Trump, the "Zero Hour". (Article in Press in Germany after Merkel Visit)

[Hayabusa Rider]

Who wrote this and why does he think that Americans like merkel? Reads like pure propaganda, if not for the fantastical elements, e.g. Americans respecting merkel.

It does paint Merkel in a way that implies a general enamoured state which does not universally exist. Even so Merkel is one tough woman who isn't driven by irrationalities related to childish acts of petulance in which Trump apparently celebrates. By comparison to Trump she stands out in a positive way.

 

[DarthKyrie]

Who wrote this and why does he think that Americans like merkel? Reads like pure propaganda, if not for the fantastical elements, e.g. Americans respecting merkel.

I'm a US citizen, born and raised in New Hampshire, and I have liked Chancellor Merkel since the early 2000's. I also think that she is the true leader of the free world and has been since she was elected Chancellor.

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

I'm a US citizen, born and raised in New Hampshire, and I have liked Chancellor Merkel since the early 2000's. I also think that she is the true leader of the free world and has been since she was elected Chancellor.

The US has defaulted through Trump, the UK is in turmoil with Brexit, France stares at its bureaucratic navel.

Merkel wins.

 

[justoh]

Yet she can speak it, which you referred to as somehow mockingly significant. Apparently she learned a fairly difficult language which requires some intellectual capacity since "nobody speaks classical Latin".
.

No, she can't speak it. It's not learned for the purpose of speaking, but rather reading. She certainly can't speak it "fluently," which was what was asserted.

 

[snarfbot]

I'm a US citizen, born and raised in New Hampshire, and I have liked Chancellor Merkel since the early 2000's. I also think that she is the true leader of the free world and has been since she was elected Chancellor.

Well that's pretty dumb she's destroying her own country

 

[Meghan54]

No, she can't speak it. It's not learned for the purpose of speaking, but rather reading. She certainly can't speak it "fluently," which was what was asserted.

And you know this how exactly?

Right....you don't have a clue......again.

 

[cytg111]

You have this

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angela_Merkel

At school, she learned to speak Russian fluently, and was awarded prizes for her proficiency in Russian and Mathematics.[37] Merkel was educated in Templin and at the University of Leipzig, where she studied physics from 1973 to 1978. While a student, she participated in the reconstruction of the ruin of the Moritzbastei, a project students initiated to create their own club and recreation facility on campus. Such an initiative was unprecedented in the GDR of that period, and initially resisted by the University of Leipzig; however, with backing of the local leadership of the SED party, the project was allowed to proceed.[38] Merkel worked and studied at the Central Institute for Physical chemistry of the Academy of Sciences in Berlin-Adlershof from 1978 to 1990. After being awarded a doctorate (Dr. rer. nat.) for her thesis on quantum chemistry,[39] she worked as a researcher and published several papers.

vs. that guy in my signature. I can imagine her thoughts going into that meeting "Remember Angela, speak slow and no big words, slow, no big words"

 

[justoh]

And you know this how exactly?

Right....you don't have a clue......again.

Right....Weren't you the one insisting that the german speaking Swiss guy can't speak german? Brilliant.

Maybe devos can sort you guys out. Just wtf do you people learn in a U.S. K-12 anyway? Anything?

 

[Homerboy]

Article describes her as smart and competent, yet Merkel describes herself as "a serious christian." An evangelical. In 2017. Seems like a bit of a contradiction. And why is her English so awful?

It's ironic that Trump couldn't have been elected without people like Merkel. Blame the christians.

http://www.alternet.org/election-2016/christian-right-donald-trump

How good is Trump's German? Or your German for that matter?
And, I know you will scoff at this with your closed mindedness, but it is entirely possible to be smart and competent AND a "serious Christian"

 

[justoh]

How good is Trump's German? Or your German for that matter?
And, I know you will scoff at this with your closed mindedness, but it is entirely possible to be smart and competent AND a "serious Christian"

Depends really. Does being stupid make one smart? I think not, but stupid minds may disagree.

 

[fskimospy]

Depends really. Does being stupid make one smart? I think not, but stupid minds may disagree.

I think a more important question is if stupid people are capable of determining if someone else is smart.

That seems particularly relevant in this thread.

 

[Fanatical Meat]

^^ In my experience people who learn additional languages as an adult tend to be better educated & smarter than average. I'm mono-lingual so I guess I'm stupid.

 

[Victorian Gray]

No, she can't speak it. It's not learned for the purpose of speaking, but rather reading. She certainly can't speak it "fluently," which was what was asserted.

Have a cookie

 

[hal2kilo]

Well, at first he loved her.

Then, TIME picked her as Person of the Year in 2015, which led to
Twitter crying.

Then there was her catastrophic mistake.

But hey, he's doubling down on OBAMA TAPPPED MY PHONES!

My guess is the meeting didn't go the way he wanted. Maybe she wasn't having the Trump charm? Or maybe she didn't suck up enough? Or at all? And maybe he doesn't fancy a mature woman trying to school him, no matter how minimal or needed. Or just not buying his bullshit. At that press conference, when Merkel is speaking, look at his body language - stooped, pouty, jittery. The man is a big baby, without a single diplomatic bone in his body. The man may have a huge ego, but he's really all id.

I find it amazing, that a supposedly mature man, can't keep his emotions in check. He's the best negotiator in the world. Just ask him. What a joke. Are you guys that voted for him even slightly embarrassed yet.

 

[Homerboy]

I find it amazing, that a supposedly mature man, can't keep his emotions in check. He's the best negotiator in the world. Just ask him. What a joke. Are you guys that voted for him even slightly embarrassed yet.

