Obamamania has hit Germany hard, but many here are wary of the big show the Democratic presidential candidate will put on in Berlin on Thursday, when his speech at the “Victory Column“ could attract hundreds of thousands.
German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier told Die Zeit magazine that the “young and open” Obama was raising hopes of a renewal in transatlantic relations and for that reason he should be heeded.
But Eckart von Klaeden, a foreign policy expert for Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Christian Democrats, recalled that Germans had seen big political events like Obama’s speech before. Hundreds of thousands had turned out for Helmut Kohl and Willy Brandt during during German unification , but the message was clear: “Euphoria in politics is an invitation to disappointment.”
Obama is at least not like Bush, seen by many Germans as a war-monger, said Manfred Guellner, head of the Forsa opinion polling group. “There is a lot of hope associated with Obama. People hope he’ll be a peace, rather than a war president.” But the charismatic Democratic senator will find that if he asks Germany to get more involved militarily in Afghanistan or even Iraq, “the positive feeling towards him could change very quickly”.
Josef Joffe, editor and publisher of Die Zeit, agreed that Iraq and Afghanistan could well lead to “dissonances” with Obama. “Germany’s Obamamania has disappointment written all over it,” he wrote in his Newsweek blog.
In fact, opined one official in Merkel’s office, it would be much better for Obama to give a low-key speech at a university or think tank. That way, the risk of disappointment will be lower.
Wolfgang Rossbach, a pensioner who lives near the Victory Column where Obama will speak, was rather more upbeat, saying: “He’s black and he’s new. And he promises to change things. I think that’s good.”
Thomas Schmania, sweeping the sidewalk near the Victory column, expected Obama to try to create a “Kennedy moment” on Thursday, harking back to former U.S. President John F. Kennedy’s 1963 speech in which he told a cheering Berlin audience: “Ich bin ein Berliner!”. “Obama won’t be able to top that. A line like that, you get that once in history,” he said.
So there you have it. A new Kennedy moment or a disappointment waiting to happen. What do you think?
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I am particularly interested in the views expressed by Ralph. I am wondering what exactly qualifies America to be in the leadership role around the world? Is it the falling dollar/economy, the unemployment, the pushy pro-life views that are not shared by a lot of countries around the world, the understanding of religions around the world, or the amount of money they put into bringing their own troops resulting in statistics that state that you are as likely to be shot by your own army mates as by the people you are fighting. From my personal experience, America never/currently had an appropriate understanding of European or any other politics, enough to actually intervene in foreign affairs and do some good. In Europe almost every country has more than 2 neighbors that are also powerful. Hence nations have to be careful and smart about whose foreign affairs they stick their nose into.
It is so easy for US to stay on their own continent and try and bring order to chaos in affairs of countries that they do not understand. This is not to mention that fact that states cause more problems and then try to fix them blaming someone else. Where not Afgan soldiers trained by the US during the cold war? Yes, they were. But hey, now America needs to go back and try and settle the chaos that has been going on for ages by spending their own money and risking lives of so many of their young men. Truth is that no one in US understands life style and beliefs of any other countries enough to make a positive impact.
This is the problem with North American thinking: “it took American-led army to end the genocide”. Yeah because to this day that is mostly what America has to offer: army and force. As we are currently witnessing that kind of thinking doesn’t exactly gain many fans in today’s civilized world. As for sitting around and not getting involved, let’s go back to World War II when states didn’t get involved in 1939, when the events stirring up the war actually started. Monetary and materialistic help was to the allies was of course there, but let’s not kid ourselves war propaganda is a great way to make business until Pearl Harbour.
- Posted by ElenaI am not German but as I know the country well, the post above by Stefanie Lorimer does ring some familiar bells. There’s no doubt Obama has captured public imagination in Germany, and it is the case in other European countries too, but in the massive adhesion to his person without much of a critical relfection on his program and eventually the issues he will have to tackle, I detect a certain form of political correctness. That is especially true on the part of people who will not vote in the US election.
The Berlin speech did make a certain number of points to the Europeans, especially on matters of international security, which the crowd cheered but which it will have some difficulty backing up. This is especially true in Germany where the polls indicate that the population is in great majority opposed to any form of exterior ilitary intervention, even peacekeeping operations sanctionned by the United Nations or more infrequently by the EU. Pacifism is the consensual view and obtaining either a favorable vote in the Parliament or support from the opinion is very difficult for any German leader, so it is doubtful that even Obama’s present charisma could sway Germans from their convictions.
Could Obama succeed in convincing them on other non military issues, like trade or environment? Perhaps, but one also has the fear that the feeling of innate European moral superiority will there again kick in and that people will consider that it is for the US, under Obama, to “do penance” and to concede, rather than for Europeans to make some sacrifices.
