After an exciting couple of years, tapmag has decided it’s time for a break. In the past years of reporting, live-blogging, and commenting on transatlantic relations, we have become part of a network of fellow transatlantic minds, and we hope we’ve helped bridge the gap for some of you and maybe even inspired some of you to cross the pond.

We have been privileged to have meet and work with great transatlantisists and  journalists. A special thanks to all of the guests and participants at our “Reporting America” seminar at the Free University Berlin (read more about it here)!

We will be using our time off to work on various projects ranging from Bachelor’s theses to getting to know Zurich or Chicago. We will check in from time to time and let you know where tapmag is headed.

In the meantime, you can follow us on Twitter or stay in touch with the individual editors through their social media presence:

Kolja is currently studying in Zurich, Switzerland. He’s finding out university can actually teach you things, and that the Swiss are a very nice and helpful people. All the while, he’s analyzing media trends and developments in journalism on his blog, All Things Considered.

Jessica has moved to Chicago to study at the Medill School of Journalism. She is roaming the Windy City for stories and moving steadily into multimedia reporting. You can read about her experience being Curious in Chicago on her blog of the same name.

Semir is working hard on his thesis at Free University Berlin and will soon be a proud Bachelor.

Dirk and Peter are moving in the same direction as Semir. They look forward to taking that to the next level at the John-F.-Kennedy Institute’s graduate school, and will thus stay true to North American Studies.

Thanks to our great readers, fellow bloggers and students for sharing this experience with us, for your inspiration and contributions. Please keep in touch!

We are always open for new ideas. If you want to get involved with the tapmag team, please contact one of the team members in Berlin.

Keep your eyes and ears open – we’ll be back!

Watch CBS Videos Online

Here is the video (in German). Scot mainly talks about the differences between American and German interpretations of free speech, the rights and duties of the press, and how the Internet undermines German privacy rights via American websites. Good stuff.

Several sources report that U.S. President Barack Obama will anounce Phillip D. Murphy, a former investment banker with Goldman Sachs, as the new U.S. Ambassador to Germany.

Murphy, 52, has been in charge of the Democratic Party’s finances, after he left Goldman Sachs in 2006. As an investment banker, Murphy has headed the German branch of Goldman Sachs in the 90s, and was involved in several deals with the Treuhand-Anstalt.  He will replace William R. Timken, who has left Berlin in January.

Atlantic Review points out that the new man in the American embassy is a board member of the U.S. Soccer Foundation, which sounds like he might enjoy a smooth start in Berlin.

As the global economic crisis questions many long-hold beliefs about American and European economic policy, the U.S. press has discovered that some answers might be found across the Atlantic. Germany offers a fine case study for the advantages as well as drawbacks of increased government interference to bring the economy back on track.

Here is the Wall Street Journal’s take on the social security net in the U.S. and Germany, embodied in two workers who have to face the economic downturn. The German worker, upon loosing his factory job, decides not to cancel his vacation in Cyprus, because his income will be secure. His American counterpart has to evaluate his complete budget to find out where to make cuts. The article is an informative read, well backed up with statistics.

Atlantic Review, in reaction to the WSJ article, points out that while the American system offers a more flexible labor market, that makes sure the economy can bounce back fast after a recession, the German system creates less panic during the recession. The question is, in which system do we want to live?

TIME Magazine has devoted the cover of its European issue to answer “What Germany got for Its $2 Trillion.” The main example is Halle, a town that has been successful in stimulating industry and job growth with money from the reunification fund, even if success simply means loosing less jobs and population than other former industrial centers of the GDR. There are three lessons for the U.S. to be drawn from Germany’s attempt to spend its way out of a major economic slump:

“[T]hrowing money at an economic meltdown isn’t a cure-all.” Two decades after the fall of the wall, former East Germany still lacks behind economically. 20% of the German population live here, but the region accounts for over 30% of Germany’s unemployed.

“[B]ig spending packages don’t work if the economic policies underlying them are miscued.” The decision by Chancellor Helmut Kohl to exchange West and East German currency 1:1 sabotaged the competitiveness of East German industries.

