Die zerrissenen Staaten von Amerika

The entire world is watching the American presidential elections in November 2024 with great anticipation. USA expert and long-time Washington correspondent Arthur Landwehr is exploring the moods and expectations of U.S. voters at the beginning of the primaries. He sheds light on the hopes of Black and Hispanic communities, questions the fears of the white middle class, traces the myth of the cowboy, and examines the influence of the “woke” intellectuals. He compares the “America first” sentiment in the heartland with the promises of cultural openness in the liberal coastal states. And above all, he poses the question: What does this have to do with us Germans? The Divided States of America – Old Myths and New Values – A Nation Struggles for Its Identity, Droemer, 2024

On February 19, 2023, we had the pleasure of welcoming former ARD radio correspondent in the USA, Arthur Landwehr, to Hamburg, where he presented his latest book Die zerrissenen Staaten von Amerika (The Divided States of America). The event, held in cooperation with the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom at the Patriotic Society of 1756, was moderated by journalist Anina Pommerenke.

Landwehr described the general mood and various conflicts, perspectives, and ideologies that concern people on both sides of the Atlantic. With his many years of diverse experience as a student and correspondent in the USA, he was able to clearly and balancedly explain the peculiarities of the American systems (e.g., political or sociopolitical systems) and make them accessible to the audience. His outlook on the upcoming U.S. presidential elections in November 2024 and the future of the USA was well-informed and once again demonstrated that Arthur Landwehr is an expert on American culture, society, and politics.

The event was met with great interest and was quickly fully booked. During the subsequent panel discussion with the audience, the questions for Arthur Landwehr seemed endless. Despite going over the scheduled time, the vast majority of the audience remained in the hall, and Arthur Landwehr answered every question thoroughly. This shows just how much the upcoming U.S. elections are also on the minds of people in Germany.