Posted on 11/29/2007 8:07:51 AM PST by WesternCulture
“Think the media will attribute it to Merkel?”
- Not so sure, but Merkel is one of many Germans intelligent enough to realize that Germany, nay EUROPE, must change.
We Europeans could make our part of the world paradise. All it takes is hard work. Among other things, we dispose of the world’s largest production capacity.
I’ve found out that more and more Europeans are beginning to view things my way.
Because of these solid facts, I dare to be an optimist.
Regards.
You are right here.
Schröder was a pragmatic guy who was at least very interested in economic issues while KOhl and merkel are......
Merz would be the ideal candidate but we all know that this will never happen. I do not know why the CDU is not able to elect a leader with at least beasic interest and knowledge on economic issues
It might be correct that the SPD has changed since Schröder is out of office but the problem is there are no conservative reforms no economic programm.
The only real conservative with a financial and economic agenda was Merz but he is gone and had good reasons for doing so
I was hoping Merkel would do a coalition with the FDP, cutting the SPD and Greens out, but Merkel's loss of her initial advantage didn't allow that to happen. I like their motto, "as much state as necessary, as little state as possible." We may disagree on what's necessary, but at least the sentiment is there.
Or less if your chancellor engineers an illegal vote of no confidence to force a new election.
This is the problem.
I do not know why the CDU is not able to elect a leader with at least beasic interest and knowledge on economic issues
The problem might be that the CDU is (in difference to the SPD of 1998) unable to wrap the economic necessities into a sexy program with a sexy candidate (Schroeder was never sexy to me but obviously to most women...). Merz stands for the right ideas and for the right policy but he will be unable to push through since he stands for "cold and heartless" capitalism and he lacks the charisma.
The problem in Germany goes deeper. Personally I think that the contemporary form of "representative party democracy" is simply another way of taking the power of decision from the people. We Germans have for sure no dictatorship but also no perfect democracy either. Therefore we need more direct forms of taking influence like i.e. in Switzerland and as long as we talk about the Bundeslaender (the German states) more responsibility for themselves. Simply more freedom and less socialist BS.
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