Blog Post #1 - Luke Dunphy - Global Issues
Throughout my life, I have gone through phases of staying politically informed and apolitical. Recently, I have not been staying actively informed of global issues. I have always been uninformed of European politics that do not directly influence the United States, leaving a blind spot in my knowledge. Since being in Germany, I have been curious to learn about attitudes towards various political issues from friends, our professors, and our guest speakers.
Before the start date of the Abroad Program, I was in Stuttgart with a friend who lives here in Germany, and I asked her about German attitudes towards Americans. She explained that previously, international stereotypes consistently portrayed American tourists as loud, obnoxious, and oblivious. Now, however, people have more spite toward the United States due to its deteriorating foreign relations under Trump's antagonistic foreign policy. She noted that people do not feel that any individual American they meet is personally the problem, reassuring me that traveling during this political era would not be an issue.
Previously, I thought that the European Union was not as significant in policymaking and international collaboration. I viewed the EU as similar to NATO. Now, after learning through the speaker, Michael Scanlan, and the policy discussion in the European Union Parliament, I realize that the European Union system is more akin to the traditional Federalist system of the United States, where smaller state governments are subordinate to the Federal Government, which controls international trade, war, and keeps peace between the states. After the EU visit, I realized the importance of being knowledgeable about current German events to navigate conversations politely and conscientiously.
Since my personal lens for the trip is regarding Nuclear Energy, I am hyper-aware of Germany’s attitude to this type of sustainable power. In particular, I noticed how every negative attitude towards Nuclear Energy originates from the fear of disaster and nuclear waste. This informs me that to advance the industry, proper reeducation about the risks of Nuclear Energy is required to advance public perception and interest in investing in the powerful and sustainable source.
The American stereotypes mentioned by your friend are embedded deeply within many European countries. I am glad she stated that Germans do not place blame exclusively on Americans, but rather see responsibility as more collective. In regard to nuclear energy, public sentiments can be strong. For example in Austria, the Zwentendorf Nuclear Power Plant was built, but a constitutional law was passed in the late 1970s that prevented the construction or operation of nuclear power plants. The Zwentendorf never opened. Check it out as it is a tourist attraction now.
ReplyDeleteLuke, I completely understand your initial observations about your political knowledge pertaining to European affairs. I know you want to become a Nuclear engineer one day, and given Germany's staunch opposition to Nuclear energy, I am curious as to how you feel about the policies. Of course, Germany received much of the fallout from the Chernobyl disaster, however with how clean and safe nuclear energy has gotten, I am sure opinions can start to be shifted. You recognized this well in your conclusion by mentioning how much of the work that needs to be done is through mass information campaigns. The citizens needs to feel comfortable with the technology before it can ever become adopted on a large scale.
ReplyDelete