INTL Olaf Scholz Elected Chancellor of Germany, Ending 16 Years of Merkel

Dennis Olson

Chief Curmudgeon
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www.breitbart.com/europe/2021/12/08/olaf-scholz-elected-chancellor-of-germany-ending-16-years-of-merkel/

Olaf Scholz Elected Chancellor of Germany, Ending 16 Years of Merkel

Peter Caddle5-6 minutes 12/8/2021

The Social Democratic Party’s Olaf Scholz has been elected Chancellor of Germany, marking the end of Angela Merkel’s 16-year reign.

Olaf Scholz, who was elected Chancellor of Germany on Wednesday, will lead a so-called “Traffic Light” coalition of left-wing parties, the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD, red), the Green Party, and the liberal Free Democratic Party (FDP, yellow).

The SPD-led coalition replaces Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union (CDU) led government, finally putting an end to her 16 years in power.

In a vote in the German Bundestag, Scholz received 395 votes to be elected to the position, having required 369, according to a report by Deutsche Welle. Merkel watched the vote from the visitor’s stands, the former chancellor no longer a member of parliament.

Merkel’s nominally centre-right chancellorship was often extremely controversial, being an ever-present figure during the 2008 economic crash, as well as the bailouts of Greece and Ireland.

Merkel also presided over a regime defined by the censorship of so-called “hate speech“, with her government making measures to force internet service providers to hand over data and passwords of those engaging in hate speech online.

The chancellor herself was no fan of freedom of speech, keen to emphasise its limits to the German parliament, saying in late 2019 that “expressing an opinion does not come at zero cost!”

Her involvement in the COVID crisis has also become a central point of controversy. The chancellor pushed for forced vaccination very late in her term, despite a similar regime being put in place in Austria being labelled “Corona Apartheid”.

Merkel’s legacy however will no doubt be that of mass migration, when in the summer of 2015, she invited migrants to come to Germany, with almost one million arriving, mostly from Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan.

The architect of the European Migrant Crisis, Merkel’s policy towards migrants was even criticised by open borders advocate George Soros for being too lax.

Merkel’s open-borders approach to dealing with the crisis preceded a spike in terrorism, with anti-vehicle barriers quickly becoming a feature within European cities in response to attacks, notably the terror attack in 2016 by bogus Tunisian asylum seeker and Islamist Anis Amri, who mowed a stolen lorry through on a Berlin Christmas market, leaving 13 dead.

Germany itself suffered badly over Merkel’s policy, with over 1,300 women claiming to be victims of the mass sex attacks which occurred on New Year’s Eve in Cologne in 2015 by men of North African and Arabic backgrounds. Deutsche Welle admitted last year that the German media and police had been accused of being reluctant to report on the citizenship of the suspects. While other reports during Merkel’s leadership claimed that the Interior Ministry had advised police in other parts of Germany to conceal details of migrant involvement in crime as it could “stir up prejudice”.

Despite the widespread negative effects of her work on the crisis, Merkel has not expressed regret over her policy choices, saying during an interview last year that she would “make essentially the same decisions” if she had to do it all again.

While there is no doubt that many are glad to see the last of Chancellor Merkel, for Germany, and indeed Europe, the start of this new era may be a case of stepping out of the frying pan and into the fire.

Even before Chancellor Scholz’s election to his new position, he has already been involved in expanding lockdown measures in Germany, he himself being in favour of mandatory vaccination against the Chinese coronavirus.

Scholz is also a committed Eurofederalist, coming out in favour of an EU army, calling it a “part of the idea of European sovereignty”.

The SPD leader is also set to lead a coalition with a strong commitment to climate extremism, lockdowns, and Eurofederalism, as set out by a 177-page agreement between the three parties involved.

In particular, the new government is set to pursue what has been dubbed the United States of Europe, through the creation of an EU superstate.

The government has agreed to pursue the “necessary treaty changes” needed to “lead developments to a European federal state”, and has put Green Party head Annalena Baerbock at the helm of the project.

The lockdown-loving Karl Lauterbach, meanwhile, is to be the health minister of the new government. While lacking experience, the epidemiologist has championed strict measures since the early days of the COVID crisis and continues to support stringent measures in order to lower numbers in the country.
 

Southside

Has No Life - Lives on TB
Since he is owned, as many before him,

He will do whatever he is told to do.
More of the same.

Moar, Faster, Harder.

Can't wait!
 

Dennis Olson

Chief Curmudgeon
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Sorry, I got that wrong. I was thinking fascism and socialism were the same. My bad. The chart is correct.
 

Tristan

Has No Life - Lives on TB
Maybe this one is better:

1638994879221.png

There's any number of representations, likely influenced heavily by the outlook of the producer, but I've always understood Communism to be on the far left of the continuum.

One of the biggest "sleight-of-hands" done on folk's perceptions is the placing of Nazism at the far right of the scale, while Socialism/Communism was on the Left of the scale. It narrowed the entire spectrum down to Left and Lefter. "Well done!", to who ever thought of that bit of mind-fkery.
 
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Tristan

Has No Life - Lives on TB
Sorry, I got that wrong. I was thinking fascism and socialism were the same. My bad. The chart is correct.


Actually, I think if you cut a scale like that out, and taped the two ends together to create a circular continuum (images available that do just that), it might convey a bit more of the reality; as both Fascism and Communism represent hard-authoritariansm; difference being Communism demands complete control of all means of production (they run everything), and Fascism demands control of the corporatist (they run the entities that run everything) means of production... and that last definition is beginning to hit a little close to home, so I'm tapping out... lol

Anyway, best to everyone!

