And being that the US “now acts indifferently vis-á-vis sovereign states not only in a global but in an orbital fashion,” I couldn’t help but think of this terrifying (and up until now top secret) example of American hi-tech technology (I don’t really know why I couldn’t help but think of it, however).
Remember: Robot Monster stalks the earth to destroy humanity.
Overwelming, electrifying and baffling or something.
PS: Whatever happened to Fukushima?
As the hours tick on, the ever more complex German deep space nein analysis of the Osama-Obama-Drama twists further and further into a seething black hole-ish vortex of convolution, confusion and boundless bitching and moaning.
Here are a few of the latest I particularly like:
“Above all, this conflict takes place in the visual realm, it is a war of images and their reciprocal overpowering through the inspection of that which takes place on the screen.” Huh? So they killed him with a digital camera or what?
“Without photos (of bin Laden’s corpse) conspiracy theories will spread in the US and in the Islamic World.” But not in Germany though, right?
“The Americans made a grave mistake by preventing the necessary tribunal (at an international court of justice) through the liquidation of bin Laden and the overhasty disposal of his body at sea.” So you could still hold the tribunal if they give you the body or what?
“Immanual Kant had realized this well; that this ban on images (they mean bin Laden’s corpse pictures) is the magic behind religious enthusiasm and it is this abstraction of the deduced representation which opens up a greater scope for imagination and passion.” Holy Shit. Even Kant is putting in his two cents worth now.
These are too heavy for me. Let’s try a few of these instead:
“‘Justice’ has become a mere joker card concept used for politically calculated maneuvers.”
“The other side of terrorism are interest and goal pursuing policies that hold to no international law.”
“A fitting translation of ‘enemy killed in action’ could also be ‘executed’.”
Enough already. Let’s finish up with these for dessert:
“Bin Laden was unarmed as he died.”
“Justice, American style.”
“Not a real breakthrough.”
“Bin Laden’s death comes 10 years too late.”
“America’s lost decade cannot be regained.”
“Was bin Laden’s killing legal?”
Stay tuned or something.
Die Übertragung des Militäreinsatzes auf fremden Territorium via Satelliten macht noch einmal klar, dass die Weltmacht USA nicht nur global, indifferent gegenüber Souveränitätsrechten, sondern auch orbital agiert, dass der von Flugmaschinen, Raketen und Nachrichtenautomaten bevölkerte Himmel mit der terrestrischen Einflusssphäre verschmolzen ist.
Is nothing sacred anymore? Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. says it will team up with Germany’s ZLT Zeppelin Luftschifftechnik to build three new blimps beginning in 2013.
Goodyear’s CEO says updating the fleet will “assure that future generations will be able to experience the joy of seeing a Goodyear blimp gracing the skies.”
The airships will be built by Zeppelin and Goodyear teams at Goodyear’s airship hangar near Akron.
And this time it has to do with the killing of a mass murderer (an interesting editorial piece, I’m paraphrasing most of this).
Damned if you do, I always say. For years Germans sardonically reproached George W. Bush for not being able to capture the mastermind behind the 9/11 attacks. Now that Osama bin Laden has been located and killed during an attempt to capture him, that was wrong too.
Here are just a few popular and very predictable politically correct party line reactions to the killing as presented by the German state media:
“Bin Laden was simply bumped off.”
“What kind of a country is this that could cheer at such an execution?”
“He was a 54-year-old father of a family.”
“German law professors go on record as saying that the US commando action violated international law.”
And of course the admonition cannot lack that “Obama only did this to get re-elected.” Other possible reasons for the killing of the man who was responsible for the most terrible attacks upon the United States since Pearl Harbor are apparently not imaginable for those in charge at German state television (WDR, Jörg Schönenborn).
More to follow here very soon I’m sure.
Und warum nur fällt es in diesem Land so schwer, eine sehr einfache Erkenntnis zu formulieren: Diese Welt ist ohne den Massenmörder aus Saudi-Arabien eine bessere. Darauf wird man sich doch wenigstens einigen können.
Sure it’s for real, sort of. As the late Richard Holbrooke said of his experience with it: “Expect the unexpected breach of trust.”
Considering Germany’s latest big coup, declining to vote in favor of a UN Security Council resolution to protect Libyan civilians fighting against the Gaddafi dictatorship (remember that these are the folks who want a permanent seat in the Security Council), I wonder what wonderful words of praise President Obama is going to dish out on June 7 when he bestows the Medal of Freedom (the nation’s highest civilian distinction) on Chancellor Merkel? Something tells me he’s going to do a great job, by the way.
