Article

2008-08-29 Europe

Afghanistan Puts Germans Off Military Career

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Posted by GolfBravoUSMC 2008-08-29 07:19|| || Front Page|| [11128 views ] Top

#1 Darwin was right. Two world wars killed off a disproportionate number of the historically courageous Germans leaving mostly the wimpier subspecies to reproduce. Of course in the case of Germany this is not necessarily a bad thing.

Posted by Glenmore 2008-08-29 08:10|| 2008-08-29 08:10|| Front Page Top

#2 German political pundits are fond of pointing out that, should Barack Obama be elected as the next president of the United States, it will be much more difficult for Germany to turn him down should he ask Berlin for help in the world's hotspots.

Wanna bet?

Posted by tu3031 2008-08-29 08:20|| 2008-08-29 08:20|| Front Page Top

#3 Of course in the case of Germany this is not necessarily a bad thing.

I'll concur on that one.

...but so too do poor pay and conditions.

Yeah, that one too is a little hard for socialist bureaucrats to comprehend.

Posted by Procopius2k 2008-08-29 09:03|| 2008-08-29 09:03|| Front Page Top

#4 I have a hard time believing that socialists would not intentionally make the army an unattractive career, by sabotaging its budget and working conditions at every turn.

Posted by gromky 2008-08-29 09:26|| 2008-08-29 09:26|| Front Page Top

#5 A soldier serving in Afghanistan gets a tax-free bonus of 92.03 for every day served, he pointed out, "but pay isn't everything."

This is serious money. That's $4,000 per month served, on top of base pay.

Posted by Zhang Fei 2008-08-29 11:01|| http://timurileng.blogspot.com]">[http://timurileng.blogspot.com] 2008-08-29 11:01|| Front Page Top

#6 Even a former in the French Army whose service was in the command company of an engineer regiment in ana armored division was horrified after seeing german soldiers go in groups to supermarkets and buy beer in supermarkets while in uniform.

I know this doesn't necessarily reflect combat prowess but it gives an impression of German army becoming lax, lacking discipline and not caring about its image between the public (who sooner or later ends tranishing its image in siol;diers eyes).

Posted by JFM">JFM 2008-08-29 11:08|| 2008-08-29 11:08|| Front Page Top

#7 I wonder how much rules of engagement play into this. Would you want to serve in an Army where you can't be proactive about stopping an ambush?

Al

Posted by Frozen Al 2008-08-29 11:12|| 2008-08-29 11:12|| Front Page Top

#8 Truly a double-edged development. Pathetic, yet welcome in its own unique way. It would be a bit more welcome if US officials would point out, and German officials acknowledge, that German views on big international issues facing the US lack credibility because of Germany's inability to carry its own weight. Their dependence and cowardice (nationally) ought to make them diffident - and nitwit American "critics" should be nuked when they cite German views on adult matters.

Sort of allows us to finally safely retire one of my old Cold War favorites: "I love Germany so much, I want there to be two of them"

Posted by Verlaine 2008-08-29 12:00|| 2008-08-29 12:00|| Front Page Top

#9 Also after decades of deriding patriotism in order to make way for the UE anyone wonders if peope no longer want to die for their counties?

Posted by JFM">JFM 2008-08-29 12:32|| 2008-08-29 12:32|| Front Page Top

#10 Two world wars and a holocaust later, Germany is a nation of wimps and welfare mooches. Who says there is no justice?

Posted by regular joe 2008-08-29 13:46|| 2008-08-29 13:46|| Front Page Top

#11 Well, you know, the Afghans fight back - If Germany decides to invade France again, watch the enlistments soar.....snark

Posted by Angererong Poodle8773 2008-08-29 15:46|| 2008-08-29 15:46|| Front Page Top

#12 If Germany decides to invade France again, watch the enlistments soar

Them and what army? Whatever they were, the Germans
are no more: remember those _huge_ demùonstyrations "Better red than dead"?

Posted by JFM">JFM 2008-08-29 17:00|| 2008-08-29 17:00|| Front Page Top

#13 JFM, you're sounding more like TGF every day. But not as wistful.

Posted by Nimble Spemble 2008-08-29 17:56|| 2008-08-29 17:56|| Front Page Top

#14 This is as good a place to say it as any: I'm very grateful for the perspective our two regular French commenters, A5089 and JFM, bring to the 'Burg. Their remarks are always cogent and informative, they present observations that we don't get from anyone else, and they make me remember that there are still some Euros with whom we can proudly make common cause.

Well done, messieurs. Merci beaucoup!

Posted by Jolutch Mussolini7800 2008-08-29 19:21|| 2008-08-29 19:21|| Front Page Top

#15 Them and what army? - JFM

Well, at their rate of population decline, it will be a pair of German shepherds and a company of old men in a few years.

Posted by DarthVader 2008-08-29 20:20|| 2008-08-29 20:20|| Front Page Top

#16 A strong military will rise again from the land we call Germany. It's just that, the next time it does, it'll be made up of men whose great grandfathers were called Ottoman Turks. Just to be clear, that's not a good thing.

Doesn't matter who the next president is. Given Europe's demographic trends, it's now time to figure ways of getting the nukes out of Europe while all is peaceful and not under undue muslim control or influence.

Posted by MarkZ 2008-08-29 20:53|| 2008-08-29 20:53|| Front Page Top

#17 Personally, I think we went too far in de-militarizing Germany, and the French Socialists went to far in de-militarizing France. It seems to me the French soldiers have always fought bravely and well when well-led. I have no quarrel with the Pouilus.

Posted by Deacon Blues">Deacon Blues 2008-08-29 21:00|| 2008-08-29 21:00|| Front Page Top

#18 Instapundit once noted that while Europeans obviously know where *babies* come from, they're not nearly as clear as to where *adults* come from.

Posted by Seafarious 2008-08-29 23:16|| 2008-08-29 23:16|| Front Page Top

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