Kevin Benz is the Chair-elect of RTDNA.
Over the next two weeks Kevin will be blogging about his experience traveling on
the RIAS / RTDNF fellowship in Germany, the Czech Republic and Belgium. Check in
daily to read, see, and hear Kevin's perspective on the 20th anniversary of
German reunification and Germany's controversial response to a difficult
European economy.
October 10, 2010
What Europe does right
1) Belgian waffles. OMG.
As famous as they are, they are still under-rated. Wow is all I can say
2) German soft pretzels. OMG.
Great warm or cold… just use care, they look down on you if you eat them with mustard.
3) History
There is a lot of very old stuff in Europe… you can really reflect while looking at a building put up before anyone even knew there was a “New World” out there.
In particular, the Germans have some pretty dark history to say the least. They deserve credit for facing it, acknowledging it, and memorializing it to make sure it never happens again. The Germans now have what they describe as a “peace gene”, and they are very much for anything that brings people or nations together.
4) The Environment
Europe is running laps around the U.S. on this issue. Over the course of 2 weeks there I never saw an incandescent light bulb. They are all fluorescent. Nearly every small room has an auto-shut off device which senses movement in the room to turn lights on and off automatically… this can be dicey in a bathroom (I know TMI). Some hotels have a switch into which you must insert your room key in order to turn on the lights. It forces you to turn off the lights when you leave the room (if of course you need to take your key).
Germany is a leader in renewable energy, particularly solar. Most of the buildings we saw, even homes, have solar panels. This is made easier due to the generous rebates given by the government and the payments made by energy companies which will buy the solar power produced… and Germany is a cloudy country!
And Europe recycles. There are recycling containers everywhere, in the parks, on street corners, everywhere.
5) Their view of America
I wondered what to expect from Europeans, Germans specifically, on this topic. You’ve read as I have the stories about how the Europeans disliked George W. Bush, how they love Obama, how they feel America is an “act first talk later” bully. It’s true, they say all of those things, but Europeans are very different from Americans in one important way, they can easily distinguish the difference between the people in government and the government’s actions, from what the country stands for.
There were several examples of this attitude but one really stays top of mind for me and taught me so much. We were speaking to Valentin Gescher, the E.U.’s United States and Canada specialist in the “External Relations” unit. We were critically discussing U.S. military spending and the Iraq war in the context of budget deficits as compared to Europe. He said this, “Never forget, America is a beacon of hope for the rest of the world. Your government structure is a model for others to emulate, your promise of human freedom is a promise to all the world. Europeans understand and remember what the U.S. did for us in the 20th century, and we know the difference between that and whoever is in charge at the moment.”
It seems to me there are many Americans who need to hear that statement. Even in a polarized political atmosphere, America stands for freedom in the world. Being the world’s last great superpower brings with it enormous responsibility. I’ll choose to be a “beacon of hope” any day and I hope my journalism will reflect it.
October 8, 2010
NATO and journalism in Afghanistan
I probably shouldn’t have been surprised when driving up to NATO headquarters in Brussels. We were met with barbed wire and armed security in black fatigues and body armor. The place is pretty locked down particularly now in the midst of the European terror threats.
Getting in is pretty much like going through an airport security line, except they keep your stuff until you leave. Anything with a camera stays with security. No pictures here.
Once we got in though, the conversation picked up. Again, much of the conversation was agreed to be on background and not for attribution. We agree to this because the conversation and the context becomes so much richer.
NATO, that age-old relic of the cold war is changing, because the world has changed. While NATO’s article – “an attack on one is an attack on all” - remains the core of the NATO alliance, there are no troops lined up at the European border ready to march in. The threats are different now… global terrorism, cyber-attacks, piracy, and the trafficking of weapons, drugs, and people.
Next week in Lisbon, the NATO countries will hold a summit and I expect to hear of news being made. The agenda includes:
• Afghanistan – gee, there’s a surprise.
• Discussions on improving crisis management by anticipating global crises better
• Dealing with the new threats listed above by improving political partnerships. I quote, “you can apply enormous muscle to a problem, but problems are only permanently solved using politics.”
• And there may be an announcement regarding the missile defense shield. There is apparently some discussion about making it a NATO mission rather than an American defense project.
For more information on this issue, see this article on the NATO website.
