Article

2005-05-23 Europe

Germany poised for national election battle

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Posted by True German Ally 2005-05-23 08:29|| || Front Page|| [3 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 Foreign policy implications?
The Spiegel just whined about that "Chirac's afraid to lose his best friend".
The new government will definitely be more transatlantic and ties to France will cool. Angela Merkel has little sympathy for Chirac, she is the one who supported Iraq against a large majority.
Expect sweeping reforms, a more anglo-saxon approach to Europe.
The past years can't be erased but I hope America will help us on our way back to our old transatlantic friendship.
And please ignore anything the SPD says about the US for the next 4 months.
This time they have no chance to swing people around. Zero credibility and a dismal performance. Bush=Hitler comparisons won't save them, so please just shrug them off if they come.

Posted by True German Ally 2005-05-23 08:37|| 2005-05-23 08:37|| Front Page Top

#2 On pins and needles, TGA.

Posted by badanov">badanov 2005-05-23 08:55|| http://www.rkka.org]">[http://www.rkka.org] 2005-05-23 08:55|| Front Page Top

#3 I know...
So, anyway, my prediction came true: Schroeder won't serve his full term.
And Chirac is going to be a lonely man, with only Zappy keeping him company.

Posted by True German Ally 2005-05-23 08:58|| 2005-05-23 08:58|| Front Page Top

#4 TGA, many Americans like me would like a solid transAtlantic friendship with Germany. Like badanov, I will be on pins and needles hoping that we can find a solid basis for this in the coming few years.

Posted by rkb 2005-05-23 09:59|| 2005-05-23 09:59|| Front Page Top

#5 Hurrah! I always knew the jerries would come around eventually.

Does this mean Joschka Fischer is out too? Oh, happy day.

Posted by gromky 2005-05-23 10:03|| 2005-05-23 10:03|| Front Page Top

#6 Of course Joschka will be out as well and I don't think he has a EU career waiting for him anymore.

So in a week the "EU Constitution" will be history, in 4 months Schroeder will be gone.. and Turkey isy not likely to join the EU either

Posted by True German Ally 2005-05-23 10:14|| 2005-05-23 10:14|| Front Page Top

#7 I wouldn't count too heavily on the EU Constitution being out. I'm sure the dead will rise up to vote in favor of it. It'll be pretty close.

Posted by Fred 2005-05-23 10:21|| 2005-05-23 10:21|| Front Page Top

#8 I know but the Dutch are against it, the British will never vote for it, the Danes neither.

Posted by True German Ally 2005-05-23 11:05|| 2005-05-23 11:05|| Front Page Top

#9 TGA, just let us know when we need to repair to the O-club to watch the election returns, like we did in November.

Posted by Seafarious">Seafarious 2005-05-23 11:08|| 2005-05-23 11:08|| Front Page Top

#10 TGA:

please ignore anything the SPD says about the US for the next 4 months

We pretty much do anyway, TGA, except for our usual snark. (And yes, that's meant as an insult to the SPD. ;-p)

Good luck with your elections. Y'all don't have to agree with us on everything, or even most things, but I hope you can make your way back from the darkness that has overwhelmed you before it's too late.

I loved Germany when I lived there - I'd hate to lose it to what's coming if there's not a huge change in Europe. Soon.

Posted by Barbara Skolaut">Barbara Skolaut 2005-05-23 12:03|| 2005-05-23 12:03|| Front Page Top

#11 No matter how it turns out I will be in the O-club ready to hoist a glass, win or lose, to at least the very hope that Germans will at least be Germans.

Posted by badanov">badanov 2005-05-23 13:59|| http://www.rkka.org]">[http://www.rkka.org] 2005-05-23 13:59|| Front Page Top

#12 TGA thanks for the insight to German politics. I have enough problems trying to understnad ours and we only have two parties (of significance). I can't imagine what a multi-party election would be like except that sham we had back in the 80s tha put Billy Jeff in office TWICE! FYI a the Liberals are feeling the pinch here too. Everytime Howard Dean opens his mouth more peole leave his party (along with their donations).

Posted by Cyber Sarge 2005-05-23 14:12|| 2005-05-23 14:12|| Front Page Top

#13 I would like to know what those who are likely to replace SchrÃ¶der's regime will do about the effort to lift the ban on arms sales to China.

Specifically, will they work as hard to kill this incredibly greedy and short-sighted bit of suicidal madness as SchrÃ¶der & Co did to support it?

