Posted on 10/31/2004 11:37:42 AM PST by quidnunc
Baumholder,Germany – Baumholder has been home to a U.S. military base for more than half a century, and, even today, Americans outnumber Germans by more than 2 to 1.
But now this town's 4,800 German inhabitants are bracing for the possible withdrawal of U.S. troops as part of Washington's plans to restructure its military.
Ulrike Norvell, 48, who works in the child-care department on the U.S. base, seems in shock. "Without the Americans, we simply cannot survive," she says, taking a long drag on her cigarette. "If they go, Baumholder will die."
A similar lament echoes through small towns across western Germany.
Last August, the Bush administration announced plans for a global restructuring of U.S. armed forces to create a fighting force nimble enough to cope with the demands of 21st-century warfare. Details of the overhaul are to be hammered out in the coming months.
But the people of Baumholder fear that, no matter who wins Tuesday's U.S. presidential election, American troops will pull out of their town and many other places in Western Europe, returning home or moving to bases believed closer to the battlefields of the future.
Which units will leave Europe and when remains to be seen. But the withdrawal is expected to hit Germany — home to 80 percent of the continent's American troops — especially hard.
(Excerpt) Read more at chron.com ...
Thanks Tex. I guess I should be more specific with my pithy comments.
Yes, I think they are. I believe that they both have their etymological root in the word for God. Dios in Spanish and Dieu in French.
In English we used to wish someone "Godspeed".
But I'm not a linguist...
Don't know where it came from.
Lebewohl is used to say goodbye permanently (literally live [the rest of your life] well). Appropriate when bidding farewell to your partner or someone else you never (want/expect) to see again.
"Godspeed"
Interesting. Thx.
"how did Baumholder manage to survive before 1945?"
It was a training range for the German Army. Don't know the date it was built. The buildings we lived and worked in were quite old!
The American forces took over many, many former German Army bases. The new German Army had to aquire land and build new ones. So, they won't need it now, either.
"Lebewohl "
Thanks. I have not heard that used, so I guess everyone hopes to see me again! ;)
For what it´s worth, my take on the whole situation:
It´s absolutely right from a US point of view to do this. The US doesn´t really need their troops to be in Germany any more, and it is not the job of the US or any other country´s army to provide employment for people in German towns.
And you guys are absolutely right by saying that Germany should be required to pay for their defense, instead of relying on the US. The Socialists here are not liking this, which is why I am liking it very much, it is a shame by how much our defense budget has been cut over the past years.
I do find the on display Schadenfreude by most here a little childish though.
"I do find the on display Schadenfreude by most here . . ."
to be quite unnecessary . . .
These people facing the loss of their known livelihoods have been our friends. They took the risks WITH us, by working for the US and on our bases. It wasn't always known that the Red Hordes would not descend through the Fulda Gap!!
There have been loud outcries from pacifists throughout the Cold War. Yet these people supported us.
Remember the Red Army Faction and Baeder Meinhoff gangs? Their brand of terrorism was not pretty.
Remember the thousands who demonstrated through out Europe against the missles? Yet, these people stood with Reagan and NATO and us.
Schadenfreude is beneath us . . .
"True friendships will not end, the ones based on the American paychecks will...."
One of the problems is that American paychecks
don`t have much value anymore... in fact, this
doesn`t have any influence on the german economy
in general.
True friendship is something different, indeed...
But would you respect a friend who turns away
from you the moment you once don`t agree with
him?
"[I'm sure there is a word in German for ending a relationship; but the common way to say "good-bye" does imply a polite parting with the possibility of another meeting in the future.]
The "final" way to part usually is "Adieu", which is used
to avoid the "wieder" in Wiedersehen (see u *again*) :-)
In a relationship, the usual term is "Ich mache Schluss",
adjective is "schlussmachen".
"In a relationship, the usual term is "Ich mache Schluss",
adjective is "schlussmachen". "
then one becomes eine Aleinstehendefrau! ;)
Danke sehr!
"But would you respect a friend who turns away
from you the moment you once don`t agree with
him? "
good point
"I guess they will have to learn to work more than 25 hours per week and open their stores more than every 4th Saturday."
You have never been abroad, right?
Would you mind to inform yourself before
posting such a nonsense?
The average working time is +/- 40 h/week,
I am usually working > 50h, often on
Saturdays & Sundays.
Shops are open from 08:00 - 20:00,
Monday - Saturday.
On Sunday shops are closed, due to fact that both
churches have a strong influence on this
decision.
Industry and Service are working 7 days/week.
Hun
"then one becomes eine Aleinstehendefrau! ;) "
Yep, but the usual, modern term for
"Alleinstehende Frau" is "Single" ;-)
Jede Münze hat 2 Seiten...
This world is too comlicated to reduce
everything on "With us or against us".
...but I`m sure *YOU* know this :-)
Mit freundlichen Grüßen,
Hun
"this doesn`t have any influence on the german economy
in general."
In the big picture, you're right, but in the local picture it will mean a lot more German people on the dole.
"But would you respect a friend who turns away
from you the moment you once don`t agree with
him? "
How long do you have to pay your friend to live in his house so you can protect him from the bully that dosen't live next door anymore ?
"This world is too comlicated to reduce
everything on "With us or against us". "
Ja, dass stimmt. (can't believe I left out an l in allein!)
The complication itself is complicated. Some here say, it is about time we stopped defending Germany, etc. However, Germans were not being defended so much (during most of the Cold War), as being asked to be the plain of battle (again) to hopefully stop the Red Hordes at the Rhine . . . or maybe French border . . . certainly at the Channel . . .
It was a geo-strategic decision for the USA to face down the USSR in Germany. Let's face it, we did not do it out of kindness to the German people: who mostly realized that they were siding with the West -- at the price of their country again being again destroyed, if it came to that. No wonder their was a peace movement. No wonder some would rather gamble that the Ruskies would leave Germany alone, if only they didn't side with the BAD USA and BAD NATO, etc.
So many Germans stayed with the West, and freedom, even with that knowledge.
It was not til the mid-late 80s that the doctrine of Deep Battle (and the intermediate range missles) even came close to offering hope of stopping the Red Hordes before Germany was overrun . . .
I guess it is more ignorance than anything, but people could put themselves in the other's shoes a bit, perhaps!
und auch: Mit freundlichen Grüßen! Danke für Ihre Interesse!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.