‘Her Anthem Is a Soothing Lullaby’

I have some questions to sceptic:

1. What flashes is the statement that there is no "real" information about the US in Germany. Please specify this. Don't you think that the Bush administration is not more and not less that an evil curse for Americans and the rest of the world? Don't you think that exploitation and repression of minorities and poor people in the US has become even worse under Bush? Aren't there masses of people without jealth insurance in the US? BTW this is something which is absolut??ly incredible (or unthinkable) for Germans. Here, it is even not necessary to have a health insurance, because in case of emergency you will be treated just because you are a human being. And afterwards you will surely not receive a bill when you're poor. The others pay for their fellow citizens.

To be honest: Since you elected this Bush (even twice!!!) America IS - among others - the pariah of the world.

That younger professionals see a better future for their career in the US States is the consequence of an act of hostility of the States by braindrainig other coutries by using the raw power of money. Have you heard about the last Nobel prizes for physics and chemistry?

Indeed sad what is happening. Though a main obsession of Germans is "social justice" and the debate about which undeservedly underprivileged group deserves how much from the big cheese created by the capitalists and undeservedly overpaid yuppies. It???s easy to score with that topic, and politicians have no shame to promise benefits financed by taxes. Recently 10 days of paid vacation have been proposed to allow persons to arrange for the care of elder parents, because otherwise ???we would treat our parents with less respect than our children???. Thinking this further leads ad absurdum: aren???t the already existing 30 days paid vacation enough to branch some off for elder care, do Germans need to be motivated with a carrot on a stick to take care of their parents. It???s the social democrats who have the insolence to again and propose free goodies to groups who supposedly cannot help themselves. One reason we are in that great coalition is that Merkel lost votes when she introduced tax reformer Kirchoff during her election campaign. It looks like Merkel wants to sit out the Great Coalition to get a CDU majority in the next election. What is the alternative? There btw is little objective debate about the welfare system in general. Any argument that high taxes and redistribution of wealth works, uses Sweden as example. To underscore that there is no alternative to the current system, we typically point to the pariah USA with its number of people without health insurance. There is little objective, unbiased information about the USA in the German media, including this liberal newsweekly called Die Zeit, for which this author works. A lot of younger German professionals is leaving to find out by themselves though how is life in the USA.

Correction: Only that prices hike and WAGES drop and everybody is asking: "so where is the boom"?

Take it from a German citizen: There is a huge gap between the "public opinion" as presented by the mass media and the real mood here. Since the World Soccer Championship 2006 we are bombarded with campaigns like "You are Germany" (Du bist Deutschland) which was a ridiculous flop and daily told "der Aufschwung ist da" -- the economical boom has started.
Only that prices hike and drop and everybody is asking: "so where is the boom"? Also we are told that many new jobs have been created recently, but its not mentioned that most of them are mac-jobs. Merkel dodges domestic policy since weeks, to preserve her positive image. In foreign affairs Germans consider her Bush's poodle -- they have more explicit words for her here ;). Joffe, is promoting Transatlantic Alliance since ever.