Or watch the Secretary-General’s very interesting speech.
Afghanistan obviously continues to be the main issue for NATO. It’s easy for us in the U.S. to forget that the war in Afghanistan is a NATO war, not an American war. The troops there are NATO troops, sent by individual countries but under the common command of General Petreaus, working for NATO.
While that may sound like a semantic issue to us on the west side of the Atlantic considering we have 90% of the troops in country, it is a very important differentiation for the European countries; they have skin in the game so to speak. We know many countries have soldiers there, and most countries have lost soldiers there, but I was surprised to learn for instance that Japan pays for all of the Afghan police being trained. I didn’t know that. So Japan cares a lot about the transitional plan too.
Chris Riley works in the Public Diplomacy division at NATO and he knows Afghanistan. He’s former U.K. military, and he’s spent a lot of time in Central Asia. He can rattle off the names of regions and villages in Afghanistan with more confidence than I can name state capitals in the U.S. There are not many people who understand Afghanistan like Chris does.
When he speaks of the conflict, there is a confidence in his voice that comes from his understanding of the region. He, like so many smart folks I spoke to, repeated the line we too often miss… “success in Afghanistan must be measured politically, not by the military.” We will not fight our way to victory by removing all of the Taliban. Rather, Riley suggests our goal is to stabilize the political environment in Afghanistan, and that means creating ways for vastly different tribes of people in far away places to work together.
Journalism in Afghanistan
As a public diplomat, Riley also has unique perspective on the journalism being produced in Afghanistan. He is quite supportive of the journalistic mission there and I had to push him for some critical thoughts about how the world press is doing on that very complicated story.
It is worth reflecting on the summary he gave me. Riley understands the unique financial pressures journalism is under today and he sees the American press working hard to overcome those pressures. He says U.S. coverage has improved over the last 6 months with the return of some veteran journalists and after the transition in Iraq.
His advice to us goes like this… he understands our need for drama in our story-telling, and our need to get pictures of “things that go BANG”. Personal stories of soldiers in the field are compelling and need to be told. That’s the “security story” everyone wants to tell. But, the political story is the harder story and, he says, an under-told and probably more important story if we are to help our community understand the context of the transition coming in July, 2011.
He used this example… how often do we see a story showing some open market place in some city or village? The open market he says is just the start of the story. Journalists must also look at the quality of the products being sold and how they are being purchased. The story is not “the market is open”, the story is “look at the high quality and richness of the products being offered.” The market is rich with products and people are shopping again because the roads are open and safe. That story tells a security story, wrapped inside a political story.
I think there are lessons for local journalism here too. We should take the time to analyze our war coverage, even if it’s taken just off the wires and national feeds. Are we simply reporting the “things that go BANG” or are we trying to add context through research, the “richness of the market”, to our stories on Afghanistan? Over the next transitional year it will be important to tell the story well, with as much context as we can.
October 7,
Brussels, Belgium
The European Union
Brussels is an amazing city. Once again, some unbelievably old buildings, yes Europe is full of those. I can personally vouch for the greatness of the Belgian waffle and Belgian chocolate. Brussels is the seat of government for Belgium of course, but also for the E.U.
The European Union is a riddle to me and while I think I understand it better today than yesterday, I’m not sure I could adequately explain it. It is not the United States of Europe that’s for sure. The E.U. nations agreed to use the Euro as their currency, (except for those that don’t), and they decided to open their borders (except for those that didn’t), and they provide some common defense (except for those who have no military to contribute). Isn’t that easy?
A skeptic might suggest the E.U. is one of the great bureaucracies ever conceived. The government fills huge buildings in Brussels employing tens of thousands of people. But it’s not that. It’s really best described as an extraordinary effort to integrate Europe economically in order to integrate Europe politically… a huge “peace project”.
Keep in mind, these are 28 countries, most of which speak different languages, had different currencies, and warred with each other for over 1000 years. Anything that gets these folks sitting at the same table talking is probably a good thing.
Today, Europe represents 20% of all global trade, and they are the worlds largest aid donor around the world. They give out more than 3 times the amount of development aid given by the U.S. (which comes in second).
