|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The British Quaint, lovable and freedom-loving A personal retrospective view to better
understand our British friends Unpublished
Letter to the Editor, January 2017 The year 2016 presented some unpleasant
surprises to Europe. Brexit was one of them. If you
believe the official figures then 51.9 percent of the British voted for Brexit and 48.1 percent against it. The two camps of the
backers and opponents of Brexit would therefore not
be too far apart. But only those who do not understand the very soul of the
British people will be content with these numbers. The British have never
felt comfortable in the EU. This is part of their "natural DNA".
And just like the average people of any nation cannot simply over night
exchange their own language for another language, the British cannot easily
replace their frame of mind, which has developed over many centuries. Unlike
many other European countries Britain has not been subjected to any
radical political and social upheaval for a very long time. This is why the mental state
of the British may have become so firmly established that it naturally
continues to shapes their way of thinking and their identity. Those who know
the British well know that the group of those who felt a strong natural
desire to leave the EU was much larger than the official figures of the
referendum suggest. Encouraged by our age of post-truth
I began to work out my own figures, which of course are not scientifically or
statistically substantiated. Here I simply rely on my 45 years of experience
with the British. My gut feeling very spontaneously told me that at least
two-thirds of the British people must have felt something positive about
leaving the EU. When I realized that two-thirds is no more than 67 percent, I
corrected my first assumption. I now claim that the proportion of Brits, who
naturally feel there is something positive about Brexit,
is well above 70 percent. (1) Many of you may now ask: "Why
was this not reflected in the outcome of the referendum?" To
understand this one needs to know that the British have always been very rational
people. It was rational thinking that once made the British join the EU. They
did so for rational economic reasons, not because they were staunch
supporters of the EU by nature. The British have now been living with the
painful contradictions that resulted from their decision to join the EU for
more than 40 years. Those who know the British well know that they have well
and truly endured these contradictions for all that time. This is difficult
to understand, especially for citizens of a nation that after the Second
World War had longed to be welcomed back into the European
community in order to gain a new identity within it. David Cameron’s decision to call for a
referendum has literally coerced the British people to openly deal with the
contradictions the British nation has been exposed to ever since joining the
EU. In the decision-making process of the referendum – very much as in a
medieval morality play - the individual British voter was virtually forced to
act out the role of the central figure of the Brexit-play.
And like the devil and good angel that act on the central figure of a
medieval morality play, the forces of economic common sense on the one side and the
unbridled British urge for independence on the other side were
ruthlessly acting on the minds of British voters. These two forces, however,
can hardly be brought into line under the present circumstances in Great
Britain. At this point, I dare to make a second
statement, although I am not so sure about the absolute figures as in my
first statement: in my opinion, if one adds up the numbers of the convinced
British EU supporters on the one side and those who are against the EU but
who would have stayed in the EU for economic reasons on the other side, we
would get most certainly a figure that is well over 50 percent in favour of the EU. I estimate the number of
reason-oriented Brits so high that for both groups together I think a figure
between 55 and 65 percent is quite realistic. But why did this not show up in the
referendum? In the heated atmosphere of the
referendum, in the confusion of feelings between economic rationality and the
natural British urge for independence, too many of the reason-orientated
English people, who had never felt comfortable in the EU, simply
miscalculated the situation. Even though they wanted to stay in the EU for
economic reasons it was most certainly in their interest that this was
achieved by only a small margin. So most probably too many of them were
influenced by the forecasts that were published immediately before the
referendum. Sadly their strategy did not work out. Now we all have to live
with the result and try to make the best of it. At this point let us also consider the
special case of Scotland. The Scots are British people through and through,
even if they set themselves apart from their Anglo-Saxon neighbours
with more vehemence than the Bavarians from the rest of Germany. The
referendum on Scotland's independence was not that long ago. In that
referendum, the Scots lived through the same sufferings that the English were
to face only two years later. The Scots also had to decide whether they
wanted to follow their hearts or their economic reason. They followed with a
majority of 55 percent economic rationality. Once they had decided to follow
economic reason there would have been little point in reversing their
rational decision two years later by voting for Brexit.
