I want to close out this year by officially closing out my work on this blog.
After four years of pouring my thoughts into this blog and enjoying much stimulating exchange with our readers and other bloggers on the German media/political landscape – I feel that the time has come for me to step aside and allow new voices to step in and carry the conversation forward. I truly feel that I have finally said most everything that I wanted to say when I started this journey back in September 2003. The amazing experiences I’ve had since will stay with me forever – and I want to thank all of the bloggers who inspired me (too many to name here – most notably Glenn Reynolds and Erik Svane and all my Mainz bloggers in Germany, Switzerland and beyond).
I want to give a very special thanks to David Kaspar for founding this blog and giving me the opportunity of a lifetime. My work on this blog has given me so much in so many ways and created a unique and thoroughly life-altering experience.
Let there be no mistake: The mission of this blog lives on because the problems that it addressed will – unfortunately – live on. I could continue to write about the problem – but I would – to a large extent – only be repeating myself. That is why newer, fresher thinkers must step forward and give us their take of the state of German media coverage of the United States. It is my deepest wish that our work continue to inspire new bloggers – particularly in Germany – to take up the journey which has – for me – now come to an end.
If nothing else – I am deeply thankful that this blog and this work provoked much thought among both consumers and producers of German media. It is of utmost importance that the conversation that began on this site continue into the future and I implore all those who have taken some bit of thought from this site to keep that discussion alive.
Finally – I want to thank the readers and commenters. You made this site possible and you share credit in all that it has become. You proved that the little guy can have a big voice and get big institutions to think twice about their actions. When I first started blogging – I thought I was alone in my frustrations with German media. Along the way – I met many others who initially felt just as alone as I did – and together we discovered just how many other people shared our dismay at German media coverage of the United States. That was perhaps the most humbling and powerful aspect of all of this. And that is ultimately the power of the blog and the power of the internet. May it continue to thrive.
Who knows – I may blog again one day. But for now – I want to wish you all a fond farewell and all the best for the New Year.
—Ray Drake
PS: I will leave the work on this blog online to serve as a reference for all those who might continue to find it useful.
