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Yep...which is btw one of the various reasons people are so angry with the CSU, they feel that the CSU did more to hinder justice in that case. It's not just Volkswagen though. That is a huge misconception, a number of car builders are implemented in the Scandal...Opel, Skoda, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Fiat.
In the end, no system is perfect and there is currently a need to course correct...but all in all, I think social economy is the one system which actually does work. If we could implement it worldwide, it would even reign in those big companies.
Edited by Swanpride on Jul 19th 2018 at 11:00:12 AM
Just a harmless giant from a foreign land.
So, there are today to be Demonstrations against the CSU's bullshit in Munich
The CSU is not happy about it, and here is where the part where the real stupid happens.
Basically, among the demonstrators are two Theaters in Munich. And the CSU tries to forbid them from doing so, because 'doing do violates the political neutrality of public institutions' because those Theaters are funded by the city of Munich.
Because apparently public funding and being politically expressive are mutually exclusive now!
Thankfully, the SPD-Government of Munich was a pretty hard "Nope" and their Cultural referrent said it's not only legitimate but expected of artists to involve themselves in politicals.
And you can probably guess the response from Bavaria's artist population
But, still...what the fuck CSU
Edited by 3of4 on Jul 22nd 2018 at 10:36:48 AM
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Well, it's the true face of the CSU.
I kind of look forward to the upcoming election now...the CSU will fall, and fall hard!
I've got five bucks saying they actually rise in popularity instead, especially if they can find some way to make this about brown people.
Still not embarrassing enough to stan billionaires or tech companies.
Just a harmless giant from a foreign land.
Actually, current Polls suggest the CSU is loosing approval. This is them in Panic mode since there are elections soon.
They now have Ads against the Demonstrations!
Edited by 3of4 on Jul 22nd 2018 at 2:23:12 PM
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You don't really get who the CSU voters are. The CSU is basically a party which used to get a lot of support from both centre-right and centre-left voters because by having them as a voice for Bavaria in the Government did the region a lot of good. Due to the CSU, Bavaria is the Germany basically what the UK is to the EU. Hence it used to get broad support. But exactly BECAUSE they have banged on so much about foreigners in a futile attempt to lure back the Af D voters they are now losing the support of the centre-left.
You know, not every voter can be convinced by pointing to "brown people".
Edited by Swanpride on Jul 22nd 2018 at 5:18:13 AM
Just a harmless giant from a foreign land.
Obviously this is Agitation that the noble CSU has to fight against!
Maybe we're finally seeing the end of the Bavarian one-party state. 
Just a harmless giant from a foreign land.
Well, during the last Federal Election, they were in the thirties. And this shit is not liable to get them up again. Seeing pictures from Munich, its raining and there's still a ton of people.
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Oh, bother.
As a general rule of thumb, when a party in a democracy is looking for excuses to ban protests against them, it's time for it to lose power.
Disgusted, but not surprised
It's raining? Damn, why is Bavaria always so lucky? I would currently love a little bit of rain, instead it will become even hotter this week…
Love the Posters the protesters use. Nothing better than reminding the CSU in Bavarian that for some people immigrants are part of their home.
Edited by Swanpride on Jul 22nd 2018 at 11:00:02 AM
MINE!
We had some rain in Westmünsterland,too. The coming days will be hell on work though...
I will try to shift my workhours to night...in any case there is no way that I will be able to work through the midday, I would risk my computer trying to do so.
Haven't found an English article on it yet, but the CDU's debating a possible return of conscription - this time for both men and women.
Edited by DrunkenNordmann on Aug 5th 2018 at 7:45:21 PM
Welcome to Estalia, gentlemen.
Just a harmless giant from a foreign land.
Yes, a horde of short-term conscript's is exactly what a modern military needs.
How about they fix their damn shit first.
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Ah ah that has been suggested in France as well, and presumably in several countries. Because the military needs bases and instructors just to form unwilling soldiers that won't ever be useful to them.
Just a harmless giant from a foreign land.
Also the Bavarian Douchebag (aka Horst Seehofer) is apparently even from vacation starting shit. Basically, the Chancellor (and the SPD Leadership) should do his work of getting his damn anchor centers through the states.
Same with the 'bilateral treaties' he wanted to negotiate until last month. If he doesn't manage it, it's Merkels job to do his...
And just for icing on the cake, he's apparently starting to use Af D terminology when referring to the press.