Besides, opting for Brexit would have bound the
Scots to the English in a way that would not have been advantageous from the
Scottish point of view. However, too close a bond with the EU is not the
solution for them either. The situation remains tricky. I am convinced that shortly after the
referendum of 23rd June 2016, the supporters and opponents of Brexit were spiritually reunited for some time in the
hope that Brexit would not have too great a
negative economic impact on Britain. The British value their independence
very much and are willing to pay a price for it. However, there are also
limits to that, because in the end, as always, the question arises as to who
has to pay the actual price within society. And this, in my opinion, is the
real issue for the coming years. There is a social problem in Great Britain
that has received little attention by the German public, the possible effects
of which are difficult to assess. But that is a different matter to be dealt
with. Another important matter in this context is Anglo-German relation
itself. It should be borne in mind that the British often say Brussels and
the EU, but they really mean Berlin and Germany. Given the complexity of the situation, I
can only advise any responsible German to take a closer look and treat the
British with the same understanding and sensitivity with which they once
treated Germany and the Germans in difficult times. Despite all the
differences, the British are much closer to us than many other nations. (1) My gut feeling more or less was confirmed by the figures given by Prof. Matthew Goodwin in the final part (45 minutes f.) of the youtube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cfAKL7BeXxA
(published 05|04|2017) Rainer
Triller - Bonn, Januar 2017 |
Brexit: A continental view worthy of note
|
Radosław Sikorski is a senior
Polish politician and journalist. He was Minister of Foreign Affairs in
Donald Tusk's cabinet between 2007 and 2014. He previously served as Deputy
Minister of National Defense (1992), Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs
(1998–2001) and Minister of National Defense (2005–2007). From the third lecture in the post-Brexit lecture series at the University of Greenwich |
European Union - The Empire Britain has refused to rule https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pI54yarKz_o
youtube-Video |
Brexit: A British view worthy of note
|
Please help us to understand
you! My dear British friends soon your country
will be leaving the EU. I believe there are still too many people on the
Continent who do not really understand why. After your country has been a
member of the EU for more than 45 years it might be considered an act of
courtesy to give those people of Europe who are still looking for a
comprehensible answer a coherent explanation. So if you know of an internet link to an article or youtube video that explains the British point
of view to us in a plausible way I would be only too happy to share that link with the readers of my website.
Please send that link to pen-friend@web.de |
|
|
„I
am British“ Why Brexit happened -- and
what to do next | Alexander Betts https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dcwuBo4PvE0 |
Brexit: The motivation behind it?
|
|
|
A sober British analysis Prof.
Matthew Goodwin - Why Britain Voted to Leave the EU and what it Means https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-Y_rqLGHSM ____________________________________________________ Chatham House Primer: The
Vote for Brexit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cfAKL7BeXxA |
Brexit: The German
factor
|
The German
Elephant in the Brexit-Room
German Imperial Chancellor Otto von Bismarck and British Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli Source of cartoon + for better
resolution click here:
Chancellor Helmut
Kohl and Prime Minister Tony Blair Source of cartoon + for better
resolution click
here: If we look
at the whole events around Brexit, we might get the
impression that all this has nothing to do with Germany. Yet the ambivalent
relationship that the British have with Germany is a significant reason why
the British nation has so relentlessly driven itself into Brexit.
Many people, especially in Germany, may read these lines in disbelief,
because after all, we do not really hear of anyone who blames Germany in any
way for Brexit. Even the British themselves do not
seem to express such an absurd idea. But things are again more intricate than
one might think. To understand this, we have to dig deeper into the psyche of
the British nation. In order
to avoid misunderstandings, it must first of all be stressed that the
following considerations do not call into question the friendly relations
that the British and Germans have long since had and maintained. These very
personal relationships in different areas and at different levels continue to
be untarnished. Anyone who goes to the UK or who elsewhere talks to British
people can see for themselves. However, in the context of Brexit
it is important to consider the way the British people see Germany as a
national body and as a political and economic factor. The feelings that
result from this perception are inevitably reflected in their national
decisions. If we
want to grasp the psychological structures of the British view of Germany in
depth, we must look back at some important historical developments and events
of the last 150 years. In 1871 when
a new German Empire was created under Prussian supremacy, the united German
countries developed into a serious competitor for Great Britain. This
competition led to rivalries that culminated in the antagonism of the First
World War. During the First World War the British war propaganda degraded the
German opponents very successfully to "Huns" and began thereby to
establish in the consciousness of their own population a dull feeling against
everything, which is German. Germany herself has actively contributed to the
fact that this feeling solidified and subconsciously still lingers on in the
minds of British people. All the
fears, misgivings and negative prejudices of the British towards Germany were
sustainably confirmed and intensified by the groundless German air raids at
the beginning of the Second World War, which were solely aimed at subduing
Great Britain. It should therefore not surprise anyone that the British look
back with pride on the time when they successfully withstood the German
threat through a joined national effort, and that they now confidently pass
on this spirit of their recent past to future generations. It is inevitable
