How Realistic Is Black US General in 1983?
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Archived from the IMDb Discussion Forums — Deutschland 83
sammy45 — 10 years ago(July 23, 2015 11:50 AM)
I guess if he was a four star general it's not that realistic, but I am not sure if he is a four star general.
Also Martin says to Annett that we're having a "baby" (which sounded like a direct loan word from English and I doubt it was used in East Germany? Was it? On the other hand he already had lived in the West for some time so could be just that, or as they are youngsters they'd use the Western speak more anyway since they had access to West German culture) -
sirmildredpierce — 10 years ago(February 29, 2016 02:05 PM)
I'm not sure where you are getting your information. Chappie James acheived four-star status in 1975. Roscoe Robinson got his four stars in 1982. Robinson was the U.S. Military Representative to the NATO Military Committee from 1982-1985 and was the likely inspiration for the character of General Jackson in the show.
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patricialueger-1 — 10 years ago(July 23, 2015 03:35 PM)
Baby is actually a French loanword (bebe)
& used in the German and English language.
It is common in Germany probably since the 1920s .
Black General, why not. There were a lot of black GIs there. Someone who would be able to learn the language as good like General Jackson would have certainly got a higher rank. -
sammy45 — 10 years ago(July 25, 2015 12:19 PM)
Oh, I see regarding baby. Good to know.
Also, my point about the general was mostly based on thinking he could be four star general, as if he was not then certainly there were black generals at that point, but it seems that it would also not be a stretch to have a black four star general there, perhaps also taking into account that a black general working in the UN or NATO (or in other international contexts) would be sort of a representation outwards that USA had solved (at least in large part) racial issues. -
TVRepairMan — 10 years ago(July 23, 2015 10:08 PM)
In 1983 the U.S. Military Representative to the NATO Military Committee was an African-American four-star general named Roscoe Robinson, Jr. He has only been assigned that post in 1982 so I dont think he had a German family, and probably didnt speak fluent German.
http://www.military.com/Content/MoreContent?file=ML_rrobinson_bkp -
dieastra — 10 years ago(November 28, 2015 09:04 AM)
To answer your baby question in a fun way
Here is a German song from 1930. The guy tells the waiter that he'll have two coffee (mocha) for Baby and himself, and a piece of crumble cake.
I remember hearing this song in the radio when I was a child and I was confused and asked my father, how a baby is allowed to drink coffee So yeah, the word "baby" did exist in Eastern Germany.
Although now you got me thinking and he could have just as well said "Wir kriegen ein Kind" (child). My co-worker still references to her already adult daughter as "mein Kind".