“[S]pending so much money in such a short time is bound to be wasteful.” This one is a no-brainer. Try getting a year’s worth of shopping done in one day. Then see how much of the stuff you bought you will actually need. Chances are, you got yourself a Cargolifter.

What can the U.S. draw from this? Mainly that expectations for the American stimulus package should not be too high. There will be failure. Also, failing fiscal policy can partly be blamed on monetary policy not being in step. Ideally, the two should be carried out in unison.

At the same time, the discussion about culture as the determing factor for fiscal policy is still raging on. Phillip Stevens at the British Financial Times thinks that Europe’s reaction to the crisis is fearful. His main point is that the stimulus needs to be bigger, but he also argues that “Americans are happy to take risks while Europeans strive to avoid them. This is as often reflected in their respective economic performances during good times as in their reactions at moments of crisis. Gamble-everything entrepreneurs are much more likely to be found on the US side of the Atlantic.”

At the same time, Roger Cohen, reporting actually from Germany, thinks the opposite. Writing in German in the Sueddeutsche Zeitung Magazin, he has recently proclaimed that German Angst is over. Looking at the traumatic 20th century, the biggest economic crisis since the 1930s will not cause mass panic with Germans, Cohen concludes. In fact, the Americans are the ones who are shuddering now, while they witness the American empire falling apart.

As we have said before, the political process is a little more complicated than gross stereotypes like this one want to make you believe. Dear Mr. Stevens, if you want to make the point that the European stimulus needs to be bigger, focus on why the governments oppose your idea, and argue against them. Blaming it all on cultural differences is a logical shortcut that leads you off the track.

The very first seminar hosted by the tapmag crew has seen a few sessions already, so it’s time for a short update! Preparing the course has kept us all busy, so please excuse the low frequency of postings at the moment.

Highlights from “Reporting America” so far:

• We had Michael Dobbs of the Washington Post visit the seminar. We are still thankful that he took the time to meet us and shared anecdotes and insights with the seminar. More on his visit will follow, stay tuned.
• The first two workshops turned out great as well. We had an introduction to blogging, wordpress and the like, and recruited about ten new members to the blogosphere. The results from our first writing exercise will also be published soon.

The next few sessions promise to be interesting too:

• Next week the marketing and PR directors of CNN Germany are at the JFKI (see poster above).
• In three weeks time we will have Joerg Wolf from Atlantic Community join the seminar.
• In the following sessions Scot Stevenson of USAerklaert.de, Jerry Gerber from Democrats Abroad Berlin, and Dalila Nadi, an Al-Jazeera reporter, will meet the seminar. For more consult the syllabus (pdf).

If you are interested to attend, stop by at the John-F.-Kennedy-Institue, each wednesday, 4-6 p.m. at room 201. See you soon.

The Scent Of A Human: Eau De Schwinn?

The Gray Lady wonders this morning if New York can truly (re)vert — or reinvent — itself into Neue Amsterdam via bikes. Her focus du jour is the Dutch “It” bicycle , and the question is that of how to look delicious(ly continental) while doing so.

It suggests looking like the guy pictured here… in which case I heartily approve.

However, trembling under those textiles is the unSPOKEn (10 point pun, don’t you agree?)dialogue in this aestheticised vision of a psuedoeuropean paean to fashion a la bicyclette: that is, that bicycling leaves one… shall we say… moist?

The “>LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) standards from the USGBC (United States Green Building Council) — the official granter of “green” status to all things architecture and design — award points to both commercial and residential with bicycle parking facilities. So too does its pragmatism include SHOWERS in these aforementioned parking facilities, so as to allow one’s workers to… freshen up… before a day in the office.

But few of our offices have such amenities, and not everyone is going to stop at the gym before work. Besides, let’s be honest — many who bike do so for both environmental as well as financial reasons, not to mention to forego the sterile hamsterwheel-meets-club-con-meatmarket environment of many such facilities.