The E.U. turns Europe into a global player, with 500 million people giving out aid, trading around the world, and yet they remain a virtual political dwarf. I suppose there are many reasons for this but I believe a significant one is their lack of a common military. Frankly, E.U. people get pretty defensive when you ask them about why there is no E.U. military. Here’s the answer I got when I asked… the member states are responsible for their own military. The total amount of defense spending by member E.U. states is about $370 billon. The U.S. spends $400 billion alone. It’s easy to not worry about military spending when you are the friend of the biggest, baddest kid on the block.
To this the Europeans react in a thought-provoking way. Remember, the Europeans do not think of terrorism as a military issue, but as an internal criminal issue, and they say, “terrorism will not end with a military solution, rather it will only end with a political solution.” There’s an old saying “Europeans talk but never act, Americans act but never talk.” It’s criticism worth considering I think.
October 4
Prague, Czech Republic
Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty
If you want to become motivated to craft great journalism, if you want to see how dedicated journalists put their lives on the line to tell the truth to their listeners and readers, a visit to Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty will do it. I am in awe of the hard dedicated work these journalists do.
I had heard of RFERL and thought I knew their purpose of course… to sell the world on American values right? They were probably run by the CIA and they are probably no longer around since the fall of European communism… wrong, wrong, and wrong. My visit to the new Radio Free Europe and Radio Liberty building in Prague taught me some lessons.
Yes, RFE was started by the CIA back in 1950, mostly to send American information into the Soviet bloc. Radio Liberty started 3 years later broadcasting into the USSR. This year they celebrate their 60th Anniversary.
RFERL is NOT run by the CIA any longer, rather, they are funded and run by a U.S. Board of Governors that by design cannot dictate editorial policy. Jay Tolson is News Director for RFERL, he says the journalists pride themselves in their independence and, and easily state their goal simply as “to provide uncensored news to those living in countries without a free press.” At a time when news organizations are pulling out of foreign bureaus, and as central Asia’s media become even les free, RFERL provides a model for how a free press can function in a country that is not free. That function does advance western and American values, primarily the right to a free press.
Today RFERL employs 2000 journalists in 21 countries and 28 languages throughout Central Asia. The work is clearly dangerous, for example 17 journalists have been killed in Russia since Putin took office. These journalists put their lives on the line in Afghanistan and Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan. They use contacts in-country, via snail mail, social media, e-mail, even a 1-800 number allowing citizens to contact RFERL journalists without the danger of being tracked down by secret police.
I could go on and on, but I cannot express the admiration I hold for these journalists. They work in the worst conditions, with secret police constantly on their trail. They do it because they know their readers and listeners have the right to know what is happening in their part of the world, and in so doing, they make the world a better place, one story at a time.
October 3, 2010
Reichstag Fireworks
Today marked the 20th anniversary of the reunification of Germany. October 3rd, 1990… the Wall was down, and Germany became a single sovereign state again. The date marked the end of the horror going as far back to 1933, a chance to begin anew. One journalist described Germans now as having a “peace gene”. A genetic need to maintain peace and avoid the terrible costs of war. Few in the world know the price of war as accutely as the Germans. Unfortunately, reunification was, and still is, not all that easy.
Still, today was a day of celebration. I had the privilege of attending the official Anniversary event at the Reichstag, the parliamentary headquarters of Germany. It featured songs and fireworks, yet the most moving moment came when Helmut Kohl was introduced. He served as German Chancellor in 1990 and was one of the architects of reunification. On this night, the emotion showed on his face, and the crowd’s standing ovation when introduced lasted for several minutes.
The Germans are still working their way through the challenges of rebuilding one country from two. In 1990 the West arrogantly assumed they knew best. Communism of course was bad, and the West was good. Today, unemployment is at 13% in former East Germany, double that in the West and 20% of East Germans are on full welfare, also double that in the West. The West is paying for the East still, to the tune of 85 billion Euros this year alone. But that Western arrogance ignored some basic facts about life in the East. The East German de-industrialization not only destroyed the remnants of communist industry, it also ripped apart the fabric of East German society which was built around the State and around the company one worked for.
Today, 20 years later, there is some nostalgia from East Germans for the old ways. They had a better child care system, the educational system worked well, and they enjoyed a different social structure. Make no mistake, no one wishes for the old communist regime, but there were some things that worked, and the West is now beginning to consider them.
