So, after a very interesting side trip to Political Land (wedged between the Harvey the Rabbit's House and a traffic-free L.A.), PfG is back to doing what it does best: unpacking cultural dilemmas and travel blogging. Assuming, of course, that is what this blog does best...
Anyway, this particular topic has been bouncing around my head for the last couple weeks, and is posed in the form of a semi-rhetorical question, but more on that in a bit. The background of this week's topic lies in the seemingly mountainous list of tasks I need to accomplish to legally and successfully leave Germany. It includes an Abmeldung (officially letting the gov't know you're leaving and canceling visa), closing bank account, fixing/inspecting apartment, turning off the internet (lip trembles in sadness...), selling one's furniture, and then packing and leaving. If it seems like a lot, it feels like a lot. My semi-rhetorical question is this: Is it this hard to leave America? Or perhaps another country? Or is this experience perhaps unique to the Bundesrepublik.
I would love comments or feedback from everyone if they have done this sort of thing personally or known someone who has. I really am curious as to what leaving America entails. Having just read an article regarding the experiences of illegal immigrants returning home, I intend to further my research with the beacon of all academic research: Wikipedia! In all seriousness, I am pursuing some investigations in the matter, and would love some guidance.
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Friday, July 3, 2009
Wenn dumme Menschen eine Partei führen...
So this blog ordinarily is about matters of a German or cultural exchange persuasion, I simply couldn't resist commenting on the news of today.
While it might not seem particularly newsworthy to those outside of well, Alaska and more generally the Republican Party, Sarah Palin stepping down as Governor is just that. And after reading some commentary from NBC and examining the writing on the wall, the conclusion for me is that this is bad. Very bad.
However, bad not for the reasons that are springing to mind. As a young fairly moderate conservative, this is terrible. For starters, (and I'm paraphrasing here) Sarah Palin for all intents and purposes is the front-runner of the 2012 Republican ticket. Given that there are no real political contenders (well none that AREN'T sleeping with someone not their wives) and those that do remain are decidedly unimpressive. *cough*Romney*cough*Huckabee*cough
Having come out as to where I stand, a candidate like Palin is the worst possible direction the GOP can orient itself. The conservative, married, religious percentage of America's population is in no danger of being alienated by the Republicans. Why then, is everyone who has a mike in the party right now pandering to this very demographic? After the disastrous "Party of No" debacle and the wrangling of former Vice-President Cheney within the party, the focus of the GOP should be getting young, energetic and motivated people within the party and putting their ideas forward. They do exist! And the people most likely to be swayed by them, a demographic of younger, perhaps more liberal (and I use this word with great caution and disdain) people within America might actually see the GOP as somebody worth listening to. Take our incumbent President for example. He ran on a platform of great soundbytes and the prospect of change, for good or ill I might add. Since then, there have been inklings of some interesting ideas at the core of what is a very run-of-the-mill politician. The GOP most definitely has the young, motivated and full of fresh ideas kind of people that our country definitely needs. They need full run of center stage though. I guess the point comes down to this: Where is the Republican's answer to Obama? (And if anyone says McCain, that ship has sailed...)
And because others say it so much better, a link to a great great article here. I look forward to having some discussion on this, so please sound off.
While it might not seem particularly newsworthy to those outside of well, Alaska and more generally the Republican Party, Sarah Palin stepping down as Governor is just that. And after reading some commentary from NBC and examining the writing on the wall, the conclusion for me is that this is bad. Very bad.
However, bad not for the reasons that are springing to mind. As a young fairly moderate conservative, this is terrible. For starters, (and I'm paraphrasing here) Sarah Palin for all intents and purposes is the front-runner of the 2012 Republican ticket. Given that there are no real political contenders (well none that AREN'T sleeping with someone not their wives) and those that do remain are decidedly unimpressive. *cough*Romney*cough*Huckabee*cough
Having come out as to where I stand, a candidate like Palin is the worst possible direction the GOP can orient itself. The conservative, married, religious percentage of America's population is in no danger of being alienated by the Republicans. Why then, is everyone who has a mike in the party right now pandering to this very demographic? After the disastrous "Party of No" debacle and the wrangling of former Vice-President Cheney within the party, the focus of the GOP should be getting young, energetic and motivated people within the party and putting their ideas forward. They do exist! And the people most likely to be swayed by them, a demographic of younger, perhaps more liberal (and I use this word with great caution and disdain) people within America might actually see the GOP as somebody worth listening to. Take our incumbent President for example. He ran on a platform of great soundbytes and the prospect of change, for good or ill I might add. Since then, there have been inklings of some interesting ideas at the core of what is a very run-of-the-mill politician. The GOP most definitely has the young, motivated and full of fresh ideas kind of people that our country definitely needs. They need full run of center stage though. I guess the point comes down to this: Where is the Republican's answer to Obama? (And if anyone says McCain, that ship has sailed...)
And because others say it so much better, a link to a great great article here. I look forward to having some discussion on this, so please sound off.
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