On Being Lectured By Europe
And then there's the story of Boudreaux, who is the central figure in most Cajun jokes. As a little boy, Boudreaux was hauled into the principal's office one day and accused of cheating on an exam. Immediately defensive, young Boudreaux challenged, "Mais how you know if I cheat or not, eh?" "Well," said the principal, "on question number six, the person next to you in class wrote, 'I don't know,' and on that same question you wrote, 'me neither.'" I thought of that story when I read the coverage of our upcoming elections in the German magazine, Der Spiegel.
Having heard the unimaginative, unintelligent, unambiguously assinine caricatures of the tea party movement by everyone from the President on down to the anchors on MSNBC, I thought that the full choir on the left had exhausted their considerable range of emotions, which began with scorn and ran across the hall to derision. But I had failed to consider the cosmopolitans across the Atlantic.
According to Klaus Brinkbaumer, the tea party movement is populated with, "...hate-mongers, gun freaks, and Tea Party demagogues..." I'm not sure if Obama is copying the Europeans, or if the Europeans are copying Obama, but I am quite sure that the traits that have made America great are alien concepts to the whole lot of them.
Brinkbaumer laments our system in which the House and Senate, "...paralyze themselves with rules that demand unattainable majorities for everything that is important," and complains further that, "...even the Constitution irrevocably decrees that a senator from sparsely-populated Alaska has the same rights as a senator from New York." Yes, if only James Madison had checked with Klaus first.
Having been to Germany on several occasions, I am immensely fond of the place. But I'm not terribly well disposed to being lectured to, Klaus, on the supposed shortcomings of a system of governance that has pulled Europe's bacon out of the fire on more than one occasion. Germany spends 1.5% of its GDP on defense, in part because the US, which spends just over 4%, takes up the slack for the cosmopolitans. Now, I may be just a dumb ol' trucker, Klaus, but like hundreds of thousands of other American "gun freaks," I stood shoulder to shoulder with West German troops staring down the Soviet juggernaut in the hope that one day your country would be united and free. I guess no good deed goes unpunished.
But let me decode how things are designed on this side of the pond. You see, in America, the relationship of the citizen and the government is predicated on the idea that the government's role is to secure the freedom of the citizen to maximize his God-given potential as he sees fit. It has worked well enough for us to flourish and even assist our European friends from time to time. It is to the propositions outlined in our Declaration of Independence that many of us have again dedicated ourselves. If these ideas seems foreign to you, you're not alone. They have evidently mystified our president too.
Here's an idea you might like, Klaus. Germany's public debt currently runs at about 77% of its GDP, whereas America's debt is about half that percentage. Obama aims to increase our debt, and the American public aims to reduce it. If you're so enamored of the direction that President Obama is taking us, then perhaps you can hire him. He may be looking for employment after 2012.
- Comment (22)
- · Quote
- · UnfollowFollow (1)
- Pages:
- 1
- 2
- Pages:
- 1
- 2
Comments :
Oct '10
Re: On Being Lectured By Europe
Dare I suggest that for a German newspaper to accuse another country of being full of "hate-mongers" seems completely ridiculous? What is it these gun-clinging hate mongers want so dearly? For the government to leave them alone! That doesn't seem like such a fearful proposition.
I'd also point out to this writer that the requirement of "unattainable" majorities for "everything important" and a constitution that is difficult to change: such protections prevent, for instance, a party run by a genocidal madman using less than 50% of the seats in the legislature to totally take over the country, destroy its consitution, and start a world war.
Sure it was 70 years ago, but combine that with the fact that any prosperity Germany has enjoyed since then is directly attributable to American money and American soldiers, and I agree with Dave that being lectured to about how America should run itself seems ridiculous.
Aug '10
Re: On Being Lectured By Europe
"I am quite sure that the traits that have made America great are alien concepts to the whole lot of them." Friend Dave, you don't know the half of it. Everything American is alien to just about everyone who isn't. Now I seldom visit German websites, because I am not apt to forget what women's breasts look like and if I ever did, I sure as hell wouldn't ask a German to catch me up on the subject; but I do regularly visit Slovene websites and - if I can stay awake - Portuguese ones. And I have to say, not only have I seen nothing about U.S. elections but almost nothing about the outside world. OK, a French riot here, an Italian protest there. The usual tantrums.