What about ongoing tech transfer via commercial sales? Will tech transfer be closely guarded against, with stringent laws on the books - strictly enforced?

[rant]
I once took great pains to point out that it was the German leadership that we should oppose, not the German people. I've even done the same with the French - and was graciously given a pass by the tolerant citizens of RB (thanks!). The effort to sell high-technology to China, some (much?) of which is US originated, is tantamount to an act of war - and in that venue such polite distinctions no longer apply. As with Islam's stealth declaration of war upon the US in '73, again we're looking at a cowardly and craven declaration of war. And war is war, whether from ideological insanity or EUropean greed to save themselves from the logical end their socialist policies bring.

Who among us, pray tell, does not anticipate that someday we (the West) could face off against China? They certainly seem to be expecting it. Dominion is a 6,000 yr old tradition for them... And it's Chinese Dominion they seek - a complete political, economic, and military hegemony, a totalitarian hegemony... whereas America promotes a Dominion of Freedom - a hegemony of free market capitalism underpinned by freedom of communication and representative democracy - the exact opposite. For that moment of decision to arrive, the Chinese must conclude they can either prevail or force a draw or stalemate - in some combination of economically, politically, or militarily. And that conclusion will be largely based upon the advances stolen or sold to them from the West. I don't think I'd want to be a first generation cosmonaut in China, if you know what I mean. For the record, just being the biggest pile of people does not a great anything make. Whether it is a military confrontation or not will almost certainly be decided by the depth and breadth of whatever military technology gap still exists - for if they are clearly outgunned and raw numbers won't prevail then they will think much harder before jumping the shark - allowing that internal politics and shenanigans will influence this moment, of course. This obviously presumes there still is a substantive gap and the EUropeans (or our native whores) haven't given away the farm for a few pieces of silver to save their sorry shopworn socialism from the collapse it so richly deserves.

Additionally, even if this particular self-destructive effort is stopped, the damage can be the same if the EU govts do not have and enforce very strong strictures against ongoing commercial tech transfer, as well - including the much-ridiculed dual use tech. In the end, it's not funny in the least, it's a deadly issue for our children or grandchildren or... This isn't trivial - it is the crux of the biscuit, as Master Zappa once said. Many, many lives depend upon the answers. Those who can't be trusted not to sell the farm must be isolated, ostracized, and allowed to die on the vine. Each state that falls under the weight of its stupidity and greed is a newly minted example of the failure of some combination of socialism, communism, maoism, fascism, ecoism, not-invented-here-ism, or suicidal immigration policy.

I think of the looming failures as Dominatrix Nanny States. Sure, you can have a guaranteed "life", of sorts, and a taste of my strap for good measure. Yes, you may have 50 weeks of vacation this year, but you'll take it where I tell you, when I tell you (heh), and stay in my sister's cousin's run-down hovel at 5-star rates. And like it. And you'll retire to a life of poverty and want. Congratulations, idiots - you killed the golden goose of free market capitalism because you were too blind, too proud, too stupid, too hidebound, too full of "tradition" and "culture" and "customs" (read: serfdom mentality), and too greedy - the cupboard is bare - and will stay that way.

Oh, BTW, you EUropeans are not taking me down with you. I am a free man which, today and tomorrow, means an American, not some Tranzi tool or "Ism" fool. You can join me or jump, while you still have the choice.

Tomorrow, or sometime soon, anyway, we can discuss Russia's death throes, NKor writ very large, as it sinks into oblivion and the tech horrors they will happily put on the auction block. And we owe this to Tsar Putty and both his minions, Cult of Personality idol fans - a more stupid lot is hard to imagine, and his Masters yanking merrily on the visible strings. Wow! So many fun and interesting things afoot, so little time! :-)

Fuck Yeah!
[/rant]

Just sorta wondering, y'know?

Posted by .com 2005-05-23 16:25|| 2005-05-23 16:25|| Front Page Top

#14 A Merkel government would certainly not continue to push the China arms deal. They harshly condemned it.

Posted by True German Ally 2005-05-23 20:34|| 2005-05-23 20:34|| Front Page Top

#15 Hey TGA.

I've been wondering... what's the proper German word for "taking joy in the defeat of Schroeder at the polls?"

I keep thinking that there should be a word, and it should be something like "Schroederfreude."

Posted by Phil Fraering 2005-05-23 21:24|| http://newsfromthefridge.typepad.com]">[http://newsfromthefridge.typepad.com] 2005-05-23 21:24|| Front Page Top

23:50 BH
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21:31 Pappy