Thomas Ricard Blog 3 – Düsseldorf
The parliamentary building in Düsseldorf, Germany, is an incredibly symbolic and impressive piece of architecture, situated on the beautiful Rhine River. It seemed all nuances of the building were designed for its symbolic character. Ultimately, the majority of the planning put into the architecture of the building is done to show that all members of the legislature are equal, and that they are responsible to the people who elected them into office. These are a few of many ideas that appear to be ingrained in the German mindset, and the cause of which seems to lead back to the Second World War
Being able to speak with the vice president of the prior regional government (recent elections removed his party from the office of President and Vice President) was a rare and inspiring opportunity. Listening to his story of how he grew up in a blue collar family and eventually became Vice President of the regional legislature is quite amazing. On top of everything, he has a major in physics and started a company shortly after college.
One of the topics covered was the German military and how armies across Europe are downsizing. The German military is very small compared to that of the United States, and is still downsizing like many others within the EU (European Union.) From the way the German Navy was described, it sounds as if it’s only large enough to enforce territorial waters. The reason for having a small army and continuously downsizing seems to be a consequence of World War II: ultimately to help prevent World War III. Originally, the purpose of the EU was to connect the economies of its members to prevent another World War as well. However, I’m sure the world won’t complain about extra security measures. Downsizing armies helps save some tax Euros as well.
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