We already know what Frau Merkel will say (or already has said): “Freedom does not come about by itself. It has to be struggled for, and then defended anew, every day of our lives.”
Struggle? What struggle? Well it sure is a struggle trying to put German words and action together here. So I suppose, in a way, it is almost better that Germany now comes out and openly says no from the get go. At least then, as in the case of Libya, “It didn’t do what Germany normally does — say ‘yes,’ and then not do much of anything.”
“How come Germans have this reputation of being reliable, when they never quite are, and historically maybe never were.”
And where’s the freakin’ revolution in Berlin? Nichts, nada, niente.
I still can’t believe what didn’t happen here yesterday during this years “Day of Rage.” Some broken glass, a handful of arrests, a little pepper spray and some guy with a pie. Pitiful.
It looks like a history of violence has now become a history of violence.
The real May Day demonstration was taking place somewhere else this year, I guess.
Anarchists these days. Like where’s the action already?
Scores of riot tourists in Berlin and Hamburg are now demanding their money back after violent clashes between anarchist hot heads and the Polizei failed to materialize last night.
“And this is supposed to be unbridled chaos?” asked one disappointed Berlin visitor. “I’ve seen more action at a funeral parlor. We’ve been waiting around here half the night and not a single Benz is burning. Anywhere. Berlin is poor but sexy, huh? Well it’s boring too.”
Sehr zum Unmut vieler Schaulustiger bleibt es dann an diesem Abend im Schanzenviertel weitgehend ruhig. Bei Bier und Cocktails warten sie darauf, dass Autonome sich mit der Polizei anlegen. “Wann geht es denn endlich los”, fragt ein Mädchen in engen Jeans und braunen Lederstiefeln ihren Begleiter im Polohemd. Eine Digitalkamera baumelt an ihrem Handgelenk.
Berlin’s linke Szene (left-wing scene) is ganz aus dem Häuschen (giddy with excitement) and already on the street warming up for Sunday’s big May Day Riot.
The popular annual event, also known as the International Workers’ Day Riot, was originally celebrated as a senseless orgy of radical left-wing violence but has long since mutated into a senseless orgy of radical any-kind-of-violence-you-want dominated by agitated “Autonome“, participants without any political motivation whatsoever.
The Berlin police department is not permitted to intervene in any meaningful way that could possibly hurt the protestors’ feelings, however, this out of respect for the event’s radical leftist origins and the many aging left-wing romantics who will still somehow manage to take part if not vacationing on Mallorca.
All are welcome to attend. Barricades and stones will be furnished for free. You will have to resist arrest on your own, however. And PLEASE leave your cars at home.
Die Aktion sei “nix außer Selbstinszenierung” gewesen.
10 euros a month tops? For a “turbo” phase-out of atomic energy in Germany?
According to the Spiegel, that’s what “almost all” German citizens would be willing to pay to get out of the tsunami-plagued industry pronto (German tsunamis are indeed rare, but still). And they mean 10 euros a month per German household, by the way, not for the whole country.
That certainly is reassuring (sort of) after hearing all these Horrorszenarien (horror scenarios) being circulated out there by crackpot organizations like the Federal Association of German Industry (BDI) these days. They warn, for instance, that a quick German nuclear power halt could raise electricity prices here by as much as 30 percent (that would be more than 10 euros a month I think, but still).
I am sure that “almost all” German citizens would be willing to shell that out too.
But, then again, I am also sure that invading reptilian humanoids disguised as human beings are secretly controlling the fate of the human race.
Es darf nichts kosten (it just can’t cost anything).
PS: Thanks for the link, Joe.
Remember “evil Thilo” Sarrazin, the “Germany is doing away with itself” best-selling author and purveyor of unpopular popular ideas?
His SPD is certainly trying to forget him. What do you do with a Social Democrat politician (remember that they’re the politically correct ones here) who says things like “I don’t want the land of my grandchildren and great grandchildren to become predominantly Muslim” and won’t stop saying it and won’t resign when you ask him to even when you ask him to un-nicely?
Nothing much, I guess. Not when the vast majority of politically correct (and otherwise) Germans agree with him.
Critics say the SPD’s refusal to expel him was motivated by fears that a large number of grass roots members agree with his theories and that if Mr Sarrazin were ejected, the party would risk losing support.
PS: Remember The Case of the Missing Nuclear Balls? You know, the ones that were never missing in the first place? It turns out that the SPD science minister lady what’s in charge let folks think that the ball thingies were missing even though she knew that they weren’t. But the Fukushima hysteria level was dropping too fast at that moment so I can certainly see where she was coming from.
Observing Hermann 