Obama-Gate (The Brandenburg Gate, That Is)
Degrading the historical monuments of friendly countries into electoral campaign backdrop scenery shows a lack of respect.
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The American presidential candidate Barack Obama will be visiting Germany on July 24 — and he wants to give a campaign speech in front of the Brandenburg Gate during his visit.
Berlin’s socialist mayor Klaus Wowereit welcomed the idea: he found it amazing. And amazing, it is. It would not occur to anyone in France to let Oskar Lafontaine, the co-Chair of the German Left Party, hold a campaign speech at the Arc de Triomphe. No one in England would think of helping one of the Kaczynski brothers stump for Polish votes in front of Buckingham Palace. No Russian could imagine a Ségolène Royal campaigning in front of the Kremlin. Why not? Because there is such a thing as a feeling of reverence toward national symbols. And this feeling forbids one from allowing such places to be misused for the politicking of foreign nations. It shows a lack of respect to want to degrade the historical monuments of friendly countries into electoral campaign scenery.
The fact that he seemingly perceives the world in purely theatrical terms casts the hyperactive candidate Obama in a strange light. By virtue of his request he makes brazenly clear that he is not really interested in Germany as such. What interests him is, above all, the décor for a good photo opportunity. In earlier times, a critical public would have denounced such showmanship as imperialist. Today one says more calmly that it is clumsy.
For apart from questions of sensitivity and protocol, the proposal was also politically short-sighted. A German government cannot and will not intervene in foreign power struggles. It is simply a matter of political common sense for democratic countries to refrain from getting involved in the elections of other countries. This is a matter of respect, but also of calculated self-interest. Since you never know who will win, it is more advisable to stay neutral. As consequence, the German government cannot show preference to Obama: whatever Obama is permitted, McCain must also be permitted. Even before becoming American President, Obama has thus managed to embarrass one of his most important allies. Hardly an intelligent move. But he evidently does not think in terms of the long-term categories of real politics, but rather in terms of the short-term effects of political spectacle.
Wolfram Weimer is the editor in chief of the German political monthly Cicero.
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32 Comments
ic:Is Obama jumping the shark, or has he already jumped with his presidential seal? (A blogger comment: Obama has killed a less than a week old seal.) He engages in all these stunts to distract attention from his lack of experiences and void of achievements. He reaches the realm of ridiculousness. He is as inevitable as Hillary was in 2007.
The only question needs to be asked of Obama in any debates is: what have you done?
Jul 20, 2008 - 12:51 am Ed Wallis:Mr. Weimer: “Why not? Because there is such a thing as a feeling of reverence toward national symbols.”
Germans fail to comprehend - either can’t or won’t - that The Obamboozler and his sychophantic followers hold a reverence only to Obama himself.
And that’s a pity - honest to say - as the Germans in particular have not so long ago experienced the nationwide destructive nature of such self-deluded maniacs in Adolf Hitler.
But willful blindness is a quality necessary for the continued promotion of such dangerous individuals.
Jul 20, 2008 - 1:35 am ursa major:What people fail to realize is that this is simply another card in the deck that the deconstructionists want play, the cheapening of another country’s historic site.
Jul 20, 2008 - 5:13 am vb:Ed,
Most Germans, like most Americans, get their news from the MSM and they have seen so many Cowboy Bush covers that their desire for change is understandable. Until people are shown the abandoned housing projects that crown BO’s achievements, they won’t know any better. The media elite in Germany who could provide a better picture are just as venal as their American counterparts.
Jul 20, 2008 - 5:43 am Ed Wallis:“vb,” I’m back in the USA after 6 years of living in Germany. Under the socialism which present-day Germany lives (the film “good Bye, Lenin!” wasn’t so far off in some respects…), those “abandoned housing projects that crown BO’s achievements” which you mention look pretty good to German eyes…especially those in Eastern (former Communist East) Germany. True about any European country’s MSM (including ARD and ZDF…), yet most viral over there to me was CNN International.
Jul 20, 2008 - 6:35 am Aileen:I don’t think that the notion of respect for another country ever occurred to Obama. His many displays of gross ignorance in recent weeks raise the possibility that he thinks of Germany as one of our 57 states.
Jul 20, 2008 - 6:43 am mjk:The audacity of arrogance.
I could make the smart-aleck comments I’ve made before about the leader with the funny moustache who talked about “Hope” and “change” in front of all sorts of German places. And how Germans tend to follow all manner of bad people. But that’s beating a dead horse.
