Thanks a lot Scholz. I don’t want to believe that even a sizeable minority of Germans inherently are unsupportive and this public mood could have been avoided with less hesitant leadership and better communication. But now, the main problem in Germany aren’t even incompetent politicians but voters. - ThreadSky

alanderminna.bsky.social • 12 days ago

Thanks a lot Scholz. I don’t want to believe that even a sizeable minority of Germans inherently are unsupportive and this public mood could have been avoided with less hesitant leadership and better communication.

But now, the main problem in Germany aren’t even incompetent politicians but voters.

Reposted from Shashank Joshi

“European officials are working on a major new package to ramp up defense spending and support Kyiv…The spending plans won’t be announced until after the German election on Feb. 23 in order to avoid stirring up controversy before the vote” www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

Comments

sierraalpha.bsky.social•12 days ago

Does he realize he is losing voters precisely bc he has been dragging his feet at every turn? This is the first time i’m not voting SPD and i know of others who will not vote for Scholz for this reason.

kornfeld.bsky.social•12 days ago

The Germans I converse with here in Munich, are "supportive" of Ukraine, but that doesn't mean they approve the sums that would actually be needed. And these are not far-right or far-left voters. Just ordinary people who prefer to stick their heads in the sand.

fuckballs.bsky.social•12 days ago

I expected more of UK, France and Italy unilaterally tbh. EU is mostly paid by Germany and France too. With the exception of Baltic and Nordic countries, commitments are pretty low?
It shouldn't be that everyone is relying on Germany. But then again it makes sense when they all buy from Rheinmetall.

kornfeld.bsky.social•12 days ago

You're quite right that some countries could do more. But there is no time to be wasted. Denmark can give Ukraine 1% of its GDP, and I would be happy with Germany doing the same. We have been free-riding on US defence spending for decades, so complaining that others do the same to us is ridiculous.

fuckballs.bsky.social•12 days ago

We have been free riding, built up inefficient structures for presumed greater justice/freedom, which just turned out as buerocracy burdens. But citizens are used to that lifestyle now.
I think some part demographic s are to blame, Europe had low fertility.
Now we can tax rich or make more debt...

kornfeld.bsky.social•12 days ago

We all have to remember that freedom is a privilege, and defending it may carry a price tag. We should be grateful if we are only asked to pay in money. Ukrainians are paying with their blood, and they are doing it also for us. I donate every month to @u24.gov.ua. It's the least I can do.

fuckballs.bsky.social•12 days ago

UK leaving EU hurt our European security in a way. It needs to be reversed...

fuckballs.bsky.social•12 days ago

They did what they could, when they wanted more, the government collapsed.
A big part of the voters are old. They read populistic newspaper, they aren't online to get first hand info. They like peace. It is hard to sell them that weapons are peace.
East Germany has a generation that likes Russia..

alanderminna.bsky.social•12 days ago

I think this has been the greatest shock e.g. in Finland - not that Scholz was a hesitant leader who never could get his spine straight on Ukraine. But that there’s a sizeable number of German voters who support pro-Russian parties and anti-Ukraine rhetoric helps score points in polls.

jjh000.bsky.social•12 days ago

Some kind of eye opener about German stance was already the fact that events in 2014 didn't too much disturb certain gas pipe plans.

(Ok, to be fair, didn't disturb certain Finnish nuclear plant plans either...)

shuffleosint.bsky.social•12 days ago

Most in Europe didn't blink an eye. Even in the NL and UK where there was more of a reaction due to MH17, things settled down again.

jjh000.bsky.social•11 days ago

Of course EU said they take it Very Seriously and issued some sanctions. And immediately revealed the double standard and watered down stated consequences, when one of the leading EU nations continued their energy business pretty much business as usual.

chronosschiron.bsky.social•12 days ago

and if he don't stand up hard and mean vs them
they take advantage and win

blueshift24.bsky.social•12 days ago

sbamueller.com•12 days ago

But unfortunately, this sizable majority exists. Recently we did one of our radio shows and afterwards went to Popp and met to Solar researchers. They gave us the full treatment with Ukraine Bullshitbingo. And they are not stupid or apolitical.

morgenrothedgar.bsky.social•12 days ago

Letting very large numbers of russians into a country and giving them a German passport has consequences!

paxlusitanica.bsky.social•12 days ago

East Germany has serious issues.

https://www.politico.eu/article/germany-east-west-election-feb-23-elections-afd-party-cdu/

malignant-obs.bsky.social•12 days ago

Sad, but true.

shuffleosint.bsky.social•12 days ago

Populist messaging spearheaded by people who see liberal democracy as 'bad' and authoritarianism (aka RU) as good has been very successful over the past... 10 years maybe? I don't know if Germans are outright pro-Russian, or just antithetical to which party promises to solve their immediate problems

susanna14.bsky.social•12 days ago

Why do you think that our voters differ from our politicians?

toby1632.bsky.social•12 days ago

Having no insight in Germany I wonder 2 things. In Eastern Germany, did they ever have to feel shame for the Nazi atrocities and how do they value democracy?

deepsnow.bsky.social•12 days ago

The reason for the Scholz politics is not his spine or fear of afd, but Russian connections within SPD. He uses every excuse to delay help since 3 years.

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