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Spinning the German left swing | 35 comments (35 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)
Re: Spinning the German left swing (none / 1)
On Stasi 2.0, and the argument that the dimension is completely different: I would counter that in two ways.

First, there is a difference between claimed intent, and real or expected practice. In Schäuble's case, that's the difference between his claims to spy on al-Qaida cells (which you may perceive), and widely held fears of spying powers used to spy on a lot more people. There was such a difference for Stasi 1.0, too: the official rhetoric of the dictatorship was about catching spies and saboteurs, but the practice was the surveillance and blackmail of millions.

Second, there is the slippery slope aspect. just as Nazism wasn't bad only after it killed 6 million Jews (and Gypsies and homosexuals and communists) in death camps but already a decade earlier, one shouldn't just look at the end state of Stasi 1.0 as the largest state surveillance bureaucracy ever. The Stasi grew into that over years. So, Schäuble's push for increased use of surveilance with decreased checks and balances can be seen as leading down a path.

I'm sorry if you found my first statement harsh

No, I more found it challenging to a respectful debate :-) I'm just passionate about my opinions.

*Lunatic*, n.
One whose delusions are out of fashion.

by DoDo on Mon Feb 4th, 2008 at 03:05:31 PM EST
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Re: Spinning the German left swing (none / 1)
As I said, I don't agree with Schaeuble, but those people who use this Stasi 2.0 often don't talk about it in a "Wehret den Anfaengen" way, but talk really of it like if were were already in the medium of it.
I can't read minds, but I guess Schaeuble has as well some polit-tactical reasons. He wants to be stronger on security whatever Schily has done before.
The media has IMO a strong left-wing bias, when it comes to economy. There is not much the CDU can win. But no main stream media can seriously be strongly on the left-wing regarding security, because that would mean one would have to stop hyping the islamistic threat and then immediately the question would arise, if we don't have to change our relationship with the US drastically - who wants to send troops to Afghanistan to fight people who have done us no harm for protecting those who have just recently kidnapped and tortured two of our citizens without ever charging them.

Der Amerikaner ist die Orchidee unter den Menschen
Volker Pispers
by Martin (weiser.mensch(at)googlemail.com) on Thu Feb 7th, 2008 at 04:49:45 PM EST
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Re: Spinning the German left swing (none / 0)
The media has IMO a strong left-wing bias, when it comes to economy.

On this, we definitely disagree.

*Lunatic*, n.
One whose delusions are out of fashion.

by DoDo on Fri Feb 15th, 2008 at 11:45:08 AM EST
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Spinning the German left swing | 35 comments (35 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)
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