Posted on 08/19/2004 6:53:06 AM PDT by John Jorsett
The staff of ver.di, Germany’s largest service-sector union and the largest independent, individual trade union in the world, is worried. Its leaders now realize that there won’t be enough warmongers around to adequately support members’ Socialist way-of-life. They rightfully “fear” that the planned withdrawal of tens of thousands of US military personnel and their dependents from Germany will result in thousands of lost union jobs, particularly in areas surrounding affected bases and installations.
“But…warmongers?” You ask. Well sure, that is exactly how ver.di’s chairman, union kingpin Frank Bsirske, described the American government and military just last year. And that wasn’t all Mr. Bsirske had to say on behalf of the union and its members about the United States. Here are some quotes from recent public speeches he made:
“What it (the US government) puts in place of the UN order is an order which follows its imperial gusto and understanding of its own interests.”“That connects itself to a concept of hegemony, that, with Iraq in mind, is also clearly motivated by the favoring of an economic development that dramatically increases energy use and raises demand for oil in a sustained way. Access to the oil sources is to be politically and militarily secured.
That aims towards a war with a government, and this will likely not be the last, that one once supported, financed and armed.”
“On Day X as many people as possible should take to the streets and show that they are against the war in Iraq. We call upon all members to take part in the actions.”
“Let us set our protest against the warmongers, the protest of millions of people in the entire world, our dedication and our strength, the strength of the international peace movement!” (emphasis ours)
Given Mr. Bsirske’s strident opposition to the Iraq war, the Bush administration and the US military, one would have thought that he and his union would have been overjoyed at the prospect of thousands of “imperial hegemons” withdrawing from Germany. In fact, the opposite is true.
This apparent contradiction highlights the fact that there is indeed something more important to Germany’s leftist dominated unions than exploiting anti-American sentiment for political gain. That something is ensuring that union members be able to suck at the teat of the Socialist welfare state into the indefinite future. And if that means accepting money and jobs from members of the US military, people the unions have repeatedly derided and demonized as warmongers from a heartless capitalist society, well, then Frank Bsirske and ver.di are entirely prepared to do just that.
wah!wah!wah! shoulda thunk of that when you was opposing our right to defend ourselves.
Be careful what you ask for, you just might get it.
Great post and well said! It's about time! We should also begin the reduction of foreign aide to countries that do no support our "imperial" interests such as democracy and freedom.
Looks like Kerry gets another Union endorsement.
Let's face it, the peoples of Old Europe need to be taught a lesson.
For decades they have been trying to build a United States of Europe on the backs of Americans. They subsidize their industries such as Airbus, which we don't do here. They can do this because they provide nothing for their own defense. All this while bad mouthing us, and trying to undermine our power in the world.
We can't pull out fast enough for me.
Too bad
So sad
I'm glad!
It's called karma, or what goes around comes around.
(this is from another FReeper)
Hey Krauts, call the Krankenwaaaaaaaaaaaagon.
Maybe next time they will think before criticising us about not having an "exit strategy".
We now have an "exit strategy" for Germany- almost 60 years after the war ended.
Why will the pull-out take ten years?
Our Soldiers and their families can surely find enough flights out of Germany within 6 months. Ten years for everything else, fine.
Now that the decision is made HEAD 'EM UP! - MOVE EM' OUT!!
Auf Wiedersein.
Uncle Sam
They can get off of the Excrement List with a sustained period of groveling and apologies.
That's what I've been saying since this was brought up months ago. Careful what you wish for, heehee.
Some in Germany are not crying. I was reading a post from a German yesterday in which it was stated it would not affect the local economy because the soldiers and families shopped on base and kept to themselves. It also was noted some of the bases occupy prime real estate and would be developed. I don't know if this is true, but I am throwing it out there.
My only problem is that we aren't pulling every single American troop out of Germany. Hey, do we have any bases in France? If so...they must come out!
My only problem is that we aren't pulling every single American troop out of Germany. Hey, do we have any bases in France? If so...they must come out!
It may be true to the poster, but the soldiers bring a lot of money into the German economy, there is no disputing that.
On top of that there are many German civilians employed by the bases who will be out of work.
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