Flirting, Sparrows and the Internet

The following comments reflect the views of our readers. Not all reader comments have been published. DW-WORLD reserves the right to edit for length and appropriateness of content.

Internet control

If Europe thinks that the American people would stand by while their government gave up any control of the Internet to any group that included such countries as China and Iran...they are nuts. -- Petra Ronish

The Internet belongs to the American people. It was developed and built with the tax dollars of the American people. The US government has no right to give away what belongs to the American people. The technology has been shared with other nations. If they want control, let them get their own Internets. Let's see if that makes their citizens happy. Keeping control of the Internet is what Americans want. It keeps us happy. It takes the UN months to make even the smallest decision, why should we relinquish control to such a body. -- mamagara

I believe the US should not turn the Internet control over to anybody else, no matter what. I've got a gut feeling that a hand-over to some other group would not be a wise business decision based on the current world. I think we should leave things as they are and not give other entities undue advantages over the US. -- tlmalnick

It would simply be illogical for the US to capitulate and relinquish control of the Internet. On the other hand the, US should be willing to be reasonable regarding privacy and security concerns of other sovereign nations. The US should cooperate and accept international oversight. But fear the EU sees the World Wide Web as a source of tax revenue. -- earthmark

I vote for an international Internet controlling body. -- J. Tyler

The US wanting control of the Internet is tantamount to a return to the days of Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union. It looks as if big brother wants to keep an eye on all of us that we be good stooges. Otherwise, they would put all of us into indoctrination camps as is now happening in Iraq, Afghanistan, Thailand and parts of Eastern Europe. We must put an end to this attempt by the Bush regime to restrict our liberties to the maximum. What they are really trying to do is make all of us puppets. -- Kenneth T. Tellis, Canada

I think that oversight of the Internet should be by a group independent of governments of any type (including the UN, EU or USA). -- ET Smith, New Zealand

Wal-Mart

Just like in the US, except in German

Being from the US, I might be predisposed to thoughts of flirting at work as a dangerous idea. However, when co-workers are forbidden to pursue relationships that cross levels of seniority, it makes for a workplace that has less stress. Any time personal life comes into the workplace, it makes the line between them blur, which can be uncomfortable. -- Bosh

Get Wal-Mart out of Germany. For the good of the people, kick them out. -- Marie Winkler

Wal-Mart is hated by many people in the US. This is just one of the reasons. Besides causing small businesses to go out of business, while they sell products from China. They also try to cover the magazines that have women's issues mentioned on the front of the magazine. They are a right wing supporter and their values are not shared by all Americans -- just the ones that have no other place they can find work. Do not let them try to pass along their values to you. They are not the best that American has. They have some of the worst values and no tolerance for anyone that is not the way they are. We voted them out of our community. gmwoodgm, US

Dead sparrow

I am a great fan of the domino record series, but next Friday, I will not attend the show. It is completely ridiculous to kill an innocent sparrow for the figures of the network. -- G. Koerselman, the Netherlands

He didn't survive domino

In your article on the extrajudicial killing of an unfortunate sparrow you somehow forget to mention that this incident happened in the Netherlands. Also it will not be broadcast on RTL, but on the Dutch channel SBS6, and it is the Dutch animal protectors who are enraged, not the Germans. Furthermore, I can say that I am truly outraged by the murder of this defenseless creature. It is a testament to how far we have sunk since Sept. 11, since when civil liberties have been under attack from those vicious war-mongering politicians. The politics of fear have once again claimed the life of an innocent individual. It is a dark day for democracy in the Netherlands. -- Tijmen Brommet, Netherlands

(Editor's note: While the show will take place in the Netherlands, it will be broadcast on German television. Both German and Danish animal rights groups complained about the killing of the sparrow.)

This was a disgusting reaction to the innocent and natural behavior of the bird. This domino nonsense should be destroyed, arrests made, and such record attempts need to end. -- Warren Snyder

Integration in Europe

I grew up with Muslims in Venezuela and the US because my family is Christian Arab. First, you need to let the Muslims be. What is this nonsense France came up with telling all school children they cannot show their religion? Second, no need for harsh criticism of Islam like Van Gogh in Holland did. There were 800,000 people butchered in Rwanda and the last thing anyone mentions is that the victims as well as the murderers are Christian. Third, there shouldn't be a need for a Muslim Holocaust for Europeans to treat Muslims the same way they treat Jews. Allow dual citizenship, and for crying out loud apply international law in Palestine. Not the road map, or Israeli law, but international law once and for all. Help Pakistan after the earthquake. Help Iraq to get Bush out of their country. Help Chechnya from those Soviet bastards. And everything else will fall into place. -- hippieinacloset

Muslims praying at a mosque in Berlin

I do not belive Germany will experience any of the turmoil and rioting from disaffected Muslims as happened in France. Germany did not colonize North Africa as did France. Germany did not promise those who immigrated from Algeria, Tunisia and Morocco that they would be considered in every way the same as a native born citizen of France. Germany did not reach to dominate colonial territories and did not over-promise immigrants as to their status. This did not create false expectations among those in Germany who are not native born. Good job Germany for common sense management of foreign residents and nationalized aliens living in the republic. -- J. Conrad, US

Coalition Agreement

The business leaders are correct in their assessment that the newly-announced program is a great disappointment, and probably dangerous. The announced agenda is anti-growth and anti-liberalization. Indeed, this program is farther left than the SDP would have put forward had it won the election outright. What has been adopted and approved is the worst of all worlds for Germany. However, there is another way to look at what has happened. The two major parties -- by adopting a 'least common denominator' program -- have set the predicate for a renegotiation during 2006. Remember, the taxes do not come into being until January 2007. The new program contains the basis for a horse-trade to be negotiated during 2006: Labor market liberalization in exchange for a cancellation of proposed tax increases. In effect, this is a negotiation between the elected officials on the one hand, and the German people on the other, where the government is asking the people to accept a growth agenda, using the sweetener of 'no new taxes.' Indeed, this ploy may be the only way to get to a growth agenda acceptable by German voters. -- Wiley Horne, US

Volkswagen

Not really a Volkswagen?

Yes, I think VW is the king of the economy car. VW has a history of providing high quality cheap transportation. They should stick with this plan. Plus, in America the name Volkswagen is another word for an affordable car. Also we all know Volkswagen stands for peoples' car. No one here will ever look at a VW as a luxury car. I own a Beetle and its good enough for me. -- johnnyairliner

VW should leave the luxury side to Audi. It has many problems with the models it makes now, which are dead boring, to say the least. Just look at the new Passat and the station wagon. What they should do is have a word with the designers of Peugeot. -- John Baker, UK

Volkswagen made a marketing error when they launched the Phaeton. The company, in line with its "people's car" image, isn't perceived to be a luxury car marquee under its own name. It should have left that to its Audi and Bentley subsidiaries and concentrated on small and medium economy vehicles that's affordable to the masses. The Phaeton is going a step too far. -- walterty

First names

The law should protect children from their parent's whimsical naming plans. Various laws and international agreements exist showing that children's rights take priority over just about everything else. Here in the US, many parents come up with strange monikers that may hurt them in later life. Imagine having confidence in a doctor named Moon Unit! -- Barry Weir, US