A great summarized article about the two big political parties written in a simple tone which helps a person like me who is not so familiar with German politics to understand the same.
Great Job! Will look forward your future articles.
0. Thank you very much for the excellent introduction. Specifically, I like the itemized presentation about the contrast in the policy differences between the two party platforms. I have learned something today.
1. BSW needs a starting point, a little bit of real power in local/state politics. Maybe BSW should focus on one German State in the east before really trying to go national. Tactically I think BSW is likely to lose out because its policies are more moderate and more humane. AfD is more likely to win out in the short term. This is similar to the American Conservative: There is the DJT kind of MAGA crowd, very much like AfD. Nationalistic, patriotic, but short-sighted in policy designs. So far it seems DJT does not really have a coherent vision for anything besides his intention to weed out the deep state. There is also the non-DJT MAGA crowd who are rarely talked about by political analysts. The second group of folks, me included, do not completely agree with DJT policies. I feel the DJT-MAGA is to the right of AfD, while the non-DJT-MAGA is to the right of BSW (I am anti-welfare in general, but I now believe some limited form of social safety net is necessary.)
2. My original concerns about this contrast between AfD and BSW were based on my shallow understanding of post-WW1 Germany. Specifically the Freikorps and the communist-leaning Labor movement (maybe even can be said as Communist Rising as some authors do). Hitler played the nationalism cards very well: he reminded the German people about the humiliation and suffering imposed on them by the Western countries and channeled anger onto the minorities, especially Jews. Once the hatred is consolidated, as is now, the political elites will play the undissipated hatred in the direction they want after "the mob" releases the anger on the designated victims and feels a kind of twisted victory. Given that AfD has a critical weakness in wanting to stay inside NATO while increasing the defense budget, that manipulation is predictable after the "immigration issue" fades out. I am all for strong defense spending but for a truly independent Germany, or any nation for that matter, surely not for a Germany under the yoke of EU or NATO. In this aspect, AfD are misled nationalists. I have sympathy for them as they are the same as the bulk of the DJT-MAGA crowd: they know they have been cheated, exploited, misled, and they are angry. However, they are not deep-thinkers or erudite. Anyone able to consolidate their anger and direct that anger onto the designated victims will get their support. After WW1, the best victims were the Jews. Right now, they are illegal immigrants. And it is easier to hate illegal immigrants after they have committed some violent crimes. If BSW cannot get out of the shadow of the German Communists, it will definitely suffer. Nationalism needs mostly emotion and bravery, but proper socialism needs a lot of brains and high morality.
3. I forget the name of the writer who said that now is the time for the intellectuals and the labor to unite. I think the original writer said so in the context of American politics. This juncture is similar to China right after the Republic was established after armed revolutions. Given that China had no cultural basis for democracy and lacked all kinds of necessary basis for democracy, the government, the people, and the nation were all a big mess. Traditional culture and philosophies were abandoned, much like German people today know that the old way is not working, but there is no clear sign as to which policy platform, or ism, was the best. Whoever has the most money, the rifle butts, and the charisma in popular movement will win. Intellectuals typically follow the wealth, the establishment, and the government for a living, and sometimes a career. In most of the more industrialized nations, the wealthy and the political elites are corrupt from the eyes of the little guys while the general public wants changes but does not know what or how to change. Red neck policies tend to be short-sighted and will backfire quickly. One example is the MAGA crowd want to protect their almost nonexistent inheritance but only become the cover for the super-rich. A true nationalist actually should be a socialist as well. How much one can afford to socialize depends on how much wealth he has.
4. The intellectuals and the white-collar professionals want to think of themselves as being part of the elites or the upper class. The truth is computer automation has destroyed many middle-class jobs and more of the same is coming in the form of AI. A little bit earlier, skilled labors had been hurt since robotics entered manufacturing. Instead of sitting pretty at the higher end of the Gaussian Distribution, the white-collar professionals and the intellectuals are now falling into the center of the M-formed society. That M is not only appropriate for Japan in 2006 but also true for many well-developed economies now. There is little growth, only financial engineering and stock market manipulations. At the same time, resource depletion will make all forms of social welfare an ideal too far.
5. The intellectuals have to shoulder the responsibility of clarifying to the general public how the public have been fooled, and what tricks and venues are still being used to mislead the public. However, given the financial oligarchs and the political elites remain tightly coupled together, and most of the military establishment are corrupt as well, it seems only large social unrest can shake the status quo. Otherwise, AI, robotics, and Skynet will protect the upper class and civilians will never be able to challenge them. Kind of like the Medieval time and 1984 but more horrifying.
I really liked your points regarding the Maga crowd.
Nationalism is the way to unite and promote the concept that a country is and always be for the citizens. But as in the fiery speeches of DJT, somewhere along the line it always felt that he is promoting nationalism to fulfill the desires of the ultra rich. Time will tell what he is actually going to do. But the deep emphasis on corporatisation needs to be taken some taken steps back and gew points of socialism should also be taken into considerion.
Good article although I'd be curious about the apparent resurgence of Die Linke and about face on Ukraine combined with a seeming collapse for BSW in the polls due to, presumably, this. Certainly seems things are moving quickly in Germany!
A great summarized article about the two big political parties written in a simple tone which helps a person like me who is not so familiar with German politics to understand the same.
Great Job! Will look forward your future articles.
