Snowdon is a dummy

the east german experience is huge for sure. I have heard no one say this but I can see a path for the Snowden revaluations eventually leading to the end of nato and the expulsion of US troops.I think we might see germans going to their government asking " why are these creeps still here?" and there being no good response.

But generally, the Americans have lost a lot of trust.

Scanning through the papers, you can see the immense reputational damage by the various reactions in different countries.

"With allies like these, who needs enemies?"

Quote:

You will not police your own, that is.

Oh? if you mean we will not hang our own service men and women to make people like you happy you are right.

"Rape is a universal problem – it happens everywhere. But in other military systems it is regarded as a criminal offence, while in the US military, in many cases, it's considered simply a breach of good conduct. Regularly, a sex offender in the US system goes unpunished, so it proliferates. In the US, the whole reporting procedure is handled – from the investigation to the trial, to the incarceration – in-house. That means the command has an overwhelming influence over what happens. If a commander decides a rape will not get prosecuted, it will not be. And in many respects, reporting a rape is to the commander's disadvantage, because any prosecution will result in extra administration and him losing a serviceman from his unit."


Rape within the US military has become so widespread that it is estimated that a female soldier in Iraq is more likely to be attacked by a fellow soldier than killed by enemy fire.

That's just standard anti-American poppycock. Our reputation is fine.

Leaders and citizens in Germany, one of America’s closest allies, simmered with barely contained fury on Thursday over reports that America intelligence had tapped into Chancellor Angela Merkel’s cellphone, the latest diplomatic fallout from the documents harvested by the former National Security Agency contractor Edward J. Snowden.

While the chancellor kept quiet before heading to Brussels for a European summit on Thursday, one of her closest allies, Defense Minister Thomas de Maizière, gave full voice to the shock expressed by politicians and citizens.

“If that is true, what we hear, then that would be really bad,” Mr. de Maizière told ARD, Germany’s leading state television channel. America is Germany’s best friend, he noted, adding: “It really can’t work like this.”

He suggested that there would be consequences. “We can’t simply go back to business as usual,” he said.
[...]
The damage to core American relationships continues to mount.
... ... ...

Rape within the US military has become so widespread that it is estimated that a female soldier in Iraq is more likely to be attacked by a fellow soldier than killed by enemy fire.

But generally, the Americans have lost a lot of trust.

‘Frightening cover-up’ over rape in Forces


Deborah Haynes Defence Editor
Published at 12:01AM, January 29 2013
Rape and sexual crimes within the Armed Forces are far more widespread than previously admitted, The Times can reveal.
More than 260 rape allegations have been made against servicemen in the past three years — far more than the figure disclosed in Parliament last year.
The numbers, contained in an internal briefing note, raised concern among MPs and campaigners, who have been pushing the Ministry of Defence for greater clarity over rape and other sexual offences committed within the Forces.
“There is an even higher, frightening level of cover-up, violence and complacency within the military than I suspected, if The Time

Apparently. Probably best, we don't want little American kids like Bill to know that kids their age are being shot at point blank by US marines, now do we?

The fact that you do not “trust” our government makes sense. Most governments, ours certainly among them, have to do things that are not particularly appetizing, but which often are necessary in the grand scheme of things…cf. “if you like sausage, you don’t ever want to see it being made.”

Frank Apisa wrote:

The fact that you do not “trust” our government makes sense. Most governments, ours certainly among them, have to do things that are not particularly appetizing, but which often are necessary in the grand scheme of things…cf. “if you like sausage, you don’t ever want to see it being made.”

Hello? Spying on the (confidential, secret and private) information of the government of a sovereign state, "one of our closest allies and friends" - that's necessary in the grand scheme of things?

So it was just a joke when we finally got back our full sovereignty with the Treaty on the Final Settlement with Respect to Germany in 1990?

The confidential and private communications of government leaders are the vulnerable core of any government, indeed every state.
Those, who knows these communication, acquire a power that goes far beyond the power of the person overheard.

Someone, who listens to the communication of other heads of state, behaves at least infamous, if not hostile.

Perhaps. But neither you nor I know whether any of this stuff actually happened...or to what extent...or who else engaged in it.
Well, it wasn't (and isn't until this very moment) denied by the USA
The world is a complicated place...and all this pissing and moaning is nothing more than that...pissing and moaning.
Pissing and moaning about the sovereignity of the own country by the government leader and the government? In former times, quite a few wars started due to such.

Your Chancellor ought to come to grips with the fact that "privacy" simply does not exist in any real form anymore.
You mean, communication of all countries just should be centralised in Washington? That would lead to job losses in the USA!

That may end up being a good thing...it may be the destruction of civilization.
I really wonder, what kind of good thing it could be ... perhaps, we'll get a status like Puerto Rico?

Our government is not perfect...not by a long shot. But most indicators show that it is more reserved that damn near any very powerful government has ever been before it.
Really? But I'm sure that more will come ...

If it bothers you that I feel this way about my nation, Walter...there is little I can do to accommodate you, because I do feel that way...and I think a bunch of the dumping on America is nonsense.
That might be so. But the rest is ...

The White House said it isn't monitoring and won't monitor Mrs Merkel's communications, but conspicuously didn't say whether they were monitored in the past.

But reports suggested that the US had denied ever spying on Mr Cameron.

Caitlin Hayden, a spokesman for the National Security Council told the Daily Telegraph: "We do not monitor PM Cameron's communications."

Asked if the US had ever spied on Mr Cameron in the past, she replied: "No."