Which leaves us — even if we are riding lovely $1000 bikes and are nattily dressed — a little, well, RIPE. Remember all the things one hears about Europeans? In addition to fashion and food, there is also: unshaven women! wantonness! bidets! Yes folks, the Europeans [stage whisper]: touch themselves in that private place.  Every day.  To WASH. Which means a whole slew of things involving accepting dirt, sweat, autosexuality, the human production of juices and so forth and so on.

The real question to pose is: are we ready for the sweaty, higher libidoed, pungent masses? For it’s not something that turns me off — or most Continentals I’ve met, for that matter (don’t forget the wantonness!) but its something we at least keep the illusion of keeping out of the offices, schools, and other fine establishments. Restaurants, your patrons may comingle with your tantalizing aromas not only in their eau d’homme et femme avec cologne et parfum, but so too with eau de… homme et femme. Eau de NOUS. The smell… of US. And we may find that after dinner we want to… take someone home for dessert.

Walter Benjamin, writing in Paris in the 1930’s, queried:
“Who still knows, nowadays, where it was that in the last decade of the previous century women would offer to men their most seductive aspect, the most intimate promise of their figure? In the asphalted indoor arenas where people learned to ride bicycles. The women as cyclist competes with the cabaret singer for the place of honor on posters, and gives to fashion its most daring line.”

For Benjamin, and many of his contemporaries, the image of the fairer sex astride a bicycle was akin to the switch from sidesaddles to that same, er, mounted position in equestrian riding — a not only novel but radical, sexual one. And irregardless of which gender you might admire, there is a notably erotic element in the rosy cheek and heaving lung of the cyclist: when paired with a natty get up (for which Paris then as now was never lacking) the effect is nothing short of arousing.

The mood on the street as these two-wheeled darlings of athleticism and aesthetic aplomb change the pattern of our walking, the speed of our gaze, the rhythm of our breath and theirs — is undeniably HUMAN. They alter the staid concrete and breathe life into our humdrum hours — for there, amongst the mechanical carriages and caverns of steel and glass they move, darting in and out like sparrows, foxes teasing through the hunts’ hooves. And so begins a fissure in the financially-fashioned fabric of America.

When one visits Europe one can’t quite put a finger on what tickles the nose, the skin, what rides in the air of the cities there — is it to bold to suggest this invisible energy is directly linked to the long time tradition of the streets filled with bicycles? To put it shortly — yes. There is an unspoken, unmapped humanity that is exuded from masses of persons who are in very fact “auto-mobile”: a populism, a hint of revolution, an acceptance and demonstration of willed physical exertion. The biker says without a word: in my calves lies the power. Independence of movement releases one from the grid, from the preordained paths, from the nodes of mass transit and the standardized mapping of Place — and so too does the fabric of “knowledge” (what we know and how we know it) further unravel.

The question, then,  is not only what to wear to the Ball of Ourselves, but, are we ready for the party?

By L DeSilva-Johnson (via BrooWaha New York and her personal blog)

German swimming pool: Too many rules?

„President Obama’s approach to the financial crisis has been typically American — bold, improvisatory and on the fly. The Germans have been studied and measured, evincing a far greater trust than the Americans in their social-security system to patch the cracks in the foundation of their economy.“

„Of course that is due in part to the famed German aversion to excessive deficit spending, stemming from gut-level fear of a repeat of the hyperinflation of the 1920s. But there is also the German adherence to rules, love of a good plan and cautious, thoughtful approach when it slowly becomes apparent that a return trip to the drawing board may be necessary.“

It‘s true, we love rules. They make daily life more efficient. They enable us to drive our cars at top speed on the Autobahn, which means doing at least 200 kph (124 mph). This of course only works, if you can be sure that everyone will play according to the playbook, in this case the holy StVO. Slow drivers and trucks use the right lane, middle class cars drive in the middle lane, and the finest examples of German engineering are always to be found in the left – or express — lane. Tractors can use the shoulder, but no one else.

But do we actually think our economy can be handled like Autobahn traffic?

There are some points that speak to it. Economists like to say that when Americans drive a car against a wall, they try to figure out how to get around it as quickly as possible. Germans study the texture of the wall to find out how to dematerialize it. The idea that what was right just moments ago now is wrong, clearly causes discomfort to the German soul.