Today’s celebration focused on courage. Remembering a week in which 60 million people took history into their own hands. Germany is a country which has done a good job facing it’s own failure and coming to terms with it. Germany is a country ready to use it’s own “peace gene’ while taking a larger place at the international table.
October 1
East German Communism - The Stasi
For a communist dictatorship to work, you need prisons, lots of them. And you need to develop fear and distrust in the society. You build fear by filling up those prisons with those who disagree with the communist system. You build distrust with secret police (the Stasi) and informers. In East Germany, you never knew if you were talking to a family friend, or a spy for the State, sometimes you were talking to both.
In communist East Germany, the best example of how that system works is found at Hohenshoenhausen, a German Stasi prison located in old East Berlin. The speed and planning involved in this system of fear and distrust is staggering.
Just a month after the Soviets conquered Berlin in 1945, they took over a small catering building and turned it into a secret prison to hold dissidents and “enemies of the State”. The holding cells were tiny, the conditions inhumane, and the violence unrelenting. Thousands died there in just 5 years. In 1950, the East German secret police, the Stasi, took over the prison and the Soviet prisoners were taken to concentration camps… the same camps used by the Nazis against the Jews.
The Stasi methods of fear and terror were different. Rather than physical violence, they used an intricate, well-planned psychological torture. Our guide was a former prisoner at Hohenshoenhausen. Hans-Eberhard Zahn spent 7 years enprisoned there and has written a book on psychological terror. He says there were 2 main principals of terror used by the Stasi… strict isolation and complete disorientation.
There was no communication allowed, no speaking… ever, and a prisoner never saw another human being except for their guard and their interrogator. For all they knew, there was no other person in the entire prison. Nor did they know where they were or what would happen to them. Windows were covered, the cell small and constantly lit with one light bulb, sleeping was rarely allowed and one never knew when the next interrogation would take place, today, tomorrow, next month.
It was an effective system in breaking people mentally and physically, forcing them to inform on others, and then be convicted, and sentenced top more time in prison. Mr. Zahn called it “an industrial machine to extract confessions and send dissidents to prison.”
Today, Hohenshoenhausen is kept as a memorial to those who were housed there, and to those thousands who died there. A stark reminder of the evil humans can do to each other, and the scripted scientific way they do it.
October 1
German Immigration
Under the blanket of Reunification lies a growing challenge in Germany that in many ways is shared by the United States… immigration. A few decades ago the German government invited Turks to come live on a guest worker program; Turkey had workers, Germany needed them. The German plan was to have the workers for awhile and then allow them to return to Turkey. Except they stayed, despite a 20 year moratorium on Turkish immigration in the 1970’s and 80’s. 50 years later, with Germany’s population aging and shrinking, they need the workers again. But there is growing discontent in this country and the government is trying to figure out how to better integrate the Turks into the German population.
There are now 2.8 million Turks in Germany, a country of 85 million people. The problem is magnified when you consider the Turks are Muslims. While no Turk has ever been connected to terrorism, they are quick to point that out, Muslims do not enjoy any less discrimination in Germany than they face in the United States.
To understand the German point of view, an American must also remember the differing backgrounds of Germans and Americans. There is no such thing as an “ethnic American” (besides perhaps the native tribes). The German people on the other hand do identify with a common ethnic culture and it bears no resemblance to the Turks. The United States began as a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic stew of people with common beliefs, as opposed to a common ethnic culture. Americans may identify themselves as “Mexican-American”, “African-American”, “Italian-American” and so on… there is no “Turkish-German”.
When you talk to Germans about immigration, the word you hear most often is “integration”. Germans would like the Turks to be, well… more German. They talk about the Turks needing to speak German and get their children educated; as many as 25% of Turkish children never complete high school.
The Turks on the other hand speak of avoiding “assimilation”. They say they are indeed learning the language and the number of high school drop-outs is falling. They fear assimilation would mean losing their culture and their religion and watching their children get lost into mainstream German society.
There is a strong Turkish community in Berlin, it’s called Little Istanbul. There are several Mosques around town and many outstanding restaurants. What the Turks want is to be considered equals, and they are not right now. They are working within their Mosques to keep any hate speech… anti-western radicalization, out. But they would like the German government to officially recognize the Islamic faith. So far the German government has not, leaving 4 million German Muslims without the financial benefits received by Catholic and Protestant churches.
