Letter from Europe

**Barbara Nadel** · March-30-11, 04:46 AM

So great to meet you all and have the Detroit experience the week before last, I'd like to keep in touch and, although I will e-mail individuals, I would like to keep on contributing to the Forum too. I live over here in the UK in what we call 'interesting times'. That is shorthand for a period of political and sometimes civil unrest that goes far beyond these shores and across onto the European mainland. Big events are coming up too, like the Royal Wedding and eventually the Olympics too. So I thought I might post a regular 'Letter from Europe' [[a la 'Letter from America' we used to get from the late, great Alistair Cooke). Let me know if this would be of interest. Barbara

**Blueidone** · March-30-11, 08:11 AM

Looking forward to hearing your input on what is happening over there, Barbara. You are a great story teller!

**Barbara Nadel** · March-31-11, 03:33 AM

Originally Posted by Blueidone

Looking forward to hearing your input on what is happening over there, Barbara. You are a great story teller!

Thanks Blueidone. I will try my best to be a good correspondent!

**Barbara Nadel** · March-31-11, 03:40 AM

Today is actually a day of thanks. My life, as some of you know, is a bit upside down at the moment, but I still have so much to be thankful for, not least of all good people in my life. I loved meeting Lowell, Gannon, Christine, Blueidone [[and the kids), Mark and his lovely mum at Georgia St. The place just blew me away and I tell everyone that I meet about it. Kathleen and Dave were fantastic guides to Detroit and took all over, way above and beyond any sort of duty. Their knowledge of and love of Detroit are infectious. Then there was Django's tour. That was a Detroit on a whole other level and was brilliant and so thought provoking. Django then took me on to meet Sumas and Ron who were great hosts and really fun to be with. You're all stars and Kathleen, Dave and Django are world class guides.

**Barbara Nadel** · March-31-11, 03:42 AM

And then I go and mess it up by missing out the lovely guy from Georgia Street whose name my fractured brain can't recall. We had such a laugh with a certain British word and I'm so glad that I managed to clear that point of language up for you!

**Kathleen** · March-31-11, 05:31 AM

The inquisitive one would be Stromberg2! That was uproarious!!

**sumas** · March-31-11, 01:20 PM

I love the letters from Europe concept! Always perfect to get another upfront view on the changing political face of this earth. To breathe is political. We all share this earth The first hand views are the best when un-inhendered by editors etc.

Django is out on his adventures again. What he was doing, I will not share, but Ron did check in later with him to make sure he was ok.

The people on this board are the best. Hope you found Detroit, very people friendly and not quite what you expected.

Still think local politics and politicians should be your evil foes. Joking but think about it. The people are very cool but we get held down and held back often in trying to acceive a general renaissance for our four corners.

Truely was a pleasure meeting you.

Don't know your whole agenda while you were here but if you didn't get to meet our church folk you should certainly schedule appointments with several congregations here in the city. A hugh force for change but perhaps under valued!

Best wishes, Sumas

**stromberg2** · March-31-11, 05:20 PM

Barbara, That was a lot of fun and laughs!! I think the letter idea is fantastic!!

Stromberg2

**Barbara Nadel** · April-01-11, 05:30 AM

Happy April Fool's Day! And how apt it is that today is the day when our government here in the UK make cuts to our public services [[health, welfare, arts - anything that affects poor people). It's madness too as it will shrink our economy and put even more of us out of work. But then this is what you get when your country is ruled by millionaires. Out of touch? Just a bit. Something that isn't an April Fool however is the fact that in Holland the people were so mad about the bankers bonuses that they all withdrew their cash from their banks. Brilliant! Their banks got so frightened that they no longer pay any bonuses. Bring it on!

**gazhekwe** · April-03-11, 08:15 AM

Love the letters! Please do keep them coming. I am sad that I was unable to join the fun and meet you at Georgia Street.

It is somehow extremely helpful to hear that what we are suffering here is happening where you are too. We need to know that our renegade moneygrabbers are not just our phenomenon, but a descent to the slimiest common denominator of personal greed that happens worldwide. To defeat them constructively is not just a cause worth fighting, it is imperative, or Afghanistan or even Somalia, here we come, in a handbasket.

**Django** · April-03-11, 02:53 PM

It good to hear what is happening across the pond Barbara. We hear nothing of the protests here in the states. Just like, for example when over a million ppl showed up in Washington to protest the Bush war in Iraq and Afghanistan, it was just a small blurb if it showed up at all. Its amazing how our media is controlled so tightly.

What was the word you used when you told me about keeping all the protesters in one very small area?

And BTW, I had a great time showing you around Detroit. You showed no fear. When Ive given tours to men they often couldnt handle some of the places I wanted to take them. You were the best.

