The relationship between the U.S. and Germany

“Germans, long opposed to many of Trump’s campaign promises, are irritated and concerned by his criticism of their country. They wonder why the leader of Germany’s most influential international ally seems more willing to criticize their country than nations with questionable human rights records.
‘Europeans think they are now being treated worse by Trump than countries like Russia or Saudi Arabia,’ said Stephan Bierling, an expert on transatlantic relations at the University of Regensburg in Germany.”

‪Germans wonder why Trump keeps lashing out at them and not Russia or Saudi Arabia http://wapo.st/2r7OLuj?tid=ss_tw&utm_term=.4077793e1116‬

“Before his inauguration, Mr. Trump handed his business, the Trump Organization, over to his eldest sons and his executives. But even with that distance, Mr. Trump continues to be the face of the company that bears his name, adding an unusual dimension to his foreign tours and diplomatic outreach — with the potential that he could return again as a businessman. In fact, Mr. Trump has registered or applied for a number of trademarks in both Israel and Saudi Arabia in the last decade, according to a review of international trademark databases, in categories that cover both potential real estate development projects and consumer goods.”–The New York Times

Trump’s Business Ties to Middle East Precede Him Trump’s Business Ties to Middle East Precede Him - The New York Times

“VEB, a Russian state-run bank under scrutiny by U.S. investigators, financed a deal involving Donald Trump’s onetime partner in a Toronto hotel tower at a key moment for the project, according to people familiar with the transaction.”–The Wall Street Journal
https://www.wsj.com/

Who are the wealthy Russians investing in Trump luxury buildings? Russian elite invested nearly $100 million in Trump buildings via @SpecialReports

i must say merkel looks head and shoulders above her male counterparts when dealing with trump she looks ready to take him on

Out of the 1 Million things that need to be said in the world, I never thought, “Germany, you need to man up!” would be one of them.

Modern Western Civilization is decaying most rapidly in the cradle in which it was born: Europe. No European nation save Albania, which is Muslim, has a native birth rate sufficient to replace its population. The churches are emptying and the mosques are filling up. Their welfare states are bloated, their people have high taxes. Their leaders, like Merkel, far from defending their national sovereignty and culture, endlessly push an abstract “European” identity and government, while celebrating the “diversity” of everyone else. Third world immigrants who have never assimilated into any western society are brought in annually by the hundreds of thousands. Though they are among the richest countries on Earth, European nations are incapable (at this moment) of providing for their own defense.

For 500 years, these people ruled the world. How far they done fell…

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“How far they done fell…”

That is a beautiful phrase. I will remember it.

“Their welfare states are bloated, their people have high taxes.”

That’s one way to look at it. Admittedly, I don’t know much about Europe. What I’ve read is that Europeans pay more in taxes so that everyone can have healthcare, education… I know I’m generalizing but isn’t this the spirit of Western Civilization?

Why did you never think that “Germany, you need to man up!” would be one of the plenty of things that needed to be said in the world?

What does “manning up” mean literally?

If I may introduce my opinion on this.

Let’s say, “man up” means “to fulfill your responsibilities as a man.”

I believe women are more likely to dream of a world where everyone eats, sleeps safely at night, is educated if they choose, and there is no punishment, no pollution…

In Europe, it seems, a lot of men feel that way too, and share the same dreams as women and have not been willing to man up for a long time.

“Europeans pay more in taxes so that everyone can have healthcare, education… I know I’m generalizing but isn’t this the spirit of Western Civilization?”

Cuba and Venezuela both have those while the leader of the West (The USA) doesn’t. I think you’re talking about the spirit of communism.

@LILingquist, you’re absolutely right. I cannot understand how Germans will most likely re-re-re-elect Merkel.

“I think you’re talking about the spirit of communism.”

Yes.

The U.S. sucks that it doesn’t do this. This is just basic human decency.

Merkel liked Obama and his views on free trade, she wanted to do with the US and Canada the same thing she’s been doing in Europe: exporting a lot and importing nothing. She was also happy not to have to “protect” Eastern Europe, NATO was there. And on foreign politics Germany has been non-existent since WWII.

If Trump can help Europe and Germany in particular to play their role, he’ll have done at least one positive thing during his term.

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What the crap? LOL I mean, about your presumptions and ideas about what women are supposed to think.

And “man up” doesn’t have to be gender specific. It can mean “fulfill your responsibilities as a man” like you said, but it also means to deal with something more bravely. As a woman I’ve manned up to plenty of stuff myself, and will man up in the future too, I’m sure - and I 'aint no nazi-feminist, lol.

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She looks head and shoulders above her female counterparts too.

[edit: I am thinking of May here…]

sounds a lot like like ancient rome which eventually burnt down and fell and with it the great roman empire

I feel like Merkel also wanted to take the “I’m the anti-Trump candidate” role from the German socialists’ as part of her pre-election rethoric…no?

I suspect you are right. It seems to have worked out quite well for her too.

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I don’t agree with her politics but she’s absolutely crushing it. Good for her.

That’s possible, actually I know very little about German politics. I must say I was quite surprised to see Merkel and her Foreign Minister criticise Trump so openly.

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I think you need to try North Korea for a spell and gain some perspective on what the vitality of capitalism does for human decency, and also – why the opposite, you so endlessly argue for, does the opposite…

It’s just North of South Korea, give it a try and report back your findings…