Der Spiegel slams Obama‘s ’pitiful and sad’ lecture on European debt

President Obama has gave Europeans a "harsh" lecture on the dangers of debt yesterday during a stop in California.  According to Germany's Der Spiegel, Europeans are "offended by the unsolicited advice" and suggest that the U.S. should "get its own house in order first."  This is a light criticism compared to the news outlets own commentators, who called the president's remarks "arrogant" and "absurd."

I never thought I'd say this, but the Germans are right.  Is this really what improving America's image abroad means these days?

Europeans are well aware of the seriousness of their ongoing debt crisis. But they don't, it seems, like to receive lectures from other countries -- especially the United States, which is struggling to deal with its own mountain of debt.

On Tuesday, German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schäuble curtly rejected recent American criticism of Europe's approach to solving its debt crisis. "I don't think Europe's problems are America's only problems," said Schäuble, who has become increasingly sharp-tongued as the euro crisis deepens. "It's always easier to give other people advice."

Continue reading...