[Skybird]

Originally Posted by Abraham

the proces constantly generalising a whole (and pretty divers) nation

I time and again illustrated what kinds of differences I make, and that I do not mismatch individuals, private pöersons, and national policy. I may be agisnt the egenral püolicy, but I judge the indual I talk to as an indual, evryone that I meet. I said something liek that in the above ppst of mine, and you ignore it. Accusin me of beeing egnerally anti-America is the easiest and most tempting way to discredit me, so that one must not deal with what I say. You will not stop doing that, and you are not the only one doing it. It's just that you do not like critizism of the US, for whatever personal motives you have, to silence that critizism every means is okay for you. Okay, so call me anti-Aemrican. Get over it.

hold a whole people responsible for I understand you have the best of intentions with the countries you consider your friends. Still I would prefer to speak for yourself and not for the German people as a whole when you say

First of all, you can't speak for the German people and with your opinion you should strictly speak for yourself.

since you are not really a master of limiting your own opinion to your subjective view, but often claiming that general reason is on your side and so it is impossible to opoose your views withiout rightfully beeing labelled an unreasonable, you shouldn'T start to morally lecture like that. I followed your exchange with Brad in the Liberty-thread. It was so revealing again, but not new.

and more, what I said is the majority' opinion over here, that's why Schroeder was able to make a score by his opposition to Iraq during last elections. the polls vary a bit with years going by, but there always was a very substantial majority beeing against the american hegemonial strategy in general, and Iraq in special.Which also is true for so many old-europeans countries, even if their governements sometimes decided that the people's opinions count nothing.

Second, don't you think it is slightly haugthy for the German people to warn other nations that they are to fall in deep dark pits.

Lastly, when you warn your friends - with the best of intentions - on behalf of the German people some might not be too receptive and when you try to prevent them on behalf of the German people those countries might not want to be your friends anymore.

Okay, so be it, the reputation of the current US is such that it is no honour to be seen as a close ally of them. Cooperation where it is needed would be enough, imo, as far as politics is concerned, and private relations between americans and Germans wopuldn'T be affected by that at all. Former american friends of mine DId know of my opnions, sometimes they understood it, sometimes not, this did not shadow our private realtions - it were people I was dealing with, no politicians. - Do we get bombed and invaded now? We are not responsible if reaosnable warnings in advance get cleaned off the table. Their responsebility, their costs. Iraqis' suffering. I have separated from temporary feinds during my life. Why should it be difefrent with nations? I am deeply convicned there is no such thing as friendship between nations. Only temporary congruency of egoism. Were interests meet, there will be cooperation, the cooperation between Germany and Amwrica on industrial, intelligence and scientifc levels remained almost untouched in their close ties and qualities, btw. Diplomatic sublevels functioned very well and on personal basis as always. The same is true for most interractions between America and - France. Some months ago I linked a portry of the very massive aid the French were giving the Us intel community, dfespite the hostile rethorics between Bush and Chirac. Many operations of the americans in their counter-operations on terorr wouldnT have been possible without assistance by the superb French secret service.

these beautifull words

how come I always get itchy when people justify their own positions by claiming it to be an obligation they owe to a dead son or a gone generation...
:hmm:
In this case your "gift" is a warning to others that they are about to go as wrong as the Nazi's.

No, a warning that Iraq qopuld not work, and why. And more generally, that the military is receiving far too much attention and acceptance in American society, and that it's close ties with private industry comes at the danger of forming hidden elites whose private profit interests are not necessarily in the interests of the people. It's a warning on a trend towards militarism, and collectivism, and a new form of feudalism. These symptoms were explpoited by Hitler to secure hos own power, at least in so far you are right.

I think that in general both the generation of Allies who fought against Nazism and their offspring would be quite happy if the you kept your biggest and most precious gift for yourself.
I even think that's what you really owe to them.

Hardly. Again, you ignore the massive changes the last sixty years have brought to america. the moral authority it had back then it has corrupted all by itself. Those who corrupted it we owe nothing. It's not so much the people that prefer to believe it still is as it was a hundred years ago, but those liars and ursupators that make them believe that way.