Ungloriöse Bastarde

In reading through one of my German newsfeeds -FAZ.net, which is the web edition of one of the largest German conservative newspapers FAZ- I ran across a film critique about Quentin Tarantino’s latest flick Inglorious Basterds. The critique had not been written by some pop-culture teenie-bopping Mountain-Dew-snarfing fashionista-type, but the director of the FAZ’s feuilleton himself.

Reading the piece reminded me yet again how much Germans, especially the “older” generations, continue to struggle with the guilt of their most recent and most dark history. The scarlet letter that seems to be emblazoned on our collective national soul burns brightly and painfully, and I remember as a child an adolescent how any sentiment and display of nationalism and national pride was frowned upon as an almost unspeakable act of resuming the pounding sounds of thousands of Knobelbecher on the pavement. The few neighbors that had the ‘audacity’ of flying the German (FRG-German, that is) were whispered about to be covert neo-Nazis.

As late as 1990, when Germany was headed for the unification of a people divided by the consequences of its own recent history, the opposition by its neighbors to the north and even to the west was substantial for the fear of what role a strong and unified Germany would play in the heart of Europe and whether Germany’s past could possibly repeat itself, rather than following in its new democratic tradition started in 1949.

“Even Margaret Thatcher could not prevent the German people from following their destiny.” Helmut Kohl, November 18, 1989

But it all came down to looking at the blueprints that were publicly laid out to the world. Just as Hitler had laid out his plans of eradicating Judaism and wiping it off the face of the world in Mein Kampf, others (who actually were Germans) had laid out a blueprint for Germany, its future and its relationship to and roots in its past. Most strikingly, the German President Richard von Weizsäcker’s speech in front of the German Congress to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the end of WWII pointed out the importance of remembering the past.

“The young [Germans] are not responsible for what happened [back] then. But they are responsible for what history will make of it. We old [ones] owe our youth not the fulfillment of dreams, but honesty. We must help the young [ones] understand why it is vital to keep the memory alive.” Richard von Weizsäcker, May 8th, 1985.

Remembering the past is vital, because forgetting it becomes the first step towards repeating it. But remembering it and carrying it close to your heart does not imply you have to do it with a sense of guilt for what atrocities have been committed by our ancestors.

The beat-down of the German soul and national conscience and pride after WWII was severe and took several generations to heal –both for Germany and those that the Third Reich had impacted so grievously- a healing process that I sometimes feel has not successfully concluded yet, as shown in the film critique of Tarantino’s latest work.

Why else would the author not come straight out and state that he is sick and tired of Germans being portrayed as a grossly exaggerated persiflage of Colonel Klink, as the eternal bad-guy-gone-worse-gone-cannon-fodder, as the soul- and brainless drone that simply followed orders in true Germanic efficient and thorough manner? Why instead try to shroud it behind pompous artistic comparisons of Tarantino failing to measure up to Godard’s genius of film-making? Why respond with indignity to the falsification of historical events and taking artistic liberty and license with it? Why state the obvious and belittle that there are no German villages nestled at the base of Piz Palü and that Bohemia does not border an ocean?

But most importantly, why act with so much sensitivity and indignity in the first place and not just simply enjoy the movie for what it is: a silly and light-hearted screwball comedy with very faint and distant roots in fact and history?

Remembrance – Retaliation - Regret

It has been 8 years since the cowardly attacks from the air on 9-11-01. The confirmed death toll of innocent civilians from over 90 countries is 2,974 with another 24 presumed dead for a total 2,998 victims. This excludes the 19 suicidal assassins.

But the price paid was larger than the 3,000 lives, four airplanes and two buildings lost that day. The price has continued to rise and is still being paid to date. Tens and maybe hundreds of deaths have since then occurred amongst rescue workers and neighboring residents due to the toxins contained in the dust and smoke that followed for weeks. The effects on fetal development in mothers close to the disaster site are still being assessed today.

But the cost of lives does not end there. As a direct response, the US invaded Afghanistan to purge them of the Taliban that have been supporting the Al Qaeda terror network. Civilian deaths in Afghanistan are expected to total between 15,000 and 30,000. Whereas military deaths are approaching a total of 1,300.

"We found the weapons of mass destruction. We found biological laboratories ... And we'll find more weapons as time goes on. But for those who say we haven't found the banned manufacturing devices or banned weapons, they're wrong, we found them." George W. Bush, Washington, D.C., May 30, 2003

President Bush (43), while failing to ever provide evidence of Iraq’s involvement in 9-11, still ordered redemptive strikes against Iraq to retaliate for their alleged involvement, as well as preemptive strikes to protect the US against the stockpiles of WMD. The New England Medical Journal estimates the death toll to date of civilian Iraqi casualties from air strikes alone to approximate 3,000. The death toll of coalition military forces in Iraq is slowly approaching the mark of 5,000, with the US absorbing 4,300 of those.