Merry Christmas!
 
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Jefferson1776

Inactive
Maybe this one is better:

View attachment 306573

There's any number of representations, likely influenced heavily by the outlook of the producer, but I've always understood Communism to be on the far left of the continuum.

One of the biggest "sleight-of-hands" done on folk's perceptions is the placing of Nazism at the far right of the scale, while Socialism/Communism was on the Left of the scale. It narrowed the entire spectrum down to Left and Lefter. Well done!, who ever thought of that bit of mind fkery.
Great chart Tristan, that is the same one I used in my U.S. History classes for many years. It was really an eye opener for the students to see the true political spectrum rather than the one that is made up to push those on the right as fascists. There is an old video made by the John Birch society that explains this very well. I used to show it until some parents tried to have me fired for showing it. The truth always upsets liberals.
 

tiredude

Veteran Member
Im glad you corrected that .....because you had me thinking about my education ........ i didnt like that......
 

Griz3752

Retired, practising Curmudgeon
www.breitbart.com/europe/2021/12/08/olaf-scholz-elected-chancellor-of-germany-ending-16-years-of-merkel/

Olaf Scholz Elected Chancellor of Germany, Ending 16 Years of Merkel

Peter Caddle5-6 minutes 12/8/2021

The Social Democratic Party’s Olaf Scholz has been elected Chancellor of Germany, marking the end of Angela Merkel’s 16-year reign.

Olaf Scholz, who was elected Chancellor of Germany on Wednesday, will lead a so-called “Traffic Light” coalition of left-wing parties, the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD, red), the Green Party, and the liberal Free Democratic Party (FDP, yellow).
In Merkel’s cabinet since 2018, very active in German FedGov, always as a Socialist & a declared, active Socialist since about 1975-80.

Hmmmm - let me guess which way he leans ....

Mind you, after basically becoming Socialist since the devastation of WWII over major swaths of Europe, I don't see how Germany or any other EU member for that matter, is going to be weaned off the Public Teat.

I'm open to enlightenment but, just can't see how it might happen. Germany is Left of Centre and likely more-so over the next few years. Many seem convinced that 'as Germany goes, so goes the EU' and I see no alternate path opening.
 
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Tristan

Has No Life - Lives on TB
I don't quite understand how Anarchism and Fascism/Monarchy can be so close together on that scale. Nor, on the other end of the scale, Anarchism and Communism/Totalitarianism.


I suppose it depends on how various factors are weighted. Freedom vs. Authoritarianism, Laws vs. Harms, Market vs. Directed Economies, What value is placed on the right of self-determination, etc.

Or, perhaps the orientation of the developer of the graph. Liberal vs. Classic Liberal vs. Corporatist, vs. who-knows-what.

Or, perhaps even, the response it's designed to elicit. "See? Those folks over there are the bad guys!" (i.e. propagandistic)


There are innumerable versions and variations trying to represent the political spectrum/graph/universe, ranging from two-dimensional to hyper-dimensional (ok, that's probably over the top, lol)

They all serve a purpose. Winnowing out the purpose, that's the trick...
 
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Dennis Olson

Chief Curmudgeon
_______________
Actually, I think if you cut a scale like that out, and taped the two ends together to create a circular continuum (images available that do just that), it might convey a bit more of the reality; as both Fascism and Communism represent hard-authoritariansm; difference being Communism demands complete control of all means of production (they run everything), and Fascism demands control of the corporatist (they run the entities that run everything) means of production... and that last definition is beginning to hit a little close to home, so I'm tapping out... lol

Anyway, best to everyone!

Merry Christmas!
But one "end" cannot connect directly to the other. It's not a moebius strip.
 

vestige

Deceased
But one "end" cannot connect directly to the other. It's not a moebius strip.
That is a very good comment.

A friend used a remotely similar analogy back in the 90s. Both circle, one to the left and one to the right meeting somewhere about 180 degrees from where they started at center but not matching at all.

At that time, I never thought of the moebius strip.

Perfect description.
 

Tristan

Has No Life - Lives on TB
1639002381932.png

1639002447829.png

1639002530171.png

1639002607081.png

(that one didn't come over well... too bad, as it was very close to what I was trying to point out...)



As I said, it depends on what's being measured/diagrammed, the viewpoint of the creator, the response it's intended to elicit, hell - even the visual/spacial orientation of the creator and viewer.


Whatever works for you.
 

Blacknarwhal

Let's Go Brandon!
Oh great. Your Beloved Chancellor Olaf will be stepping in for Germany's final days.

a-series-of-unfortunate-events-olaf-2.jpg
 

Babs

Veteran Member
True. Communists are generally considered far right and socialists far-left.

Some of the socialists have gone so far left, they've come back to the furthest right side.

ETA: Ok, I added this before I read the entire thread.
 

Tristan

Has No Life - Lives on TB
Some of the socialists have gone so far left, they've come back to the furthest right side.

ETA: Ok, I added this before I read the entire thread.


Whoever foisted that fiction that Communism was the far left of the spectrum and Nazism the far Right end was brilliant. Evil, but brilliant.

They're both Authoritarian Socialist regimes, biggest difference being Commies want to run everything, and the Fascists want to dictate to/control the Companies that run everything.
 
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