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[Fritz]

SPD is still a party with no guts/spine. We don't call them "Verräterpartei" without merit.

I don't really know if Schulz can change anything about that. Lesser of two evils I guess.

Who calls them that?


Sounds fucking fatuous at best.

 

[la_briola]

Who calls them that?

Those who think that the SPD forgot what the S in the name stands/stood for.

Always appropriate https://youtu.be/8vFL0QWxugI (starts at ~1:20)

 

[fabricated backlash]

Who calls them that?
.

People who still believe in the "Dolchstoß Legende"?

 

[Xater]

Who calls them that?

Stammtischbesucher.

 

[Fantastapotamus]

This. Austria very conveniently positioned itself as Nazi-Germany's first "victim" / "annexation"

While this is definitely true, the idea of Austria being Germany's first "victim" actually is of British origin afaik. They came up with this, well, lie to give Austria a chance to separate itself from Germany because they were worried that the guilt and shame both countries were about to suffer could lead to another reunion between the two.
Austria being able to say "Naw, it was the bad Germans all along!" is a complete and utter lie but was a pretty smart and possibly necessary move back then.

 

[oti]

I'll add this here instead of making a new thread.

Germans are more concerned about U.S. President Donald Trump’s policies than they are about Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to a poll.

Trump is viewed with concern by 78 percent of respondents in Germany, an increase from 62 percent in January, according to the FG Wahlen poll for ZDF television. Fifty-eight percent take a similar view of Putin’s policies, while 40 percent expressed no major concern about the Russian president.

https://www.bloomberg.com/politics/...mans-more-than-putin-in-poll-of-election-mood

German source:

Sorgen über die Politik von Trump und Putin

Inzwischen bereitet die Politik von US-Präsident Donald Trump 78 Prozent (Januar: 62 Prozent) aller Deutschen (sehr) große Sorgen, lediglich 19 Prozent sehen das nicht so. Ähnliches sagen über die Politik des russischen Präsidenten Wladimir Putin nur 58 Prozent, während 40 Prozent dessen Politik keine großen Sorgen macht.

http://www.forschungsgruppe.de/Umfragen/Politbarometer/Archiv/Politbarometer_2017/Februar_2017/

 

[Dangansona]

My girlfriend says she doesn't usually vote SPD but thinks she is going to vote for Schulz. I don't know enough about him to know if that's a good thing but interesting that he's convincing people outside the party to vote for him.

But then again that's probably more common in Germany than in America ^^`

 

[Nibel]

SPD is still a party with no guts/spine. We don't call them "Verräterpartei" without merit.

lmao

 

[la_briola]

My girlfriend says she doesn't usually vote SPD but thinks she is going to vote for Schulz. I don't know enough about him to know if that's a good thing but interesting that he's convincing people outside the party to vote for him.

But then again that's probably more common in Germany than in America ^^`

Many don't want the SPD, they just want Schulz (which I can understand, I found him also to be a positive force in Europa).
The question is, can he now change anything about the party?
He is after all a close friend of Gabriel.

Time will tell.

 

[Fantastapotamus]

SPD is still a party with no guts/spine. We don't call them "Verräterpartei" without merit.
Their blatant attempt to mimic the CDU in all by name is kinda disgusting for some time now.

I have never heard anybody call them that and I know some people who are really unhappy with the SPD

 

[Orniletter]

This thread is a sobering reminder that I don't know shit about European politics since I thought Merkel was left.

She is "centre right" by European standards (though, she has moved further and further to the left as time went on).

She'd be a Clinton-esque democrat in american politics,

 

[mnz]

Hehe

 

[la_briola]

I have never heard anybody call them that and I know some people who are really unhappy with the SPD

It's even the #1 entry on duckduckgo :lol

edit: google doesn't list spd.de on the first page, sad!

 

[Muffin1611]

SPD is still a party with no guts/spine. We don't call them "Verräterpartei" without merit.
Their blatant attempt to mimic the CDU in all by name is kinda disgusting for some time now.

I don't really know if Schulz can change anything about that. Lesser of two evils I guess.

Ahahahahahahaha

Spoiler

No seriously, who besides the AfD and their followers does that?

 

[Trickster]

Germany, unsurprisingly, has very little desire to return to nationalism

 

[Blackthorn]

Help me Germany, you're my only hope.

 

[Muffin1611]

My girlfriend says she doesn't usually vote SPD but thinks she is going to vote for Schulz. I don't know enough about him to know if that's a good thing but interesting that he's convincing people outside the party to vote for him.

But then again that's probably more common in Germany than in America ^^`

I'm still torn on voting SPD or the Greens. Voting for the first time, and will also vote in the NRW Landtagswahlen in May. Hope the coming months will help me sort that out.

 

[Xater]

I'm still torn on voting SPD or the Greens. Voting for the first time, and will also vote in the NRW Landtagswahlen in May. Hope the coming months will help me sort that out.

