Hi gs, thanks for your excerpt, an interesting mirror of German publications, with some characteristic distortions.
The interview at Phoenix TV is obviously a tuned down version of an interview Schroeder gave 'Der Spiegel' political news printed magazine (at www.spiegel.de, they have a half-weekly review in English also), which is traditionally pro-SPD, but was anti-Schroeder for the longest part of his reign. Now it isn't anymore.
You know that I am not happy about the international conduct of the chancellor, nor of big parts of the parliamentarians. But one by one.
While Schroeder has clearly learned concerning European politics, and now takes more circumvision -especially with respect to France- than before, he is still the blind and noisy elefant between the delicate glassware. For fairness I should mention that the pointed 'versus' in the AP headline came out not so clearly in the interview, it was rather the older line 'to gain a responsible partner for the US'.
However I was surprised that the Chancellor predicted that in the long term (the year 2024 was mentioned) the prevalence of the US as the sole global superpower will be 'over for a long time', and that at that time EU and Russia will be in concerted action, while India, China and Africa will be equal powers to the NATO. He liked to mention that Germany was the main creditor of Russia (I am not sure whether that is true, but it maybe once was) and explained the debt of Russia was 60 billion Deutschmark, thereby suggesting that Russia could be bought by Germany - my God!
But what was even more striking to me: Schroeder has relied on very careful wording to avoid mentioning the word Nazi or any relatives of it. He therefore spoke of 'that part of our history', 'the darker hours' etc. He even succeeded in avoiding 'NAZI' and 'Germany' in relation to each other when discussing the process and outcome of the slave labour 'compensation' contract!
The chancellor's musings about world powers might be dismissed as unimportant and not very serious speculations, but that process of euphemisation cannot.
Unresponsible persons like that shouldn't be given government jobs!
As to my mentioned disliking of other parliamentarians: during the debate whether or not Germany should take part in the East Timor mission, the truly dangerous word 'Weltpolitik' was reintroduced into parliamentary German, and used by various politicians of various parties without any restraint. It has its' root in the famous chancellorian parliamentary speech that founded German pre-WWI hegemaniacism. It has been effectively shunned in the German parliament since the end of WWII, and is now reentered without dubitation, and linked to words like 'globalisation' 'global economic and political development', 'german interest' etc.
Since then I am alarmed for any misuse of language, and unconsidered steps in international politics, I can assure you. Disarm German politics! Let Germany be ruled by British, French, Italian and Dutch politicians! Remove those amateurs born between Harz and Hannover from any powered position!
In spite of this dull outlook,
I wish you a very Happy New Year,
regards,
MNI. |