- Posted by Paul Valletwhy Obama is saying everywhere around EU ,that he is gona send all the american troops in Afganistan?I wonder does any of those leaders ask the american people what he wants really?Because they had many victims and now the big priority are the economic problems!I want to see again US like it was in “80.
- Posted by Burca Alice Larisai would like to know what makes hem such agreat leader?and why this campaign so strong out of the country?is runing for Eu also and i did not know about this?
- Posted by Burca Alice LarisaOr does he wants the same big publicity as Bush had, beacuse from what i see, the only diffrecne is that he did not get to make some demage yet!and for the americans i hope that he won’t ever get to do damage!
Obama has a great opportunity to go down in history as a truly great leader. And it will take a great leader to begin to mend the damage Bush/Cheney has wrought on our country and future.
I say to Germany and the rest of the world that when Obama takes office it will be the beginning of a new dawn around the world. America will begin to shine once again and begin moving out of the dark oppressive nightmare of the Bush/Cheney neocon regime.
- Posted by BushGuiltyAsSinokay
Obama sound to have great ideas about Iraq natives manning their security
- Posted by Baryomu VKRObama sounds Great
Let Iraq citizens man their security - with American training
No preconditions neeeded for his talks - a good idea
- Posted by Baryomu VKRHi Karl Wilhelm and other compatriots. I understand the German people…I am their daughter.I understand that as a German I am not allowed to feel patriotic; that I am required to kill off any social/political prudence or deference to tradition because it might tarnish me with a shimmer of political ‘right’-ness. I understand that therefore I must, under all circumstances, present a socialist conscience to the world in order to be socially acceptable (at least in public) in my country. This despite the meanwhile self-evident fact that marxism FAILED big-time. I also understand however, that the majority of my Landsbrueder have not the faintest idea about international politics and slavishly follow Der Spiegel (if we’re lucky) and Bild (if we’re being realistic). Those 200 000 people were out by Hitler’s victory column to show each other and ‘the world’ (as they imagine) how virtuous (sprich ‘Links’) they truly are….all this in the shadow of a symbol of Nazi imperialism. Nicely ironic.
- Posted by Stefanie LorimerBTW…Obama’s crap about ‘tearing down the walls’ made me sick. St Obama needs to stop plagarising pathetically and get over himself. A few thousand German uni-students shouting has much more to do with their psyche than with his (unquestioned) charisma.
This morning Obama arrives in Paris… To follow up on Marieke Winter’s comments about the atmosphere in Berlin, it’s interesting that over here (I live in Paris) there is excitement but not in the same league as in Berlin. For instance there has not been any debate about whether Obama should give a public speach at a famous landmark. In any case the agenda for the visit seems shorter, meetings with some political leaders and then he is off to London this evening!
- Posted by Paul ValletStill blaming President George Bush for all the World’s problems? This world is sadly misguided. It is precisely the Bush gunslinging cowboy mantra that keeps all these chump dictators hiding in their underground bunkers because it’s quite clear that if they ever chose to back up their words of hatred and animosity with military action they would clearly be slaughtered without hesitation. The dear continent of Europe, which I have deep respect for, has a tendency to sit by and watch world events unfold while not really lifting a finger to help. Witness the Rwandan and now Darfur crises in Africa. Do you Europeans think you should be helping out in Africa? Does the violence and bloodshed move you in even the least bit? Will the images of starving and maimed African children ever spur you into action? How about the rampant slaughter on your own continent during the 1990’s (Kosovo). It took American-led military action to end the genocide. America is not perfect but neither is Europe. I put forth the theory that European inaction oftimes results in American action. Perhaps if you Europeans took care of business and exhibited a little leadership once in awhile we Americans would not be forced to constantly carry the load (only to be villified thereafter as hawkish warmongers). Just remember this…for every finger you point at America there are three fingers pointing back at youself. If you think Obama will be a good leader then by all means elect him as the President of the EU. We here in America certainly welcome European involvement in helping to solve the world’s problems but all to often we wind up taking on much larger burden than all of Europe combined. Perhaps you should take a deeper look at your own behavior before so eagerly bashing America.
- Posted by RalphFor some reason I thought that this comment section was for Germans. All I read is a bunch of trash from people who have no understanding of the German poeple or Europe as a whole. Just because Obama and Kennedy share the same political party does not mean that they are in any way similar. Quit guessing what is going to happen. Obama will say anything to anyone…this speech is going to bite him in the *utt!!!
- Posted by Karl WilhelmWhy is Obama ‘campaigning’ in Germany/Europe at this point in time? He finally clinches the democratic nomination after months of hard struggle, and has decided to (as one of his first acts as a U.S. presidential nominee) leave his own country, which is currently suffering from low morale, lack of faith in the government, and severe economic hardship, in order to gain unnecessary overseas support?
Is he perhaps going overboard in his effort to entirely distinguish himself from Bush?
Maybe he should have gone into international affairs if that’s where his main interests lie?
- Posted by From Canada