What's the intellectual range of cosmo-Europeans? Well, a Portuguese commentator did say that when Barack Obama told Europeans, "Yes, we can!" Europeans thought, "Yes, they can!" I thought that was clever. On the other hand, I read a Slovene tutting that America's health-care "crisis" started with Ronald Reagan. Well, Tito WAS dead at the time; where could the Gipper have looked for guidance?
Jun '10
Re: On Being Lectured By Europe
Well written Dave. I lived around a lot of Euros when I lived abroad and they can't get past the gun thing and the self-reliance thing. I was surprised about how much Russians seemed to know about American politics, though. The people I knew really paid attention. And I can honestly say that just about EVERY Russian knew that Arnold Schwarzenegger was the governor of California.
Related to West Germany, I was watching a story about the fall of the Berlin Wall on YouTube a while back. At the very end after showing all the celebrating, the text read, "Thank you Mikhail Gorbachev for making this possible." Are you out of your #@@@#% mind? Unbelievable.
Aug '10
Re: On Being Lectured By Europe
I wouldn't bother with Der Speigel they will be so busy publishing the Wikileaks docs in the vain hope that they can somehow be complicit in harming the American military, after all it must be tiresome having 20-30,000 of our troops there to protect them. And they have been there since we kicked their ass for indiscriminate genocide and fascist aggression. Sorry to remind you of your country's institutional butchery ! They are of so small impact on the planet. Well they do help Turkish deposits.
Aug '10
Re: On Being Lectured By Europe
I'm one European admirer of the Tea Party-one might even say I support it, sometimes with posts on Ricochet. Ricochet hasn't yet set up a system to make me pay a subscription( once again the Yanks have to carry the Old World) but there is some indirect cost incurred by me in terms of electricity,broadband charges and ,not least, the value of my time (I am a lawyer!).I'm sure all of this could be quantified in money-terms.Does that make me a sinister foreign force using resources to influence the outcome of the elections in favour of the Republicans?Deep down I kind of like the idea!
Aug '10
Re: On Being Lectured By Europe
I hate to say this, but it's true: Many, if not most, Europeans have been lobotomized to accept their own helplessness; so much so that they can't imagine living without a government that provides multiple 'benefits'; and I use the term loosely, since the 'benefits' come at an extraordinary cost.
They've sold their birthright for a "mess of pottage" - Genesis 25:29–34.
There's no point of reference to discuss human freedom and liberty because they're not allowed to by their governments - except in certain eastern European states. What began as a decree from the top has become a taboo that nobody challenges anymore, because the social cost is too high. Political correctness rules. Christians have been driven underground, and the Anti-Christ reigns in many forms. IslamoNaziism is just one of them.
Re: On Being Lectured By Europe
River, if what you say is true, and I suspect it is, then it truly is a bloody shame. Perhaps with the better part of a continent castrated, I should take a more conciliatory tone. But I won't. I don't patronize. They did it to themselves. If they are more suited to chains, bully for them. I'm a free man, a rarity I'll admit, but an unabashed one. They can save the annoying lectures.
Re: On Being Lectured By Europe
Charles Mark, as an admirer of the tea party in Europe, do you think this makes you as much of an anomaly as it seems from over here? Is the attitude in the Der Spiegel piece that pervasive?
Oct '10
Re: On Being Lectured By Europe
This is why the Obama health care legislation is such an abomination. It fundamentally alters the relationship between the citizen and the government. It makes us wards of the state in regards to health care and provides the government with an incredible amount of control over our daily lives and personal finances.
I like the Europeans, but I choose to resist European style tyranny when it appears here in the United States.
May '10
Re: On Being Lectured By Europe
When and how did government take over healthcare in the European countries? Did they, also, begin with something like Medicaid before expanding into broader entitlements?
Obama and his ilk are ultimately a blessing. They jumped the gun. Had American progressives waited another century, or even half-century, to seize companies and destroy the private healthcare industry, more citizens would have thought it par with the course and accepted it meekly.
