Merkel offers thanks but presses US on climate - Germany

German Chancellor Angela Merkel used a historic address to the US Congress on Tuesday to issue a heartfelt plea to combat climate change, likening the problem to a second Berlin Wall.

"I'm convinced, just as we found the strength in the 20th century to bring about the fall of a wall made of concrete and barbed wire, we shall now show that necessary strength to overcome the walls of the 21st century," Merkel said.

She said those were "walls in our minds, walls of short-sighted self-interest, walls between the present and the future."

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Interesting, since she, as well as other politicians, have deflected yet another string of pre-existing social and economic problems by blaming the US for them, thus planting even more seeds for xenophobia and anti-Americanism. It was quite precious watching her chasing cameras about the Opel dabacle and blaming the Americans and getting those people ready for blood, practically.

Germany needs all the unity it can get, and many Americans are of German origins, so it was a no-brainer, really. I'm happy for the Germans. But they should be careful, as self-interest always lurks in the background of international relations. I'd like to see Germany standing more on its own feet culturally, especially in the music field. Merkel is definitely the Americans' darling politician here.

Perhaps she and her party could be grateful enough to allow dual citizenship for Americans.

"I'd like to see Germany standing more on its own feet culturally, especially in the music field." - EXCUSE ME?!?!?

Seemed to be a group of pretty tired American politicians needing some reassurance from one of its few friends in the world.
What was needed was a brave challenge to the last 50 years of American politics of hegemony, both political and military Â- an honest reading of accounts by an ally.
Instead Merkel said nothing new, said nothing of any value to the betterment of the world Â- it was in fact apple-pie, Â" freedomÂ", Â"democracyÂ" , Â"trans-Atlantic friendshipÂ" and many other catch phrases and soothing words and pablum which the US always uses to put Europeans to sleep ....was now being used to put them to sleep.........not that they needed much help!
The scripted applause and standing ovations during her speech were more the sign of an empire in decline than one in ascendency. It is really too bad that Merkel has missed this opportunity to wake up some of these decision-makers in Washington.

Will someone please inform Frau Merkel that climate change is bullshit.

Dual Citizenship....... would be nice but never gonna happen

Anyone who thinks that climate change is bullshit is either asleep or living on another planet.

"What was needed was a brave challenge to the last 50 years of American politics of hegemony, both political and military ­ an honest reading of accounts by an ally."
Exactly, however, in her own reference to "short sighted gains", what does she hope to gain through her grandstanding historical address? What on earth was accomplished here?

Merkel's statement:We German know how much we owe our American friends and will never forget this.....
I hope they won't forget.
Put on your CV that your are an Ex-GI..,or stay by where most of them German are talking about Americans..
That will be enough for you to get the result.
Somethings are better left unsaid.

Splendid metaphors about "walls in our minds, walls of short-sighted self-interest, walls between the present and the future." If Ms. Merkel acts on these metaphors to lead Europe in leading the world through the institution of the appropriate global social institutions (which minimum necessary institutions are fortunately already extant and only await implementation), then she will have have secured her place in history--which is eminently appropriate since the species-threatening problems that now afflict us all ultimately boil down to, thanks to the hegemony of neoclassical economics, human affairs being instructed by dynamical rather than historical time. Ms. Merkel, being a physicist, would know the distinction between these two. I suspect the metaphors she made precisely address this distinction.