Big Congrats to our German friends on the FDP win!

[Austrian Econ Disciple]

I couldn't even imagine trying to work in such an environment. 76 Commies, 68 Enviro-marxists (In other words, humans are less important than the environment....you know what this entails), and the rest Socialists....well not much different than the US today, at least they call themselves what they are.

Imagine the uproar if say, Adam Kokesh gave his speech over there

 

[Bradley in DC]

The Economist

on the election

http://www.economist.com/world/europe/displayStory.cfm?story_id=14530467&source=features_box_main

 

[Pericles]

As usual, The Economist gets it right. I'd suggest the current trend in western politics is movement away from the "traditional" political parties toward smaller parties with a clearly defined platform based on one guiding principle. The muddle of "responsible governing" has lost credibility with the economic events of the last two years.

 

[Bradley in DC]

French liberal take on the big FDP win:

http://networkedblogs.com/p13020293

automated translation here:
http://babelfish.yahoo.com/translat...ogs.com/p13020293&lp=fr_en&btnTrUrl=Translate

 

[Bradley in DC]

Good article on the FDP

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/29/world/europe/29germany.html?th&emc=th

The Free Democrats’ campaign platform called for more than $50 billion in tax cuts, more than twice what Mrs. Merkel’s Christian Democrats promised. Yet, even the more modest figure could be hard to achieve without deep and unpopular reductions in social spending; deficits have soared as a result of the economic crisis and the government stimulus plan meant to combat its effects.

For many of the postwar years the Free Democrats were a swing vote in a Parliament dominated by the country’s two major parties, the Christian Democrats and the Social Democrats. But the Free Democrats were out of power for the last 11 years, a stretch in the opposition that allowed the party to sharpen its stands for lower taxes and against bureaucratic red tape.

(I alluded to this dynamic in my HuffPo review of For Liberty)

 

[Bradley in DC]

Lostpolitik
Oct 1st 2009
From Economist.com

Will the Free Democrats quell east Europe's fears?

http://www.economist.com/world/europe/displayStory.cfm?story_id=14539119

. . . This weekend’s election offers a glimmer of light. The Social Democrats are out and the liberal Free Democrats (FDP) are in. Their leader, Guido Westerwelle (pictured at right, above), is likely to be Germany’s new foreign minister. Although a foreign-policy novice, one of his few notable campaigns was against Mr Schröder’s business dealings. The ex-chancellor fought a lengthy legal battle to gain an injunction preventing Mr Westerwelle from repeating allegations of improper conduct.

It would be premature for the east Europeans to pin much hope on Mr Westerwelle. Even in the days of his FDP predecessor, the legendary Hans-Dietrich Genscher, it was the federal chancellery, not the foreign ministry, that largely decided Germany’s foreign policy. Freed from the baleful influence of the Social Democrats, Mrs Merkel may be tougher with Russia on some issues. But Germany’s business lobby is the biggest supporter of the “Russia First” policy. And conservatives in Mrs Merkel’s CDU/CSU have the closest ties to German industry.

What could make a difference is having a solidly pro-nuclear German government. If Germany makes serious plans to extend the lives of its nuclear power stations, it reduces the country’s dependence on imported Russian gas—the cornerstone of the “special relationship” between Berlin and Moscow. Perhaps countries such as Poland, which love whinging about energy security but have been slow in doing anything practical, may then get round to following Germany’s example. Just don’t expect gratitude.

 

[Monolithic]

by the next election the SDP will form a coalition with The Left and The Greens, they say right now they won't form with the left because of the stigma of the former GDR in Die Linke but its been inevitable for awhile now and this will only increase the likelyhood

wouldnt be surprised if eventually Die Linke overtakes SDP as the leading left leaning party in germany, in some states they already are

 

[Austrian Econ Disciple]

You would think German's would learn from their former Soviet days.....(If people, exposed and ruled tyrannously just 40 years prior, still accept and vote for the same atrocious ideologies that consumed them....)is the world doomed?

 

[Flash]

You would think German's would learn from their former Soviet days.....(If people, exposed and ruled tyrannously just 40 years prior, still accept and vote for the same atrocious ideologies that consumed them....)is the world doomed?

East Germans (former Soviets) are largely followers of the Nationalist parties. Unfortunately their western counterpart (who never suffered under the USSR) is filled with multiculturalists-Liberalist nonsense.

 

[Monolithic]

East Germans (former Soviets) are largely followers of the Nationalist parties. Unfortunately their western counterpart (who never suffered under the USSR) is filled with multiculturalists-Liberalist nonsense.

unless Die Linke is nationalist i think you're pretty wrong here, unless you're thinking of the NDP who don't have that much representation

you can say Die Linkes support in east germany including east berlin is pretty big

 

[Bradley in DC]

lefty mourns SDP loss

http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/hendrikhertzberg/2009/10/a-social-democratic-sigh.html