Heidi and Seal's Weird Animal Fetish

181. Anita,
So what you're saying is that Sear has no right to judge Germans and say they're all the same and have bad taste but it's okay for you to judge all Americans and say we're all stupid. Can you say "hypocrite"? I knew you could.

I agree Sear was wrong. Not all Germans think or feel the same. Only an idiot would say that. But if we're agreed that only an idiot with an IQ of 0 would claim that everyone in a country thinks the same way, I think that qualifies you for the 0 IQ also. Don't spread hate if you don't want it coming back to roost in your house.

And, since different people have different taste all over Europe, how would you know that all of them think Americans are stupid? In point of fact, I know a fairly large number who don't.

Anita, you're just jealous and envious. Europe needed American help to survive two World Wars and Germany, itself, needed our help to survive the Cold War or have you forgotten the Berlin Air Lift (although one could make the argument that was a continuation of Would War II). You may say that that's all in the past and what have you done for us lately but that is the argument of a foolish and greedy person. Luckily, I also know that not all Europeans are foolish and greedy.

I suggest you reconsider your comment. You don't want to be guilty of the same attitude that you are objecting to.

Go Sox

Posted at 10:15AM on Feb 23rd 2008 by Baseball Junkie

182.
Dear Baseball Junkie

I do reconsider the last 2 sentences!
I wasn't thinking actually about europe but about the moslems in this world, when reading stuff like that I am starting to understand them why they are so aggressive.

Why would I be envious, have lived and have been to the US for a long time and could have stayed, but prefered to move back. Usually I am the first one to defend americans. I just don't like racists and sear is one. I am not a fan of Seal, but I don't see why would someone write bad stuff about this couple, they are not harming anybody.
Don't start always with the world war II stuff, first of all I am a german Jew, yes this exists too and 2nd my mother was already born after world war II, we are not always talking about Vietnam when it comes to americans .

Since there are so many american stars always coming to germany because they are making big bucks here, and TMZ sells there stories worldwide, so I am also allowed to say my oppinion. Otherwise I am sorry if I offended you and somebody else that was not my intention. I just think that Sear is a moron and nobody else!
My best wishes to you

Posted at 12:42PM on Feb 23rd 2008 by Anita

183. Anita, I am not denying that you have the right to your own opinion and I fully agree that Sear was stupid and racist. I have no problem with him being called that and so long as you aren't accusing us all (Americans that is) of the same crime, I have no problem with your condemnation of him.
I'm not a fan of Seal or Heidi in particular but I certainly agree that people have the right to marry whomever they choose and to condemn someone for loving someone is extremely wrong. What I was objecting to was your apparent lumping of all Americans into one group which is what he did to all Germans. Since that was not your intention, I see no reason to be offended by your comment.
I partially agree with you about the way that people here speak about Muslims. I am very bothered when people condemn Sam Lufti because his first name is really Osama. If he really did drug Britney that's bad enough irregardless of his name. (At least they say his name is Osama in their comments; I don't really know. Condemning him for a name is ridiculous. That's like hating everyone who's first name is Lee because Lee Harvey Oswald shot President Kennedy or everyone who's first name is Adolf for the obvious reasons. It's ridiculous.) At the same time, I must condemn terrorism and attacks on innocent people not that Muslims are the only religious group that has terrorist members. We've had some of our own home grown ?*#@? here, who've hurt innocents and I condemn them just as strongly.
I am a German-American which is something I am very proud of and identify strongly with even though my family emigrated several generations ago. My mother's grandmother's family was forced to leave East Prussia because they were persecuted for being Lutherans in a catholic part of the country. On my father's side, my ancestors came from Moravia. I was born after WWII but several of my relatives fought in it.
As far as Vietnam, the French started that one when they were still the colonial power and passed it on to us as part of the Treaty that ended WWII. It was part of the deal which reduced the reparations which France was demanding from Germany. We all know what happened after WWI when France insisted on trying to beggar Germany. The aftermath was very unpleasant to say the least. (I don't know how much they teach you in Germany about the causes of the wars. I wasn't taught anything in school about the real history and had to research it on my own. Our public schools weren't all that good when I was a child and they've gotten worse based on what my children were taught.) But there is no denying that Vietnam was a debacle and we handled it very badly when it did become our responsibility.
However, I think it is a very big mistake to ignore history. It always comes back to bite you. George Santayana, after all.

