Berlin

An American senator with a mission has held a speech for a quarter of a million people in Berlin. The man may or may not become the next president of the US. If he is elected, I shall present my sincere condolences to those Americans who did not vote for him. If he is not elected, I shall present my sincere condolences to those who voted for him. I mean : Americans are caught between a rock and a hard place ... As we say in French : blanc bonnet et bonnet blanc.

As usual, the man spoke very well, with a lot of passion and utter conviction, but said nothing at all : he just kicked in a lot of open doors and sent up industrial quantities of hot air. And his style is some fifty years out of date.

So why the huge interest ? I simply do not understand why so many people take the trouble to go and listen to him. The pied piper of Hameln all over again ? Or an old time reflex ? I remember that Germany used to be "famous" for its mass meetings ... Oeps, there goes my bad character again !

At about the same time, his opponent was enjoying a "Bratwurst" in a German restaurant or pub somewhere in Ohio. Poor Americans ... worse than Dubya appears almost impossible, but the outlook is far from bright.

So I didn't keep my promise not to comment on the US elections ; so what ?! A man can stand only so much.