That has been always my dilemma, ever since I started voting. In the end it will as always depend on the different party programs.

 

[Frankfurter]

Help me Germany, you're my only hope.

Don't worry!

 

[hobblygobbly]

My girlfriend says she doesn't usually vote SPD but thinks she is going to vote for Schulz. I don't know enough about him to know if that's a good thing but interesting that he's convincing people outside the party to vote for him.

But then again that's probably more common in Germany than in America ^^`

I know a lot of people like your girlfriend, I come from meck pomm (north east Germany) where there are lots of AfD supporters, I don't live there any more but have lots of old friends and people I know that still do, and they'd be voting for AfD or Linkspartei (far right or far left) without Schulz.

Meck pomm always had strong SPD support, but last regional elections AfD beat CDU (AfD came 2nd place after SPD), and SPD lost a huge % in general in the region even if it was still 1st. These people now are more inclined to go back to SPD with Schulz otherwise they'd be going primarily towards AfD.

 

[gutter_trash]

SPD is still a party with no guts/spine. We don't call them "Verräterpartei" without merit.
Their blatant attempt to mimic the CDU in all by name is kinda disgusting for some time now.

I don't really know if Schulz can change anything about that. Lesser of two evils I guess.

what is the German version of Susan Sarandon?

 

[DontBeThatGuy]

Learning from our national embarrassment. Good to hear.

 

[Gutek]

For anyone not aware who Martin Schulz is and why people like him.

Because of stuff like this (throwing a greek Nazi out of EU parliament) orthis (calmly arguing what Palestinians and Israelis have to do for peace, angering Israeli Nationalists). There are many more examples of him taking on people like Nigel Farage, but sadly, it's kinda hard to find subtitled footage.



She's center-right, but in comparison to American politics where Democrats are supposed to be the "left" party the german center-right would probably be called communists in the US.

Are communists anti marriage equality?

 

[Frankfurter]

Are communists anti marriage equality?

That's certainly one example that shows that the whole left/right thing isn't quite that easy.

 

[PdotMichael]

This is not really a left/right thing.

But more a question of being conservative vs. liberal.

 

[Fantastapotamus]

That has been always my dilemma, ever since I started voting. In the end it will as always depend on the different party programs.

I'm facing a similar problem. Thing is, the Greens in Austria will never go anywhere. They barley pass the 10% mark. So I always rather vote for the SPÖ, despite feeling the party program of the Greens much more. I simply rather vote for the party that doesn't perfectly represent me (not that the Greens do that either) but has a chance to win and is actively antagonizing the right wing parties.

 

[Muffin1611]

I'm facing a similar problem. Thing is, the Greens in Austria will never go anywhere. They barley pass the 10% mark. So I always rather vote for the SPÖ, despite feeling the party program of the Greens much more. I simply rather vote for the party that doesn't perfectly represent me (not that the Greens do that either) but has a chance to win and is actively antagonizing the right wing parties.

I'm thinking of voting the Greens in May and later in September the SPD. The focus on climate change etc. is important to me, but a red-red-green coalition is still unlikely. So I'd at least try to make the SPD the bigger party in another Grand Coalition.

 

[mnz]

I would never vote Green as long as the other parties care somewhat about the environment, which they do. They are awful about basically any other issue, weirdly especially social issues. It feels like the whole party is completely detached from poor people and their struggle.
I would like to see a better and stronger SPD, maybe it's a first step.

 

[Fritz]

^ people have argued the greens are basically a self procaimed "left" elite that has very little attachment to the "little man". the worst snobs ever. Next to the Linke they have the most outlandish policies at times. I personally think ideology is the worst in politics.

This is not really a left/right thing.

But more a question of being conservative vs. liberal.

Liberal is the wrong counterpart imho. Liberal to me means strong on civil rights and little government. The FDP is the liberal party in Germany. The left is very much big government and less focus on civil rights while streangthening workers rights.

But I agree the right/left divide has run its course. Maybe the future will be more along the lines of national/international or something. That seems to be a more modern social issue.

 

[Hickbilly Deluxe]

At the same time, left-wing parties in Germany have seen a jump in dues-paying members.

You have to pay dues to be a member of a political party in germany?

 

[jack_package_200]

Anyone left of Merkel is a better choice.

If Jeremy Corbyn and Francis Hollande are anything to go by, being "as left as possible" does not equate to good leadership.

 

[Acorn]

Probably says a lot about the German education system post WW2 that the masses actively reject far right ideas when they surface rather than allow them to fester like has happened in the rest of Europe and America.

We can all learn from the German people when it comes to rejection of extremist politics.

 

[Acorn]

You have to pay dues to be a member of a political party in germany?

You don't in America? You have to here too(UK).

 

[PSqueak]

I wish other countries had brains.

Think of it this way:

Other countries: See the signs of "another hitler" happening and they ignore them cause "we're [country] that would never happen here!"

