Color me unsurprised that fringe Christian groups operating in the mode of Fred Phelps and Jerry Falwell see in Katrina the hand of an avenging God. Repent America, which I’ve never heard of, and will probably never hear of again, has issued th…

Clinton to Chancellor Kohl
“I was thinking of you last night, Helmut, because I watched the sumo
wrestling on television.”
http://www.gargaro.com/clintonquotes.html

Bush to Brazilian President Fernando Henrique Cardoso
“Do you have blacks, too?”
http://www.thetruthaboutgeorge.com/bushisms/
http://slate.msn.com/id/76886/

I’m not getting further into Bushisms, it’s just that if you really pick up statements like that of Trittin and call for apologies, previous commentators joyfully tune in, bashing and revealing their lack of understanding of political (Cirby) and economic interrelations (Ron Patterson obviously forgot American companies were the first who were hit when everybody called for a boycott of French goods two years ago). Foreign Minister Fischer and Chancellor Schröder did the right in this case, confirming the close ties and support for the people in distress, rather than keeping themselves with contraproductive comments from the Minister of Environment. McClellan and others wouldn’t do much else than correcting and apologizing for the executive slips of tongue, either… ;-)

If I take a look at the German Ministry of Environment’s website , I see an appeal for funds to help Louisiana. That’s what counts to me.

Secondly, I agree comparing Trittin to Hitler is ridiculous. I don’t take anyone seriously who makes such outrageous statements. And I agree with you, that’s the kind of blind right wing nonsense the Davids Medienkritik people like to spit out.

The point here is that Schroeder or Fischer should have come out and apologized for what Tritin said since Trittin wouldn’t and only repeated it. Of course the Chancellor woulnd’t say anything so ridiculous (usually) but he represents his coutnry and government and shouldn’t allow an idiot like that to make public statements that were immediately picked up all over America. Trittin should be at least publically reprimanded if not fired.

Mr Trittin doesn’t know much about international politics and diplomacy.

Yeah, it shows. Get rid of him or at least shut him up =)

The foreign ministry is the official place to look to in any case. So, what did the foreign ministry had to say to the US in the last few days?

Information Services

press release September 1st

chancellor Schröder

“The citizens of the United States should know that Germany is truly and firmly at their side”Â?

foreign minister Fischer

In case the last link’s content is too short, here’s an excerpt from the German foreign ministry newsletter:

“Mit Trauer und Entsetzen habe ich die verheerenden Zerstörungen des Hurrikans Katrina in Louisiana, Mississippi und Alabama und den anderen betroffenen Gebieten verfolgt. Unsere Gedanken sind bei den Angehörigen der zahlreichen Opfer, den vielen Verletzten sowie allen Menschen, die ihr Heim verloren haben oder um Angehörige und Freunde bangen. Unsere Solidarität muss den betroffenen Menschen gelten.
Den Helferinnen und Helfern vor Ort wünsche ich viel Kraft und Durchhaltevermögen. Die Bundesregierung ist zu jedweder Hilfeleistung und Unterstützung bereit, um dieser entsetzlichen Naturkatastrophe Herr zu werden bzw. deren Folgen zu beseitigen.”

I guess that writing about these statements the first six commentators wouldn’t have much to complain about, but then, well, it’s the desired target audience, let’s make them happy. The connection from Trittin to Hitler? Would have expected that to read something like that over at David’s Medienkritik, but not here.

Isn’t it strange how leaving out major parts of a story can distort it as much as in the initial posting? Chirol, I don’t think you did it intentionally, but your own expectations led to the result above.

About the http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kyoto_protocol protocol, although I understand the arguments of opposing countries, I guess you’d agree that international cooperation is neccessary to address climate change and pollution. How it’s done or should be is another matter, as you wrote, the debate is still ongoing.

I’m involved in work with both, among other things, and it’s terrible seeing up close how much wealth is just wasted and destroyed by those who have no concept of math or economics. They generally just don’t have a basic understanding of the science of things, or of how creating wealth actually works or what it is, and so instead make up social theories to believe in to make themselves “smart” and “educated”.

There is a trend in nonprofit and education work towards entrepreneurship models, using profit driven methods to achieve civic goals… But it is a constant struggle against those who would rather stagnate and make an ideology of their stagnation.

As with Germany and Environmentalists, they often care little for actual results or objective analysis of data, but rather are in it just to advance their own group cause, science be damned.

On Kyoto: it has always been a terrible plan. Methane is a bigger concern than CO2, increasing national wealth in the form of a growing middle class (and in America, everyone is middle class in the true sense of the term) does more to improve environmental conditions than any other indicator, and the real measurement of environmental progress comes from putting resources into efforts that gain substantial and world changing results — as the Copenhagen Consensus discusses at length. Kyoto fails at all three of those, while “succeeding” only in limiting economic growth, and therefore limiting the resources we have to use in fighting environmental threats.

It’s insanity in the form of social, economic, and foreign policy all balled into one. But when dealing with the people who advocate it… what else is new?

Now.

Not next week, not next year.

Since they dislike us so much, they should be glad to see us leave (and take our greenhouse gas creating tanks and planes and millions of dollars per year with us).

Why do the Germans love to dump on the United States? They are tired of being shackled to their Nazi past, and of being the poster child for the worst behavior of mankind. I think there is a deliberate attempt by the krauts to make the U.S. the new international bad guy, to get Germany off the hook as it were.

Part of this reason is that most on the Far Left are not involved in making money — they’re involved in non-profit or education where the bottom line is not important. Once people start to make money they tend to become more realistic, and, dare I say it, conservative.

What’s the use of signing on to a totally useless and ineffective plan? One doesn’t have to deny that global warming exists to believe that this treaty will accomplish next to nil, and still cost us big time. Why not put our resources into things that will achieve real results?

And why is it that the left is willing to put billions and trillions into something that has a minute chance of success (even the treaty aims at miniscule successes, at best) whereas they blow their stacks at the cash being poured into Iraq, which costs far less than Kyoto would and at least has better (though still not good) odds of success?