Every Trump voter I know and/or have spoken to isn't all that embarrassed or feeling much to repent for as of yet. They still hold fast to either

A) deflecting to "but Hillary!!"
B) standing behind "he's just saying what we're all thinking and not worrying about being PC in his words"
C) "Obama!" (this takes every shape from "wasn't the best President" to literally "He's a Kenyan born radicalized Muslim who was and STILL IS hell bent on destroying the Unites States of America!!!')
D) Any/all combination of the above

It really is amazing the Teflon these people have encased themselves in.

 

[flexy]

As a converted Lutheran she would have taught classical Latin, for the purpose of studying classical authors, not speaking, or understanding Catholic priests. It's especially funny considering the nature of the protestant reformation, but funny enough on its own since nobody speaks classical Latin. Stupid.

When I went to this prestigious school back many years ago when I was a kid, the general consensus was that you "need to learn Latin" if you wanted to get into a profession like becoming a scientist, doctor etc. So basically, the "smart" kids all chose Latin (or had their parents chose it) as their first Language and then English (or Greek), and the "not so smart kids" chose English and French. It also depends on the school. Some schools have a tradition and preference for old culture, Latin/Greek crapola..usually "those" schools which were or are deemed "better" schools. Whether there is something to it, aka whether there is really any sort of real-life benefit in having learned some Latin... we can argue..lol..but this was just the common notion back then. It's just absolutely logical that a German politician comes from a school where they taught Latin. In her case even more likely, not sure whether they in former Eastern Germany even taught English at all.

 

[justoh]

When I went to this prestigious school back many years ago when I was a kid, the general consensus was that you "need to learn Latin" if you wanted to get into a profession like becoming a scientist, doctor etc. So basically, the "smart" kids all chose Latin (or had their parents chose it) as their first Language and then English (or Greek), and the "not so smart kids" chose English and French. It also depends on the school. Some schools have a tradition and preference for old culture, Latin/Greek crapola..usually "those" schools which were or are deemed "better" schools. Whether there is something to it, aka whether there is really any sort of real-life benefit in having learned some Latin... we can argue..lol..but this was just the common notion back then. It's just absolutely logical that a German politician LIKELY had learned Latin.

It was tradition on mainland Europe, England (and its colonies) to learn classical latin. It still is, to a lesser extent, but it was still in its prime when she grew up. She would have learned classical latin, even if not from her mother. We don't even know what it's supposed to sound like, but definitely not like ecclesiastical latin. It's not spoken. It's only translated one way (from the latin).

She could and probably still can can read latin (with the aid of a dictionary, since most invariably forget much of the vocab - the grammar is what's important). Incidentally, she demonstrably doesn't speak English fluently. Just look for videos of her trying.

It's mostly only funny because of the tradition of having to learn latin.

 

[Jhhnn]

Incidentally, she demonstrably doesn't speak English fluently. Just look for videos of her trying.

You keep coming back to that, apparently pitching to the good old boys of America, the "Cain't even speak English!" crowd who rarely speak anything else.

Americans aren't very bilingual-

http://www.gallup.com/poll/1825/about-one-four-americans-can-hold-conversation-second-language.aspx

Only half a percent speak German-

https://www.quora.com/How-many-Americans-can-speak-German

It's not like we have any room to criticize Merkel's English language abilities.

 

[justoh]

You keep coming back to that, apparently pitching to the good old boys of America, the "Cain't even speak English!"

Darth just stated a few posts ago that he guesses she's fluent in English.

 

[DarthKyrie]

Darth just stated a few posts ago that he guesses she's fluent in English.

I said that because her mother was a teacher of Latin and English which is a fact.

 

[brandonbull]

Most US voters chose Clinton.

Want to guess again?

 

[justoh]

I said that because her mother was a teacher of Latin and English which is a fact.

Have you considered the possibility that she's not her mother?

 

[brandonbull]

You keep coming back to that, apparently pitching to the good old boys of America, the "Cain't even speak English!" crowd who rarely speak anything else.

Americans aren't very bilingual-

http://www.gallup.com/poll/1825/about-one-four-americans-can-hold-conversation-second-language.aspx

Only half a percent speak German-

https://www.quora.com/How-many-Americans-can-speak-German

It's not like we have any room to criticize Merkel's English language abilities.

And? Oh noes, them 'Mericans can't speak a zillion other languages so they are one big failboat! Seems like the US has been very successful and the current leader of the free world without everyone learning to speak another language. Maybe there is something to not learning a second language?

 

[hal2kilo]

Nope, it doesn't. HUGE difference, cannot even be compared. "Evangelical" in Germany (and other parts of Europe I assume) is leaning toward's Luther's teaching...where some dogmas of the catholic church don't apply. If you will, "evangelical" means actually less conservative Christianity, less strict..so it's pretty much the opposite what it means in the US. Also remember that in the former GDR where Merkel was raised, religion was pretty much outlawed. Surprised she is even "religious" respective says that she is.

Something to do with the name of the main religion in Germany after the Catholic Church. It's the Evangelical Lutheran Church.

And? Oh noes, them 'Mericans can't speak a zillion other languages so they are one big failboat! Seems like the US has been very successful and the current leader of the free world without everyone learning to speak another language. Maybe there is something to not learning a second language?

Yea, it keeps you blissfully in the dark about the other.
That was weird. I thought I backed out of the first comment.

 

[Thump553]

I never thought we'd reach the point in my lifetime that the US President-ANY US President-wasn't universally considered the leader of the free world. Even the worst of the modern lot-Nixon and GWB-had strong pro-democracy leanings-look at GWB's ill-fated attempts to force democracy upon Middle Eastern countries and Nixon's efforts to open up Red China.