The term "Freedom" is ubiquitous in the political and public debate of the US; it is indeed a very important, if ill-defined, concept for ordinary Americans. The quotation "Whoever is willing to give up essential freedoms in order to gain some temporary security deserves neither" is repeated over and over again; I'm sure that there is at least one usenet article circulating at any given time which contains this sentence. By contrast, Germans like their security quite a bit and are uncomfortable with the dichotomy Freedom vs. Security. They want both. [but they always err on the side of security.] In fact, when told that in the US one can be fired when getting severely ill (or for no reason at all), at which point the health insurance coverage is also lost, Germans ask puzzledly "But how can people live like that?" It is even more astounding to Germans, including me, that given this dire situation, US citizens are notorious for not saving any money, even living on credit instead. (The average American owns 14 credit cards; I never understood why anyone would bother to carry more than one until a fellow graduate student told me that she treats credit cards as a kind of unemployment insurance). Even in the presence of the huge German welfare systems which tries to make everyone feel as secure as possible, people routinely save money, just to be on the safe side. Personally, it was very strange to me when I learned that many Americans, even those with a good income, live on a "month-to-month" basis, always waiting for the next paycheck to arrive in order to be able to pay the bills. If they do save, then they usually use the money to speculate (they call it "invest") in the stock market, which is again much too insecure for the average German. On a similar note, Germans don't understand why people keep living in areas which regularly get earth quakes or hurricanes; natural disasters which kill people don't exist in Germany. Many of this may be explained by a generally much higher level of optimism and risk tolerance in America
It's a common stereotype that American TV is unbelievably bad. And for the most part, it is. You don't get any international news, instead you see hyped up national and local news, invariably stressing violent or freak or feel-good incidents; politics is always presented in a black and white, emotional, and incredibly simplifying manner, then you have UFOs and "Unsolved Mysteries", and of course a fair amount of daytime talk shows with transgender prostitutes who recently had plastic surgery and are now sleeping with their sons, or whatever. This whole disaster is thankfully interrupted by screaming commercials every couple of minutes. I can't stomach it for longer than half an hour. [and if that's true, then german TV...erman TV is in any way better than american.] In Germany, the biggest TV stations are "Anstalten öffentlichen Rechts", which means that they cannot make profit, they are independent in the sense that politicians cannot directly influence their decisions, and the top managers are appointed by councils that represent the major groups in society: political parties, unions, churches, business etc. Laws prescribe their internal organization and their purpose. They are financed from a monthly fee that every owner of a TV set has to pay and from advertising money. [the infamous $15/month you have to...levision in america. not so here in germany.] Advertising is restricted to certain times of the day and never interrupts movies or news shows. [that's only true on the roughly 3 ...nnels have commercials just like in america.] News coverage is usually very broad, internationally oriented and well-balanced with few freak coverage (then again, I believe that many more freak incidents happen in the US than in Germany, for some reason. Have you ever seen a living room being washed away by the rain or 50 houses burning down in Germany? Happens all the time here.) [true, news coverage is decent here...m channel to channel, it's the same on each.] Then there are also private TV stations in Germany, mostly on cable. They definitely move in the direction of US TV, not quite reaching it yet though. [patently false. like I said above, german TV is mostly dubbed over re-runs of american TV.] Again, there's another side to the story, which is not well-known outside of the US, maybe not even inside. It is public TV and radio. [he means the public TV in america.] Financed mostly by donations and partly by the government (few ads), it provides exceptionally high quality programming, much better than anything I've seen on German public TV. For example, I saw an 8 hour documentary about the war against the native Americans, stretching out over four days, and a similar one about the civil rights movement. (Documentaries in German TV are usually 60, at most 90 minutes long.) The news coverage on public TV and national public radio approaches the quality of German news, except for international coverage. Science coverage is clearly superior in US public media. I personally enjoy the public media in the US more than the ones in Germany, mostly because of the in-depth coverage of a vast variety of topics. [I'd like to add something about th...han 1% and [b]that[/b] is the horrible part.]
[QUOTE In Germany, the biggest TV stations are "Anstalten öffentlichen Rechts", which means that they cannot make profit, they are independent in the sense that politicians cannot directly influence their decisions, and the top managers are appointed by councils that represent the major groups in society: political parties, unions, churches, business etc. Laws prescribe their internal organization and their purpose.