Germany: See the signs of "another hitler" happening and they fucking get on the case because it already happened to them.

 

[Valhelm]

If Schulz wins, is there potential for a coalition government with the Linke?

 

[Sweeney Tom]

@AFP
#BREAKING Germany warns US against threatening EU cohesion
https://twitter.com/AFP/status/832592484769345536

@Max_Fisher
I’ve said this before but senior German officials raised this over & over in intvus w me. See US as potential threat, ready to respond.
https://twitter.com/Max_Fisher/status/832601322583126016

 

[Ogodei]

Part of it too is that the CDU has been in power so long in Germany that it may naturally start to lose some support just from voters getting a little tired of them.

Of course, long-running party dynasties are more of a thing in parliamentary systems than in presidential ones.

Edit: Valhelm's comment:

The polling is such that Die Linke and the Greens would need to make a coalition with SPD to get into power. It's basically the only alternative to an ongoing CDU/SPD grand coalition, because CDU will never ally with AfD.

 

[Hickbilly Deluxe]

You don't in America? You have to here too(UK).

Hell no. At least, not that I know of. If I had to pay dues to be part of the party and then they harassed me non stop for money on top of it I would tell them to get bent.

 

[mnz]

Hell no. At least, not that I know of. If I had to pay dues to be part of the party and then they harassed me non stop for money on top of it I would tell them to get bent.

That's a huge part of how parties finance themselves. The other part is public funds dependent on votes and party donations. Which are tiny compared to the US. That's probably why.

 

[Fritz]

If Schulz wins, is there potential for a coalition government with the Linke?

Potential yes, but it's a line the SPD hasn't crossed on federal level yet.

 

[Valhelm]

Part of it too is that the CDU has been in power so long in Germany that it may naturally start to lose some support just from voters getting a little tired of them.

Of course, long-running party dynasties are more of a thing in parliamentary systems than in presidential ones.

Edit: Valhelm's comment:

The polling is such that Die Linke and the Greens would need to make a coalition with SPD to get into power. It's basically the only alternative to an ongoing CDU/SPD grand coalition, because CDU will never ally with AfD.

Do we know how Schulz would reorganize the coalition when/if SPD are elected?

 

[Carpe Libertatem]

If Schulz wins, is there potential for a coalition government with the Linke?

No one will make a coalition with die Linke (and rightfully so).

They could've made a coalition with them already. SPD + Greens + die Linke is currently a majority of seats.

 

[parrotbeak]

I know the US waited a few years to help out in WWII but could you guys learn from history and jump in earlier if our government starts rounding up people? Thanks!

 

[Ogodei]

No one will make a coalition with die Linke (and rightfully so).

They could've made a coalition with them already. SPD + Greens + die Linke is currently a majority of seats.

I had heard that they were having talks. Yeah, Die Linke has some folks in it who are as bad as AfD from the opposite end of the spectrum (namely, actual functionaries from East Germany who are still kicking), but the younger end of the party is less odious. Similar to the revival the Russian Communists are going through right now.

 

[LookAtMeGo]

It says
Obama 2009, Trump 2017 and Schulz 2017 - buying some bread at the bakery.

This really isnt a fair comparison. You're not taking into account all the people at Trumps inauguration wearing invisibilty cloaks.

 

[Supast4r]

sometimes is good to see news like that to know we're not living in a complete hell hole

yet

Your flair is super relevant.

 

[Acorn]

Hell no. At least, not that I know of. If I had to pay dues to be part of the party and then they harassed me non stop for money on top of it I would tell them to get bent.

Hmm so parties are run solely on donations?

I should note membership fees aren't very much and tend to scale according to income with further discounts for disabled people etc.

 

[Valhelm]

No one will make a coalition with die Linke (and rightfully so).

They could've made a coalition with them already. SPD + Greens + die Linke is currently a majority of seats.

What's your issue with the Linke? You aren't a fan of their anticapitalism?

 

[rec0ded1]

“What kind of sign is it for the world when a man who is a racist, who treats women so badly, can become the president of the United States?” Seidler said. “I thought, ‘It’s time for me to do something.’ ”

This really fucked me up. Filled me with sadness and optimism all at once.

 

[Mass_Pincup]

For sure, but France is not going left this year, which is what that poster is insinuating.

As an aside the French socialist party annoys me to no end.

As time passes it's seems like it's gradually shifting towards the left side though.

Fillon seems pretty toast right now, Marine is steady but unlikely to pass the second part of the election, Macron is managing to keep himself steady as well (even though him recognising colonisation as a crime against humanity is seemingly hurting him a bit). If Hamon managed to make an aliance with Mélenchon and Jadot the first 3 will be Le Pen, Macron and Hamon in that order I reckon. That's if Bayrou does not decide to enter the race.

So yeah I remain optimistic right now, more then before at least.