Obama explained

Markus Feldenkirchen, writing in Der Spiegel, has sipped from the Obama fountain and he's a bit tipsy. He observes: "If Barack Obama accomplished one thing in Berlin, it was to make it painfully obvious just how uninspiring German politicians are." American Politician John Kerry is sleep-inducing, he avers, and Angela Merkel is metaphor-challenged. What does he like about Obama?

This is how French writer Antoine de Saint-Exupéry once described the key to instilling passion into people: "If you want to build a ship, don’t drum up the men to gather wood, ... teach them to yearn for the vast and endless sea." Obama has made this sentiment his mantra.

What explains that quality?

Obama, notwithstanding his unique abilities, is a typical product of American culture, the outcome of an approach to developing a child's personality that begins in kindergarten. In the United States, even three-year-olds are encouraged to bring their favorite things to school and explain them to other children. In high school, the art of giving presentations is a fixed part of the curriculum. The goal is to teach young Americans early on how to talk about one thing above all else: themselves . . .

I'd say that's an apercu. (Hat Tip: Lucianne)

Crossposted on Soccer Dad

Tags: Deutschland uber alles, Obama uber alles