Jul '10
Re: On Being Lectured By Europe
It is not surprising that Herr Klaus and his ilk get bitter and cling to their secular religion and have antipathy towards people who are not like them. You see, they are hard-wired not to always think clearly when they are scared. They are hurt and confused so let's cut them some slack and drink to their speedy recovery.
May '10
Re: On Being Lectured By Europe
Aaron Miller: When and how did government take over healthcare in the European countries? Did they, also, begin with something like Medicaid before expanding into broader entitlements?
Obama and his ilk are ultimately a blessing. They jumped the gun. Had American progressives waited another century, or even half-century, to seize companies and destroy the private healthcare industry, more citizens would have thought it par with the course and accepted it meekly. · Oct 23 at 7:41am
I agree, Aaron. It horrifies me to think of where we were headed without knowing it. Anyone driving the bus, now, has vigilant passengers watching the road for any indication of a wrong turn. What I don't understand is that any American citizen who sees the signs leading to hell would say, "Sure! Let's go there.".
Jun '10
Re: On Being Lectured By Europe
The picture to the right ------------->
Is me carrying an M-1 carbine on the Golan Heights. Simple story: Whenever we left the kibbutz in a group, someone was required to carry a firearm. That duty always fell to an American if no Israeli was in attendance. It was assumed amongst the volunteers that an American would know what to do if bullets started flying.
I could offer you a dozen stories about my trips abroad that would illustrate the same point. Americans lead, Europeans follow. National character and all that.
Edited on Oct 23, 2010 at 8:25amAug '10
Re: On Being Lectured By Europe
Am I an anomaly as a European sympathetic to the Tea Party? Pretty much,but then I have had plenty of practice , what with Reagan,Palin, Republicans, (not worshipping) , O, and W and Israel-especially the last two. Thankfully I have a small coterie of kindred-spirits for mutual support.And Ricochet is a Godsend!
May '10
Re: On Being Lectured By Europe
~Paules: The picture to the right ------------->
Is me carrying an M-1 carbine on the Golan Heights. Simple story: Whenever we left the kibbutz in a group, someone was required to carry a firearm. That duty always fell to an American if no Israeli was in attendance. It was assumed amongst the volunteers that an American would know what to do if bullets started flying.
I could offer you a dozen stories about my trips abroad that would illustrate the same point. Americans lead, Europeans follow. National character and all that. · Oct 23 at 8:23am
Edited on Oct 23 at 08:25 am
~Paules, I'm putting my order in for an advanced copy of your autobiography.
Oct '10
Re: On Being Lectured By Europe
I was about to get a little up in arms about a generalization made about Europeans, Dave. But I will say your article needs one qualifier: it's not Europeans in toto that are trying to lecture us, but European elites.
I've been in contact with many a European, both online and facing them in real life in the tourist industry. Somehow, I manage to connect with the conservatives (imagine that!). While the picture you paint about European attitudes is plainly there among the elites, happily, it's not a monolithic situation.
Conservative parties and some conservative economic trends are on the rise in several European countries. They have a long way to go towards fully implementing what we would consider conservative fiscal policies, but you have to start somewhere.
Sep '10
Re: On Being Lectured By Europe
And Ricochet is a Godsend!
This is one thing that Roger Scruton forgot to mention in his article on Alienation is what would have happened to the East Europeans if they had electronic access to communities such as Ricochet. With all due respect to Peter Robinson, they may have torn the walls down themselves.
Jun '10
Re: On Being Lectured By Europe
Most of the best minds the Europeans had in the last 500 years were forced to migrate...to America. That says a lot right there.
Oct '10
Re: On Being Lectured By Europe
Pseudodionysius: And Ricochet is a Godsend!
This is one thing that Roger Scruton forgot to mention in his article on Alienation is what would have happened to the East Europeans if they had electronic access to communities such as Ricochet. With all due respect to Peter Robinson, they may have torn the walls down themselves. · Oct 24 at 6:00am
Possibly, or it would have served as more of an opiate.
Re: On Being Lectured By Europe
Jeremias, point well taken. I should have been more specific. And it is quite telling that many of the eastern Europeans are running away from statism as fast as they can, even as our own elites steer a course directly into the madness. Thanks for the clarification.