 Day 6 began with a briefing at the U.S. Embassy.
The class gained an greater appreciation for the economics of unification (West
Germans pay a 7.5% income tax surcharge to support their eastern comrades), the speed of
unification (Bismarck once said, "When the end of the world comes, I'll move to
(eastern Germany); everything there happens 50 years later.") and the politics of
unification (37 members of Parliament are unrepentant Marxists).
 Next, the class toured the Reichstag (historical home of the German Parliament).
Burned in 1933, bombed to rubble in W.W.II and defaced by Russian troops, this ornate
nineteenth century structure has been refurbish for the new century with a modern
legislative chamber capped by a glass dome. From the rooftop, the class observed
the stunning vertical transformation of former East Berlin's panorama which now bristles
with 101 working construction cranes!
The parliament of Germany is currently composed of five political parties, including
the Greens. The class engaged in a panel  discussion with the agricultural committee
and heard a wide range of views on trade, G.M.O.'s and economics. Opinions ranged
from the helpful (we need to come across as patient and prepared, not arrogant) to the
pragmatic (one farmer may feed 101 people, but those people represent 101 votes) to the
bizarre (European consumers will willingly accept a doubling of food prices to satisfy an
radical animal welfare objectives).
The highlight of the day was a delightful four-course meal at the historic Hotel Adlon
sponsored by Zeneca Agro. The featured guest was Karl-Heinz Funke, German Minister
of Agriculture and Forestry. Mr. Funke proved to be an able and charming champion of
his constituents as he aptly explained the German agricultural model (the haunting memory
of wars, the slow adoption of technology and the severe limits on horizontal expansion) to
his new U.S. friends. |
