Election Time In Germany

hello,
just 3 years after the last elections we have new ones

why? cuz the chancelor doesn't like the situation in germany, cuz almost every state (16 states by the way) is governed by the opposition-party.

today evening is the TV-Contest, something we copyd from you
and the opposition-party is going to win the elections

and our new chancelor will probably be a woman, notice the name: ANGELA MERKEL, someone from the former GDR...

my question to you: is that something discussable in the us?

 

I would like to believe that anything is open to discussion here in the good old US of A.

Some have gone PC on us, and now and then there is an outcry from "that" quarter. Go ahead and post what you have to say, and find out where it will land.

 

I have always wondered if the political statements of Gerhardt Schroeder are representative of the "average" German, if there is such a person. I have no opinion of Angela Merkel. I saw her on television the other day and she seemed to make sense.

It is difficult for a non-resident to properly judge foreign politicians or national events. Most Europeans don't seem to understand America, so I asume that any assessment that I might make regarding European events and attitudes would be off the mark. Unfortunately, I would never know why.

What should we be looking for in the upcoming general election?

 

Discussable - sure, why not?
Discussed - not really ;-)

At least that has been my impression. As for tonight's "duel" show, well, we have had such debates on TV in previous years, and I do not think they are very substantial. This time was ... well, maybe not worse but certainly not better either.

@quick dog: If the chancellor was directly elected, the next one would be Schröder (SPD) again. But in terms of party preference, and that is what counts, Merkel's CDU is quite likely to get enough votes for a government coalition with the FDP.

This time there is no such issue such as an imminent war (Schröder's party profited from its No to a possible US war in Iraq) or the terrible flood disaster that we had in summer 2002 (the crisis management helped Schröder's party win shortly afterwards). This time the focus is on the country's economic situation - we face problems such as record unemployment rates, and elder care and health care systems that have become way too expensive.

My impression (and of course all this is very rough) is that many people do not expect the current government coalition to be able to address - much less solve - those problems. So what do you do? Vote for the others ...

Christian

 

Very little is discussed in the US now. The major media just jams down our throats their viewpoints and thier viewpoints often become the story with no regards to the truth.

 

What is happening in Germany and Austria with the Turkish immigration issue? I was in Austria a few years ago and there seemed to be an under-current of resentment between Middle Eastern immigrants and germanic Austrians. The tension was palpable in some areas.

Unfettered illegal immigration will surely be the next big American political battlefield. This is a super hot issue here, at least with the avergae western citizen. Politicians, mostly hacks, have avoided this important issue with extreme vigor.

 

Most of the Turks who live here are legal immigrants. As for the acceptance, well, that is a difficult issue. In West(ern) Germany immigration has been a gradual process since the 1960s or so, and people got used to the fact that Turkish workers and their families came here. Nowadays in big cities such as Frankfurt, Munich and Cologne, more than one fifth of the population are migrants.

In the Eastern states that was (and to some extent is) different. That kind of migration was virtually unknown in the GDR, and in cities such as Leipzig or Dresden there still are relatively few immigrants (but many compared to before 1990). Nowadays immigrants can get German citizenship more easily than 10 or 20 years ago, which IMO is basically a good thing. However, that does not automatically mean they are actually integrated. It's rather two (or more) parallel societies ...

Another issue is the effects of last year's enlargement of the European Union. Legally, any EU citizen can work anywhere in the EU, but Germany and Austria (and some other older member states) insisted on long transition periods for most of the "newbies". So currently a company in Germany could not simply hire a worker from Poland or Slovakia. However, those limitations do not apply to self-employed people. And, surprise, we now have quite a few one-man "companies" that will work for much less. In France the "Polish plumber" became proverbial.

Even if the people don't come here, there is now a lot of economic competition between, say, "expensive" Austria and "cheap" Slovakia. Again, basically a positive effect, but at least the short term effects are painful ...

Christian

 

That's interesting.

In America, the biggest immigrant group is Mexican, and to a lesser extent Asians and Central Americans. In general, workers from these areas are embraced, perhaps more than just welcome. However, without effective and systematic immigration controls, social services of all kinds are stretched beyond the elastic limit. Mexican-based crime is beyond belief. The Mexican government is almost complicit. Five major hospitals with emergency rooms have closed in Los Angeles this year because the hospitals must treat anyone that staggers through the Emergency Room doors. That is how people on the fringe of legitimate society seek medical care.

The derivative western European culture in some parts of the Nation is being swamped by third-world residents. Euro-Americans are now the minority in California, which has at least 33 million residents. There are so many illegal residents that the authorities are uncertain as to the real numbers. Parts of southern and central California resemble a third-world Latin American country. The culture here has been modified, and not for the best. In addition to the negative social and economic impacts of illegal immigration, there now exists a clear and present danger from the potential entry of Islamic terrorists. This place is wide open.

The United States seldom acts before catastrophic events force changes. We will be hammered some day by another major terrorist attack. Then perhaps Congress and the President will make efforts to secure the borders. It is my understanding that Congresspersons from around the United States have been getting an earful from angry constituents while home on Congressional recess. There may be some serious immigration reforms when Congress returns from Summer recess.

