Display:
...so that I don't always just praise the Comrades ;-)

*Traitor*, n.
A benighted individual who perceives an illusory distinction between serving his nation and abetting the criminals who govern it.
by DoDo on Fri Feb 15th, 2008 at 06:21:34 AM EST
What if we want you to praise them?

"C'est un scandale !"
by redstar on Fri Feb 15th, 2008 at 09:21:02 AM EST
[ Parent ]
I noticed that I forgot to finish the last sentence, where I wanted to mention Hamburg polls -- now corrected.

*Traitor*, n.
A benighted individual who perceives an illusory distinction between serving his nation and abetting the criminals who govern it.
by DoDo on Fri Feb 15th, 2008 at 10:20:27 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Thanks for the diary.

There is, it seems to me, not enough attention being paid in our discourse to what it takes to build a party. I'm not saying you can't stomp a party out of the ground in a short period of time, but it requires a huge amount of organisational work, and an extreme amount of care in doing so.

In the current political landscape, in which many countries have an increasingly large drifting electorate, the volatility caused by high fluctuations for existing parties and big entries for new parties is turning into a real governance problem.

This is partially informed by observing the rapid rise and implosion of Fortuynism in the Netherlands, granted. But I think it's an important side of (and trend in) politics few people are really paying enough attention to.

So, again, thanks.

by nanne (zwaerdenmaecker@gmail.com) on Fri Feb 15th, 2008 at 04:42:48 PM EST
[ Parent ]
This is a really insightful comment, thanks.
by Metatone (metatone [a|t] gmail (dot) com) on Sat Feb 16th, 2008 at 10:54:50 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Well, I have no choice but to pay attention, given that in the former East Bloc, rapid rises followed by implosions are the rule, not the exception :-)

However, in Germany, I think this applies to the Schill party in next-to-vote Hamburg, and the one-off successes of the far-right parties in the East, less to the Left Party.

*Traitor*, n.
A benighted individual who perceives an illusory distinction between serving his nation and abetting the criminals who govern it.

by DoDo on Mon Feb 18th, 2008 at 05:04:38 AM EST
[ Parent ]
The left party in the west is new. The only difference with these other parties is that it has a national leadership with some political experience, which should favour its chances of eventually becoming a functioning, established party.
by nanne (zwaerdenmaecker@gmail.com) on Mon Feb 18th, 2008 at 08:01:33 AM EST
[ Parent ]
I think there are two more differences:

  1. Much of the membership didn't came from anywhere, but from prior organisations, be them SPD, PDS/West, KPD, Greens, or civilian initiatives. Thus organisational experience is there, leadership and office-holder experience is what's missing.

  2. The Left Party is neither single-issue nor centred on a single charismatic leader.

That said, I too would not characterise the Left Party in the West as presently a "functioning, established party".

*Traitor*, n.
A benighted individual who perceives an illusory distinction between serving his nation and abetting the criminals who govern it.
by DoDo on Tue Feb 19th, 2008 at 10:09:58 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Display:
Login
. Make a new account
. Reset password
Debates
Campaigns
Occasional Series
Agriculture
by afew - Sep 2

Anglo Disease
by Migeru - Sep 2