**Whitehouse** · April-03-11, 04:45 PM

I see. This forum is too big for the both of us. Two Europeans writing here? Can't be happening!!

**Barbara Nadel** · April-04-11, 03:15 AM

Originally Posted by Django

It good to hear what is happening across the pond Barbara. We hear nothing of the protests here in the states. Just like, for example when over a million ppl showed up in Washington to protest the Bush war in Iraq and Afghanistan, it was just a small blurb if it showed up at all. Its amazing how our media is controlled so tightly.

What was the word you used when you told me about keeping all the protesters in one very small area?

And BTW, I had a great time showing you around Detroit. You showed no fear. When Ive given tours to men they often couldnt handle some of the places I wanted to take them. You were the best.

Thanks, Django. The word I used about the police here is 'kettling'. It's where a load of people are held in a small space by police with batons and riot shields. There was some small scale ketting at the march the Saturday before last but it wasn't what we're used to by any means. Usually the police get much more stuck in than that. But I really do think that they've lost heart too. Their jobs are being cut and no-one can blame them for not wanting to get injured over what was basically violence against property. I wouldn't want to injure myself to save Burger King or any other type of shop.

**Barbara Nadel** · April-04-11, 03:16 AM

Originally Posted by stromberg2

Barbara, That was a lot of fun and laughs!! I think the letter idea is fantastic!!

Stromberg2

Brilliant. Will try to live up to your expectations! I'll also try to get a few more 'words' in there no and again too.

**Barbara Nadel** · April-04-11, 03:19 AM

Originally Posted by sumas

I love the letters from Europe concept! Always perfect to get another upfront view on the changing political face of this earth. To breathe is political. We all share this earth The first hand views are the best when un-inhendered by editors etc.

Django is out on his adventures again. What he was doing, I will not share, but Ron did check in later with him to make sure he was ok.

The people on this board are the best. Hope you found Detroit, very people friendly and not quite what you expected.

Still think local politics and politicians should be your evil foes. Joking but think about it. The people are very cool but we get held down and held back often in trying to acceive a general renaissance for our four corners.

Truely was a pleasure meeting you.

Don't know your whole agenda while you were here but if you didn't get to meet our church folk you should certainly schedule appointments with several congregations here in the city. A hugh force for change but perhaps under valued!

Best wishes, Sumas

Dear Sumas and Ron,

Lovely to hear from you. Don't worry about who the evil foes are in my book, sadly as ever, they are the usual suspects. One thing I have learnt in life is that people are basically the same and basically have good intentions everywhere. But politicians seem to be another breed [[national or local) and their machinations are sadly at the root of a lot of things that bug the life out of the rest of us. Take care, Barbara

**Barbara Nadel** · April-04-11, 03:24 AM

A full week of writing like a maniac starts today. I'm on a deadline and so the next 3 weeks will be crazy. It was Mother's Day here in the UK yesterday and so I took my mum out for the morning to a fantastic village called Heptonstall. It's way up in the Pennine mountains and is where the poets Sylvia Plath and Ted Hughes once lived. Sylvia, who sadly killed herself, is buried in the graveyard and her stone is visited by lots of poetry fans as well as by many feminists too. A nice little outing.
As for the country, there was a shooting in London last week where a 5 year old girl got caught in the crossfire. She's currently frighting for her life, poor little thing. It was gang stuff. The tragedy is that the 2 boys involved in the incident are little more than children themselves.

**sumas** · April-04-11, 09:17 AM

OK you gave me chills. I am a Mom and the thought of losing my big grown babies creep me out.

**Barbara Nadel** · April-05-11, 05:37 AM

The little girl in London is still in hospital as far as we know. I think the medics are waiting for her to wake up. It must be so terrible for her family. All we can do is just wish them all the best.

Up to my neck in work, I thought about Italy this morning. I love Italy and if I could live anywhere it would be there [[sorry Detroit - but also sorry UK too!). They have their problems like everywhere, but there's a certain relaxed vibe in Italy that I've never found anywhere else. The people are friendly, stylish, relaxed, the weather is fabulous and the scenery stunning. Of course it's raining here! That said, they do have to put up with a comedy [[some would say a dark comedy) Prime Minister in Silvio Berlusconi. I shall never forget the sight of the then 73 year old Berlusconi greeting President Obama for the first time at the G20 conference. 'Hey!' he yelled out over the heads of everyone else 'Mr Obama! It's Berlusconi!'. Not that he's a good guy in any way, with his sex parties and his corruption, Mr Berlusconi is not a nice man to know. But at least in Italy its all out in the open. Here in the UK such things get buried and only come to light later, after they've festered for a few decades!

