Germany megathread

[Middle-aged Europe]

Earlier today I read that France is threatened by energy shortages and power outages this winter, mainly due to many of France's nuclear plants being in bad shape and in need of overhaul. Overhauls that have been dragging on because of the high financial costs involved in such processes. So the supposed virtues of nuclear power certainly have their limits too, and if you think that isn't true you're merely following an ideology too - just an ideology that happens to be different from the Green one. Personally I think the situation is too dire to just latch on to the first opportunity that seems to provide us with the comforting confirmation of what we always knew to be true anyway.

That being said, the German Greens are obviously primarily motivated by a certain uneasiness that they could offend parts of their own long-term core base. So they are trying to carefully tiptoe around the issue, making political concessions at snails speed. Personally, I could stand that these concessions happen a bit faster, but then again they didn't put it up for a vote of the membership - for rather obvious reasons, I suppose.

[Middle-aged Europe]

Not news, just something I found during one of my "research politics and history while pretending to work from home" days.

How 18 - 24 year olds voted in German elections from 1990 to 2021:

Make FDP Last Place Among The Youngs Again

In 2021, the youth vote for the FDP has largely been attributed to an (anti-) lockdown effect. Well, that and the fact that they didn't want to vote for the AfD over this issue, apparently.

[Middle-aged Europe]

I was reading an article from the Guardian about splits in Die Linke, and wanted to ask -
(https://amp.theguardian.com/world/2022/sep/19/germanys-die-linke-on-verge-of-split-over-sanctions-on-russia)

Does this pose the kind of existential threat to the party that it looks like on the surface (to this outsider at least) and inferred by the article? Or will they limp on?

Maybe... dunno. The current situation that a couple of semi-prominent Left members have abandoned the party because of Wagenknecht. A split is widely speculated about, but the party leadership is doing everything in its power to hold it together. I think yesterday or so a meeting of the Left caucus in the Bundestag didn't go as badly as it had been expected beforehand.

[Middle-aged Europe]

^^ Actually, according to some German news articles I had read on the issue these past months, if there is one person within the government that has been instrumental in shaping Scholz' more reluctant Russia doctrine then it is his traditionally pro-Russian foreign policy advisor in the Chancellery, Jens Plötner.

[Middle-aged Europe]

^^

According to latest polling data, Robert Habeck continues to be Germany's most popular politician, and in cases where he isn't he is usually relegated to 2nd place by his Green party colleague Annalena Baerbock. However, it also evident that Habeck's popularity has been in decline ever since Putinflation kicked in. The main reason why he often comes out on top after all is that the popularity of less popular politicians has usually been in decline at the same time. Undoubtedly even Habeck's job has become a lot tougher and his often praised communication skills have started to sometimes falter under the apparent strains of his job. That means gaffes have become more frequent with him.

It also true however that the FDP's insistence to place the costs for the Russia sanctions on the average citizen instead of the German state, large corporations, or more well-off citizens continues to lead us into the dead ends like the much maligned and ultimately unsuccessful Gasumlage.

[Middle-aged Europe]

Why is the German political class so hellbent on doing this fake balancing act between the United States and Russia? In Sweden the social democrats don't have nearly this same problem and, despite often criticizing the United States, still recognized Russia as a threat throughout the Cold War and in the current day. Why are so many German politicians so obsessed with trying to "understand" Russia's "concerns" and apologize for them? Baffling behavior.

Guilt over World War II

Then why does that guilt only lead them to feel an obligation toward Russia, but not toward Ukraine, even as millions of Ukrainians were also killed in WWII?

The issue at hand is whether we should send weapons to Ukraine so that Russian soldiers can be killed with them.

Nobody has proposed to send weapons to Russia so that Ukrainian soldiers can be killed with them.

Not that I agree with the opposition to giving Ukraine military aid/weapons. But I understand where the opposition stems from.

[Middle-aged Europe]

In light of the energy crisis, Germany to extend lifespan of remaining nuclear powerplants. At least for a few months. Decision was just announced by Vice Chancellor and Minister for Economy Robert Habeck. It was a tough call for the Green Party in particular.

https://twitter.com/dwnews/status/1574799224818073600

The Greens' federal convention will be in two weeks. This is gonna be fun. Thank God I'm still on sick leave so that I'll sit this clusterf**k out.