Jul 20, 2008 - 6:48 am vb:Ed,
Jul 20, 2008 - 6:50 am RightBrain:Did you see the op/ed in today’s WP about BO’s not providing access to foreign journalists? The author was from the Tagesspiegel. Perhaps there is hope. (Can I use that word?)
Unfortunate for Obama that the election was not held a few months ago during the 1st Act of this drama when the audience is typically open-hearted and welcoming a good tale. The 2nd Act is not going so well, real life, full of details, has interfered with his goals and is complicating the thesis of the 1st Act. The 3rd Act will be farce or tragedy, pro forma, but will be a growing experience for Obama as he loses to a real person, with real accomplishments, and real character.
Jul 20, 2008 - 8:25 am Mark E:I don’t see what the problem is with Obi touring sites that the Red Army was at (Afghanistan, Berlin etc.).
Obi’s just going back to where is uncle went after he liberated Auschwitz.
This is just a family history tour for Obi.
Jul 20, 2008 - 9:00 am Peanut Gallery:You might have the imperialistic part right. Try plugging “blogger” and “down” into Google. I’ll wait.
Almost 10,000,000 webpages are returned for your perusal, and yet front and center first page, there it is.
Yes, it would be easy to claim “not associated” with those related instances. There is one a whole lot more personal and undeniable floating around right now.
Imperialistic does not begin to cover the real person emerging from behind the facade.
Jul 20, 2008 - 9:39 am pappy:it seems king b.o. is going to speak by a statue about the austrian-prussian war of 1901. seems very fitting that when the b.s. and the pigeon crap mix there will be enough gas to power the rest of the tour around. the majer news networks had to hire temps. from a job service to cover the anchors’ place. all the hub bub for what was already prepared by his groomers last week. god help us.
Jul 20, 2008 - 10:35 am Ed Wallis:HEY FOLKS - it’s gets even funnier now:
Brandenburg Gate IS OUT. Siegessäule (a column-style monument) IS IN.
A few “snags” (just a “distraction”?! snark….):
1) The original Siegesäule had 3 “levels” to signify each significant era/government.
2) Hilter added one “level” for his reign. As it stands today, it has 4 “levels.”
I’m just waiting for the comments about Leni Reifenstahl, or Obama’s own FIFTH “level” being added, etcetera, etcetera.
Add to this, that Mayor Wowereit is closing off the main adjacent street (e.g. Times Square in NYC), which will create a nice Volksfest venue not unlike anything der Führer had in Nuremberg.
I’m not holding my breath for MSM to point this out….
Jul 20, 2008 - 11:35 am Michelle:Obama needs about 10 to 15 years of experience on the national and international stage before he becomes CINC. As it is, he’s jumping from South Side Chicago directly to superpower commander without ever doing any training for the job.
If you believe the US President is a powerless puppet facade for backstage power interests, you might vote for him with your eyes open. Otherwise, an Obama vote is an ode to cluelessness.
Jul 20, 2008 - 11:44 am DisturbedEma:Hey, he stole my line. . .Branden-Gate
Jul 20, 2008 - 3:27 pm The Wizard:What an audacious man. He isn’t even the nominee at this point! I must say Obama has tenacity, however, his naivity and lack of experience will take him down……does anyone think that Billary is hiding in the wings? Perhaps a vote at convention??? Obama is an embarrassment to this country. He says he is traveling as a senator, but acts like the second coming….disgusting. Hubris, racist, elitist IDIOT!!! Go back to Chicago and be an organizer on the south side, much better suited to your skill set.
Jul 20, 2008 - 3:31 pm vb:Ed,
Jul 20, 2008 - 4:05 pm Morton Doodslag:There is a nice satire on Obama preparing his grand speech by Alan Posener in Die Welt. Another article in Der Spiegel talks about the history of the column and says the area is today more associated with the Love Parade (a techno/rave event that this year took place in Dortmund and attracted 1.6 million people) and the Christopher Street Day Parade (which also attracts huge crowds). The English version of Der Spiegel doesn’t talk about the pop events. BO has the press (at least on line) spinning over here.
The audacity of a radical leftist dope.
Jul 20, 2008 - 7:11 pm John Samford:What popped up in my mind was “Why should any American respect Germany?” Twice last century American spent it’s treasure and blood to remove first a German Monarch, then a Tyrant.
Jul 20, 2008 - 8:16 pm jenna:So today we could use a little help from Germany and all we get are sad stories and bogus excuses.
