European Politics

Black Wizard said:
In light of our recent discussion about Sabaton I'm wondering what @harrisdevot makes of the French result in the EU election. I'd also be fascinated to learn what @TheSeventhSonRoberto has to say.
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What could I say ? I certainly don't feel responsible for that result, which was predictable. 25 % of the voices, and so 12,5 % of the electors, this is what the National Front now weights in France. It's high, but doesn't even mirror the real influence of extremist ideas in this country. Most of the leaders of the right party (UMP) defend exactly the same opinions. Look at what has been said during the debates about gay marriage. This country is turning into more and more conservative and xenophobic, that's a painful fact.
 
When I was in France last year I saw various protest signs by the roads with slogans on them opposing gay marriage.
 
Things went very far. Slogans were putting on the same level homosexuality and pedophily, and there has been some very serious homophobic agressions. It was a terrible shame. When going to see Harry's British Lion, I got caught in the middle of an very huge demonstration. Those people had their own children covered with offensive stickers. I don't know if it has been publicized abroad, but the minister of Justice, a black woman from french guyana, was even insulted by a young girl, who, in front of her laughing parents, called her a monkey.
 
Cannot trust those Germans

German agent arrested for spying for US

Police in Germany have arrested a man on suspicion of spying for the United States.

The arrested man is a German citizen and a member of the country’s own BND intelligence service. German media warned that if the case against him is proved, “it will be the biggest scandal involving a German—American double agent since the war”.

“The matter is serious, that is very clear,” a German government spokesman told Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung newspaper.

The incident is the latest in a series of spying scandals that have strained relations between the two allies, after it emerged last year that the US National Security Agency (NSA) and Britain’s GCHQ were monitoring communications in Germany.

The revelation that the NSA was eavesdropping on Chancellor Angela Merkel’s phone calls caused public outrage in Germany

It is believed the arrested man is suspected of spying on a German parliamentary enquiry into the NSA affair.

The German authorities confirmed only that a 31-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of spying for a foreign intelligence service on Wednesday, and that Mrs Merkel had been informed.

A government spokesman refused to confirm whether Mrs Merkel had raised the subject of the arrest in a long phone conversation with President Barack Obama on Thursday.

 
I'm glad Obama was elected (in part) to restore US credibility throughout the world and the Nobel Peace Prize Committee gave him the prize in advance of doing anything.

Germany really loves us now :)
 
I wonder how much of this stuff any president knows. I mean, can the president actually keep tabs on every spy op? I just do wonder, I honestly don't know.

If I were Germany, I'd be pissed.
 
Probably not, but I would think after the other NSA spying and bugging the Chancellor, that he would have at least told the CIA, etc to tread lightly. I was really just more curious about how his is viewed now compared to the massive support he had in 2008 with the big rally in Berlin.
 
I bet he'd still have a huge rally if he went again. Smaller, but still quite large. He's personally popular amongst Germans, from what I recall.
 
The guy who took us on our Segway tour of Berlin seemed to like him, but I think that was pre NSA. I think expectations of him were probably unreasonable, which probably makes the reality worse for some.
 
bearfan said:
Germany really loves us now :)
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Germany really loved Obama when he got elected. But the popularity of America in Germany now is probably even lower than in 2003. The NSA thing smashed America's credibility and reputation.

Most Germans know to separate a people and its government, and nobody blames the NSA scandal on the American people. But the US government is currently viewed as the greatest enemy to our freedom here. In fact, I even felt a bit wary typing this here, that's how far it has come.

As for Obama, he is more or less considered a traitor and a deceiver after all this.
 
Perun said:
As for Obama, he is more or less considered a traitor and a deceiver after all this.
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But this stuff could have been happening since Truman's time. Obama is taking the flak because he just so happened to be the president at the time of the leaks.
 
So? Obama promised directly and indirectly to be different from his predecessors.
 
Not that I'm supporting the system in place in the slightest, but there are some things best left intact for the purpose they serve.

Obama has said himself that he aims to be different to his predecessors, but there's no need for him to do a 180 turn on everything America has ever done. Playing devil's advocate here, but the NSA serves a purpose to the United States Government. Why would you suddenly take away something that has been kept obscure since its inception? (well, at least until last year).
 
RTC said:
Why would you suddenly take away something that has been kept obscure since its inception? (well, at least until last year).
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Because it violates human rights and poses a threat to the democratic systems around the world.
 
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