For a nation that’s supposedly laden with hard-headed common sense and a strong work ethic but is in fact more left-wing than anything else, Germany has slammed into the wall that bedevils similar political philosophies all over: they’ve run out of other people’s money to spend.
And with what is so common among nations afflicted with a multi-party political system, their latest coalition government has therefore collapsed, crucified by essentially three factors: immigration (and growing popular resistance thereto), insane socio-economic policies fueled by Green eco-nonsense (e.g. an EV mandate which has led to closure of auto factories and concomitant unemployment), and a screaming insistence (via a cordon sanitaire* ) on preventing anything resembling a “Right-wing” party (the Alternative for Germany — AfD) from coming to power, either outright or even by parliamentary coalition. In no small part, this is because the German Left persists in labeling anything not left-wing as “Nazi” or “fascist”, which tactic may be familiar to my Murkin Readers.
The Germans can’t embark on deficit spending so beloved of Leftist governments (e.g. the UK’s Labour Party and the U.S. Democrats), because the German constitution forbids it. Even when they try all sorts of accounting legerdemain, the German courts wag their judicial finger and say, “Nein.”
Of course, the solution is simple: firstly, end the flood of Merkel-enabled immigration (which is proving to be, surprise surprise, an economic drain on even the well-funded German welfare state, not to mention a social flashpoint as the Muslim immigrants are violent and not assimilating into the Kultur ); and secondly, the German government should end the slavish adherence to radical Green policies which, as anyone with common sense knows, are impractical, costly and doomed to failure.
Unfortunately, those initiatives seem to be precisely the two main policies of the AfD political platform. Oops.
For a very clear analysis of all the above, feel free to wander over here.
And thennnnn… there is the looming prospect of a Trump Administration which will refuse to bankroll any of this shit, will insist on Germany spending more on their military NATO obligations (which they can’t afford to do) — and all this with the Russo-Ukranian war raging right on their doorstep.
An historical aside: the leftwing SDP (Social Democrat Party) has been a political disaster pretty much since its inception, despite being traditionally the largest political party in Germany. They pretty much enabled Hitler’s rise to power in the 1930s by refusing to participate in any centrist government coalition, and they remain a political speed bump to this day.
The Krauts are in deep shit: rocks are meeting hard places all over the polity, and it couldn’t have happened to a nicer bunch of eco-insane Socialists.
In this modern German context, a “cordon sanitaire” is shorthand for “stop the AfD from coming to power, by any means necessary”. Hence the parliamentary alliance between three parties with diametrically-opposed philosophies (that has just collapsed).
On the plus side, antisemitism is illegal in Germany. Con, so is anti-islamism.
I’m of German heritage, 1st generation Canadian and my dad often warned me that German Germans were “fucking nuts”. Dad meant it and so rarely used profanity that the concept got imprinted on me.
Visiting family as a young guy in his 20s and 30s in the 1970s and forward I came to completely agree with him. This was especially true as aunts and uncles and my cousins wound up in England, France, Switzerland and Austria after WWII. Those cousins were not nuts and were entirely different people from the Krauts.
Dad got Anglicized then Canadianized as a POW during and after the war, but didn’t fully realize it until 1962 when we all went on a 2 month trip back to Germany with a view to returning permanently. After a week dad called us together and said, “Nope, we’re going home, these Germans are … und so weiter”.
LOL Fred.
One of my Readers was once a senior NATO liaison officer in the US Army, stationed in various places around Germany. He explained the historical background thus: “After WWII, we had to not only de-Nazify the Germans; we also had to try to eliminate German militarism. Unfortunately, we did too good a job at that.”
This was part of a much larger discussion concerning the local council’s ability to tax rainwater.
Did my Army hitch in West Germany ’74-’77. Got to go the range with our sister Bundeswehr unit and qualify on the MG-3. Earned a Schützenschnur in bronze. The post where I was stationed was returned the Germans decades ago. I doubt I would recognize the place today. At least back then, the local watering holes did well come our paydays.
Point of order — Germany doesn’t have a constitution. They have the Basic Law, which was crammed down on them in 1949 in anticipation of a proper German Constitution being drafted, voted on and ratified. That never happened, and as far as I know, there is no intention by the Powers that Be to even start the process now. They like it This Way. Article 148 of Basic Law:
Potato, potahto.
“the … SDP … pretty much enabled Hitler’s rise to power in the 1930s by refusing to participate in any centrist government coalition.”
???
The SPD governed in coalition from 1928 to 1930. During the next two years they tacitly supported Zentrum Chancellor Bruning,who governed by presidential decrees.
After both of the 1932 elections, the Communists and Nazis had over half the seats between them, and neither would join any coalition government they did not lead. Communist leader Thalmann said openly that Nazi triumph would lead to revolution led by the Communists. It was the Communists, not the SPD, that ensured no non-Nazi government could stand.
As I recall, that’s not how William Shirer saw it. Damn, now I’m going to have to re-read Rise And Fall for about the fourth time. I hope you’re satisfied.