South Africa Journal

The European Community

Sunday, July 9

I am staying in Strasbourg with a family friend named Jane who is American. She is married to an Italian whom my family met back in the fifties when he was a young intern at the United Nations. Most of his career he spent here in Strasbourg working for the Council of Europe, where he specialized in human rights. Giuseppe is off in Italy, visiting his family, and Jane and I are planning a trip into southern Germany next week. We will travel through the Black Forest, a part of Germany I have never seen.

Last night we took a walk through the old city of Strasbourg. This is a part of Europe which has the most to gain from the new European union; being on the Rhine, right on the border between France and Germany. This is the very area that was fought over in the Franco Prussian War of 1871, and of course in the world wars when first France took it back; and then Germany tried to reclaim it.

The new Euro currency will make life easier here, as merchants on both sides of the Rhine can operate as one economic unit, much the way we do from state to state. Jane says that there is an increasing importation of German cultural events -- including plays and concerts in the last five years. On the other hand, the parts of the European union which are assigned here in Strasbourg all want to move to Brussels. The council of Europe, which has been here since the fifties will eventually disappear, she thinks, but for now it will remain because it includes many East European countries (including Russia) that are not part of the newer EC. Needless to say, the issue of human rights is presenting a definite challenge for the EC these days, but has had to take a back seat to the eagerness to include members from the former East European block.

Yesterday we drove to the town of Kehl, just across the Rhine on the German side. On the way we noticed police at the immigration checkpoint, something Jane hadn't seen in years. There have evidently been some recent terrorist threats. I also started to notice the new license plates which are now the same for all EC countries, with a blue field of gold stars, and then just a small letter below indicating the country of origin. It is one more reminder of the reality of this union.

We had gone to Kehl because Jane's grandson (who is being raised here in France) said he wanted a police car that he had seen in Kehl. The grandson is four years old and his father reminded him that he already had a police car. No, he insisted it wasn't just a police car, he wanted one that said "polizei" on it. "Police" was not the same. So we went to Kehl and found to our surprise that in the department store we had our choice of four different police cars, a motorcycle and a toy helicopter, all clearly emblazoned with "polizei." This reminded me of the joke about heaven and hell:

In heaven: the British are the police, the French are the cooks, the Italians are the lovers, the Swiss are the bankers and the Germans make the cars. In hell: The British are the cooks, the French are the bankers, the Germans are the police, the Swiss are the lovers and the Italians make the cars.

The debate for the European Unioin of course, is whether it is leading closer to heaven or hell...

and that reminded me of a joke I heard last week about the Swiss:

When God created Europe; the Swiss were asked how they liked their part. A farmer complained, saying it was a little bland; especially since it was landlocked. So, God reached down and created the Alps. That's great said the Swiss; but it's still rather dry; being landlocked and all. So with another gesture, God added streams and rivers which flowed down from the mountain tops and lakes suddenly appeared.
"It's rather quiet;" said the Swiss.
"Well, you wouldn't want it too noisy," said God. "How about some cows dotting the landscape; and we'll put a bell on each. Then you not only have a little music; but a source for milk and cheese."
"Fabulous;" said the farmer checking out one of the cows -- "and this is really good milk!"
"Is it?" said God; "Perhaps I'll have a glass myself before I move on."
"Fine," said the farmer, handing God a glass; "here you go -- and that will be ten francs, please."

Yesterday I was very distressed to hear about the vote for the soccer World Cup which will go to Germany rather than South Africa. The vote was 11 to 12 with New Zealand abstaining. Evidently all of Europe and the four Asian representatives voted for Germany while the African, North and South American nations all voted for South Africa. It is distressing to think that Europe is still such a tight block and can't see the global benefits of helping South Africa at this critical time, or of giving the rest of Africa a sense of optimism about its own future. Perhaps the European union will only reinforce that attitude.

Last night we went to a local restaurant for the Alsacian specialty tarte flambÈ. I had never had it before -- it is like a quiche loraine in the form of a pizza. The crust is incredibly think and no thicker at the edge, so little bits may come black and charred. It is rather free form in shape, not a circle, but crisp, hot and bubbly with cheese and little bits of ham (and possibly mushrooms). I am surprised I haven't seen it in New York.

Tomorrow we are heading back across the Rhine to spend a couple of days in the Black Forest, a region I have never seen but I remember stories from my father's travels there in the 1930s.