Right. And nobody had any intention of tearing it down twenty-eight years later either.
But, you know, stuff happens.
In his lack of preparation, he mistakenly insinuated that the checkpoints in the Berlin Wall — which up until then were guarded by soldiers with orders to shoot anyone trying to cross — were now open. They weren’t, but that announcement was all East Berliners needed to storm the wall and demand they be allowed to cross into West Berlin. After that, the wall became obsolete, and soon fell.
For Germans, Losing the U.S. to Trump Is Like Losing a Father – The 30th-anniversary celebration of the Berlin Wall’s collapse comes with grief over the end of a special relationship.
I don’t know if I can hold back the tears but give me a second or two. There. I’m much better now. Thanks. But this massive output of cheap emotion has a heavy taste of déjà-vu in it for me, folks. The Germans already had their hearts broken and lost their special relationship back with W., didn’t they? And we don’t even want to talk about how heartbroken they were with Ronald Reagan HIMSELF. They don’t even want to have to think about him today. Some thirty years later. You know, thirty years after he made possible the fall of the Berlin Wall? Wait a minute. I’m chocking up again…
Berlin gets unwanted Ronald Reagan statue – Ronald Reagan is already an honorary citizen of Berlin, so city authorities have always deemed a statue inappropriate. Nonetheless, a bronze replica of the former president is set to be inaugurated at the US Embassy.
Like a hole in the head. No, really. It makes sense, sort of. And by 2031 they won’t need it anymore anyway.
The German defense minister, Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer AKA AKK, AKA Mini-Merkel, who also serves as head of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), says she plans to move forward with the formation of a national security council in recognition of Germany’s strategic interests.
In an earlier interview with the Süddeutsche Zeitung, she urged Berlin to take an increasingly active role in military engagements abroad.
Germany must “openly deal with the fact that we, like every other country in the world, have our own strategic interests,” Kramp-Karrenbauer told the Süddeutsche Zeitung.
Germany commits to NATO spending goal by 2031 for first time.
In a verdict Tuesday, the Federal Constitutional Court found that monthslong slashes to welfare benefits known as Hartz IV for “breaches of duty” are unlawful.
Under current legislation, recipients of the benefit can have their payments reduced by 30% for a period of three months if they don’t fulfill certain conditions. The amount can also be cut further — by 60% — or even completely, if a job center adviser deems they have failed to cooperate. The rules are stricter for people under the age of 25.
We’ll give him a hearty welcome then. Not. Not in Germany.
Turkey demands Germany take back 20 captured ‘Islamic State’ members – Turkish authorities say 20 German “Islamic State” members are in their custody. They want Germany and other European countries to repatriate their citizens, something most have been hesitant to do.
“We are not a hotel for IS members from any country.”
Go Neues Deutschland. There are not a lot of East Berlin newspapers out there that have the backbone to call the fall of the Berlin Wall fake news.
Communist newspapers? Isn’t that a contradiction in terms?
Wolfgang Hübner returns from the archives of the Neues Deutschland newspaper clutching a rare treasure: a thick binder containing one of the biggest misses in journalistic history.
Mr Hübner has unearthed the edition of Friday, November 10 1989, the day after the fall of the Berlin Wall. It is the most consequential moment of the decade, yet that day’s ND — the official organ of the Socialist party of East Germany, boasting a circulation of more than 1m — contains not a word on the event.
The majority of Germans want Germany kicked out of NATO, too.
Majority of Germans want Turkey kicked out of NATO: survey – A new survey shows that 58% of Germans want Turkey expelled from NATO over the recent military offensive in Syria. There is even stronger German support for economic sanctions and export bans against the country.
Eine deutliche Mehrheit in Deutschland ist wegen des türkischen Einmarsches in Nordsyrien für einen Ausschluss der Türkei aus der Nato. In einer Umfrage des Meinungsforschungsinstituts YouGov im Auftrag der Deutschen Presse-Agentur sprachen sich 58 Prozent dafür aus und nur 18 Prozent dagegen.
Berlin’s state cabinet has agreed on a rent freeze for five years to counter rising housing costs in the German capital.
The city’s leftwing coalition government wants to freeze the rent for apartments built before 2014, according to a report by the German news agency dpa.
Only a minority of Berliners own their homes or apartments and rent has been rising sharply in recent years, forcing many to move outside the city.
That’s what it means when it comes to troops and international security zones, at any rate.
It’s hilarious to watch this ritual. Whenever no one else is around to do the dirty work (in this case US-Amerika in Syria), Germans like to pretend that an international force can do the dirty work instead. The punchline comes later, however (stay tuned): The same Germans will then turn down any attempt made in the Bundestag to have German troops participate in such an international security zone. It’s a win-win situation.
Germany’s defence minister has suggested creating a security zone in northern Syria to protect displaced civilians and ensure the fight continues against Islamic State militia, the first time Berlin has proposed a military mission in the Middle East.
Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, Angela Merkel’s preferred successor as chancellor, said she would discuss the initiative with NATO partners this week and did not rule out sending German soldiers to Syria, saying that would be a matter for parliament.
“We cannot just stand by and watch and not doing anything.” That’s right. Sit down and do so.
I’m sure Mr. Erdogan had no idea and will now be recalling his troops ASAP.
Germany’s Maas says Turkey ‘invasion’ illegitimate under international law – German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas has described Turkey’s offensive against Syrian Kurds as an “invasion” and said Berlin saw it as illegitimate. The EU may yet impose economic sanctions on Turkey, Maas said.
“We have been very clear that we are keeping other measures open — and they might also include economic sanctions.”
