German Chancellor Angela Merkel spoke at Harvard’s commencement ceremonies. She was eloquent and spoke to our dearest values and ideals, exactly what we hope to hear from the leader of the West, which we called “the Free World.” That used to be the President of the United States. No longer. Our president is an isolationist who treats our allies with contempt and showers love on dictators.
Angela Merkel is now the leader of the West.
She offers important lessons.
Most important for all of us right now to hear: Nothing terrible lasts forever.
It is up to us to restore our path towards a better world.
This is an inspiring, moving speech. Please watch and listen.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Inspiring, indeed! And oh, my Lord, the distance between Angela Merkel and IQ45!!! She holds a doctorate in quantum chemistry. IQ45 can barely read.
LikeLike
Oh for the day when the United States can start electing educated leaders. I know, what a crazy dream!
LikeLike
45 hires people who read for him.
LikeLike
It’s truly frightening. We do a better job of vetting the qualifications of someone whom we’re going to hire to run a gas station than we do those of someone who is to be Commander in Chief and “leader of the free world.” Every time I think that we couldn’t possibly do worse, we do.
LikeLike
Diane,
Too few Americans really care about our freedom. Schools are a main culprit. The skills curriculum does not prioritize teaching the value of democracy.
LikeLike
That is so sad. Public schools are democracy in action, and they depend on a fully functioning democracy to do their best work. We always taught civics and government in my public school. One of the major functions of a public school should be to prepare young people for a participatory democracy. All the fragmented charters and vouchers will not prepare students to be responsible members of their communities and society at large. My school district promoted the importance of serving the community, and students engaged in many service projects. I may be going out on a limb, but I think an argument can be made it is a matter of national security.
LikeLike
Correction:
“All the fragmented PRIVATE charters and . . . “
LikeLike
Isn’t Democracy itself a skill? Is it better to learn about Democracy through an authoritarian source like a textbook telling kids what Democracy is? Or is it better to have kids actually practice Democracy in action by collaboratively making decisions that actually affect them, their classrooms and their education?
If you’d like to see the latter in action sometime, I invite you to schedule an appointment to tour your nearest progressive school. I know you think letting kids have a say in their own lives leads to chaos, but, trust me, it does not. In fact, the kids are far more motivated to follow rules because they created them. And you might be surprised to find that the rules kids come up with themselves are strikingly similar to the rules we adults think they should follow. Believe it or not, kids don’t like chaos. They too want to live in a well-ordered society. They just want a say in that order.
LikeLike
You are right on the money with this comment about democracy and school. I am looking for resources on leadership and advocacy for teacher preparation. I have a talk to give at a conference and I’m sure you and your readers could point me to some good research materials. Any suggestions?
LikeLike
“Schools are a main culprit.” Again we’re blaming the public schools?! Sorry, I am not buying that in the least. Blame the corporate elites who can buy politicians by the bushel loads and a compliant media that glosses over the income inequality. Seriously, I don’t think teachers need any more guilt trips thrust upon them that have not already been perpetrated by the school deformers who love to beat up on PUBLIC school teachers as a cottage industry.
LikeLike
And she is a “center-right” leader. This subspecies is all but extinct in the United States.
LikeLike
Thank you for the link. This was both and inspirational talk, and a super sharp of critique of the dangerous mindset of Trump and his supporters.
LikeLike
You nailed that, Bill! I’ve been asking myself for a long time now, of the Republican Party under Trump, how low, how low, how low will they go? Quite the limbo party he has going on.
LikeLike
Wait, what? Nearly the entire Democratic Party, as well as the non-Trump wing of the Republican Party, are ALL center-right (as are most foreign leaders as well). Unless you have a different definition than I do, in which case do please enlighten me.
LikeLike
I think he means that she is center right in the European context. She’s center right in Germany but she’s still for maintaining universal health care, tuition free university and she’s still committed to phasing out fossil fuels and nuclear power. I may be mistaken but I don’t think there is any school privatization movement in Germany and home schooling is illegal in Germany. PLUS Germany has strong unions and works councils, that could never happen in the US. If I misinterpreted Bill, my bad, my apologies.
LikeLike
Thank you, Joe Jersey. Exactly what I meant, expressed more clearly and thoroughly than I could have expressed it.
LikeLike
P.S. I find very little if anything that is central or centered in the “non-Trump wing of the Republican Party.”
LikeLike
Bill, you once again cause me to repeat my long-held anger about the American mass media’s false characterization about the left-right political spectrum. Merkel, in the American scale, would be slightly left of center. Bernie and Warren are left of center. There is no far left equivalent to balance the far right of American politics.
LikeLike
Love the title of this post!!!
LikeLike
Beautiful German. It’s nice to be able to practice mine! Americans are woefully lacking in foreign languages. Wonderful speech.
LikeLike
I was reminded of a Romanian friend that grew up in the Soviet Union during this speech. She said, “You have no idea what it is like with neighbors watching and reporting on you.” Chancellor Merkel understands that democracy can never be taken for granted. You must work for and cultivate it.
LikeLike
Who needs friends and neighbors reporting on you when we have cameras every few feet, Facebook on our computers, Alexa in our homes and portable tracking devices in our pockets?
LikeLike
The leader of the free world is — Germany. Ich bin ein Berliner? Oy vey ist mier.
LikeLike
Having grown up as a German-American and still considering myself as a Willy Brandt-German Social Democrat who is American, I have long felt out of place. I had great suspicion of Merkel because she was a protege of Helmut Kohl, who was the George HW Bush of German politics. Never trusted or respected him. But gastronomically, he was great. The man knew good food. And he impressed me greatly when, after the fall of the Wall, he acknowledged that his hated ideological rival, Willy Brandt, was, in retrospect, absolutely right with his implementation of Ostpolitik—the acknowledging of communist governments and engaging with them to ultimately chip away at their legitimacy among their own people—and that it was the single most important element to bring down the Iron Curtain. It demonstrated that Kohl, at his core, was a decent, albeit fallible, human being. Much like George HW Bush.
Merkel learned the lesson. She was a “culture warrior” and to the right (in German terms, which are not analogous to those of Americans) on her nation’s political spectrum. But as chancellor, she has proven herself, over and over again, to be pragmatic and principled when it comes to fundamental issues of human rights and decency. Her response to the refugee crisis, when hundreds of thousands sought asylum in Germany, was arguably the greatest profile in courage we have yet, and perhaps will yet, see in the history of 21st century world history.
LikeLike
“Good German” indeed, Duane!
LikeLike
A personal view of what it means to be a Willy Brand Social Democrat:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/790058938
LikeLike
Brandt!!!
LikeLike
I love Angela Merkel.
LikeLike