that in this context Germany is assigned a very specific role. But the
political and social situation in Germany has changed for the better in many
ways in bygone decades. This has not gone unnoticed by the British, for they
have contributed to this positive development. At times Germany even
developed into a European paragon of good behavior. However, this does not
entirely fit into the conventional picture the British have of Germany. In
addition, the obvious economic success of Germany is not only admired by the
British in their somewhat restrained manner, it also arouses old fears of
German dominance. As the economic performance of a country automatically
gives more clout to its political influence, Britain inevitably sees the
economic development in Germany as a constant challenge to its own role in
Europe. Britain has always seen herself as a nation that wants to progress
and lead the way. It has never fitted into the British self-image to see
herself as a junior partner to other nations, and most certainly not to
Germany! It is a
truism that there are different political currents in each country. Among
them there are always those of the so-called hardliners. In the UK there is a
small group of inveterate traditionalists that has always been very reluctant
to be forced into a political system that is naturally favoured
by the Germans as a result of their history and that is economically
dominated – so they say – by Germany. This hard core of British
traditionalists also seems to be well connected to the British tabloids,
which shape the minds of broad sections of the British population. This is
how over the years the specific ideas and desires of these traditionalists
constantly trickled down to the masses and began to mix with old prejudices,
half-truths and the experience of current social problems and
dissatisfaction. At a later stage these elements began to blend with the
awareness of the hard facts of economic and political realities, adding thus
during the course of the referendum and Brexit
negotiations to the emotional overall social process that is presently
pushing British society along and further dividing it. The
impact of the political and economic developments in the UK is too
significant for Europe and Germany to simply stand by. This is why the
general German public should understand in what way Germany influences this
process. The
Germans have always experience the British as genuinely warm, open and
hospitable people, and so it would never occur to them that British people
might make a distinction between them as German individuals on the one hand
and their potentially dominant state and their government on the other hand. Neil MacGregor, the former director of the British Museum and
founding director of the new Humbold-Forum in
Berlin, once said: “Germany is steeped in a terrible pro-British feeling.”
This widespread sentiment seems to be another reason that prevents many
Germans from fully understanding the situation in Britain. However,
I occasionally wonder if the general British public has even been remotely
aware of the intensity of this pro-British feeling of the Germans. Rainer Triller - December 2018 www.satirebonn.com |
|
Afraid of Germany? What is Germany's role in Europe? This also depends
on Europe’s perception of Germany. The historian Andreas Rödder talks on WDR 5 about Germany’s
self-image and the images other countries have of Germany and how these
images came about. For Andreas Rödder’s radio interview click here: The historian Andreas Rödder asks in his current book: "Who is afraid of Germany?". His
answer is: Everybody. For in the
perception of its European neighbours in the West as
well as in the East Germany is seen as dominant, strong and often claiming a
leading position. This assessment of other European countries in turn is far
from the role in which the Germans see themselves. Getting to grips with the historical
connections between stereotypical perception of others and oneself is, for
Andreas Rödder, an important step towards better
controlling future political processes at European level. For, he says,
"such stereotypes can be reactivated at any time". According to Mr Rödder, politicians in all
countries would be well advised to be aware of the effectiveness of such
ideas - as a precondition for a European process that ultimately benefits
Europe as a whole, as well as individual European states. |
|
The Guardian German ambassador: second world war image of Britain
has fed Euroscepticism Patrick Wintour Diplomatic editor Exclusive: Peter Ammon says some Brexiters were motivated by a sense of national identity
built around UK standing alone … [Peter
Ammon] described the perception that
Germany dominates the EU as “a horrible story”. “When I tell people in Germany I am confronted by this narrative
occasionally in public debates they say: ‘This cannot be true. You are
joking. This cannot be true. That is absurd,’” he said. … Click here for article: |
|
||
|
For centuries Britain has been a beacon of the western world - politically
and economically. Even the leading figures of the French Revolution closely
studied the advantages of the British Parliamentarian System and learnt from
it. German industry largely profited from the glorious achievements of the
British Industrial Revolution and turned them into their own success. But
where does this leave Britain? Britain does not need to hide behind the states it has given more to
than it has ever been properly credited for. Certainly Britain can do better
than this! Yet don’t be duped by those political leaders who want to take Britain
out of the EU. They are simply too weak and faint-hearted to take on the many
backward orientated states of the EU and consequently will not be strong
enough to steer their own country through the even rougher waters of our
present turbulent world. A Britain that is
not strong enough to firmly take the lead within the EU is not strong enough
to survive on its own in our rapidly changing world. It is men like Boris Jonson who should not chicken out of the EU. They
should instead use their brilliant brains to put Britain at the head of the
European Union by firmly voicing their outstanding plans for a better future
for the European people. They should do this from inside the European
institutions in order to convince the
European people by strong arguments supporting democratic processes that
are so typical of your country, thereby winning the European people
over to your side! However, for once it is not your “leaders” who decide on your future.
