Posted on 11/01/2013 4:50:31 AM PDT by European Guest
This is a translated exerpt:
Berlin - The German government was sending a signal to the former NSA-agent Edward Snowden after his meeting with the German member of the Bundestag Hans-Christian Ströbele that it has the will for a dialogue. The minister for the interior said on friday in Berlin: "We will find solutions if Mr. Snowden agrees to talk with German officials." He didn't said who is going to talk with Snowden. Further the minister noted:" If the message means that Mr. Snowden gives us Informations, we will accept. Everything we get in Information and facts is good. The Federal Gouvernment of Germany ist thankful for all informations. No matter how."
The will to talk with Snowden is noteworthy. Until now the German gouvernment always signalized that a questioning of Snowden never even entered the equation. This changed obviously in a fundamental way....
(...Sorry - the original is in German...)
(Excerpt) Read more at spiegel.de ...
Snowden has a good chance to get asylum and a new identity somewhere in western Europe and the US have a good chance to loose all of their spy bases on the old continent (except of the British island of course). Furthermore it is quite probable that the Status of Forces Agreement in Germany and elsewhere will be renegotiated. Since most Germans do not see any need for a further deployment of foreign troops the outcome could be the end of the US forces in Germany in the long term. The discussion about it just started and will take its time.
From my European point of view I have the impression, that most Americans do not understand how substancial the damage is. Western Europe lost its trust in the US completely.
Regards from the old continent.
Agreed. I think it is time for Europe to be Europe.
Obama is a fool and his job was to diminish the country and he surely did.
-—— America is starting to pay a high price——
No, not really. There is a difference between Obama and America.
What has happened is that the leaders of the world have reached consensus that Barack Obama is unworthy of their respect as an international player. He is being told that he has been dropped from the list of players.
America on the other hand is still America and relations continue.
The bitter truth is that you Americans are going to pay a high price. We understood that except of the UK, NZ, Australia and Canada (maybe you spy on them too) the US obviously has no friends. Therefore it might be reasonable to rethink our relationship to America. Nothing fast but relevant in the long term.
Fact is, that US influence and power on this planet reached its maximum two decades ago and is now declining in a breathtaking way. Therefore America is not that important to us Europeans as it was in the past. Not so far from now we can do perfectly without the US.
Between friends it is not important if one is strong or not. Your actual weakness (espechially in economic terms) was never a big question on our side of the Atlantic. To my (German) generation (I am 45) the US were the Berlin airlift and JFK saying “I am a Berliner”. As most of my German fellows I visited your country a few times. Therefore we feel very sorry now about the experience that friendship and personal relations obiously count that little four you gouvernment. It is a new face of America. A nation that betrays its “friends” and steals the secrets of its partners. Please do not bring forward the argument of your ridiculous “war on terror”. Nobody believes in this BS anymore.
We observe the contemporary discussion quite closely. To us the problem is not Obama and his helpless handling of this affair, the real problem is the widespread ignorance in your country. The bitter fact that normal Americans obviously do not care about the treason of allies.
After all it is sad.
Perhaps Snowden is saving his Obama file for last...........
This might be the silver lining in an Obama administration. We can't stay there in force forever.
Having said that, its clear Obama has lost the lions share of the public trust here at home for good. Question is how far is he willing to push us in terms of forcing through his Marxist agenda in spite of our opposition.
Actually, this fits Obama’s agenda:
ALIENATE YOUR FRIENDS AND EMBOLDEN YOUR ENEMIES.
Obama wants to take down America. He’s doing a good job. Why do people judge Obama against American Values: he has none. He’s not an American. He’s a Communist.
No argument with that comment from probably anyone on this board.
Obama is in the process of disassembling our economy & military, is busily corrupting our legal system, confidence in our political processes, and the very constitutional underpinnings of our system of government.
He and his party seek to flood the nation with tens of millions of third world illegal aliens which will change the character of the country forever.
Americans may not be upset enough at Obama's betrayal of America's traditional allies to suit you, but thats only because we have many problems that are much more immediate than hurt feelings and lost bases abroad.
I for one value the words of a "man on the street" in the old country. Thanks for posting.
Great tagline. :-)
>>We can’t stay there in force forever.
We aren’t there in force. There is very little force there, and it has been that way for about two decades. What is there are logistics and Air Force bases.
Well - since I am no American and committed only to my own nation I might have a different point of view. Nevertheless I see myself as a true friend of the US - further I respect of course your patriotic feelings and do not want to offend you. Therefore I am appalled about the recent development.
As I said. It is sad. And sometimes it is necessary to speak in plain language.
I agree with your view. I’m in Italy for the last 2 weeks and over the last 4-5 days this is the story. People on the ground do ask me about this at all. I wish they would.
Obama is a lazy liar, whose mother was a whore.
How can anyone be surprised by the downward trajectory of this country?
Yep.
The US bases in Germany are the main infrostructural hubs for American operations in the Middle East and in Africa. Transport planes, hospitals, repair shops and things like that. There are only very little real “forces” with real weapons left. Therefore we Germans have no direct political benefit*. A closure might be a problem for the towns around those bases that are dependent from orders of the US forces, but we will manage it easily, since Germany is one of the richest countries anyhow.
* Note: Of course we have some benefit if you Americans solve Problems in Iraq, Somalia or elsewhere. Nevertheless it is no direct benefit, since those troops are not there to defend Germany against his neighbours. Since there is widespread criticisim about American operations in the named countries it is quite likely that the German mainstream votes for a closure of US installations.
You're not wrong, but you should also check your euro-mirror. Vast majorities in Europe were sucked up by the Obama-marketing farce and polls showed massive support for this chooch all over Europe and elsewhere.
One of the principle selling points to morons in this country was that our barely closeted marxist community organizer candidate had grand appeal to Europeans and promised to repair relations allegedly damaged by the Bush Administration.
There's a lot of ignorance on both sides of the lake.
You said: “............Vast majorities in Europe were sucked up by the Obama-marketing farce and polls showed massive support for this chooch all over Europe and elsewhere...........There’s a lot of ignorance on both sides of the lake.....”
You are correct. On both sides of the lake we have armies of idiots. Nevertheless I hope for a littlebit more understanding that we Europeans do not want to be cheated in such a clumsy manner. This is pure posion in the transatlantic relationship.
What would you like to see? Please be specific as you like.
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