Schröder's coalition near collapse over leak?

[Fidel]

US Secretary of Defence Donald Rumsfeld offended the French and Germans by calling them, and others who stood against the US strategy on Iraq, "old Europe".

AGAINST THE WAR
77% Irish

72% Portuguese

78% Finns

79% Danes

79% Italians

81% Luxembourgers

81% Swedes

85% Austrians

He saw the countries of "new Europe" further east as the more willing allies.

That is true of the political leaders of Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic and the "Vilnius Ten", all of whom have signed public letters of support for the US lead.

Yet public opinion in eastern Europe is even more hostile to war than in the west.

A Gallup International poll of a few days ago found low support in the region for war, even if sanctioned by the UN - just 38% in Romania, 28% in Bulgaria and 20% in Estonia.

The figure for Russia was 23%.

(BBC)

[Az]

I support the war, not gladly, but because of a feeling of necessity. The problem is that we can take several courses of action:

1) Retain the status quo: sanctions are in place, the "food for oil" program is still being abused by saddam, people are still dying of deseases.
2) releive the sanctions: another war in the middle east in 5 years tops. Saddam will use oil reveniew to revamp his army, and to build nukes, and it's known that he tries to aquire them.
3) go to war, and try to make it a better place, using oil reveniew.

I am not thrilled by the idea that the US will gain even MORE global power, and certainly not by the prospect of facing a ballistic missile attack in the upcoming war, but I feel that this will be a good thing, on the whole.

[TheStinger]

However those figures change if the UN agree.

But the UN agreeing depends on 1 country France. So in effect the rest of Europe are saying that they agree to war if the French do. Why are the French suddenly the self appointed moral arbiters of europe

[Fidel]

Originally posted by TheStinger
However those figures change if the UN agree.

But the UN agreeing depends on 1 country France. So in effect the rest of Europe are saying that they agree to war if the French do. Why are the French suddenly the self appointed moral arbiters of europe

well it was british who insisted on giving french permanent seat. stalin was so appalled that you had to concede him two more seats in the general assembly for ukraine and belorussia ,so SU had three votes

[HershOstropoler]

Originally posted by Gatekeeper
I'm not sure what to think, especially after reading and hearing about a respected poll conducted in Germany where approximately 56 percent of the respondents considered the American people to be warmongers.

I think the question related to "America". Had it been asked about the american government, you'd have got maybe 80 %. And have to wonder what the other 20 % are smoking.

IIRC the question about Saddam's credibility recieved 1 % on the positive side.

Of course if you want to see everything in terms of absolute good vs absolute evil....

[TheStinger]

Originally posted by LaRusso


well it was british who insisted on giving french permanent seat. stalin was so appalled that you had to concede him two more seats in the general assembly for ukraine and belorussia ,so SU had three votes

I'm not sure if that is in anyway relevant

[Fidel]

well french veto is also irrelevant. dubbya will go to war no matter what

[Solly]

The right-wingers should have been elected in Germany. That way the necessary reforms of the labour laws and bureaucracy would be carried out.

[Fidel]

actually it was their left that reformed pension system

[Solly]

It's not been reformed ffs. Germany has one of the worst pension problems in Europe looming.

[Harovan]

Originally posted by Azazel
did any of you German people read about the report by German intelligence that Iraq is indeed developing WMD?

I think it was in Focus. Is Focus a respectable magazine?

"Focus" is a good political magazine. As oedo mentioned, it has more neat pictures, less comments and is a bit seen as the "Spiegel" for the simple-minded. But it is respectable.

Not so "Bild", which is mentioned in the quote in the first post. "Bild" is yellow press at its worst, and I wouldn't give a wet fart about what they write.

[oedo]

"Focus" is a good political magazine. As oedo mentioned, it has more neat pictures, less comments and is a bit seen as the "Spiegel" for the simple-minded. But it is respectable.

Not so "Bild", which is mentioned in the quote in the first post. "Bild" is yellow press at its worst, and I wouldn't give a wet fart about what they write.

hmm, probably everyone should make a judgment on his own. here´s the link to their homepage: http://focus.msn.de/

btw. does anyone still think Daniel will win the superstar contest? http://news.focus.msn.de/G/GN/gn.htm...treamsnr=9&q=3

[Harovan]

Originally posted by Boddington's
The right-wingers should have been elected in Germany. That way the necessary reforms of the labour laws and bureaucracy would be carried out.

The right-wingers were in power 16 years, 1982-1998. They cared a rats ass about reforms of labour laws, taxes, health, welfare and pensions. Care to explain this?

[Solly]

And why is unemployment rising under Schroeder then?

[oedo]

Originally posted by Boddington's
And why is unemployment rising under Schroeder then?

because Kohl was better than Schröder, in almost any way. he was more competent, more diplomatic, more trustworthy, more charismatic.....*sigh*

another reason: Schröders SPD is our labour party while CDU (Kohl) represent the conservatives. that´s why SPD has to follow the demands of the labour unions in germany. CDU could mainly ignore them. a crucial difference, which can explain a lot.