Several large US cities have enacted curfew rules, which prohibit teenagers from being on the streets at night if not accompanied by an adult. This is another example of an infringement on freedoms which I think would not be tolerated in Germany. In general, teenagers seem to live much freer lifes in Germany than in the US. For example, it is common that 15 or 16 year old Germans will take vacations in foreign countries with a couple of friends; in the US, it is rare to see anybody traveling under the age of 18 -- even though 16 year olds are already allowed to drive there, while in Germany the driving age is 18. It is much easier for German teenagers to drink and smoke, but other drugs are more readily available in the states. [I disagree. I think other drugs are just as available or more available in germany. in every club, for instance
I see one amusing parallel though: both countries hold dear one "freedom" which virtually no one else in the world recognizes as one: the right to drive as fast as possible on the Autobahnen and the right to keep and bear firearms. [respectively!] Both these "freedoms" survive because there are very effective and vocal lobby groups behind them, even though a slight majority of the general populations in both countries opposes them. [summary: america used to win the freedom issue by a nose. as our freedoms have been eroded or flat cut-out from underneath us by the bush regime, that freedom has been significantly decreased. I think I feel more free in germany now. in some ways, america is still less regulated, less ordered, and less conformist and that can be directly interpreted as "more free". in germany there is a correct procedure for everything, and everyone is required to follow it. however, the basic liberties that america tauts so much as its own, freedom of speech, press, etc, are now clearly more recognized in germany.]
The common stereotype of the diligent hard working German and the laid back TV watching American is rather wrong. It is my experience that Americans are generally much more hard working than Germans. [I agree whole-heartedly. the hard-working german and lazy american stereotype is completely reversed from reality.] For example, it is not uncommon to meet people who work two 40 hour jobs, or who work full time while also taking a full time course load at a college. [in america, he means.] Both are completely non existent in Germany (there are rules against working too much, intended to protect workers; two full-time jobs are not allowed). Many Germans work only 35 hours a week, others 37.5, all take long vacations, and I estimate that over the whole year, the average German with a job works about two thirds the hours of the average working American. [the statistical average for germany for 2001 was 39 hours/week, up from previous years. germans get 4-6 weeks paid vacation per year... starting! once again, employees: advantage germany.] In the US, it is also quite common that people who are not paid by the hour work much longer than the 40 hours per week that they are obliged to. In spite of the fact that many large and successful employers freely lay off workers to increase profits and appease Wall Street, employees in the US exhibit a rather strange loyalty to their employers. They often own stock of the very company they work for and really want "their" company to succeed, almost like a team sport. In Germany, where it is taboo for a successful company to lay off any workers, many workers are still not very loyal to their employer: basically, the employer is the enemy who forces you to come to work every day. Even in their time off, Americans often volunteer for charities or at schools, join their children at sports games, or work out at a gym. In Germany, it seems to be much more common to relax by spending time in a pub or going for a walk. Americans watch a lot more TV though while Germans like to join various sports and hobby clubs, so maybe the time off is a tie. While Americans definitely work more, they are very much focused on making money. By contrast, in Germany you have a work ethic where many people take pride in producing quality, which I think is sometimes absent in the US. [that seems to be a good summary.] In fact, in every day life in the US, you often encounter shocking incompetence. [I don't think american A who has worked at his job for 2 years is any more incompetent than german B who has worked at his job for 2 years. furthermore, any shocking incompetence in america is certainly no worse than the shocking lack of friendliness, helpfulness, and customer service in germany.] This is a consequence of the fact that most jobs require only minimal training: A police officer in the US for instance gets about 6 months of training at a police academy, while the same job in Germany is preceded by a three year schooling and training period. Bank employees in the US are often "trained on the job", while in Germany every bank teller goes through a three year apprenticeship. Teachers in the US typically finish a four year college degree during which time they take some teaching classes and then they immediately get a teaching license; in Germany, every prospective teacher must study two fields plus pedagogy ["education major"] for about 5 years at a university, followed by the first state's exam, after which he or she receives another two years of intensive theoretical and practical training, writes a thesis and has to pass the second state's exam. Anybody in the US can open a car repair shop without any qualifications; in Germany, you first need a three year apprenticeship to become a car mechanic, then you need to work as car mechanic for three years, then study many months for the "Meisterprüfung", an exam which is the prerequisite for opening your own shop and employing others. Customer service is far better in the US in virtually every respect. Some examples: Every major business in the US has a toll-free telephone number. Every