SPD sellout complete: Merkel becomes chancellor

[Sava]

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui


What, the socialist party line? You don't realize that Ecthy is probably farther left than you, right?

perhaps... as chegitz is fond of pointing out, I'm really not a lefty... just a Bush/repub hater

I didn't want to get into a whole debate about German economics.

My main point was that Ecthy was basically just BAMing and not providing anything resembling an argument based on fact.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Nevertheless... when lefty's say that there needs to be regulation reforms, I usually sit up and listen .

[techumseh]

They're not leftys, not no more. That's the point, see?

[Imran Siddiqui]

Originally posted by techumseh
They're not leftys, not no more. That's the point, see?

Why isn't Ecthy not a lefty anymore? Because he realizes Germany needs reforms? He's not exactly backing Bush or anything.

[Sava]

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui
Nevertheless... when lefty's say that there needs to be regulation reforms, I usually sit up and listen .

they've been duped by the man!

[Imran Siddiqui]

You've been duped by your own mind .

[Sava]

NO IT'S TEH MAN AGAIN! HE IS IN MY HEAD TOO!

[techumseh]

You can't define the Left as anything left of Bush. Something left of Bush is the Right. And no, neither Ecthy or the SPD are Left. Not no more.

[Ecthy]

Am I not backing Bush?

Sava, there's a difference between trying to make a point and having no arguments, and trying to explain the basics of where the debate is and having no arguments.

[Sikander]

Originally posted by Sava
chegitz is correct

none of this "reform" makes any sense...

Germany is going to shoot itself in the foot.

I just hope the German people don't suffer too much because of idiotic "pro-business" policies that will hurt working people.

Get back to tending your crop!

[Spiffor]

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui
Why isn't Ecthy not a lefty anymore? Because he realizes Germany needs reforms? He's not exactly backing Bush or anything.

Ecthy seems to drift to the right, which is something that comes primarily from a change in mentality. Considering that he is unable to back his assertions, his drift to the right isn't due to a genuine reflexion about what precise policies are needed for Germany, but is due to a change in his worldview.

As to Bush: he isn't the focus of non-American political scenes you know . The consensus I could see in Germany is that you either hate him or ignore him.

[Imran Siddiqui]

he isn't the focus of non-American political scenes you know

/me looks at Schroder's last campaign before this one.

Could have fooled me

[Spiffor]

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui
* Imran Siddiqui looks at Schroder's last campaign before this one.

Yup, the Yanks believe the previous campaign was only about Bush-bashing. That's because that one item hid all the other issues to you guys. It's pretty normal that you focus on the issue that's about you, but it doesn't mean that it was the only one, or even the most important one.

[dannubis]

spiffor, you're talking to an american here

[Spiffor]

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui
And Spiffor, in response to you, Colon's and Oerdin's last posts have been on the mark. The co-determination policy which has led to a preferred position of the unions have greatly hurt the German economy. The '76 Co-determination Act has to be scaled down in some ways. Having equal numbers of employee representatives on the supervisory boards of companies only leads to gridlock in the hiring and firing of employees due to economic dictates.

I have a fairly different appreciation about that one. Personally, I am under the impression that the Germans are striking more and more, meaning that they have to flex their muscle to obtain anything.

Back when co-determination was something serious (rather than considered as an obstacle by execs solely obsessed by financial results), the Unions could get something by talking, which is why there were so few strikes in Germany, especially in contrast to France or Italy.

If anything, the need to strike shows that the unions are tendencially losing their bargaining power, and are trying to keep it by these means.