "philosophers" Marx and Engels ;)

Of course, but you do realize, that Marx was living in London when he wrote his magnus opus "Das Kapital"? As I said, for better or worse, German history is part of European history.

[kinghorse]

Merkel and Urkel
Sitting in a tree

Nevermind