Thank you, Corson. I'm glad you found it informative and easy to understand. I appreciate this.
0. Thank you very much for the excellent introduction. Specifically, I like the itemized presentation about the contrast in the policy differences between the two party platforms. I have learned something today.
1. BSW needs a starting point, a little bit of real power in local/state politics. Maybe BSW should focus on one German State in the east before really trying to go national. Tactically I think BSW is likely to lose out because its policies are more moderate and more humane. AfD is more likely to win out in the short term. This is similar to the American Conservative: There is the DJT kind of MAGA crowd, very much like AfD. Nationalistic, patriotic, but short-sighted in policy designs. So far it seems DJT does not really have a coherent vision for anything besides his intention to weed out the deep state. There is also the non-DJT MAGA crowd who are rarely talked about by political analysts. The second group of folks, me included, do not completely agree with DJT policies. I feel the DJT-MAGA is to the right of AfD, while the non-DJT-MAGA is to the right of BSW (I am anti-welfare in general, but I now believe some limited form of social safety net is necessary.)
2. My original concerns about this contrast between AfD and BSW were based on my shallow understanding of post-WW1 Germany. Specifically the Freikorps and the communist-leaning Labor movement (maybe even can be said as Communist Rising as some authors do). Hitler played the nationalism cards very well: he reminded the German people about the humiliation and suffering imposed on them by the Western countries and channeled anger onto the minorities, especially Jews. Once the hatred is consolidated, as is now, the political elites will play the undissipated hatred in the direction they want after "the mob" releases the anger on the designated victims and feels a kind of twisted victory. Given that AfD has a critical weakness in wanting to stay inside NATO while increasing the defense budget, that manipulation is predictable after the "immigration issue" fades out. I am all for strong defense spending but for a truly independent Germany, or any nation for that matter, surely not for a Germany under the yoke of EU or NATO. In this aspect, AfD are misled nationalists. I have sympathy for them as they are the same as the bulk of the DJT-MAGA crowd: they know they have been cheated, exploited, misled, and they are angry. However, they are not deep-thinkers or erudite. Anyone able to consolidate their anger and direct that anger onto the designated victims will get their support. After WW1, the best victims were the Jews. Right now, they are illegal immigrants. And it is easier to hate illegal immigrants after they have committed some violent crimes. If BSW cannot get out of the shadow of the German Communists, it will definitely suffer. Nationalism needs mostly emotion and bravery, but proper socialism needs a lot of brains and high morality.
3. I forget the name of the writer who said that now is the time for the intellectuals and the labor to unite. I think the original writer said so in the context of American politics. This juncture is similar to China right after the Republic was established after armed revolutions. Given that China had no cultural basis for democracy and lacked all kinds of necessary basis for democracy, the government, the people, and the nation were all a big mess. Traditional culture and philosophies were abandoned, much like German people today know that the old way is not working, but there is no clear sign as to which policy platform, or ism, was the best. Whoever has the most money, the rifle butts, and the charisma in popular movement will win. Intellectuals typically follow the wealth, the establishment, and the government for a living, and sometimes a career. In most of the more industrialized nations, the wealthy and the political elites are corrupt from the eyes of the little guys while the general public wants changes but does not know what or how to change. Red neck policies tend to be short-sighted and will backfire quickly. One example is the MAGA crowd want to protect their almost nonexistent inheritance but only become the cover for the super-rich. A true nationalist actually should be a socialist as well. How much one can afford to socialize depends on how much wealth he has.
4. The intellectuals and the white-collar professionals want to think of themselves as being part of the elites or the upper class. The truth is computer automation has destroyed many middle-class jobs and more of the same is coming in the form of AI. A little bit earlier, skilled labors had been hurt since robotics entered manufacturing. Instead of sitting pretty at the higher end of the Gaussian Distribution, the white-collar professionals and the intellectuals are now falling into the center of the M-formed society. That M is not only appropriate for Japan in 2006 but also true for many well-developed economies now. There is little growth, only financial engineering and stock market manipulations. At the same time, resource depletion will make all forms of social welfare an ideal too far.
5. The intellectuals have to shoulder the responsibility of clarifying to the general public how the public have been fooled, and what tricks and venues are still being used to mislead the public. However, given the financial oligarchs and the political elites remain tightly coupled together, and most of the military establishment are corrupt as well, it seems only large social unrest can shake the status quo. Otherwise, AI, robotics, and Skynet will protect the upper class and civilians will never be able to challenge them. Kind of like the Medieval time and 1984 but more horrifying.
I really liked your points regarding the Maga crowd.
Nationalism is the way to unite and promote the concept that a country is and always be for the citizens. But as in the fiery speeches of DJT, somewhere along the line it always felt that he is promoting nationalism to fulfill the desires of the ultra rich. Time will tell what he is actually going to do. But the deep emphasis on corporatisation needs to be taken some taken steps back and gew points of socialism should also be taken into considerion.
Good article although I'd be curious about the apparent resurgence of Die Linke and about face on Ukraine combined with a seeming collapse for BSW in the polls due to, presumably, this. Certainly seems things are moving quickly in Germany!
Really valuable and incisive. Are there any broader signs of renewal or change in direction in the broader culture outside politics?
Sounds similar to America.
And is Germany a democracy? They say America is but we're not- we're a republic but people don't say that they've been brainwashed.
Don't even get me started with NATO