 

Both parties' elite are guilty of what is going on with the illegal immergation. I guess no one wants to lose the spanish vote but the spanish in Florida make up a large percentage of the middle class and higher and they have voiced disapproval of what is going on as well so maybe there is a vote to gain and not lose. My views are simple, no need to build a wall. No need to hire more immergration officers. It is really simple. Take away the benefits of being an illegal american.
1.
If you are illegal, your kids are not allowed in public schools, ( which is costing us a fortune with ESOL as well as the basic costs per student with no tax coming from that family),
2.
If you illegal no free housing.
3.
If you illegal no free college.
4.
If you illegal no free medical.
5.
If you illegal no welfare check, WIC, or food stamps.
6.
If you illegal and get arrested doing a crime, the sentence is doubled.

 

During an election campaign, people sometimes say dumb things. Happened again earlier this week ... Two days ago, the minister of social affairs in the SW German state of Baden-Württemberg, Andreas Renner, said during a visit to some local factory, that Bush should be shot down.

He immediately retracted that, explaining that he did not mean it in a literal sense. And actually, if you search the web for the term "gehört erschossen", you will get many hits: People may use the colloquial but quite drastic expression when they think that somebody did a bad job. That could even be a lousy concert ("the first violinist should be shot") or stage premiere.

Renner said that with regard to the way the Katrina disaster was handled in the first few days. As I wrote elsewhere, hardly anybody here can understand that last week it took several days until the US government finally accepted German emergency aid. And yet, somebody in a responsible political position should know that such terms are inappropriate.

Two more news items - first, depending on the election results, we may end up with a Big Coalition of Merkel's CDU and Schröder's SPD. That would only happen if no other constellation gets a >50 percent majority of the seats. Well, I hope it does not come to that.

And then, in the city of Dresden, Saxony, the election will be a little late, maybe two or three weeks. The local candidate of a small right wing party just died, of a heart attack or so. In other words, the final election results won't be out until early/mid October ...

Christian

 

I truly mean no offense, but when a German talks about shooting someone down, people might tend to listen.

 

Well, in most of Europe (except the UK maybe) people know that 2005 is not 1935 or '45. Nevertheless, even if he never meant it literally (and I do believe that), he just cannot say such things. If I say that about a soprano who hardly ever hits the right note, it is OK - pretty rough but people will know what I meant. If I said it about a statesman who quite a few people in this world are actually ready to kill, that has quite a different "quality".

Christian

 

It would appear that a lot of people in Germany likeMerkel's tax reform plan, but fear how she will obtain the numbers needed to fulfill her promises. Paul Kirchliof didn't help matters any with his statements.

When Merkel out shouts Schroedr and then calles his a Liar in open session, the air must have turned three shades of blue.

Right now it would appear that she may not get that majority needed and will need to form a coalition with Schrodedr's APD. That would really be fun to watch....at a far distance.

observations as seen from this side of the pond.

 

I know nothing, I see nothing, I hear nothing....shutz from Hogan's heros. Was a toy factory owner before the war. Not a true story of course but Col. Klint in real life was a holocaust surviour. At least that was what a playbill stated at a play I saw him in many years ago. Seriously, I think Germany is still living the high life to make serious changes in anything. Then again, I'm not on the street so my feelings on the matter mean nothing. Yet I still stated them. Go figure.

 

Looks like germany just made the "Axis of Evil" list!!!

 

Kirchhof's suggestion of a "flat" income tax is certainly controversial. Traditionally you pay more taxes (also in terms of percent) if you make more money. A flat rate, combined with cutting down the many exceptions and deductions, may actually not be that bad. I just fear that due to pressure from lobbyists etc. we could end up with a flat tax and still have quite a few loopholes for those who make a lot.

As for a CDU-SPD coalition, I hope it does not come to that. In theory it may be "the two big parties working together to address the country's problems". In practice I do not believe that such a coalition would work well.

Christian

 

To some extent that is true, in other regards it is not. Think of the combination of unemployment insurance and welfare (Hartz IV) for example, the health care reform or the more flexible conditions for hiring people. The competition from the new EU member states has certainly contributed to that development. I think that pretty much everybody here knows the measures taken so far are not sufficient. But if you look at how different labor cost in the European Union currently is, things look fairly grim in at least in the short and mid term view ...

Christian

 

Well Christian you definitly would know more on the subject of Germany then I would but I would hope that Germany would get away from the socialism welfare type of programs for as an outsider I always respected the Traditional German Work Ethic and high level of Skill and it would be a shame if the world was to lose that.

 

Germany was the original hub on the Axis in question. Bush just borrowed the term.

 

This won't be the case if Gerhard Schröder and Herr Fischer get back into office. Fisher is quoted as saying "the people don't need responsibility." He figures that the state should provide all that is needed.
On the other hand, you got Angela Merkel who seems to be a little shakey on her domestic programs and how she will pay for the items. Foreign relations might be a little better between this side of the ocean and the other side, but just barely. She is taking a hard line on allowing Turkey into EU membership.
It should be interesting on the 18th.