The Soviets raped about 6 million German women and carted off as loot everything they could get their hands on and now they are your buddies. America poured money into rebuilding Germany and then stood by your side for 40+ years, defending you from the sons of those that raped and pillaged Germany.
What do we get? The back of your hand.
So I ask again, “Why should any American respect Germany?” Germany has a debt it owes America.
A Division of mountain troops to chase terrs in Afghanistan would be a good place to start.
On a positive note, team up with the USA and you will be part of the winning side for once.
I’m with the idea that if they love him so much over there perhaps we could give him to them — sort of like a gift. No thirty day return policy though, and he can’t be re-gifted back to us.
I can’t believe there are elements within that country that would have allowed him to speak there (the Brandenburger Tor). And the absolute presumption of the man — first the “seal”, then Brandenburg (not to mention the world tour — will there be fan shirts made I wonder?), and the gaffe (Freudian slip?) about meeting foreign leaders that he would be dealing with for the next 8 to 10 years (10 years?). He hasn’t just elected himself president; he seems to want to be king.
On another note, when my husband (German-American) saw the piece about Obama now speaking at the Siegessaule he bust out laughing; something about a certain magazine there and the comedy mileage a lot of Obamasceptics could get from it.
Jul 20, 2008 - 10:52 pm Valerie:First the Brandenburg Gate, now The Siegessäule. Where, among all those foreign policy advisors, is an historian? Failing that, where’s someone with enough good sense to ask the Germans for an appropriate location?
Jul 21, 2008 - 5:35 am Janet:What the MSM doesn’t get is that Real Americans could careless what Europe thinks about us. As a matter of fact we are a very stuborn country when it comes to World opinion. Who do they turn to when they have big problems? The Dems have lamented for 8 years, we have lost Europeans good will… I am so sick of how President Bush is blamed for everything.
Jul 21, 2008 - 6:08 am jerry:Fascism, and Socialism is just another form of Fascism, invented the narrative long before Derridia and De Man. Fascism requires Wagnerian drama. Obama first chose the Brandenburg Gate because he wanted to connect with the imagery of of “Ich bin ein Berliner” and “Mr. Gorbachov Tear Down this Wall.” Denied his preferred symbolic location his handlers and the candidate in their collective historical ignorance chose the symbol of Prussian militarism as their rally point.
We must face the fact that Obama leads a Fascist (Socialist implementation) movement and he is running for Duce instead of President. Whether he started out this way is debatable but he has evolved into the classic dictator cult of personality candidate. Pity the nation if he is successful in his endeavors.
Jul 21, 2008 - 6:49 am reb shlomo:Sticks & stones will break his bones but nasty epithets & vicious attacks can only advance his cause. Why not tell him what you want. REB SHLOMO
Jul 21, 2008 - 8:36 am John Samford:“Sticks & stones will break his bones but nasty epithets & vicious attacks can only advance his cause. Why not tell him what you want. REB SHLOMO”
I’m sorry, I haven’t done any drugs in over 50 years and they wore off a while back. Would someone translate that for me?
Jul 21, 2008 - 8:49 am always right:A lot of people ‘assumed’ Obama and his whole camp of advisors did not know the historical relevance of the monument.
What if they knew the historic significance all right, but calculated that Germans probably would not refuse the request? You know, in diplomatic circle, everybody behaving nice nice.
Did somebody mention that second site as a backdrop, Brandenburg gate is still very visible?
Jul 21, 2008 - 8:55 am sliptooth johnson:Until the American public understands that bobama and jmccain are the same candidate, none of the politics really matter.
Jul 22, 2008 - 12:19 pm kabud:sliptooth johnson:
it is EXACTLY like you said
Jul 22, 2008 - 11:52 pm Hans:LOL, the media in the US spirals downwards continuous.
Quote CNN: “Obama had originally hoped to speak in front of the iconic Brandenburg Gate, where U.S. President John F. Kennedy had been met by ecstatic crowds in 1963 when he visited the city shortly after the Berlin Wall had been built.”
WRONG CNN!!!
Mr. Kennedy spoke in front of the “Rathaus Schöneberg” in his famous speach. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ich_bin_ein_Berliner
Jul 24, 2008 - 1:54 am always right:Someone asked what kind of speech will Obama give. Will it be addressing the Germans (europeans in general) or to the US audience?
My answer?
BO (Berline 2008): “Ich bin ein noch groesserer Berliner.”
Jul 24, 2008 - 7:48 am