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I first saw this ad when I was in Germany, and took note of it mostly because the dude is smokin’ and because I was surprised to see men kissing on television (we don’t get that in ‘merica):

Then I saw it again on TV in the gym a few days ago. In the USA. Guess which part was cut out.

Spotted in the Hamburg Kunsthalle Art Gallery:

For some reason, I saw it and thought of all of you.

Last weekend, CounterPunch featured Howard Zinn’s introduction to elin o’Hara slavick’s book of cartographic drawings of American aerial bombing, Bomb after Bomb. I agree with Mark Brady that this is one of the best things that Zinn has ever written. Some of the most important stuff in the essay has to do with patriotism, the conflation of the country with the State, and the criminality of aerial warfare as such. A sample:

We have had enough experience, with the Nuremberg trials of the Nazi leaders, with the bombings carried out by the Allies, with the torture stories coming out of Iraq, to know that ordinary people with ordinary consciences will allow their instincts for decency to be overcome by the compulsion to obey authority. It is time therefore, to educate the coming generation in disobedience to authority, to help them understand that institutions like governments and corporations are cold to anything but self-interest, that the interests of powerful entities run counter to the interests of most people.

This clash of interest between governments and citizens is camouflaged by phrases that pretend that everyone in the nation has a common interest, and so wars are waged and bombs dropped for national security, national defense, and national interest.

Patriotism is defined as obedience to government, obscuring the difference between the government and the people. Thus, soldiers are led to believe that we are fighting for our country when in fact they are fighting for the government — an artificial entity different from the people of the country — and indeed are following policies dangerous to its own people.

My own reflections on my experiences as a bombardier, and my research on the wars of the United States have led me to certain conclusions about war and the dropping of bombs that accompany modern warfare.

One: The means of waging war (demolition bombs, cluster bombs, white phosphorus, nuclear weapons, napalm) have become so horrendous in their effects on human beings that no political end— however laudable, the existence of no enemy — however vicious, can justify war.

Two: The horrors of the means are certain, the achievement of the ends always uncertain.

Three: When you bomb a country ruled by a tyrant, you kill the victims of the tyrant.

Four: War poisons the soul of everyone who engages in it, so that the most ordinary of people become capable of terrible acts.

Five: Since the ratio of civilian deaths to military deaths in war has risen sharply with each subsequent war of the past century (10% civilian deaths in World War I, 50% in World War II, 70% in Vietnam, 80-90% in Afghanistan and Iraq) and since a significant percentage of these civilians are children, then war is inevitably a war against children.

Six: We cannot claim that there is a moral distinction between a government which bombs and kills innocent people and a terrorist organization which does the same. The argument is made that deaths in the first case are accidental, while in the second case they are deliberate. However, it does not matter that the pilot dropping the bombs does not intend to kill innocent people — that he does so is inevitable, for it is the nature of bombing to be indiscriminate. Even if the bombing equipment is so sophisticated that the pilot can target a house, a vehicle, there is never certainty about who is in the house or who is in the vehicle.

Seven: War, and the bombing that accompanies war, are the ultimate terrorism, for governments can command means of destruction on a far greater scale than any terrorist group.

These considerations lead me to conclude that if we care about human life, about justice, about the equal right of all children to exist, we must, in defiance of whatever we are told by those in authority, pledge ourselves to oppose all wars.

—Howard Zinn, Introduction to elin o’Hara slavick’s Bomb after Bomb

Read the whole thing.

(Via Mark Brady @ Liberty & Power 2007-12-15.)

I went to Berlin for the third time this past weekend, and at the risk of sounding like one of those Berlin snobs, I think I’m kind of in love. It’s a fantastic city: Lots of history, lots of energy, and far too much to do in just a few short visits. I’m not sure any other city has had a more significant influence on world politics in the past century, and seeing all the layers of that history in one place is fascinating. Berlin doesn’t provide the greatest photo ops in the world, so my pictures probably won’t do it justice; I’ll try and compensate by adding some more detailed descriptions. To start off with a nice big helping of cheese, The Infamous Berlin Speech that actually makes me a little teary:

Thanks to Matt for sending that to me. Now for the pictures. The Berliner Dom:

Berliner Dom, originally uploaded by JillNic83.

More pictures and commentary below the fold. The full set is here.
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Spotted on a bathroom door at an apartment in St. Pauli, Hamburg:

Bathroom poster, Hamburg, originally uploaded by JillNic83.

The owner of the apartment was throwing a queer-friendly party/DJ showcase. The poster fit right in. And I want it.

This is why I love Gawker.

The #1 reason I was hesitant to come to Germany was that I feared I’d be surrounded by the kind of insufferable NYU hipsters who constantly proclaimed their love for Berlin and all seemed to be moving there (or at least talking about moving there) after college. Thankfully, as a resident of Germany’s second-largest but perhaps most-overlooked city, hipster expats are few and far between and I never have to hear about how New York is so over.

Berlin is great — I really loved it when I visited, and I would live there in a second if someone gave me the chance. I’ll be going back there in two weeks. So I have no ill will towards Berlin. But goddamn I hate the Berlin fetish that seems to have afflicted so many young, already irritating New Yorkers.

I’m meeting my mama there this weekend. I know Berlin is the new Buenos Aires (and Buenos Aires is the new Paris) so there’s a ton to see and do, but what are some good mother-daughter activities? I have a guidebook so I know the basics, but any off-the-beaten-path suggestions are welcome. Also, I always take food and restaurant recommendations — I kind of hate German food (I know, I’m just not a meat-and-potatoes kind of girl) but maybe I’m just not doing it right. And I know my mom wants to try the local cuisine, so if anyone knows of a good German restaurant, send it on. Or, for that matter, any good restaurant.

Also: I’m meeting her again in Vienna in two weeks (she’s doing the full Germany/Prague/Austria tour, and I’m trying to catch up with her when I can), so suggestions for that town are also welcome.

And finally, I’m planning on renting a car with some friends next weekend and driving somewhere in Germany. I’m voting for the Romantic Road because I want to see some castles, but it’s definitely up for discussion. Other ideas have included the northern towns and wine country. Any thoughts from those of you who have seen more of the country than I have?

Schnurrbart. It means “mustache.” According to my German teacher, it actually translates into something like “cat beard.” How fantastic is that?

(I learned it because one of my professors has a rad schnurrbart).

What’s your favorite non-English word?