But does the love for analysis and discussion accurately predict the response of the Merkels and Steinbrücks to the economci downturn? No, perfectly epitomized in the latest addition to the German dictionary, „Abwrackprämie“. The measure gives buyers of new cars a € 2,500 subsidy if they scrap their old car in return.

The procedure is highly unfair. Other Industries have no chance to lay their hands on the stimulus money. Upmarket carmakers do not see their sales spur, because it is mainly buyers of compact cars who fall for the bait. Everyone who always wanted to buy a new car but has no old one at hand, will remain without a ride. Even used car dealers and repair shops complain, because their markets are shrinking due to less old cars on the streets and fewer demand for used cars.

However, the government has just decided to extend the budget and timeline for the program. This despite concerns from the opposition that the measure merely shifts demand from later years to today — demand that will be missing during a possible economic upswing in the future. It’s efficiency is contested as well, as many of the newly bought cars are manufactured in Eastern Europe and Asia. This attempt to get the economy going again clearly speaks against the careful deliberation Germans are supposed to like so much.

Then there is the fact the German economic system is better prepared to take a hit in bust years. The vast provision of welfare and unemployment pay (compared to the U.S.) is a sort of automatic stimulus package in its own right. These automatic stabilizers start to work as soon as the first wave of lay-offs hits the Federal Employment Offices. Then, the government budget increases even without the need to pass stimulus packages, simply because more people access these funds.

On the other side of the Atlantic, the U.S. Congress has to pass more spending bills to reach a higher level of spending. Plus, the U.S. state governments are subject to stricter spending rules which prevent excessive deficit spending on state level, thus exacerbating the problem. The bottom line is: Germany has to do less to match U.S. spending levels during a recession simply because we have a more developed welfare system.

Berlin-based journalist Ben Perry points out some more arguments against the idea that the German love of rules is behind the slow response to the crisis:

„The fact is, though, this is caricature and a tired caricature at that. For every German who wouldn’t dare cheat on his taxes, I can show you one who has made tax evasion an art form (let alone running off to Switzerland, as Kulish mentions). If there is such a strong desire for order, could someone please tell me why Germans are completly incapable of forming a simple single file line, ever? What’s so orderly about all the sidewalk dog crap?—something I don’t complain about but plenty of folks do. And on the government level, America’s essentially two-party system looks practically monolithic compared to the chaotic jumble of Germany’s multi-party coalition makers.“

In the end, as Ben Perry also notes, if the Germans are reluctant, risk-averse spenders, who prefer government bonds to the stock market, what does this tell us about Americans in the light of their trillion dollar stimulus packages? That they are imprudent spenders, who delay their financial problems until their credit card bill hits them over the hat and they have to go into foreclosure? Maybe there is a kernel of truth hidden in every beaten cliché.

By Kolja Langnese

In a collaborative fashion, we want to explore the multi-faceted world of transatlantic journalism, get comfortable writing, and become familiar with the latest Web 2.0-tools. We will invite exciting guests who will help us in our quest. Last but not least, CNN Germany has agreed to cooperate with the seminar. We will publish our results on ireport.com, and CNN will award the best entry.

Here’s the syllabus:

1. Introduction
2. Q&A with Michael Dobbs (Washington Post) on transatlantic Journalism and his career
3. How to set up a blog and make it beautiful
4. Journalism 101
5. CNN, ireport.com & Social Media for Journalists, Guests: Dr. Amelie Heinrichsdorff (Director PR & Corporate Affairs CNN), Joerg Buddenberg (Marketing Manager CNN Germany)
6. Writing for the Enemy, Workshop Session: Exercise in writing from different political viewpoints (e.g. Huffington Post, Foxnation, etc.)
7. Writing for the Net, Guest: Joerg Wolf (Atlantic Review, Atlantic Community)
8. No session
9. Transatlantic Journalim Erklaert, Guest: Scot Stevenson (USAerklaert.wordpress.com)
10. Presentation articles for the CNN ireport contest
11. The other Voice, Guest: Al-Jazzera reporter Dalila Nadi
12. Q&A with Jerry Gerber (Press Secretary Democrats Abroad)
13. Tba
14. Final of the CNN contest, Guest: CNN correspondent Frederik Pleitgen (requested)
15. Sum-Up & BBQ

This seminar is open to the public, you don’t have to be a student of the Free University to attend. We’re looking forward to seeing you at the JFK-Institute!