To sum up, (in no particular order) I think we are agreeing
That Sear is an idiot racist.
That Germans, Americans and people in general are different and to try to say that all people who fit in a label is ridiculous.
That neither one of us was trying to insult the other and didn't intend to give offense.
That everyone is entitled to an opinion but some opinions (Sear and other haters) are more ridiculous than others.
That you have enjoyed America and American culture as I enjoy the German culture of my ancestors (I've never been to Germany. My mother and I were going to go before she died but it never happened.)
I think, having had this exchange of opinions with you, that the only thing we may be disagreeing about is the importance of history. Having studied history all my life, I can see where everything, good and bad, is the result of something that came before it. I keep hoping that if enough people would learn more about history, more of the world's problems would go away. Unfortunately I also know that this is a fantasy which will never come true.
Well, I have learned from this exchange with you and I hope that you take something positive away with you as well.

Go Sox

Posted at 3:53PM on Feb 23rd 2008 by Baseball Junkie

184. Dear Baseball Junkie

I also agree with you that history is important, and I know that people haven't learned from it. In school we learn a lot about history and also about World War II. Big problem these days are indeed the moslems, it's hard to keep them under control.

I just wanted to point out that it is really a hassle to hear always about world war II, when most of the ones that participated are dead and not all germans were Nazis, lots had their hardships with them too and were forced to keep quiet and go along with it in fear of their lifes, almost all males in my family were killed during it.
Besides my jewish ancestry I have like you ancestry from east prussia from the town "Rust".

I have friends in the States and in fact was married to an american, went to College there at the time, so I am sorry again, it's just that Sear made me mad. He surely wanted too. I am no fan of Heidi and Seal either, but the way some people were writing about them upset me. They really must have big issues having all this hate in them.

Well, I regret that you have never been to Germany between spring and fall is the best time to come. Maybe you will have the opportunity one day and I will cross my fingers for that!
Have a nice Day and good time

Posted at 3:15AM on Feb 24th 2008 by Anita

185. It is interesting that you also have ancestors from East Prussia. You also might find it amusing as I did that my great-grandmother came from a town hose name I was told translates roughly into "Cedar Grove" because that was the name of the street where I grew up.
I know that many Germans hated the Nazis but it seems as if many people do not. There is still some prejudice here in the US against Germans because of the Nazis as if we're all guilty even if our families emigrated in the 1880s as mine did.
Because of the multi-cultural movement here in the US, many schools only teach victimology. They teach about the slave trade as if we all owned slaves. They teach about the Civil Rights Movement as if Martin Luther King was the only person who died and only black people marched and fought. They teach about the Nazis in World War II as if all Germans were Nazis and Germany was the only country that fought against the Allies. My kids were forced to memorize the dynasties of China and never told about the Presidents of the United States. And all the students are held back to the pace of the slowest for fear that it will hurt their feelings if other students learned more than they could. Am I bitter? Obviously, if I had it do over again, I would have home-schooled them.
It is much easier to get a good education in college because only people who want to learn bother to attend. I enjoyed college and met my husband of 30 years there. Since you say you were married to an American I assume it ended? I hope with less pain and bitterness than many.
The reason Sear and the others have so much hate is that they have such low self-esteem. They have to tear other people down to make themselves feel better. If they can feel superior to a large group of people it's that much easier so they become racists or hate all members of a religion or something like that.
Maybe I will be able to visit Germany after my husband has retired or at least our children are all through college.
I hope you also have a very good day and a very happy life.

Go Sox

Posted at 1:51PM on Feb 24th 2008 by Baseball Junkie