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Tell me Something I don’t know

A new study out this week highlights how popular Berlin has come for foreigners. The City’s Fast Paced urban lifestyle has been compared to New York City of the 1980’s and this study is simply more to reinforce (as an American living in Berlin) something most of us immigrants already knew – one in four people living here are not native German.

From The Local (a German English Newspaper) at: http://www.thelocal.de/12829/20080701/

Of the capital city’s 3.35 million residents, 863,500 have “immigration background,” the city-state’s immigration and integration official, Günter Piening, said in a statement. This 25.7 percent includes foreigners, naturalized Germans, and their children.

The city’s central Mitte district has the highest proportion of residents with foreign background with 44 percent. The Neukölln and Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg districts are follow closely with 38.7 percent and 36.6 percent of residents boasting non-German heritage. In these three districts, a surprising 60 percent of children under age 18 are part of immigrant families.

That being said, Germany has policies related to something called Integration Policy and Law, and a whole industry has sprung up around it. In essence, there are several requirements – including 600 hours of German Language courses, many hours of integration courses (where you learn about German culture and how to do things the German Way), 60 hours of German History, all commonly paid for by the person who has come to the country – if they want to stay more than on a single year visa. While some countries are exempt to portions of it (thank goodness the USA is one of them because I can’t afford the classes which must be done in your first year) others, including mostly middle eastern ones are treated quite differently and resent this effort at “forced” integration.
So, why are so many immigrants coming to Germany? Its central location? Mild climate? Guest Worker Program? Fabulous nightlife? Hard to say since my job transferred me here. As best as I can tell, Germany has an aging /declining population, and a simple need for skilled workers that are willing to go above and beyond. (By Above and beyond – in my case I mean high productivity and long hours – and on salary no less because of our different working philosophies.)

Now, being an American and seeing the debates about stopping illegal immigration to the US, including building a wall to prevent people from entering into the country and so on – I think some of the German efforts are good (language courses) and others bad (really, how many people want to become more German?) -it has me pondering what the US itself could do to help and offer services to immigrants (legal ones) arriving in the USA.
It also has me questioning is the German method of “forced” integration really the best way to handle things? Does it encourage or discourage those who come from a foreign country and are trying to make a life here, or simply discourage and frustrate them and have the opposite effect (thereby making the foreigners become even more entrenched in their own culture, language, and etc.)? In some ways, is it not offensive for the German government (and population behind this) to say you must become more German – as if your own homeland and/or culture isn’t good enough?
Many questions, yet no answers are arising, and most likely won’t for quite some time.
Otherwise, for a copy of one of the English websites (link for English at top) on the German integration policy and law, you can check here:
http://www.integration-in-deutschland.de/
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What ’R Ya Drinkin? Medicine?!? Yep!

** Warning – this will read like a bad horror movie – don’t read before you go to bed! **
This is just scary. With all the outrage at most of the pesticides and so on that are in our drinking water, there’s a new study out today saying that most of the USA’s drinking water is also polluted by pharmacuticals.
Grandma’s heart medicine (check); little Bobby’s epilepsy medicine (check); my antibiotics (check)
You scared yet? You worried Yet?
Well, maybe you should be.
Why? because these are actually formulated to work on the human body. Some are fat soluble and others could react with drugs and/or meds that you’re currently taking. And long term studies of “drug coctails” in various forms – including what is in your drinking water haven’t been done.
And the EPA? oh they’re not screening or regulating how much pharmacuticals are supposed to be found in your drinking water. What’s this mean? that there can be any amount (ok I’ll admit it’s usually trace amounts and some experts say it’s nothing to worry about) in there. Heck, some areas of the country, because it’s not regulated – aren’t even testing!!
Are you Scared yet? Think about this – over time – how does this affect you? Could it be the reason there’s more cancer now than before? Could it be the reason that some people are having a difficult time with pregnancy? Could it be the reason why drugs aren’t working and why some strains of virus/bacteria are getting stronger and harder to treat? The answer to all of these is “maybe” – only because there’s no data to say officially yes or no.
Now that I have you freaked out, (as you should be) please, take a moment, read and digest this AP article – and you’ll be scared too. At any rate, it made me think twice before I took a swallow from my glass of water….
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War on Terror? Oh Really?!?

I heard today on the BBC news about how one of the worlds most wanted terrorists was murdered today by a car bomb in Domaskas, Syria.
His name – Imad Fayez Mugniya
While I don’t necessarily think that it’s a bad thing that he was killed – he was accused of several terror attacks including:
~ 1983 bombing of US embassy in Lebanon
~ 1983 bombing of Marine barracks in Lebanon that killed 241
~1985 hijacking of TWA flight 847
He was wanted on over 40 countries criminal lists.
Tonight, the US State Department made a statement – and I quote:
“The world is a better place without this man in it,” State Department spokesman Sean McCormack told reporters. “He was a cold-blooded killer.”
This statement truly bothers me. As an American Citizen, I’m saddened and disheartened to see that we are treating this as a “good” thing.
If we, as America, are supposed to be FIGHTING the WAR ON TERROR, why is it we’re praising an ACT of TERROR for killing a TERRORIST?
Shouldn’t we, as America – and as the US State Department – condone the terrorist who provided and planted the car bomb – regardless of who was killed – and say we’re going to hunt down the perpitrator and bring them to justice – just as this guy – Imad Fayez Mugniya – should have been and as we were actively doing?
The answer, IMHO, is yes. As America, we should be above the “horray” stage – and in fact, we we should really be setting an example for the rest of the world. We should make a statement something to the effect of
“while the US is appreciative of the fact that this person is no longer going to be a threat, we are concerned for any act of terror that happens around the world – regardless of who is killed. We hope to find the perpitrator behind this and bring them to trial, just as the guy who did this will be discovered and brought to justice. “
Otherwise, we’re hypocritical and this car bomb has done three critical things:
a) Shown that we, the USA, do appreciate some forms of terrorism – but only if it takes out known terrorists. (thereby further undermining our credibility.)
b) Caused Syria and Hezbollah to accuse Israel of trying to start a war
c) Heightened tensions in the middle east even more – and further destabilized the region.
Something to think about….
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