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0 pointsMandieD1y ago0 comments

If you're in Germany or know some Germans, talk as much as you can about how this is what Musk wants to do via the AfD to us here. The election is a little over two weeks away. Right now, the CDU/CSU ("normal" conservatives) look to be getting the largest number of votes, but nowhere near enough to govern on their own. They've been a little too flirty with the AfD (currently in second place), and the worst thing that could happen is that they forget what they learned in school about what happened to the centrist and conservative parties in the early 1930s, and take the AfD as their coalition partner instead of trying to work something out with the SPD and Greens.

There's a reason that Germany's current main center-right parties were both born after the war.

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ivan_gammel1y ago

Germany can be saved only by a major political reset. The mainstream parties are so flawed that it may be easier to replace them, than to fix.

Greens just went through a stupid political scandal in Berlin where the leftist radical wing tried to frame a realo candidate for sexual harassment. SPD goes to this election with the worst chancellor in history. CDU lost its mind and voted together with AFD. FDP is serving a few special interests groups. Die Linke are borderline irrelevant.

We are in a strange situation where we have strong presence on populist left and right, but no decent political force in the center to contain them.

fransje261y ago

> Germany can be saved only by a major political reset. The mainstream parties are so flawed that it may be easier to replace them, than to fix.

Ironically enough, this very much sounds like the "let's re-write and everything will be better" fallacy encountered in software engineering.

That aside, what you are wishing for is a war and/or revolution where the pillars of society have been shattered to pieces, the old incumbents removed/killed/retired, and where a new political landscape is built upon the ruins and ashes of what has been.

Be careful what you wish for..

whatshisface1y ago

They just mean to change the parties, this happened once in the US (whigs are no more).

microtonal1y ago

Germany can be saved only by a major political reset. The mainstream parties are so flawed that it may be easier to replace them, than to fix.

Be careful what you wish for. If AfD would grab the power (unlikely at this point), it'll weaken Germany nationally and internationally like the US is being weakened now.

ivan_gammel1y ago

At this point the biggest weakening factor is our political mainstream. In 100 years, if nothing changes, Germany will be Argentina of today. I’m not afraid of AfD, they lack practically everything to become new NSDAP. I’m afraid that whatever next coalition is, they will miss every opportunity to make a difference.

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ivan_gammel1y ago

Germany can be saved only by a major political reset. The mainstream parties are so flawed that it may be easier to replace them, than to fix.

We are in a strange situation where we have strong presence on populist left and right, but no decent political force in the center to contain them.

fransje261y ago

> Germany can be saved only by a major political reset. The mainstream parties are so flawed that it may be easier to replace them, than to fix.

Ironically enough, this very much sounds like the "let's re-write and everything will be better" fallacy encountered in software engineering.

Be careful what you wish for..

whatshisface1y ago

They just mean to change the parties, this happened once in the US (whigs are no more).

microtonal1y ago

Germany can be saved only by a major political reset. The mainstream parties are so flawed that it may be easier to replace them, than to fix.

Be careful what you wish for. If AfD would grab the power (unlikely at this point), it'll weaken Germany nationally and internationally like the US is being weakened now.

ivan_gammel1y ago

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse