Germany
Editorial
There’s an easy new way for gloomy Germans to feel better, said Berlin’s Der Tagesspiegel in an editorial. Compare yourselves to the French. Sure, the German economy is in the dumps, and our national mood is sour. But the French are even worse off! Not only is their economy more “sclerotic” than ours, but they are constitutionally incapable of fixing it. Their “communist-minded workforce” goes on strike to block every attempt at reform. And in foreign affairs these days, France is the biggest loser in Europe. The U.S. is much angrier at France than at Germany for opposition to the Iraq war—remember Condi Rice’s dictum to “ignore Germany” and “forgive Russia” but “punish France.” Europe isn’t feeling much friendlier because the French will go down in history “as the ones who dug the European Union’s grave” by refusing to ratify the E.U. constitution. As one German philosopher used to say, “the problem with Germans is their penchant for self-pity.” These days, we can save our pity for our pathetic neighbors.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
One great cookbook: Joshua McFadden’s ‘Six Seasons of Pasta’the week recommends The pasta you know and love. But ever so much better.
-
Scientists are worried about amoebasUnder the radar Small and very mighty
-
Buddhist monks’ US walk for peaceUnder the Radar Crowds have turned out on the roads from California to Washington and ‘millions are finding hope in their journey’