[Middle-aged Europe]

I really wonder who's behind that. I first thought of Russia, though there is no indication so far. Possibly a domestic group.

https://twitter.com/dwnews/status/1578704343716372483

Army general Carsten Breuer has warned of attacks against the critical infrastructure and has urged the population to stock themselves with flashlights and batteries today. Kind of obvious hint, maybe. First pipelines, then the  railroads? Health minister Karl Lauterbach recently came under fire after tweeting that Germany is "at war with Putin", but perhaps this just hit a bit too close to home.

[Middle-aged Europe]

I really wonder who's behind that. I first thought of Russia, though there is no indication so far. Possibly a domestic group.

https://twitter.com/dwnews/status/1578704343716372483

What domestic group do you think it could be? Germany never struck me as a place with lots of domestic terrorism (even if there was some during the Cold War)

Federal law enforcement agencies consider a "political motive" very likely. While left-wing extremists have attacked the rail system before, authorities consider this one of the lesser likely scenarios here. Especially since no confession note surfaced so far. Some sources say an external actor could be responsible.

My theory - and it's just a theory - is that the Russians could be responsible. At least it wouldn't be a surprise. And if so, there's a high probability this was just the beginning.

A number of security experts have by now alluded to a possible Russian culpability. Which means Putin could have launched a new campaign of which the Nord Stream pipelines were merely the opening salvo, and the railroad sabotage is now the second strike.

I just hope our securtiy apparatus is just not too compromised. Better to step up counter-intelligence.

[Middle-aged Europe]

And it's maybe worth pointing out that the SPD also opposes the extension of nuclear power, you know. For the purposes of the traffic light coalition it's Greens/SPD vs. FDP and not Greens vs. SPD/FDP.

[Middle-aged Europe]

Kind of uncharacteristic for Olaf Scholz to make an executive decision of such nature.

Personally, I'm content with the decision because it finally seems to put a never-ending story to rest where I knew for some time now what the most likely outcome would be anyway.

Politically speaking it's (probably) better for the Greens that it happened this way, because now there's no compromise that they had to give their consent on, therefore "betraying their principles" in the process... which maybe is exactly what Scholz and the Greens have agreed upon in a backdoor deal now or something.  Coincidentally, Green environmental minister Steffi Lemke already kind of approved of the decision by tweeting hat Scholz' invocation of Chancellorial powers finally helped bring "clarity" to the issue. Green Bundestag caucus seems less happy, but alas..

[Middle-aged Europe]

A first draft for the legislation to legalize Cannabis has been released.


Posession or purchase would be legal for any adult for amounts up to 20 gram.

THC content is limited to 15% for anyone over 21, and to 10% for 18-to-21 year olds.

Cannabis would be sold through licensed shops or pharmacies.

Private possession of up two Cannabis plants would also be allowed.

[Middle-aged Europe]

Given the level of resistance the port deal is facing from the Greens and the FDP, the EU and the media it's far from certain that it is gonna happen in the end.

[Middle-aged Europe]

Saxony's minister-president and the CDU's top Putin appeaser Michael Kretschmer has said that Germany should start using Russian gas again "as soon as the war is over".

Not surprising coming from someone who also couldn't wait to throw Ukraine under the bus in the past.

[Middle-aged Europe]

A first draft for the legislation to legalize Cannabis has been released.


Posession or purchase would be legal for any adult for amounts up to 20 gram.

THC content is limited to 15% for anyone over 21, and to 10% for 18-to-21 year olds.

Cannabis would be sold through licensed shops or pharmacies.

Private possession of up two Cannabis plants would also be allowed.

Update: A revised draft for Cannabis legalization has passed the federal cabinet. It's apparently even more liberal than the previous one summarized above.

Posession or purchase would now be legal for any adult for amounts up to 30 gram.

Private possession of up to three Cannabis plants would also be allowed.

Actual legislation is subject to approval by the EU Commission, since the plans are technically violating existing agreements against international drug trade.

[Middle-aged Europe]

Absolutely disgusting how people can look at the harm done by alcohol and tobacco, and think that the solution is to make another vice socialy acceptable. And before people bring up gotchas about how people consume drugs illegaly and the casualties from the drug war, the number of people who die from legal tobacco and alcohol make the casualties from the war on drug look minuscule.

