Chancellor Merkel and Corporal Punishment

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Chancellor Merkel

I am an American. I applaud the idea of repairing our relationship with Germany. I believe that our country needs to be more understanding of the existing relationship within the EU and their impact on the entire continent. We need to understand and to also be able to work with each other. We need to foster common interests and to develop empathy where we have differences. Best of luck to Ms. Merkel in her leadership. -- myramegill

I trust German-US relations will improve with Angela Merkel. -- Hans Jost

I favor political diversity. Despite Merkel's convervative side, I as a more liberal person believe that a strong and intelligent female such as Merkel should have a chance as head of the government. There's much to expect from the new government especially now with Germany's dwindling economy which still is the largest in Europe. Rising unemployment rate is one of the tasks I believe should be addressed with priority by her government or any other that would be in power. Whether she's going to be a good chancellor or not is still a little early to decide; however, if I were a German citizen, I would certainly vote to have a capable and competent female in power for the first time. -- Einer DosSantos, USA, Brazil

I dislike Germans immensely. They are back stabbers. Keep Merkel out of USA. You made your bed, now lie in it. Have a nice day. -- rmbdragon

I can see the same fate for Germany, if Merkel leads Germany in the same direction that Tony Blair led the UK along with the US right into the now stumbling campaign in Iraq. I hope that the change Merkel brings doesn't constitute a diminishing backbone that will give way to US pressure. A little bit of national identity is healthy. -- Matthew Roberts

I think she will be a good chancellor. It will take the men a while, but eventually they will find out that a woman's logic is sometimes superior to a man's. -- Terese Bishop, US

She is definitely is a lot more brainy than Bush. -- vantulsa

Being the first woman-chancellor in Germany is an awkward, as well as an inspirational thing. I hope all the best for her and her cabinet. Her cabinet can only keep firm if no new party divisions spread up. Merkel challenges must be the tackling of high unemployment, the lowering of the nation's debts including the curbing of state borrowing, and the strengthening of some sectors such as agriculture, fisheries and the diminishing mining industry. --nadri_moh_yalan, Libya

Corporal Punishment

Beating kids can hardly ever be justified. Those parents who do so would not dare the same would it be an adult. How should children learn to have respect and patience, if their parents lack both? I never beat my children, and it would be a shock for them would I ever do so. Adults are always stronger than kids, and it should at least be common agreement that you do not beat someone who is weaker than you. In the end it is better to explain a situation to kids, and why they better should behave in a certain way; they will reward you with love and tolerance. -- mknoche

Probably not the best method to raise a child

It's impossible for a government, or any group to correctly or appropriately judge my relationship to my children. I believe it has gone very well with my two kids, whenever I have spanked them. It has been over three years since they needed a spanking, and they are now eight and nine years old. I never did it spontaneously, as one writer suggested, and I never "swatted" them -- I always asked them to spend a few minutes alone before I would go to them privately, discuss the wrong they had done, and then spanked them using a small wooden spoon, or other -- just until it stung their bottoms, and they cried. I guess I think putting children first means placing them on firm footing in a world where wrong is punished and right is rewarded. -- vnyrdwrshp

You seem to be emulating the United States with the idea that spanking children is wrong, demeaning, lowers their self esteem and sets them up for problems later on in life. Now the "new" thing to do is to talk to and reason with the child. Can you really reason with a three year old? Will they understand the difference between right and wrong on certain things at that young an age? It's one thing to give a spanking for doing something wrong, but beating a child is a lot different. Kids need boundaries, they want boundaries. But just talking can lead to manipulative tricks and these are things that kids are going to learn and think that this is the way the world works and this is how they can treat people to get what they want. People need to do what works, not what an "expert" thinks will work. It's not their child, they don't know what that kid is like. -- lavalore