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Go, and never darken my towels again.
'Our Goal Is to Defeat Al-Qaida and Its Extremist Allies'  US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton spoke to SPIEGEL about her hopes for Afghanistan, her fears about al-Qaida's safe haven in Pakistan and her finite patience with Iran. SPIEGEL: Madam Secretary, your government is considering sending more troops into Afghanistan. What for? Is it your goal to build a Western-style civil society there? Or is it just to prevent the establishment of new bases of terrorism? Hillary Rodham Clinton : President Obama has not made any final decision. He has conducted a very deliberative process which has explored every assumption underlying every action. I think that this process alone has been quite productive. But I think it is fair to say that in the course of our examination, our goal is to defeat al-Qaida and its extremist allies. SPIEGEL: And what does this mean for the Afghan population, for their daily life? Read full interview here. 'Let the People Out' by SPIEGEL Staff 9/11/2009  11:20 p.m.: Border guards at the Bornholmer Strasse crossing could no longer hold back the crowds of East Germans who wanted to cross over into the West. One guard tried to close a barrier that had been pushed open, but it was too late. Crying policemen. Stinking traffic jams of East German Trabis on the posh streets of West Berlin. Strangers falling into each others' arms. The night of Nov. 9, 1989 was unforgettable. A look into the SPIEGEL archives brings the historic day to life. Wearing nothing but a coat over his pajamas, the man spoke rapidly in his thick Berlin accent: "We live on Bornholmer Street, in the East, you know. I was in bed already. My wife had gone out to walk the dog, came back up and said, 'Hey, they're all going to the West!' I was dressed and out here in a flash." Another man, driving an East German Trabant car, rolled down his window and excitedly said: "I keep shaking my head. I'm driving on the Kurfürstendamm!" referring to West Berlin's main shopping boulevard. Full article here. Make sure to visit the photo galleries! And here's a great personal memory from the DUer DFW: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discu... How a Newspaper Tried to Prevent East Germany from Collapsing By Alexander Osang (DER SPIEGEL 10/16/2009)  Berliner Zeitung was the main newspaper in East Berlin. It reported on the progress of communism even as East Germany was collapsing around it. It was just one single word that Berliner Zeitung editor-in-chief Fritz Wengler inserted into my story. For me, it was betrayal. For him, it was an attempt to put the brakes on history. The poplars stand like a green wall around the tall, gray apartment block on Fischerinsel, the neighborhood in former East Berlin that is home to Fritz Wengler -- a man who 20 years ago made a promise he couldn't keep. The trees rustle in the fall wind, and it seems to me as if they used to lose their leaves much earlier than they do today. Wengler has lived in an apartment on the second floor for the past 40 years. And in that time nature has gradually enveloped the building like Sleeping Beauty's castle. Standing in front of the entrance, I again wonder if I should leave him alone. The temptation is great. After all, it would mean leaving me alone -- and this newspaper, whose history we are a part of. Read full article here. Any resemblance with today's news/press? Bueller? Bueller? Merkel Wins German Election, Has Majority for Center-Right Government  German Chancellor Angela Merkel secured a second term in office following Sunday's vote: "I am happy to have achieved a great thing." German voters re-elected Chancellor Angela Merkel on Sunday and allowed her to ditch the center-left Social Democrats from her government and form a coalition with her preferred partner, the pro-business Free Democratic Party, instead, according to reliable projections. German Chancellor Angela Merkel won a second term in Sunday's federal election and will be able to form a government with the pro-business Free Democratic Party (FDP), dumping the center-left Social Democratic Party (SPD) with whom she has ruled since 2005 in an uneasy coalition, projections showed. She will have a comfortable center-right majority in the Bundestag lower house of parliament with an estimated 323 seats, 15 more than the absolute majority of 308 seats, according to a projection broadcast on ZDF television. Well, thank you, Social-Democrats for running the worst campaign ever with the worst people you could gather and your unwillingness to work with some who were on your side. You tried to be more center-right than the CDU, now you can go and whine all you want. Wave of Homophobia Sweeps the Muslim World  In recent years Egypt, long known for its open gay scene, has started to clamp down on homosexuality. In July 2001 these defendents were accused of participating in "immoral acts." By Juliane von Mittelstaedt and Daniel Steinvorth (DER SPIEGEL) In most Islamic countries, gay men and women are ostracized, persecuted and in some cases even murdered. Repressive regimes are often fanning the flames of hatred in a bid to outdo Islamists when it comes to spreading "moral panic." Bearded men kidnapped him in the center of Baghdad, threw him into a dark hole, chained him down, urinated on him, and beat him with an iron pipe. But the worst moment for Hisham, 40, came on the fourth day of his ordeal when the kidnappers called his family. He was terrified they would tell his mother that he is gay and that this was the reason they had kidnapped him. If they did he would never be able to see his family again. The shame would be unbearable for them. "Do what you want to me, but don't tell them," he screamed. Instead of humiliating him in the eyes of his family, the kidnappers demanded a ransom of $50,000 (€33,000), a huge sum for the average Iraqi family. His parents had to go into debt and sell off