As fas as I am concerned, I would consider it a natural antidepressant... judging from personal experience it certainly has less side effects than the actual antidepressants I've taken in the past. Actually, I did lament the fact that Cannabis wasn't legal already when the first COVID lockdowns began. It certainly would have made a lot of things smoother for me. Granted, I could have tried asking a doctor given that medical marijuana is legal here since 2017. But as I understand it, this is only for the "critically ill" and when other forms of therapy have failed. So that seemed like a lot of red tape to cut through. Time to get rid of the red tape.

[Middle-aged Europe]

Anti-depressants are a prescription only medicine that are dispensed only after careful consideration by qualified medical personell.

Um, no, they aren't.

I had three psychiatrists so far and in practically all these cases they almost tried to throw the stuff after me. Due to the side effects involved I personally grew more skeptical of classical antidepressants over time. This doesn't stop psychiatrists from wanting to fill out a prescription against my will at the first sign of a depression... and I'm not even suicidal or (usually) incapacitated to do most of my daily chores or something. At worst I'm on sick leave because I can't do my job for the time being. This leads to the standard behaviour of "I'm going to fill out a prescription for you... just in case... you can of course still decide whether to cash it in at the pharmacy." Acquaintances of mine have reported similar experiences.

So, here's the thing: Prescribing medication is the way psychiatrists are earning their money. It's also how pharmaceutical companies are making a profit. I don't deny that there are critical cases of severe mental illnesses where you don't really have any alternatives to prescribing drugs. But in my experience and those of others they are far to eager in pushing them on to you. Sounds familiar to certain other phenomena in our societies?

Before you know say "then you don't need Cannabis either"... it's a cost-benefit analysis for me. I don't really feel great without antidepressants either. It's still an almost daily struggle, it's diminishing quality of life and sick days have been piling up at times. But I'm weighing it against the side effects of medication where I have made some truly bad experiences too (again, those experiences were apparently more negative than in other cases).

[Middle-aged Europe]

Scholz approves the sale of almost 25% in the Port of Hamburg and also is planning to approve the sale of a German microchip manufacturer to the Swedish subsidiary of a Chinese company.

This is, again, despite the advice of the Bundesverfassungsschutz and many, many others, including those in his own party.

Genuinely at a loss...

Do you perhaps mean Bundesnachrichtendienst? There is no Bundesverfassungsschutz, only the Bundesamt für Verfassungsschutz (Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution), which is usually not concerned with such matters.

Yes, Clarko did mean the Verfassungsschutz, because while the BND is responsible for intelligence gathering in foreign countries, domestic security (including counter-intelligence) falls into the purview of the Verfassungsschutz.

The recommendation of the Verfassungsschutz is mentioned in this article, for instance:

https://www.welt.de/politik/deutschland/article241821377/Chip-Hersteller-Bundesregierung-will-offenbar-weiteren-China-Deal-genehmigen.html

Here you can find out more about the operational field of "Economic-/scientific security" of the Verfassungsschutz:

https://www.verfassungsschutz.de/DE/themen/wirtschafts-wissenschaftsschutz/wirtschafts-wissenschaftsschutz_node.html
(German)

https://www.verfassungsschutz.de/EN/topics/economic-and-scientific-security/economic-and-scientific-security_node.html
(English)

[Middle-aged Europe]

Scholz approves the sale of almost 25% in the Port of Hamburg and also is planning to approve the sale of a German microchip manufacturer to the Swedish subsidiary of a Chinese company.

This is, again, despite the advice of the Bundesverfassungsschutz and many, many others, including those in his own party.

Genuinely at a loss...

The sale of the microchip manufacturer has just been terminated by the federal government. While economics minister Habeck had led it slide in the case of the Hamburg port, he apparently insisted on a federal intervention this time around.

[Middle-aged Europe]

Former East German dissident leader and retired Green MP Werner Schulz died of a heart attack during a Kristallnacht/Fall of Berlin Wall commemorative event (happened on the same day in '38/'89) at the German president's official residence yesterday. The also attending President of the Central Council of Jews in Germany, who happens to be a medical doctor, attempted to resuscitate him, but was ultimately unsuccessful.



In other November 9 news, Kentucky Fried Chicken urged German customers to commemorate the anniversary of the Kristallnacht... with some tasty chicken!