product you buy can be returned, and you get your money back. In Germany, normally only defective products can be returned, and most of the time you can't get cash back. Store opening hours and telephone line hours are much more consumer friendly in the US. [as I mentioned elsewhere, stores in germany are required by law nationwide to close at 8PM during the week, 4PM on saturday, and aren't allowed to be open at all on sunday. there are no stores open 24 hours a day.] [employees are willing to help you in america. sometimes it's annoying when someone asks you for the third time if they can help you and you have to respond by, "I'm just looking", at which point they continue with, "well my name is bob and I'll just be right over there in case you have any questions". but in germany, it's not uncommon to go into a store and be completely ignored, whether you need help or not, and walk out of the store without a single employee having noticed or said anything to you.] Germans acknowledge all these disadvantages, but often argue from the worker's standpoint and not from the consumer's perspective: "Who wants to answer phones at 1 a.m. anyway?" [please, allow me to retort: perhaps some of the up to 25% unemployed in some areas, the student who needs a part-time job, or the cleaning lady who doesn't earn enough at her primary job to feed her three children.] or "The salespeople shouldn't have to work on Sundays." [1. why not? 2. I want to work on sundays. that's exactly when I want to work.] The logic is that most people spend more time working than consuming, so it makes sense to skew the rules in favor of workers. [that last line is a very compelling argument that is difficult to counter, but I'm going to deftly counter it anyway. by supposedly "skewing the rules in favor of workers", you are placing restrictions on when someone is allowed to work, not on when he is required to work, thus limiting and taking freedom away from both workers and consumers. no one is saying that workers should work 12 hours a day, 7 days a week with 2 different shifts. is it like that in america? hardly. restrictions on how much someone is required to work are already in place elsewhere in the laws. allowing people to work evenings and weekends benefits exactly the people I mentioned, the up to 25% unemployed, students seeking part-time jobs, and those people on the short end of the economic stick who need a little extra money. it is not the state's place to decide who is allowed to work when. it's up to the workers and employers to come to an agreement and we already saw in Unions that the employees have plenty of power in germany, so there's no fear of them getting rolled by employers.] [the second problem I'd like to attack is that of the better-trained german work force. if you want to work in the deli department of a supermarket, I bet you have to get a 3-year degree. it's ridiculous. you can't do any job in germany without at least some kind of 3-year or better degree. there is no mobility in the work force, upwards or sideways, which will be covered more in Mobility. if you want to change jobs, you have to go back to school for 3 years and start at the bottom again. we all know that that what you study in school has little practical application to your daily job which you only really learn well by doing it for at least a year. people are defined by what they studied in school. example: you'll see when they interview someone on TV who has been unemployed for 5 years and has just started to do door-to-door sales, a caption that reads "mechanic" or whatever it was that person studied to become 20 years ago. note that they don't even refer to such a person as "unemployed", but refer all the way back to that which he studied. as a result of this attitude, people tend to stay in one job for 20, 30 years. it's not uncommon for someone here to spend their whole life at one company, as they used to do way back when in america. the german work system is entirely inflexible which is part of the reason the economy is suffering from high unemployment and is unable to deal with downturns or recessions very well.]
From the outside, the USA look like a terribly violent and aggressive country. Virtually all you hear about the US has something to do with violence: extremely high crime rate, violent movies, death penalty, right to bear arms, bombing of selected third world countries... Once one enters the country, a couple of items can be added to this list: the news coverage focuses a lot on violence, the violent horror movies in the video stores are openly visible to kids (they are not placed in the adult section together with porn movies as in Germany), extremely harsh punishing even of non-violent criminals (including the recently revived chain gangs in some states), and violent TV cartoons for small kids on Saturday mornings. Generally, Americans have a much higher tolerance for violence in the media (and a much lower tolerance for sex) than Germans. To me, this is perplexing, since America's violence problems seem to be much more severe than Germany's sex problems A peculiar type of violence, school kids shooting around in schools, is not that uncommon in the US and is very interesting mainly because it seems so puzzling to Americans. Every outside observer immediately concludes that media and video games glorifying violence together with easy availability of guns and adolescent's common psychological problems provide a satisfactory explanation of the phenomenon. Americans cannot reach this conclusion however because the right to bear arms and the right to free speech are considered sacred. So all they are left with is "these are bad kids", and you actually hear people say that. [you can't simplify it as much as the author does in the previous paragraph. first of all, the shootings at schools take place in germany as well, which is even harder to explain by this supposedly obvious explanation of media and access to guns. in germany video