DBWI: Germano-American Union: For or against?

What do you think of the latest proposed treaty, and why?

(Please forgive the short post, but my tele-prompt subscription needs to be renewed.)
 
What do you think of the latest proposed treaty, and why?

(Please forgive the short post, but my tele-prompt subscription needs to be renewed.)
Until the German government explains its actions in the murder of student protesters from the University of Berlin in 1989, our government shouldn't sign a treaty with the "Butchers of Berlin". Their support of the totalitarian regimes in Iran, Syria, and France are an insult to anyone interested in the issue of human rights and civil liberties. I would also point to the persecution and mass arrests of Scientologists brought up by John Travolta since 1994. I know what the advocates of the "most favored nation" (MFN) trade status, but there is only so far that trade will do to help promote civil rights.
 
It seems good in the short run, to counter the proposed Chinese-Indian alliance. We'll have to hold our noses and vote yes in the referendum in July.
 
Until the German government explains its actions in the murder of student protesters from the University of Berlin in 1989, our government shouldn't sign a treaty with the "Butchers of Berlin". Their support of the totalitarian regimes in Iran, Syria, and France are an insult to anyone interested in the issue of human rights and civil liberties. I would also point to the persecution and mass arrests of Scientologists brought up by John Travolta since 1994. I know what the advocates of the "most favored nation" (MFN) trade status, but there is only so far that trade will do to help promote civil rights.
But don't you think engagement would be the best way to moderate? It's an economic union first and foremost, and approving it would be a major boon for the liberals in the German assembly. Besides, the US is the last nation to try and take the moral highroad, considering what we've done to Liberia's neighbors in the name of friendship with "the little America of Africa." Our record is just less obvious.

George put it rather nicely, imo. If either of our two countries want to maintain major power in the world where the Chinese and Indian markets are combined, it will have to be together.
 
I would also point to the persecution and mass arrests of Scientologists brought up by John Travolta since 1994.

Travolta sure has gone off the deep end, hasn't he? Gah. Tom Cruise would never flake out on us like that...

Some personal thoughts:

Egypt had it coming. It's too bad the pyramids aren't around anymore, but what do you expect?

I'd hate to think of where we'd be right now if the USSR were still around. They'd probably have turned the tables in China by supporting Mao, and we'd be looking at an unshakeable Sino-Soviet bloc right now - with Japan thrown in to boot. At least Japan and their holdings in Korea and SE Asia provide some regional balance.
 
I think North America is much better off under the current alliance arrangement. We are protected by the German nuclear umbrella and essentially have a free hand in dealing with the New World French. We don't have to follow any of their stupid anti-cancer, pro-vegan and animal rights policies. Plus, they won't replace Spanish with that godawful gutteral crap they speak.
 
But don't you think engagement would be the best way to moderate? It's an economic union first and foremost, and approving it would be a major boon for the liberals in the German assembly. Besides, the US is the last nation to try and take the moral highroad, considering what we've done to Liberia's neighbors in the name of friendship with "the little America of Africa." Our record is just less obvious.

George put it rather nicely, imo. If either of our two countries want to maintain major power in the world where the Chinese and Indian markets are combined, it will have to be together.
The idea that the democratic reforms of President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf in Monrovia are to be considered on the same level as the actions of the Berlin regime is a complete sham, and racist. The government of Berlin doen't have to deal with the issue of suicide bombers in the capital, nor does it have to deal with the issue of refugee camps along its borders. Liberia has been attacked by its neighbors in 1948, 1967, 1973, 1983, and 1991. As such, the "police actions" should be seen as defensible...


Second, with the issue of the China-Indian Alliance, the reason that they are so prosperous at the moment is the strange "code restrictions" imposed by Congress in 1995. When programmers such as Bill Gates and Larry Ellison are seen as criminals of "intellectual property" by the monopolies like IBM, Atari, Wang, and Commodore...
 
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