The fast food chain sent an app alert on Wednesday, saying: "It's memorial day for Kristallnacht! Treat yourself with more tender cheese on your crispy chicken. Now at KFCheese!"

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-63499057



Pretty crazy day.

[Middle-aged Europe]

The fact that a country that committed genocide and invaded other countries less than a lifetime ago and has otherwise been quite good about grappling with it is now defending Russia is disgraceful.

Remember they did this last January : https://news.yahoo.com/germany-blocks-nato-ally-estonia-223242052.html

Germany is preventing fellow NATO member Estonia from providing Ukraine with military support by declining to offer export permits for weapons of German origin, The Wall Street Journal reported on Friday.

But the German government has opposed sending weapons to Ukraine to avoid provoking Russia, while also citing Germany's own history of atrocities in the region under the Nazis during World War II.

"Our restrictive position is well known and is rooted in history," Germany's foreign minister, Annalena Baerbock, said while visiting Kyiv this week.

It was - with a hindsight - a bad call.

But quite frankly, I didn't see anything wrong with that position last January myself. Sometime between February 24 and, um, February 26 I guess, I did a complete u-turn though, like a lot of other people around here.

Historical events are a bitch.

[Middle-aged Europe]

Lambrecht should resign or Scholz fire her. Not just that this new year's video was tasteless, she's also incompetent and seems overwhelmed with the job. As were all of her CDU predecessors.

At this point, I think we should have a indepdendent/non-partisan Defense Minister from the outside who's a proven manager of large and complex organisations. In this time, this position isn't a job for a partisan hack. It requires someone with effective managing qualities, knowledge of defense issues and leadership qualities.

https://twitter.com/dwnews/status/1609956411391328258

Sometime earlier today I saw an article (was it the Tagesspiegel, maybe?) which praised air force chief of staff Ingo Gerhartz as one of the few German generals who seems to know that he's doing these days.
 I don't actually know whether we have any laws preventing uniformed personnel from immediately becoming government ministers like the U.S. (without a waiver) does?

[Middle-aged Europe]

Who the hell cares about migrants in 2022

To be honest, I was kind of busy at work today forwarding six e-mails to the state criminal police. Death threats against a politician whose name shall not be named here. Well, and against the politician's children too. Can only deal with one kind of "terrorist" at the same time, and usually the "terrorist" who manages to affect me personally in some way tends to win out here.

[Middle-aged Europe]

Word is out that Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht (SPD) is about resign. I would welcome her exit, she's unfortunately not up to the job.

About time that Lambrecht finally goes. Lackluster defence ministers are bad enough, but it's even worse in an ongoing international crisis situation like Ukraine.

Ironically (but perhaps not so coincidentally in a final-nail-in-the-coffin kind of way?) it came the same day a ZDF-Politbarometer poll showed that 60% of the population and 50% of the SPD electorate wanted Lambrecht's resignation.

[Middle-aged Europe]

Word is out that Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht (SPD) is about resign. I would welcome her exit, she's unfortunately not up to the job.

And Eva "terrorist attacks are so funny" Högl is reported to become her successor.

Another candidate has been mentioned to replace her: Siemtje Möller (SPD).



I don't know much about her, but it's good to see Christine "Fettnäpfchen" Lambrecht gone soon.

Both Möller and Högl would probably be more qualified to serve as defence minister anyway due to prior defence policy assignments during their tenures as MPs in the Bundestag. Möller is also currently serving as an undersecretary at the defence ministry.

The fact that Lambrecht became defence minister in 2021 in the first place instead of Möller or Högl can most likely be attributed to internal SPD party politics bullsh**t. Lambrecht had been justice minister in the final Merkel cabinet and giving her defence was a essentially a way of not demoting her by shuffling her to a ministry that happened to be available at the time. SPD had gotten defence and FDP had gotten justice under the 2021 coalition agreement, Lambrecht herself is in fact a lawyer and former long-time member of the judiciary committee though. Lambrecht's allegiance to the SPD's left wing had probably also played a role in her appointment - it was deemed necessary in order to give all internal SPD factions a sufficient number of government positions. While more qualified, Möller and Högl are members of more right-wing factions in the SPD.

Both Germany's and Ukraine's military had to suffer in the process.