Slog
News & ArtsWednesday, September 2, 2009
International The Swing
Posted by Charles Mudede on Wed, Sep 2, 2009 at 4:26 PM
First the United States, then Japan, and now Germany:
(World Socialist Web Site) The results of the three state elections held in Germany last Sunday provide a glimpse into the real state of social relations in the country.The world is swinging to the left.In both Saarland and Thuringia, where a change of state government and politics seemed possible, considerably more voters turned out than five years ago. In both states the ruling Christian Democratic Union (CDU) suffered dramatic losses, which the free market Free Democratic Party (FDP) could only exploit to a small degree. In the two states where the CDU previously had an absolute majority, the collapse of support for the conservatives was so pronounced that it now lacks the means to form a coalition with the FDP.
In Thuringia, the Left Party and Social Democratic Party (SPD) together won enough votes to form a state government. In Saarland, the SPD and Left Party will form a government with the support of the Greens.
1
Yes it is.
Except here where old white guys are allowed to pump money into elections and monopolize the airways under the guise of "equal debate" - there you get five views from five parties and you realize the Birther Tin Hat Brigade people are totally out of the mainstream - here they show up on the nightly news.
Except here where old white guys are allowed to pump money into elections and monopolize the airways under the guise of "equal debate" - there you get five views from five parties and you realize the Birther Tin Hat Brigade people are totally out of the mainstream - here they show up on the nightly news.
2
One especially striking thing about the German state elections is that, kind of for the first time, the SPD (social democrats) and Greens are considering forming actual governing coalitions including the Left Party. The Left Party is the successor party to the East German communist party (SED), and it has been generally taboo so far to consider the Left Party as a coalition partner. So this is a bit of new ground.
5
I wonder if they've seen how badly the loony American Jeebus-Tin-Hatter-Republicans have run America (and the rest of the world) into the ground and decided to reject there own German Jeebus-Tin-Hatter-CDU....
6
@5, in conjunction with @4, their right (the CDU right that is) is to the left of our Democratic Party. The scary right in Europe (but not Germany so much) is the nativist, explicitly racist Le Pen/Pim Fortuyn/Joerg Haider, who despite the scare stories never really got a foothold, perhaps because they, unlike their US counterparts, were so explicit about their racist leanings. Here, it's easier for the kooks to get behind a chameleon like George Bush than to carry forward with David Duke or whatever (though the Italians have had success with Berlusconi, whose ideology is most accurately described as "a fucking crook"). Also, Fortuyn and Haider are dead, and Le Pen is in his 80s; the kook right is short on new leadership right now. Though the resurgent BNP in Britain bears watching closely.
Another fun fact: extreme right-wing racist kooks in Europe are often gay (Haider, Pim). Won't see that in the US anytime soon.
Another fun fact: extreme right-wing racist kooks in Europe are often gay (Haider, Pim). Won't see that in the US anytime soon.
7
2010 is going to be really depressing for the GOP when they find out why exactly Obama's not polling very well right now.
8
Do you take Obama as evidence of this as well? He's not very left at all. Total Clintonian centrism. Just sayin'...
10
1. having a Sierra Club guy beat Mayor Nickels in a primary by taking a strong anti highway spending position is certainly evidence of Seattle moving slightly more gauche-verdant.
2. Um, doesn't look like this was covered in Slog today -- maybe it was...anyways
http://www.examiner.com/x-14432-King-Cou…
2. Um, doesn't look like this was covered in Slog today -- maybe it was...anyways
http://www.examiner.com/x-14432-King-Cou…
11
SLOG should not confuse populism with leftism.
They are not the same.
People still want jobs, cars, highways and big houses.
They will vote for whoever gives those to them.
They are no overly fond of light rail, small condoes, urbs or all the rest of the design garbage that the American Left assumes They all want.
People aren't rejecting consumerism...they are just looking for a better mall.
12
@ Fnarf,
I didn't think Pim Fortuyn was as racist (or conservative) as he was anti-Muslim. I thought he believed that a very liberal country should beware of letting immigrants from very conservative Muslim countries in because "...that this is the kind of Trojan horse of intolerance the Dutch are inviting into their society in the name of multiculturalism." He also described Muslim countries as "hostile" and "backwards". In everything else he was extremely liberal. And while he hated Islam, enjoyed schtupping Moroccan/African men.
I didn't think Pim Fortuyn was as racist (or conservative) as he was anti-Muslim. I thought he believed that a very liberal country should beware of letting immigrants from very conservative Muslim countries in because "...that this is the kind of Trojan horse of intolerance the Dutch are inviting into their society in the name of multiculturalism." He also described Muslim countries as "hostile" and "backwards". In everything else he was extremely liberal. And while he hated Islam, enjoyed schtupping Moroccan/African men.
13
"Why is that undead ayn rand?"
The "beltway insider" proclamations and GOP assumptions that the popular dissatisfaction with Obama is that he's just too darn liberal.
The "beltway insider" proclamations and GOP assumptions that the popular dissatisfaction with Obama is that he's just too darn liberal.
14
In the last elections in Germany (and in general- Europe) we had a big shift to the right- for local elections and the European Parliament. This was maybe 6 months ago, so don't read too much in to a shift back to the left.
15
Seriously?
Mr. "Cold Europeans" Mudede is going to comment on European politics without explaining which side is the more "joyous", "happy", "smiling", and well, "African?"
On the other hand, the fact that there is still a (World Socialist Web Site) makes me just a little bit giddy, but it will pass very soon.
Mr. "Cold Europeans" Mudede is going to comment on European politics without explaining which side is the more "joyous", "happy", "smiling", and well, "African?"
On the other hand, the fact that there is still a (World Socialist Web Site) makes me just a little bit giddy, but it will pass very soon.
16
So will their leftist politicians actually make their own policy and do what they were hired to do or will they just take it up the ass from the right wingers like ours do?
17
@13 - correct, the reason why America is unsatisfied with Obama and Congress recently is they're to the right of where America wants to be.
Three-quarters of American citizens WANT single payer national health care.
They WANT DC to listen to them, not to the Big Pharma and Big Insurance lobbyists.
Three-quarters of American citizens WANT single payer national health care.
They WANT DC to listen to them, not to the Big Pharma and Big Insurance lobbyists.
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