The one marked contrast I see between the German and American immigration discussion is the tone. The German government seems to understand that good immigration policy involves integrating immigrants onto society. Turks simply want to make sure they are able to remain Turks as well as be Germans.
Day 5: September 29, 2010
Walking through Berlin, you cannot miss the pock-marks on every old building… bullet holes. This city was virtually destroyed in 1945 when Russian allied forces attacked Hitler’s Capital. Bullets and bombs rained down on this city and the scars exist on every building erected before 1945… those that are left anyway. It is not hard to imagine the block by block battle waged to end Hitler’s reign of terror. A reign the reaches deep into the German psyche today.
Since the Reunification, Germany now has the largest population in Europe, the largest economy, and the worst history… crimes against humanity that rocked the world. That history left a scar on every German citizen and to this day makes their European neighbors very uneasy.
Every person we’ve met formally has repeated this point. German history brings a pacifism which is healthy, but cannot continue if Germany is to grow. Its citizens are having the same trouble as its neighbors in accepting the German role once again as a world leader.
Still, like the rest of the world, Germany has economic issues, and Parliament, starting their legislative session today, must make some decisions. Reunification added an East German “economic wasteland” to the West German economy. Over $2 trillion has been spent since 1990 to help the East recover. Still 20 years later, more than $85 billion euros will be transferred from West to East this year.
We spent a couple of hours speaking with Mr. Peter Altmaier, the “Majority whip” for the ruling majority of Christian Democrats. He is one of Chancellor Angela Merkle’s closest advisors and he gave us some insight into this years parliamentary session. The themes are familiar to Americans:
• Reduce debt – Germany has not enjoyed a balanced budget since 1967, their budget debt is now 75% of their GNP.
• Social Welfare must be rebalanced in order to be sustainable. The Germans are quite proud of the care they provide for the citizens. They are having trouble affording it with an aging population. One quote from Mr. Altmaier struck me regarding their social welfare challenges. “Germany has many jobs available with no applicants AND an enormous number of unemployed.” The social welfare state makes it more desirable to live off the state than to go work. No country can afford that.
• Cope with Immigration and the integration of migrants. This is another theme we have heard repeated, and I’ll spend more time on it later.
• Answer the international challenges dealing with terrorism, political stability, illegal immigration, and the strength of European cooperation. European cooperation is still hit and miss and the European union is still described as “emerging” even 50 years later. Europeans agree they must bring their 27 countries together to speak with one voice, so far they are not part of the international conversation.
Our visit ended with this statement from Mr. Altmaier… “the United States enjoys unmatched political power due to its military superpower status. Being the last superpower on earth brings enormous responsibility.” That includes the responsibility to protect its friends and help them “show and defend our western values.” That strikes me as an important statement to keep in mind.
Day 4: September 28, 2010
Germany is no less concerned about terrorism than we are in the U.S. After all, Muhammad Atta, one of the 9/11 conspirators, lived in Germany for a time, and several high profile plots have been foiled there.
My group met with high ranking officials in German Counter-terrorism and while we were asked to keep the conversation off the record, there are some public issues worth mentioning.
We were specifically interested in the level of international cooperation going on. Our hosts were clear on this issue, international cooperation, they said, is the key to identifying terror suspects and foiling plots. They described a number of regular joint efforts and formal meetings that have helped keep the international community working toward the same goals.
There is one specific area of difference between the U.S. and Germany. The Germans see terrorism as a matter of public security and crime, dealt with by the Federal and local police… not as a military matter. Consequently, they do not use words like “War on terror” or “Cyber-war”. They talk about “crime”. Further, they say they have not seen any increase in anti-Islamic discrimination and in fact are working to develop better relationships with Islamic leaders. The Germans just completed and released a study meant to discover the reasons for the radicalization of Muslim young people. “De-radicalization” came up a number of times and German research suggests the focus should remain on young people, specifically young men, and efforts must be made to interact with them in schools and in their communities.