**Barbara Nadel** · April-06-11, 04:02 AM

Just to let you know that Silvio Berlusconi goes on trial in Italy today for allegedly paying for sex with a 17 year old girl. A fascinating case. A Prime Minister on trial! Of course a lot of people here would like to see our ex PM Tony Blair in court for taking us into war in Iraq. But I don't suppose that will ever happen. If it does it will probably mean that the Martians have finally landed.

**Barbara Nadel** · April-08-11, 04:49 AM

Portugal's economy has tanked. This means that the rest of the European Union countries now have to try and save it from total collapse. I'm all for this sort of cooperation, it's one of the reasons why the EU exists [[it also stops us trying to kill each other too). What I don't understand however is how a load of other countries in recession can help? Where is the money coming from? Germany is the only EU country that it stable and growing at the moment and so what on earth are the rest of us doing? If anybody out there has a clue, do let me know!

**Lowell** · April-08-11, 08:58 AM

Thanks for the letters and it was nice to meet you recently at the Georgia Street gathering. I regularly listen to BBC Newshour hosted by Claire Bolderson. It comes weekdays at 9AM via WUOM Public Radio in Ann Arbor. The fates of the "PIGS" [Portugal, Ireland, Greece and Spain] economies is a long running subject. It seems Spain is the only one yet to hold out the hat, so hopefully the end of the financial crises are in sight.

Some such as The ascent of money: a financial history of the world by Niall Ferguson trace the start of the whole fiasco to a trail that runs through Detroit where the first dominoes of the breakdown fall.
Name: 2011-04-08_094948.jpg
Views: 1604
Size: 89.1 KB

Name: 2011-04-08_094948.jpg
Views: 1604
Size: 89.1 KB

**gazhekwe** · April-08-11, 09:09 AM

I am so enjoying the POV. I listen to BBC too, several times a week.

Subprime hit here in the late 90s really. I was working on civil rights housing issues at the time and we were addressing complaints in the area of subprime lending. 1999-2000 If I recall correctly. It was an early indicator, as was the whole teetering of the auto industry that became evident to seasoned Detroiters in the late 90s. Not again! we thought, expecting another turn of the decade bust which would bound back by 2003, maybe.

**Det_ard** · April-08-11, 05:40 PM

Originally Posted by Lowell

Thanks for the letters and it was nice to meet you recently at the Georgia Street gathering. I regularly listen to BBC Newshour hosted by Claire Bolderson. It comes weekdays at 9AM via WUOM Public Radio in Ann Arbor. The fates of the "PIGS" [Portugal, Ireland, Greece and Spain] economies is a long running subject. It seems Spain is the only one yet to hold out the hat, so hopefully the end of the financial crises are in sight.

Portugal extended the empty hat today, and there will likely be more. Without a common EU currency the individual countries could make adjustments more easily, but the Euro handcuffs them to one monetary policy for all. Not good when the countries are so different economically. Germany may get tired at some point of being the grown-up.

**Barbara Nadel** · April-11-11, 05:39 AM

Learned today that we here in the UK are not actually lending Portugal any money, but are acting as guarantors for part of their debt. I suppose this means that if they default we'll get given Lisbon. This is all so bad! Because of the all the greed and the dodgy dealings of the bankers individuals are suffering and nations are having to sell off their family jewels to other countries. And places that have been suffering for decades, like Detroit always get hit the hardest. Here it's the north east of the country around Newcastle. That was just getting its act together when all this crap hit. Now? Streets that were destined for refurbishment have been boarded up again.
Big story at the moment however, and I'm sure you BBC listeners already know about it, is about the fines that the French government are going to impose on Muslim women who choose to wear the face veil. This is a thorny issue as the French have also banned all other outward signs of religious observance [[crosses on chains, the Jewish kippuh). Those who break the law will also have to go on a cultural integration course. I hate anything that limits anyone's freedom but I guess we have to understand that France is probably the ultimate secular republic. They really do fear the power of religion over there and of course, when you think about how many religious wars there have been over the years, they have a point. But to actually ban something like that? I'm not comfortable with it myself. What do other people think?

**Pam** · April-11-11, 08:48 AM

This is a thorny issue as the French have also banned all other outward signs of religious observance [[crosses on chains, the Jewish kippuh). Those who break the law will also have to go on a cultural integration course. I hate anything that limits anyone's freedom but I guess we have to understand that France is probably the ultimate secular republic. They really do fear the power of religion over there and of course, when you think about how many religious wars there have been over the years, they have a point. But to actually ban something like that? I'm not comfortable with it myself. What do other people think?

I think that is going too far in limiting personal freedom. People should be able to wear what they want.
I do support the idea of a secular government though. I think they can have one without going that far.