all of their son's possessions in order to raise the money required to secure his freedom. Shortly after they received the ransom the kidnappers threw Hisham out of their car somewhere in the northern part of Baghdad. They decided not to shoot him and let him go. But they sent him on his way with a warning: "This is your last chance. If we ever see you again, we'll kill you." Read full article here. It's Business as Usual Again for Wall Street's Casino Capitalists  Lehman Brothers collapsed on Sept. 15, 2008, sending shock waves through the world's financial system. By SPIEGEL Staff One year after the bankruptcy of US investment bank Lehman Brothers, governments are divided over what lessons should be learned from the crisis. But the more the economy recovers, the less desire there is to implement radical reforms -- and many bankers have already returned to their old casino capitalism ways. Everything moves faster on Wall Street, whether it's winning, losing -- or forgetting. On New York's Seventh Avenue, between 49th Street and 50th Street, there is no evidence today to suggest that this is where the investment bank Lehman Brothers had its offices until a year ago. The digital screen that encircles the front of the building has been reprogrammed, to reflect the change from the past to the future. The background color is now blue instead of green, and the name on the screen is no longer Lehman Brothers, but Barclays Capital, the building's new owner. The financial world hates losers. Read full article here. New York Faces Dramatic Consequences of Crisis  The New York municipal government estimated 75,000 jobs would be lost in the financial industry and a further 300,000 elsewhere in New York. So far, about 100,000 have been lost. By Klaus Brinkbäumer in New York (DER SPIEGEL) The global financial crisis began in Manhattan, and its effects are being felt far more strongly there than elsewhere. Mayor Michael Bloomberg says the situation is critical. Millions are fighting to keep their jobs. Is what is happening in New York today a harbinger of the fate of the rest of the world? They still remember how things used to be. That's part of the problem. New York's heroes, the men and women who only yesterday considered themselves the knights and conquerors of Manhattan, remember all too well what New York was like in the 1970s -- the era before seven-figure salaries came to the Big Apple. They remember -- and they see the signs. That's why they're afraid. Cathy used to be a banker. Today she is homeless and living in Tompkins Square. She thinks about the heroin and the stench. In the 1970s, Cathy had a small apartment not far from here on Orchard Street. It was broken into three times. She remembers the burning cars and broken glass, the plumes of smoke and the cops who shouted "Fuck you!" every time they lashed out. Read full article here. Eight Years after 9/11  While Cheney warns of a "what if" future, many are forced to deal with the bloody wounds of his devastating past. By Gerhard Spörl (DER SPIEGEL) After 9/11, Dick Cheney took the reigns of America. The 'war on terror' was his idea, and it led to real wars in Afghanistan and Iraq -- and to the torture he approved and defends. While Cheney is writing a memoir to influence how people see his role, the rest of the world would just prefer to get on with cleaning up his mess -- with him out of the picture. Dick Cheney has bought a house in McLean, an upscale community in the largely rural state of Virginia. Although it's conveniently located near Washington, DC, it somehow seems far removed from America's bustling capital. Eight US presidents have been born in this state, and it just might be that Cheney sees himself as standing shoulder-to-shoulder with them since, after all, he has also served as president -- for three and a half years. Or perhaps it'd be more accurate to say that George W. Bush served as president under Cheney, looking after odds and ends, while Cheney took care of the big picture. Dick was responsible for America's strategy in the 21st century. Cheney is busy writing a memoir. Given the fact that he is a highly secretive man notorious for keeping a tight lid on things, this has raised some eyebrows in America. He is someone who asked questions or silently listened and took notes for his personal use after many meetings in the White House, at the Pentagon and at CIA offices. He is the ultimate insider -- and someone who places little value on recognition from the general public. Read full article here. On Afghanistan, German Politicians Need to Mention the War  By Claus Christian Malzahn (DER SPIEGEL 09/09/09) Last Friday's air strike has catapulted Germany's Afghanistan mission right into the election campaign ahead of the Sept. 27 vote. German politicians are quick to make pledges of loyalty to NATO, but there are far too few signs of a critical reassessment of Germany's military mission. Most Germans would like to see their country's military forces, the Bundeswehr, withdraw from Afghanistan -- and quickly. One could dismiss this as wishful thinking. Yet, with just three weeks to go to the German national election, the political parties have to take into account the mood in the country. There is a growing feeling of reservation in Germany about the mission, with many people asking: What are we actually doing over there? This question has actually been central to German politics since January 2002, when German soldiers first deployed to Kabul. The historical reasons are well known: Germans in uniform don't exactly have a very good reputation internationally. But by the 1980s, Germans had become used to wearing casual clothes, working 35 hours a week and lounging on their IKEA sofas at the weekend. They finally seemed nice again and could bear to look themselves in the mirror. Then, after the unexpected fall of the Berlin Wall, Germany's Western allies soon began demanding that the Krauts dust off their uniforms once again. Yet Germany hadn't even