[BeBerlin]

Originally Posted by Spike J

So what did you think?

Listened for the first time to a speech of the fella in full length. Could not help it, mind you. My home is within shouting range of the Siegessäule, so to speak.

Damn good show. Roughly one hour of free speech. Flawlessly delivered. And he made one point that certainly won the hearts, if not minds, of the people of Berlin: "This city, of all cities, knows the dream of freedom," Yes, we do. Because we can, too.

Schizophrenic as it may sound, Germans love the US, but hate George W. Bush. That is fine, because 99% of the rest of the world do, too. Got to give that to the man: He tried hard, and he succeeded, in alienating the rest of the world from US politics. Democracy in countries with a 2000 year old tradition of fiefdoms and civil war? Yeah, right.

The speech in itself seemed to me somewhat thin. Personally, I would have expected a tad more substance. But maybe it was not the right occasion. What he did deliver, though, was a speech that instilled some hope into the hearts (not, mind you, minds) of my peers that the US, under his leadership, might find back some of the things that made it our role model in the 50s and 60s. There is a tangible "yearning for a new America" over here. I wonder, though, if the man will be able to deliver.

It is all nice and dandy delivering speeches about foreign politics in a foreign country. But that will not change the domestic problems the US appear to be facing. Global warming, free trade, non-proliferation. All good. But I doubt whether he can grab the American voters's serious attention for these problems.

Now, enough whining already. The wife and I were moved by his speech. And yes, he would get my vote.

Originally Posted by Spike J

Opinions from all corners welcome, especially fellow Europeans

Well, you know what they say about opinions: "Opinions are like arseholes. Everybody's got one, everybody is entitled to his or her own." Might be an old Europe thing, though.