This one time it will be you, the British people, who determine the future
course of your country. So think, before you face the brink, before you
vote! |
|
Say “Ja”
to Dexit … and Germany will be an Island of Bliss! THIS is our last chance to remove
ourselves from the undemocratic Brussels machine ...
and it's time to take it An interview with German Euro-sceptic Michael Zoff MdB by The
Notorious Rhyner ____________________________________________ |
|
-
Herr Zoff
you have been campaigning for a long time for Germany to leave the EU. You
did this as a part time politician and responsible citizen of your country.
Now that the German referendum is very shortly going to take place can you
explain to us your
particular point of
view? “Yes, I
believe we should take back control of our national economy. Germany would be
better off if it trusted the leaders of its own country, accountable
people who would spend the money in the interest of the German people. One of
the things with the leaders of foreign countries is that they would never
accept a curtailment of their sovereignty in the way they have curtailed
German sovereignty over many decades. Don’t pay any attention to what foreign
politicians say, pay attention to what they do. The truth is that the
American president, for example, would never accept a court in Mexico
decreeing what the law in the United States should be. I am not asking the
German public to trust me, I am asking the German
public to trust themselves. I am asking them to take back control of their
destiny from those organizations that are distant, unaccountable and elitist.
I have faith in the German people to take the right decisions. Those who say we
should stay in the EU have a vested interest. The majority of the German
people are suffering from our membership in the European Union. Their wages
are lower than they could be. The European Union depresses employment and
destroys jobs. The EU has financially hollowed out communities across our
country, has contributed to lower salaries for working people and has also
insured that young people in our country don’t have the job opportunities
they could have if we were out of the EU. A majority of the
German population is suffering from the EU. Every year we give billions of
Euros to the EU, billions of Euros we should be spending here. German
taxpayers are handing money over to the EU that is spent on Jean Claude Jucker’s expense account, his private jet rather than it
being spent on our health system and our priorities. I don’t blame all the
problems of Germany on the EU, but every week we send more than 450 million
Euros to Brussels. In other words we don’t have control of that money. There
are billions of Euros we send to the EU every year and as the institute of
fiscal studies has pointed out if we took that money back we could spend it
on our own interests. Some of the Euros that go to the EU may be spent on our
behalf, but this is done by people
– and you can’t deny that – who are unaccountable, unelected and who we can’t
get rid of. I think we, the German politicians - eh, I beg your pardon - the ordinary people of Germany should
take back control of that money. We should not be on
the side of the undeserving rich we should be on the side of the ordinary
people. In the European Union we have a market that is rigged in favour of the rich and stacked against the poor. I think
that is wrong. Outside the EU we
can become richer, safer and free at long last to forge our own destiny — as
other great democracies already do. If we stay, Germany will be engulfed in a
few short years by this relentlessly growing monster called the European
Union. For all Merkel’s witless assurances, our powers and values WILL be further eroded.
Staying in will be worse for immigration, worse for jobs, worse for wages and
worse for our way of life. Greece is bankrupt. Italy is in danger of going
the same way, with even more disastrous consequences. In Spain, 45 per cent
of those under 25 are out of work. And numerous even poorer and
worse-governed countries are now joining the EU. It’s time for us to leave! We are a strong
country and we will see our way through. The day after the Dexit we can pass legislation which would limit the power
of the European court and parliament in our country. We would again have the
ultimate say about our laws. I think we should say to them, I am sorry you
have had your day, unelected unaccountable elites I am afraid it’s time to
say you are fired. We are taking back control. Leaving the EU means we will reassert our sovereignty — embracing a
future as a self-governing, powerful nation envied by all. A vote for leave
is a vote for a better Germany. -
Thank you very much, Herr Zoff. ______________________________________________________________ Satirical text
almost literally inspired by: and skyNEWS interview with the Lord Chancellor, the Rt. Hon. Michael
Gove, MP. ______________________________________________________________ |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anglo-German relations Best of Enemies Liebste Feinde What the British really think about the Germans in English
mit deutschen Untertiteln Was Briten
wirklich über Deutsche denken https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ymumHhFzMxg Aus Feinden
werden Liebende https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aIGL4yyMgMU Die Deutschen
spielen besser Fußball - Best of Enemies https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ziNxy2InXP0 Krieg der Autos
- Best of Enemies https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7K4MOqk65F0 Die Zukunft
der Energie - Best of Enemies https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WXQ2MQSectU Die
Windsor sind nicht wirklich britisch - Best of Enemies https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iH_aayNoqEI *** Culture Awareness
| Make Me a German – BBC Documentary https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UaDdcXagzi8 |
The new
All rights reserved