The unsympathetic reaction of Philipp Mausshardt of “Die Tageszeitung” was typical of most of his German countrymen when they learned of the terrible hurricane that hit New Orleans. He wrote “Joy and compassion strike at the same time in my chest. I am momentarily pleased for example about the fact that the recent storm disaster did not hit another poor country, but the richest nation on earth instead. Yes, I even see a kind of compensatory justice for what the inhabitants of that country did to others by its war in Iraq. It would please me even more if I knew that only houses of Bush voters and of military members have been destroyed..” (PHILIPP MAUSSHARDT über KLATSCH, Die eigentliche Katastroph)
Most people do not know that Hurricane Katrina hit the Federal Republic of Germany. Yes indeed, Katrina ended up being a “Godsend” to the godless social democrats, as she reminded the Germans once again, that no matter how bad off their country becomes under the rule of the socialists, it still is better than America! The Germans read about the “supposed” slow response to Katrina and the poverty in New Orleans and it triggered the typical European reaction - fanatical anti-American hatred.
In Britain, an opinion columnist in The Guardian encouraged his readers to withhold hurricane aid: “America needs [political] change not charity.” In Germany, it was worse. Columnist Philipp Mausshardt of “Die Tageszeitung” felt “joy” that Katrina “hit the richest country in the world” and “would be even happier to know that it destroyed the homes of Bush supporters and members of the military.” Andreas Renner, a German state minister (of the conservative party, typically more sympathetic to the Bush administration), claimed that “Bush should be shot” for his delayed response to Katrina victims. German Environmental Minister Jürgin Trittin suggested that Katrina was America’s due retribution for not signing Kyoto. (The Christian Science Monitor)
No, Katrina was not retribution for Kyoto; the hurricane was a “Godsend” for Gerhard Schröder’s reelection. Schröder was able to transform an American natural catastrophe into the equivalent of an American foreign policy debacle, just as in the past he was successful in morphing American investors and capitalism into a plague of locusts. Herr Schröder found Katrina to be “the perfect storm” to divert attention away from his dysfunctional German economy of only 0.6% growth and almost 12% unemployment. Instead of allowing the German voters to examine their own country, he warned them about the bogeyman that is America - a “weak state” with “old age poverty,” floating bodies and gun-slinging looters. The Germans, supposedly Europe’s most intelligent race, swallowed the Schröder bait - hook, line and sinker. The mantra became - Germany’s economy may be bad, but at least it is not American.
Schröder’s support soared as voters could not wait to vote “against supermarket America” and its “neoliberalism“. Although Chancellor Angela Merkel has vowed to strengthen ties to Washington, German politicians have learned from Herr Schröder how easy it is to exploit anti-Americanism to their benefit.
More proof that “old” Europe is not our friend. Still want to buy that Mercedes? Gerhardt still doesn’t seem to realize that he and his cherished welfare state lost the election to the conservative Merkel. Greyhawk at Mudville Gazette writes “Hey Gerhardt - Don’t let the screen door hit ya …” and says, yes, he knows that Germans don’t have screen doors. Americans do and it’s an old country expression here - don’t let the door hit you in the “you know where” on your way out. Good-bye and Good-riddance!
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