From: Hubert Mania (humania@t-online.de)
Date: Thu Nov 28 2002 - 01:24:53 MST
Hello Ron,
thank you for your warm letter. I appreciate your invitation for
Thanksgiving. I probably will have to look for the loooongest spoon, fork
and knife that I can find in our kitchen, to reach unto your table and shoot
some good German beer over the Atlantic in the form of a parabola -
gravity's rainbow :-)
I remember the only Thanksgiving dinner I had so far was an overwhelming
celebration with about 200 relatives and friends of my host familiy. It was
in 1970 and I was a foreign exchange student as a high school Senior near
Sioux City, Iowa. In Germany we do not celebrate Thanksgiving this way. But
I sure remember this day though 32 years have passed since then. Never saw a
more hospitable people than the Americans. Never forget that.
> But I am neither an expert on Germany nor socialism -- take a look at
> von Hayek's book and decide for yourself.
Well, the historical sources are rich and so are the books and films about
the Nazi period. I read and watch with bewilderment since I am 16, what
happend in these 12 years and still look for better answers. My stance
against war surely originates in this heritage. And it was not Hitler alone.
Take the crusades to the Holy Land starting in 11 or 12th century Germany.
All that blood, all that hatered, surely one point in world history, where
the Islamic community started to grow angry against the West,
notwithstanding the fundamentalists among them and their rage against the
"unbelievers", that is independent of Western invasion.
Most German folks are fed up with war. We don't want to see marching
soldiers anymore. At least most of us shake their heads in disbelief when
young US boys say they are ready to die for their nation. I sincerely hope
that something positive and constructive, some new kind of political
agreement on a planetary level might arise that is stronger and more honest
that the UN organisations we have today. Being 100% pacifist is a philosophy
of life that is unrealistic. I know that. But some people *have* to start
with it.
Cheers and have a good time tomorrow
Hubert
_____________________________________________________________
> Also tomorrow is our national holiday Thanksgiving. I invite you
and
> all others to join us. We have a big meal and give thanks for our
blessings
> through the year. You may pray or not as you wish but count your
blessings.
> As to the food we have turkey, pumpkin pie, cranberry sauce, etc. But in
> reality those were just the products of our land. You might do the same
only
> use the products of your land. Have some beer, good German wine, apple
> strudel, what do you call the good German pasta that you extrude into
boiling
> water?
> Let's see if my memory and spelling is good enough. I would have
> Weiss Beer, Liebfraumilch and a Jaeger's dish that my favorite German
> restaurant used to serve. Of course Hassenpfieffer or your ox tail stew
is
> good too. That is enough, I am gaining weight just writing about it. LOL
> Ron h.
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