A discussion of terrorism in Germany naturally leads to a discussion of immigration and discrimination. Jews are one culture you might not connect to the modern Germany… my own ignorance assumed even a post-holocaust Germany would not be high on the list of great places to live as a Jew. I was wrong. The Jewish community in Berlin has nearly tripled since reunification in 1989 and while they are still a small group, they feel quite comfortable. In fact, they say they feel more comfortable in Germany than in most other European countries even though anti-semitism still exists.
Walking into the Berlin Jewish community center was as difficult as going through an airport. German Police are stationed permanently outside, you pass through an x-ray and magnetometer, and security is evident inside and out.
Jewish immigrants are mainly coming from Russia. While they may identify themselves culturally as Jews, they do not connect religiously. The atheism of Soviet Russia did a good job removing many of the Russian Jewish traditions. Further, while the German government is helping to fund a return to the traditional Jewish neighborhoods of the past, they are not making it easy for professionals… doctors, lawyers, teachers, etc. to come to this country and practice their craft. Consequently, many immigrants are poor, and remain so.
Immigration has become a theme on this trip. What at one time was a pretty homogeneous German society has become a country and economy not just taking in immigrants, but needing them. This is a government with significant decisions to make, and Parliament begins meeting tomorrow. We were able to see the preparations in the Reichstag, lots of committee meetings happening now, and the set is being built for Berlin’s 20th Anniversary of Reunification celebration. More on these topics coming up!
Kevin
Day 3:
September 27, 2010. 11 p.m. Berlin (4 .pm. Austin)
Our day began in much the same place as modern Germany began. The site of Hitler’s bunker, the place he committed suicide, is now a parking lot marked by nothing more than a clothing donation box and a small sign put up just a few years ago. The Germans have no desire to turn Hitler, or WWII for that matter into a tourist attraction… memorial’s to victims however are everywhere. The most stunning being the Memorial to the murdered Jews of Europe, coincidentally situated right next to the U.S. Embassy. It is a quiet and at once beautiful and somewhat uncomfortable place by design. Thousands of stella lined up along a rolling path.
And then there’s the Wall. The reminders in Berlin are everywhere and the city’s growth since November, 1989 has been stunning. Since 1990 over 5 billion euros have been spent by private investors along the “death strip” that marked the Wall. The largest investors being Daimler and Sony. Today the path of the wall is marked by a double cobblestone line along the street while new hotels and shopping centers tower over where it once stood. The old gray East Germany is now alive in color. In my mind, modern Germany began when it closed those chapters.
Dr. Hans-Ulrich Klose is the former chair of the German Foreign Ministry and now serves as the coordinator for German – U.S. relations. He strikes me as an extraordinarily adept politician and an honest straightforward advocate for his country. We spoke a great deal about the redistribution of power in the world since reunification in 1989. Germany chose to cash in on the “peace dividend’ at that time, moving strategically into a social welfare state while reducing spending on the military. That meant the United States became the default peace-keeper in Europe. Mr. Klose added that Germany had little choice in the matter. With reunification, the west took on a very poor, nearly bankrupt East Germany. Today, 20 years after reunification, Germany transfers 85 billion euros each year to the east in order to help keep that part of the country on it’s feet.
Mr. Klose spoke eloquently on many subjects. Regarding terrorism, he described the need for Islamic leaders to take some level of responsibility for reform of their religion in order to stop the radicalization of some of their young members. The country has established a joint German – Islamic Conference to develop a working base from which the organizations can work to affect change. Islam is the third leading religion in Germany and there is a great lack of knowledge and understanding on both sides, and he says, with current immigration trends leading more Muslims into Germany, knowledge will be the key to understanding. In an interesting aside, we spoke briefly about the U.S. coverage of possible Quran burning last month. Mr. Klose was quick to point out that German law would have shut that conversation down quickly. “When the exercise of one’s rights infringe on another, German law will not allow it”, a very interesting perspective.
Finally, we spoke about the chances of success for the European Union which faces significant economic challenges today. He pointed out that Winston Churchill first predicted the establishment of “the United States of Europe” in 1946 following the Second World War. Germany has 9 neighboring countries (the second most of any country in the world) and they all have different languages and different cultures. That makes for a difficult transition even on a small scale. However, he said he is optimistic. “If we can overcome in 100 years, what has gone on for one thousand years in Europe, that’s OK” he said. In other words, Europe’s history of intra-cultural conflict and ultra-nationalism cannot be changed in a short time. He has the patience to wait it out.