This is only where the cost of human lives seems to conclude. The financial cost is a completely different matter. Picking out just a few large price items, we find:

• Iraq and Afghanistan War 2001 – 2009: $941 billion
• Department of Homeland Security Budget 2002 – 2009: $315 billion
• WTC Emergency Response, Rescue and Clean-up Mission and Losses: $137 billion
• For a total cost of $1.4 trillion to the American tax payer, federal government and the City of New York.

Personally, in view of the loss of between 30,000 and 45,000 lives and $1.4 trillion to date, I find it appalling that our former fearless leader George W. Bush had this to say with regard to finding the demented mind behind the 9-11 attacks and everything they have set into motion:

"I don't know where bin Laden is. I have no idea and really don't care. It's not that important. It's not our priority." George W. Bush, Washington, D.C., March 13, 2002

Just another one of those things that make you question just exactly what type of ass-clowns we elect to become our political leaders.

Unconstitutional Healthcare Coverage

So, the gauntlet has been thrown. In front of congress, the nation and the world. Universal healthcare, government options, and most importantly mandatory health insurance coverage. Unfortunately, the 'gentleman' from the South, Joe Wilson, had to display his boorish interpretation of the southern code of gentlemanly conduct - and hence helped galvanize the previously divided Democratic side of the aisle, maybe even driving some Republicans to the sinister side of the aisle as well.

But Wilson's aberrant behavior aside, as well as the hero's welcome that Obama received upon entering the hallowed halls - let's run that soundbite again, mandatory health insurance coverage? Okay, there are certain qualifiers to this, after all we are in a democracy...err...Republic here and not some autocracy on a sunny isle in the northern Caribbean. These qualifiers sound really good on paper.

"There will be a hardship waiver for those individuals who still cannot afford coverage, and 95 percent of all small businesses, because of their size and narrow profit margin, would be exempt from these requirements. But we cannot have large businesses and individuals who can afford coverage game the system by avoiding responsibility to themselves or their employees."  Barrack Obama, September 9th, 2009

So, let's get this straight, there are qualifying conditions that may cause an exemption under the mandate of health insurance coverage. Qualifying conditions that are entirely economic in nature. In discussing this with my friends last night, I used the examples of the belief sets of Christian Science and the Amish vis-a-vis freedom of choice of healthcare modalities and/or carrying health insurance in the first place. While reading their doctrine of faith and beliefs does not clearly forbid use of medical care and health insurance, the reality of the practice of their faith is signifcantly more stringent and prohibitive.

In most cases, especially looking at Christian Scientists, we are looking at individuals with income levels that would exclude them from Obama's hardship clause, hence submitting them to the mandate of health insurance coverage. And in essence, depriving them of their constitutional rights under the First Amendment of the US Constitution in expression, observance and practice of freedom of religion.

And while a violation of constitutional rights in our country is not rendered more or less egrigious by the number of individuals affected, we are not talking about simple peanuts here either. In 2008, there were 1.9 million members in the Church of Christ (Christian Science) and 0.2 million in the Amish Mennonite Church (Amish). That is 3/4 of one percent of the US population that will be impacted in their right of religious freedom by this proposed mandate.

Democracy - Republic, it does not matter what the difference, it is still unacceptable if our own president violates the constituional rights of the very same people he is sworn to protect.

Nothing but Facts

The latest World Economic Forum Global Competitiveness Report has come out for 2009 - 2010. And I find some of the numbers intriguing, while others are simply shocking or scary. I encourage anyone to do their own digging through the published results. As with any statistics, they can be used to prove or disprove the two opposing sides of every issue.

But one thing holds true as always, which is that statistics are just like bikinis: what they reveal is enticing, whereas what they conceal is essential. Again, do your own research and draw your own conclusions, but here is what got my attention:

• The ranking of our banking system's soundness has plummeted to No. 109. With that, we are now ranked right between Tanzania (No. 108) and Venezuela.
• To directly compare our banking system's soundness ranking to our next-door neighbors, Canada is ranked No. 1 in the world and Mexico has us handily beat coming in at No. 41.
• To furthermore dispel the myth that capitalism creates efficiently and soundly functioning financial infrastructures and that communism is incapable of creating a sound banking system - China comes in as No. 66.
• Our SEC is awarded an effectiveness ranking of No. 47, which places it directly one place ahead of its illustrious cousin, the Securities and Exchange Commission of Ghana.
• I was amazed to see that the number of cell phone services subscribed per capita only ranks us 69th, nestled between Barbados and Jordan.
• The UAE actually are the world's No. 1 in cell phone services subscribed per capita with a whopping 2.1 per person.
• Sadly, even though our own Albert Arnold Gore, jr. invented it, we are only 13th in the world in internet use, placing us safely between South Korea and Singapore.
• But not to fret or feel dismay, we do still remain the world's No. 1 in a number of categories. Most prominently among them: we are the world's No. 1 marketing machine - looking at my spam folder, easy to believe.

