Down in Graz they’re in a tizzy. A faction of folks said they wanted the Governator’s name removed from the stadium. They’re all mighty disappointed in him after he refused to commute the death sentence for Tookie. So out of control are they that the press says they’re talking of renaming the stadium after Tookie. The head of the communist party was on the radio yesterday talking about how it shouldn’t make a bit of difference to the business interests in Graz, but others lamented that removing the Schwarzenegger brand was going to lose them money.
Meanwhile, back at the ranch, Arnie made a preemptive strike. (Sideline here about how one of the big differences culturally is that Austrians seem to sit around and talk about stuff where Americans – even adoptive ones – appear to be more about action.) He asked them to pull his name from the stadium and he’s sending back his medal of honor. He’s quoted in the local paper as saying that this is sad for him because “in his heart, he’ll always be an Austrian.” Except, one might conclude, the part of his heart that he’s using to adminster the death penalty.
People here are saying that the folks in Graz are nuts. They’re actually taking Arnie’s side, saying that Graz deserves to be dumped by the stellar actor from Total Recall. (Another cultural concept is today’s vocabulary word: schadenfreude.) I’ve been mystified for oh so long about Arnie’s deificiation because after all, he shot to his glamorous success not here in Austria, but in the US. It’s always seemed to me to be a spotlight on Austria’s shortcomings that their golden boy should be one who bailed. Highlighting him as a paragon of Austrianism seems, well, I’ll just say it: stupid.
So yeah, I guess they are nuts in Graz, but not for breaking up with Arnie. They’re nuts for worshipping him in the first place. It’s not just a local boy made good thing, they’ve really gone out of their way to claim him as one of their own. But he hasn’t been for some time now. This is the second sentence that he’s failed to commute. Austria is staunchly anti-death penalty. The Governator is a Republican and Europe as a whole is rabidly anti-Bush. Mr. Schwarzenegger is an American now, with his Hummer and his Kennedy wife and his cuddly relationship with the White House. He’s might be bigger than life in Graz, but he’s just bigger than Graz, period – and not in a good way. Graz should have dumped him a long time ago and made a name for themselves with their cool architecture, hip art scene, inviting old city… Graz has plenty of charms to recommend it without a steroid bloated botox injected Republican as it’s representative.
Graz, look in the mirror and get a grip. You’re talking about renaming your stadium after a convicted killer and gang member? Have you no sense of shame or decency? Talk about your self esteem issues. Have a good cry, get a bucket of ice cream and some Julia Roberts movies, then Get Over It.
It’s all front page news in Austria. I’m with you on this one, Graz get a grip! But seeing the mayor of Graz I somehow doubt it that they can quietly and decently put this behind them. As one newspaper reader put it, he leaves such a trail of slime behind him that it would put a garden slug to shame…
They are just silly, Graz makes plenty of money as a tourist attraction and that will never stop. I don’t think the “brand” Arnie has brought them that much income. The Austrian paradox at its finest, not moved at all about the big bad things happening in the whole wide world, but worried about the Austrian image as projected by the Terminator :).
Konsequenter Weise sollte Mr. Schwarzenegger ENDLICH auch die oesterreichische Staatsbuergerschaft zuruecklegen – wozu braucht er sie noch – im “Land der unbegrenzten Moeglichkeiten!!!”? Hat eigentlich jeder Amerikaner das Recht auf mehrere Staatsbuergerschaften???? Wenn ja, wozu? Naher zum “Weltbuergertum” bringt einen das nicht, denke jedenfalls ich.
When I first read the part about renaming the stadium after Tookie, I thought you were joking…but apparently not, eh? Wow. That’s some nutty stuff.
Lemme see if I can translate that for the rest of you… briefly:
When is Mr S. going to finally give back his Austrian citizenship? What couuld he need it for in the “Land of Endless Opportunities?” Does every American have the right to multiple citizenship? If so, what for? [I don’t understand the last sentence.]
Every American can hold dual citizenship if they have the circumstances – marriage to a foreign citizen, parents from a foreign country, refugees… It’s legally tricky – naturalized Americans may be required to renounce their old homeland citizenship, but the ex-homeland might say, BAH, NONSENSE and not recognize that. If I were to become an Austrian citizen, for example, the US might not recognize that I’ve denounced my US citizenship as part of that process. The Austrians may require it and could even take my US passport, but the US could choose to say, meh, she didn’t really MEAN it. What’s easier is to hold one citizenship and another residency – that’s what we have. Most of the rights and responsiblities (but not all) of my adoptive homeland. That requires no fuzzy legalizing or special circumstances and is, I think, quite common.
Here is a decent plain language discussion of dual citizenship in the US.
As for what we’d need it for, well. Hmmm. Most of us DON’T need it though people I tell about my dual residency think it’s handy if I finally decide I want to flee the Bush administration. Though I don’t even need citizenship for this, my residency will do. Some folks have it because they fled an oppressive regime (see above under Bush administration!) but they didn’t wish to denounce their home because they’d hoped to return some day. Arnie married an American and as such, was eligible for US citizenship just like ANY foreigner would be. My husband, for example. But as an Austrian, he would need the Schwarzengger exception FROM AUSTRIA to keep his Austrian citizenship.
What Arnold needs it for is beyond me. With his money and connections, I’m sure he can live anywhere in the world he pleases. Unlike the rest of us. That aside, I believe that even if I did renounce my US citizenship to become Austrian, I could still change my mind. I could go to the embassy and say, “Actually, that was a mistake. I want to go back to my native country.” And as an American by birth, I could reapply. It might be messy, but I believe it is totally doable.
Let me be clear, I have no kind words for a population that would elect Arnold. But I do think that Graz has brought this embarassment upon themselves by choosing to glorify a man that embodies not the best of Austria, but some of the worst qualities of America. .
Side note: An interesting comment came via email about this: Quote: 75% of Californians support the death penalty and it’s the law. It’s not unconstitutional. Since there were no mitigating circumstances with the sentence, Ahnald had no right to commute it.
Essentially: He was just doing his job.
Nobody !!! here in Graz is SERIOUSLY thinking of renaming the stadion after Tookie – believe me!!!! It was just a (not understandable) comparison with A. – meaning: naming the stadion after T. would be no better than having named it after A. in the first place. I couldn’t agree more.
We in Europe have already had a lot of trouble, suffering and still have to deal with permanent collective guilt caused by people who were “just doing their job”.