One of the younger transatlantic blogs in the German blogosphere is USA Blogger. Since December 2008 the (so far) two-man show is online and offers well-researched articles—one link every three sentences—on American politics and transatlantic culture. In their self-introduction, the two bloggers describe their mission as the attempt to portray the complex and diverse cultural and social reality of the United States as it is today—a goal tapmag wholeheartedly supports.

tapmag: Who’s blogging on USA Blogger? What is your background, are you American, European, or both?

Thomas Furlong: I’m a British bloke who’s been living in Germany for the greater part of my life. I’m currently trying to wrap up my studies – I take American literature/history and African studies at Cologne University – but for the time being I’ve relocated to Berlin where I dabble in online marketing. I’ve been to the US a number of times, lived in upstate New York for a year and have generally always just been intrigued by the States.

Daniel Heise: I’m (just) a German, studying social sciences in Bochum, with an interest in politics and a continuing fascination with the U.S. ever since my exchange year in High School (Charlotte, NC).

Thomas: Oh, and of course we’re always looking for anyone who wants to help out and join the fray.

tapmag:  Which topics do you write about? Who do you write for?

Thomas: For the time being we’ve mostly taken to writing articles about subjects being bandied about in American public debate that haven’t received as much coverage over in Germany. And of course we’re still coming to terms with the new Obama administration. You know, the whole “well I’m glad he won, now where’s that pet unicorn he promised me” thing.

tapmag:  Why are you blogging? Why did you start in the first place?

Thomas: At some point we found we were spending far too much time on the phone having heated discussions about minutiae of American politics, so we thought it might be a nice idea to share our nerdiness with other people. Plus I find it helps me collect my thoughts and is a good way to bookmark articles for later reference. Everyone wins.

tapmag:  Soccer or Football?

Thomas:  Same thing. Love it. Big England and somewhat disgruntled Mönchengladbach supporter. When it comes to what Americans call football on the other hand I only really watch the Superbowl. But that’s a game I never miss. Really I’m more of a basketball guy when it comes to US sports.

Dan: Soccer for me (though just a bit). When it comes to US sports I barely watch or follow any, though I like some football and baseball. Sometimes.

tapmag:  What is your favorite article on USA Blogger? Which one is the most clicked?

Thomas: You know, the problem is that the articles I like most always seem to get read least. I’m pretty happy with my article on the future of the Republican Party (although Bobby Jindal’s crash ‘n’ burn Kenneth the page performance may have impacted his chances for 2012) but the one that gets the most traffic by far is my article on the conspiracy theories surrounding Obama’s birthplace – most of which seems to comprise exactly the kind of nutters I was trying to debunk.

Dan: My favorite would be about the Minnesota recount, written after watching hours of people looking at paper (….members say Aye…..Aye!) and giving me a small reason to having watched that. To protect my sanity, I should have stopped after a couple of minutes, though.

tapmag:  Jesus or Obama?

Thomas: What, they’re not the same person?

Dan: You shouldn’t compare Obama to a convicted felon. I’m going for hope

tapmag:  What question would you have liked to answer? And what would be your answer to it?

Dan:
Q: Is it true that you are omnipotent?
A: No, but thanks for asking.

Thomas: Speak for yourself, man.

tapmag:  Tatort or The Wire?

Thomas: The Wire, hands down.

Dan: The latter is on my to-watch list.

tapmag:  Your favorite blog?

Thomas: I have far too many of the pesky things in my RSS reader, but if I have to pick one, my shout-out for the past year definitely has to go to Numberz Nate at FiveThirtyEight.com.

Dan: Have to agree there, checked it a couple of times each day at high times, which should keep me away from polls until the midterms.

tapmag: Thanks.

You can find all blog posts of this series on transatlantic blogs here.