Edited by 3of4 on Aug 5th 2018 at 9:54:11 PM
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The idea behind this seems to be that this will give young people an opportunity to experience the army and consider a career there. Which is a sound consideration, considering that many soldiers only took an interest after their conscription. Of course this no doubt will be very annoying for those who have no interest in joining the army either way, but at least this time it would not only affect the young men ;).
It's not like everyone who's got to show up for muster has to actually do military service anyway - I was one of the last people to be mustered before they axed conscription and I was sent home with T5.
I am actually pro conscription...because this isn't just good for the Army. See, you don't HAVE to go soldering around in Germany if you don't want to, you always had the option to do so called "civil service" (this is a word by word translation, I don't mean civil service in the english sense). Meaning instead of training how to use a gun you work for a slightly longer time somewhere in the health care or emergency sector. Basically they do a "social year". And, frankly, it does young people a lot of good. They get to know work live properly, the time during which they are busy is counted as "waiting time" for an university place (so their NC is pushed up), and a lot of them find that they actually enjoy that kind of work. And those who don't have at least some time to think about what they ACTUALLY want to do. Frankly, if I had known that something like a "social year" existed when I left school, I might have done it do give me some additional thinking time.
So, yeah, I am actually pro doing it for both genders. Less because of the military, but above all because it is a good opportunity to teach young people some additional skills they might find useful later on, and which are useful for society (ie, the more people know what to do in an emergency situation, the better).
None of this will solve the problem with the military as a whole, though.
Just a harmless giant from a foreign land.
I'm not against a mandatory 9 months civil service for both genders in general (though I'd like to see more on the crunch) but the Bundeswehr already hasn't the cash (apparently) to ARM IT'S DAMN SHIPS and with Conscription there would be additional costs in training, housing and paying conscripts.
Maybe fight the fire's consuming the house first before you decide to hire a new gardener.
I'd also make, possibly, an option for people already having an apprenticeship or a university spot to not get drafted. It's a good opportunity (maybe) for people who are coming out of school and not have a plan, but forcing people who have one taking almost a year of break is exactly the bullshit why we stopped doing it.
I'd also like some views on the issues from people who haven't had 3+ decades since their conscription on it.
Also.
I. Civil Service had the same time span (in the end) as Conscription, 9 months.
II. Aren't you female? Sorry but 'does them a lot of good' is not an opinion I'm really considering due to someone who didn't have to do it. Yes, there may be instances where this is true. I also had friends who they dragged out of the University in 2nd Semester to do it. Another wanted to do it and got a T2 rating, only to be booted in his first week of Basic due to allergies in his medial file.
Or, just in my case, the damn Bundeswehr never sending the damn T rating and when I send a letter asking for it got a quite-likely vindictive T2 (Which even my Doctor thought was pushing it), making me scramble to find a Civil Service spot in record time.
I feel a lot of Pro Conscription arguments are at least partially Nostalgia driven. And ignores just how much a disruption it often was.
Edited by 3of4 on Aug 6th 2018 at 1:17:43 PM
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You need to build an organisation and culture that can support conscription. Fixing the mismanagement of the Bundeswehr should come first.
Si Vis Pacem, Para Perkele
I am, but I am looking at it from the perspective of a non-profit organisation which offers a lot of those non-military options. I have encountered a lot of young people which ended up engaging themselves in said organisation due to it, even if they picked another career later on. A lot of them stay "on call" so to speak for emergencies after that. And being connected to a group like this has the additional benefit that it keeps young people who are searching for a meaning in life from falling into the clutches of the right wing, because their desire to be part of some sort of group is already fulfilled.
the culture and most of the structures are still there. You just need to reactivate them, with a few tweaks.
Edited by Swanpride on Aug 6th 2018 at 4:59:58 AM
A procrastination in of itself
If the manpower need is more for the civilian side than the troops side why not have that be the default? People are default conscripted into the civilian service side but can choose to instead serve their time in the military?
Or just make it an opinion, a guaranteed job scheme of sorts that lasts a year or two, having it there as a job people can just get without all the stress and worry of a conventional job hunt would draw in plenty of people without forcing people away from productive paths they're already on.
“And the Bunny nails it!” ~ Gabrael “If the UN can get through a day without everyone strangling everyone else so can we.” ~ Cyran
It also naturally helps when the big industrial conglomerates ostensibly competing under these rules just fudge them to appear more competitive than they actually are.
See: That whole Volkswagen thing.
Still not embarrassing enough to stan billionaires or tech companies.