What do Germans think of U.S. politics?
So far, there appears unanimity that Obama’s “good plans and intentions” are being held hostage by the evil Republicans. The Tea Party is universally hated as a bunch of suicidal kooks. On state television, Tea Partiers are shown as clowns, racists, and idiots. These opinions appear to be shared across age groups and comes from relatively well educated people. There is disappointment in Obama but only insofar as he has not been able to put his plans through.
German network television
German network television (prime time at least) is directed at a gray audience. I guess young people either nightclub or surf the web. I have yet to see a prime-time romantic comedy in which the man and woman are under fifty. In most case they are sixty and above.
The Pirate Party
Berlin just had its elections. The Pirate Party, whose agenda has something to do with personal privacy rights, received enough votes to enter the Berlin city government. Apparently, the German Green Party started the same way and now it is a part of mainstream German politics. And the Germans look askance at our Tea Party?
The Berlin Marathon
The Germans are usually a quiet people, but if you give them a chance to celebrate, they won’t shut up. They began their loud music and vuvuzelas at about 8 AM on Sunday and didn’t stop until four in the afternoon.
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