Tomorrow we speak to German counter-terrorism. While much of that conversation is agreed to be on background, I believe there will be pieces I can share. We will also meet with members of the Jewish community in Berlin.
Kevin
Day 2: A day at the Museum... September 26, 9:45pm (2:45p Austin)
Does anybody really sleep on a plane? After 18 hours of flying we landed at a cool and rainy Berlin. Of course no one cares what the weather is like here except for us. You see rainy and cool weather calls for indoor activity... no biergarten today. Instead, a look at some of the most spectacular museums I've ever seen. On October 3rd Germany will officially commemorate German reunification, surprisingly it is not a well-promoted event. instead, today you could not miss the Berlin Marathon! 20,000+ people running in the cold and the rain for over 26 miles. I don't get it, but I respect it. They tell me it's the largest world marathon outside of New York and London, a Kenyan won of course.
Anyway, the German History Museum is not to be missed. We were interested in how they would handle reporting WWI and the Holocaust and frankly they delivered on what I had hoped... a fair and self-critical look at what they called "mass-murder" and genocide. My reading in preparing for this trip suggests that Europeans, and frankly Germans themselves, are still distrusting of "Germany" and unwilling to take any chances by increasing their military capabilities. That's fine except that they truly really on U.S. military strength to keep Europe safe. That contrast is causing issues with social welfare and the larger European Union, more on that another day. After German History we saw the Ishtar Gate... the whole thing, the real thing, in the Pergamon Museum. Spectacular, that's all I can say. The museum features several monstrously huge exhibits of the entrances of antiquity. Then on to the Checkpoint Charlie Museum at Checkpoint Charlie, the key crossing between Soviet Communist East and American West Berlin. It was excellent context on the deeper meaning of what that place means to world history.
Speaking of reunification, it's amazing to me how this country has moved on. Yes, there are pieces of "the wall" everywhere, and some very nice exhibits around the city, but traveling from former east to former west has no meaning any longer. I don't get the impression your average German even thinks about it. Checkpoint Charlie is just another tourist attraction. The city has grown, east looks like west, the wall is down, all is right with the Germans. I wonder about it because that event, the wall, so defined three generations of Americans. The Wall was the very definition of the Cold War... now it's a museum exhibit... let's hope no one ever forgets what happened there.
Tomorrow we begin our formal program visiting Hans-Ulrich Klose, the coordinator for German-U.S. relations at the German Foreign Ministry... and maybe time for a bier.
You can also follow me on Twitter @kbenztx.
September 25, 2010 - 10 a.m. (5 p.m. Berlin)
Guten Morgen from Austin, Texas. This one is on my bucket list. My bags are packed and weighed... under 50 lbs. I'm sitting in the Austin airport waiting. Berlin, Potsdam, Dresden, Prague, Brussels, and Brugge in 16 days with 16 colleagues. For my money (and in this case it's not my money) this is the way a journalist needs to see and learn about Europe.
RTDNF and RIAS (it's their money) have partnered on this U.S. / German journalist exchange program for over a decade, now it's my turn to go. I'll be blogging daily from Berlin as we meet with the German counter-terrorism director, visit a Stasi prison survivor, hear from the Turkish community about immigrant rights in Germany, see Dresden, tour NATO HQ in Prague and finally visit the E.U. in Brussels.
This is a real treat as we also get to celebrate the 20th anniversary of German reunification and, my favorite, the 200th celebration of the wedding of Prince Ludwig and Saxon Princess Therese, better known as Oktoberfest.
You see I'm from Milwaukee originally, and I like beer, so Oktoberfest is kind of a religious experience for me (I make no promises about the quality of late night blog posts) and we're still researching if it's also the anniversary of the "chicken dance" (that's a Texas joke). Anyway, my wife Olga Campos (she's an anchor at the ABC affiliate in Austin) and I will share this journey with anyone who cares to follow along (thanks Mom). Over the next two weeks I hope to bring you photos, videos, and musings about the trip. I hope it will be as interesting and educational for you as it will be for me.
Anyway, the 
down, all is right with the Germans. I wonder about it because that event, the wall, so defined three generations of Americans. The Wall was the very definition of the Cold War... now it's a museum exhibit... let's hope no one ever forgets what happened there.