games are censored and violent ones are unavailable to minors, in fact not even sold in major best-buy-like chains. guns are not available at all for all practical purposes. so the immediate conclusion that media and video games along with availability of guns are a satisfactory explanation falls short. see bowling for columbine.] Somewhat paradoxically, everyday life is a lot less aggressive in the US than it is in Germany. People are generally more polite and friendly. Phrases like "please", "thank you", "excuse me" and "you are welcome" are a lot more common in the US. It happens all the time that a nice girl that you have never met before smiles at you for no apparent reason. (In Germany, they do it only if they have a very good reason, which means that you're in business.) If you wait in line in an American supermarket, you don't have to constantly watch out for people who try to slip in in front of you. [germans are huge budgers. you have to carefully guard your place in line.] The higher friendliness in the US is often noticed by German travelers, who will typically then add "but people are terribly superficial". There may be some truth to that, but a lot of it is just a consequence of faulty translations. Words describing emotional states are generally used much more liberally in the US than in Germany and common dictionary translations are often wrong. People will call you a "friend" if you have had a nice 15 minute talk with them; the German "Freund" is only used for someone that you have known for a long time and are emotionally close to. Similar for words like "hate" or "love". The american friendliness is mixed with a strange moralistic streak: if somebody does something wrong, the normal sympathy and empathy is immediately and utterly withdrawn. [give me the friendliness in america over the mean, cold, cruelty in germany any day! please allow me to be somewhat opinionated here. people in new york have a reputation for being unfriendly, right? you haven't seen anything until you've seen how unfriendly they are in berlin. overall they are the rudest people I've ever come in contact with. it's not unusual to be treated extremely rudely by strangers on almost a daily basis.] Traffic is much more relaxed in the states, very unlike the all-out war going on on German streets and highways. People actually drive slowly and cautiously, even though virtually everyone can get a driver's license at age 16 after taking a trivial test. Germany requires months of training and a difficult test, but people still don't understand the concept of defensive driving. [these statements are inaccurate. true, traffic is more relaxed, slower, and even friendlier in america, road-rage aside. but if people in america understand the concept of defensive driving, then only in certain rural areas.] Even though the overall crime rate is much higher in the US than in Germany, low-level "nuisance crimes" such as pick-pocketing, car vandalism and bicycle theft are much rarer. People are generally trusting and it is quite common that they leave their house entrance door unlocked during the day, something Germans never do. In Germany, there are violent clashes between opposing soccer fans and police almost every weekend. This does not happen in the US. [don't forget neo-nazis vs. police, leftists vs. police, and leftists vs. neo-nazis.] Maybe a more descriptive term than "impolite" for the typical German is "anal-retentive". [I'd use both terms.] If you're short a couple of pennies when paying at a supermarket checkout, they will make you search, with the line waiting behind you. Little "give a penny/ take a penny" baskets don't exist there, and the concept goes against everything a German believes in. Everything has to go by the book, and Germans like to be right. No doubt, Americans are more relaxed. It seems that there is a lot of tension and aggression buried in the average German, maybe as a result of the much higher population density. The level of friendliness, relaxedness and unaggressiveness seems to be higher on the West coast of the states and lowest in the big "quasi-European" cities of the East. [but still higher than almost anywhere in germany.] Comparing the political debates in the two countries is rather illuminating. The speeches of German politicians are generally less controversial, more inclusive and often hint at compromises. (They are also more substantial.) By contrast, politicians in the US have no problem talking about an outright "cultural war" (between the left and the right) and regularly accuse their opponents of everything from stupidity to adultery. But when it comes to physical political violence, Germany is far ahead. If a leading politician gives a speech in the open, he can expect having foul eggs thrown at him. People will shout and whistle in order to disrupt the speech. None of that ever happens in the US. The president can actually give a speech at a university and everyone will be polite and listen -- a very strange concept for German students. This is even more astounding if one takes into account that the difference in viewpoints between the Left and the Right in Germany is much smaller than that between the Left and the Right in the US. Political demonstrations, smaller and rarer in the US than in Germany, are also a lot less violent. Politically motivated riots, which happen regularly in Germany, are rare in America. This is probably because young people tend to be more political in Germany, and kicking the butt of a policeman is still the easiest way to fight the system. The logical next step is then political terrorism, which in Germany exists both on the left and on the right but is (at least in its organized form) almost unheard of in the US. It fits the picture that the terrorism that the US sees either comes from foreign countries or is the deed of fringe individualists. [I'm not sure what he's talking about regarding political terrorism in germany. I've never encountered any.]
