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December 03, 2008

Ah, Those Suave, Sophisticated Germans

So cultured! So refined! And, as European Unionists in the very highest of standing, so sensitive and attuned to the subtle nuances of different cultures from their own.

Like, for instance, that happy-go-lucky party-til-you-drop playground that is Afghanistan

First they were accused of not wanting to fight. Then they were blamed for failing in their main mission to train the Afghan police.

Now Germany’s battered military reputation has received a further humiliating blow. According to official reports, the 3,500 troops in northern Afghanistan drink too much and are too fat to fight.

A German parliamentary report has revealed that in 2007 German forces in Afghanistan consumed about 1.7 million pints of beer and 90,000 bottles of wine. During the first six months of this year 896,000 pints of beer were shipped to German forces in Afghanistan. British and U.S. bases in the country enforce a strict ban on alcohol.

For those of you keeping track at home that works out to about 2 bottles of beer a day each, every day, all year. And a bottle of wine every other week.

Now imagine the outcry if those "insensitive cowboys" of the US brought a single drop of booze into Afghanistan.

(via The Real JeffS)

Posted by Mr. Bingley at December 3, 2008 01:45 PM

Comments

I think you're measuring the effect the wrong way. Two beers a day makes them better, not worse. Imagine how bad they would be without the beer!

Posted by: Skyler at December 3, 2008 02:11 PM

Hell, that's a lot less than I drink, Skyler; I rarely drink beer but I waaaaay outstrip them in wine consumption.

I just love the irony of Europeans lecturing us about how culturally insensitive we boorish colonials are while they are busy importing millions of bottles of beer and freakin' pork sausages into a muslim country.

Posted by: Mr. Bingley at December 3, 2008 02:43 PM

Seriously. I couldn't even ship Vienna sausages to my husband when he was in Iraq because they contain pork.

When Danny was stationed in Bosnia, he said all the troops from Europe were big drinkers. He doesn't like room-temperature beer so he abstained.

Posted by: Lisa at December 3, 2008 03:52 PM

Imagine how bad they would be without the beer!

That boggles the mind, Skyler.

Although I recall invitees to the Aussie compound in Kuwait being targeted with instant jealousy, plus stern comments from the first O6 in their chain of command.......

Posted by: The_Real_JeffS at December 3, 2008 06:17 PM