Coming from an austere Nordic tradition, I've always been fascinated by the concept of Carnival. We don't have it here in Minnesota; for one thing, it's a little cold. Last year, I linked to a news item about a UNESCO-declared "Masterpiece of Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity," which I had mistaken for a rowdy parade featuring girls in bikinis.

That sort of Carnival strikes me as innocent and wholesome compared to what's going on in Germany. The invaluable Davids Medienkritik, which keeps an eye on the German media, notes that Germans are now incorporating anti-Americanism into their pre-Lenten festivities. Here is a photo of a very tasteful float in the Carnival parade in Mainz, where President Bush is scheduled to meet with Prime Minister Schroeder in a couple of weeks:

The sign says "Re-Opening;" a text accompanying the float says:

Angela is Glowing in the End / George Bush Remains President / She Feels Like in a Honeymoon / We Wish Her Good After-Noon

"Angela" is Angela Merkel, leader of the Christian-Democrat Party, whom I guess they don't like either. The mayor of Mainz says he approves of this float.

Then there's this one from Dusseldorf; notice how German anti-Americanism replicates the Democrats' attacks on President Bush:

On the whole, I much prefer the Latin American version of Carnival.

UPDATE: A woman from Frankfurt who says she is a daily Power Line reader writes:

Most Germans do not speak English, not even today. Mostly, only the chattering classes do and they have an agenda of their own as you might have noticed over time. Unfortunately they are the masters in the MSM and those stateowned ARD and ZDF TV channels. The private channels are not better. They are all beset with oldies from the 1968 generation. Just as many of your universities in the USA.

The bitter consquence is that a whole and different world is closed and invisible for those ordinary folks that get their knowledge through the main news at 8 p.m.

It is disgusting what is going on in our lands and many see with much envy - of course they would never admit it - the successes of the USA . They do not see the sacrifices of blood and funds.

This will go on as long as the media and the left chattering classes are allowed to poison the brains of people by choosing the issues they present and by mixing constantly so called reports and their editorialising.