been prepared for the fall of the Wall, never mind foreign missions by the Bundeswehr. Read full article here Survey Shows Huge Leap in European Support for US Foreign Policy  By Gregor Peter Schmitz (DER SPIEGEL 09/09/09) US President Barack Obama has made America much more popular with Europeans, a new study shows. According to the survey, 77 percent of Europeans have a positive view of Obama's handling of international affairs, compared to just 19 percent who supported George W. Bush's foreign policy. Six months after Barack Obama, European support for the new US president is still high, according to the new Transatlantic Trends survey. The survey, which was published Wednesday, says that 92 percent of Germans have a positive view of Obama's handling of foreign affairs, and that similar figures can be found in Italy (91 percent), the Netherlands (90 percent), Portugal (90 percent) and France (88 percent). In comparison, last year's survey found that only 19 percent of Europeans had a positive view of then-President George W. Bush's handling of foreign affairs. Likewise, the survey also found that the number of people who believed that the trans-Atlantic partnership had improved since Obama became president doubled in Europe (to 41 percent) and tripled in the US (to 31 percent). Read full article here Can the War Be Won?  Last Friday's attack on two hijacked fuel tankers is believed to have killed many Afghan civilians and has drawn international condemnation. It has prompted criticism of the German army from its NATO partners and is set to put the German government under mounting domestic pressure to come up with an exit strategy for its 4,200 troops in Afghanistan. By Susanne Koelbl (DER SPIEGEL 09-08-2009) Public support for the war in Afghanistan is being undermined by incidents such as Friday's air strike, in which many civilians are reported to have died. US President Barack Obama and the commander of US and NATO forces in Afghanistan, General Stanley McChrystal, want to try a new approach, but many analysts believe the war can no longer be won. The images are shaky, but you can see things well enough to recognize that something is not right. And then it happens: An armored car belonging to Western forces races through the streets of an Afghan city. Panicked civilians scramble to get out of the way. A civilian car moves into the lane ahead of the military vehicle. The machine gunner aims, fires and scores a hit. The military vehicle then races away while a number of Afghans run over to the attacked car, which is now in flames. They can be seen yelling and waving their arms frantically. Some of them try to help injured passengers out of the car. "How many new insurgents is this patrol likely to have produced today?" a quiet voice asks in the darkened screening room. It belongs to Stanley McChrystal, 55, the new commander of US and NATO forces in Afghanistan. They call him "McThree", as his predecessors' names were McNeill and McKiernan. Read full article here. SPIEGEL Interview with Former Army Doctor in Afghanistan  Heike Groos, 49, served two year-long tours of duty as a physician with Germany's military forces in Afghanistan between 2002 and 2007. She eventually left the military and moved to New Zealand. She has recently published a memoir of her experiences entitled "Ein schöner Tag zum Sterben" ("A Beautiful Day to Die"). Heike Groos, 49, served several tours as a military physician with the German army in Afghanistan. In an interview with SPIEGEL, she speaks about how the situation deteriorated to the point of paranoia, her feelings of helplessness in the face of utter destruction and her eventual retirement and nervous breakdown. SPIEGEL: Dr. Groos, you've said that, during your first deployment to Afghanistan, in 2002, it felt like you were at a Boy Scout camp. When did things start getting a bit less carefree? Heike Groos: The first death destroyed the atmosphere for me. It happened during my second deployment to Kabul. I'd been expecting everything to be like it had been the first time -- lots of sun, beautiful landscapes, nice colleagues and a friendly local population. Then one of our all-terrain vehicles ran over a mine and was blown up, killing a young soldier instantly. He was brought into the camp and handed over to us for a medical examination. It was when I was alone in the armored field ambulance with this dead boy -- a kid who reminded me of my oldest son -- that I realized where I was and what I was going to have to deal with. Read full interview here. "Modern warfare like this has made doctors like us superfluous. Soldiers are blown up and killed instantly. We can't put them back together again." This afternoon, I was teetering back and forth between "to buy" or "not to buy" a vintage Olivetti Valentine manual, portable typewriter on eBay. It's not a huge extravagance, but not an everyday purchase, either. It was actually my first and successful purchase on eBay.
Then, I read the fine print on the typed page the seller had photographed to demonstrate that the machine is functional. From German to English, it reads: "An era has come to its end in the US. Senator Edward Kennedy, called Ted, the last survivor of a great dynasty of politicians, and one of the most influential US politicians, died at the age of 77 because of brain cancer." I've asked the seller to send me the sheet of paper when he ships the typewriter.    |
Profile Information  Call Me Wesley
 DU Donor33399 posts Switzerland Male Journeys And Beyond
 My political views probably are a bit left of the majority of DU members. I'm a former local party leader of Young Socialists (JUSO) as well as a member of the Swiss Social Democratic Party and its national education committee, and the Switzerland Without Army movement (GSoA / Gesellschaft Schweiz ohne Armee). Previously, I was also a member of the IV. Internationale under Ernest Mandel. Yes, a Trotskyte. Letters From Afar
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