I find the rankings of our banking system and the watch dog of our financial markets rather appalling. History seems to have consistently substantiated the point that capitalism creates the greatest efficiencies at the lowest cost and that overly socialized or socialistic systems create inefficiencies at great cost to the consumer. But the events over the past 18 - 24 months, showing how the pure greed that seems to have become the backbone of capitalism, has cost our nation and us tax-payers tens of billions through bailouts of the fat-cats.

A reform of the SEC appears seriously overdue - if you feel the same way, Google "petition reform SEC" and take your pick of the grassroots movements and petitions out there that pursue the agenda of restoring safety and stability to our financial markets, by restoring credibility to our financial markets watch dog.

Meet me in Normandy

General Omar Bradley, who commanded the US First Army on D-Day as part of the landing of the Allies in Normandy, is credited with the quote:

“The greatness of a leader is measured by the achievements of the led. This is the ultimate test of his effectiveness.” General Omar Bradley

Interestingly enough another leader, this time it was Nicolas Sarkozy, was also in Normandy last week when he put Bradley’s quote to the test. To rally the national recovery spirit after the just-mastered recession, Sarkozy appeared in a Norman manufacturing plant to speak about the state of the French economy - and probably show that he had overcome his fainting spell in late July to reclaim his machismo bravado.

As it turns out, Sarkozy’s staffers screened the employees of the manufacturing plant to ensure that only those were selected to appear standing behind Monsieur Sarkozy that are actually shorter than his stature of 5’5”. In fact, several employees were shipped in from affiliate plants to stand behind their nation’s leader, since few shorter than him were found in the main plant.

One could easily argue that, by General Bradley’s definition, Sarkozy is truly a great leader – for he very effectively has boosted the ability of those he leads to enhance his own greatness (or at least the perception of his own physical greatness). Why and how is it that the world’s leaders these days spend this much effort and energy on window dressing and fluff that has no bearing on and does not add any value to the outcome (other than the self-targeted ego boost) of things they set about to accomplish?

Even when looking at Vladimir Putin, who at 5’5” has little to worry about compared to current Russian president Dmitry Medvedev’s 5’4”, yet he ensures that his virility is publicly visible and his manliness is beyond doubt. I am not saying height has anything to do with leadership. But why the hell try to cover it up and this way actually make it into an issue? And by the way, what do height and leadership have to do with presidential boob shots in the first place? The gallery of available naked torso pics of global leaders (let’s not forget Obama) is starting to get so out of hand that one cannot help but wonder whether the next Playboy pictorial will not be entitled “Farmer’s daughters of the Midwest” but rather “Great racks of great leaders”.

With all the time and effort spent on making our leaders look good -including by our leaders themselves- who is actually surprised that politicians get so little done?

Birth of a Blog

Okay, I admit it. I am pop-culture inspired. I am a copycat. I find myself readily motivated and carried away by acts of human perseverance, creativity and originality. So, while creating a blog is far from original, my opinions, my rants, my incessant soapbox episodes, and my German perspective on all things American are. Interestingly enough, living the past 17 years in the US have also objectivized (or should I really better call it 'subjectivized' - after all, this is a blog) my views of all things German and European.

The culprit to blame for this inspiration - the movie Julie and Julia. I love to cook. Judging by my increasingly plump circle of friends (and wife - even though I do not view her as 'plump', but rather as increasingly more loveable and less anorexic-looking) I am pretty darn good at it. I have always loved to watch Julia's cooking shows. This movie is not just an homage to Julia Child, but also to Meryl Streep, who just seems incapable of delivering a bad or unconvincing performance. And lastly, it is Julie Powell's perseverance of trudging through 524 recipes and, what was undoubtedly, hundreds of pounds of butter in a matter of a year that inspired this project. Let's see how far I can take this. Let's see if anyone bothers showing up to read it.

Anyway - here it goes. Have fun (if anyone reads it). I know I will have fun writing it.

P.S.: Since this is a diary of sorts that will inadvertently allow intimate glimpses into my family life, I am changing names and places to protect my family.