To those going "sure, a depopulated, post-industrial east is a problem, but that doesn't mean they should vote >30% for a far right party", YES, I get you, ethically But what are you going to *do* about it, practically? - ThreadSky

jonworth.eu • 8 days ago

To those going "sure, a depopulated, post-industrial east is a problem, but that doesn't mean they should vote >30% for a far right party", YES, I get you, ethically

But what are you going to *do* about it, practically?

Comments

pettter.bsky.social•8 days ago

Blame capitalists instead of poor people, and push policy that correctly goes after the property, power, and positions that billionaires possess, and using that to properly support and resource universal services, including in poverty-stricken areas.

abusch.bsky.social•8 days ago

Even in lefty Berlin the AfD has won a direct mandate…
With that size, further attempts to sideline the party in the Bundestag will fail.
The AfD will, on the other hand, have to fulfill the expectations of its voters & behave more constructively.
The days of easy opposition to everything are over.

jenschu.de•8 days ago

No they don't have to fulfill expectations. That's the neat part of being the Against-Everything-Party without any responsibility. Even if they have responsibility in some areas they can still claim that their own problems come from the "establishment" and rules by the government.

mikehibu.bsky.social•8 days ago

Well, we've tried throwing money at them for ~35 years and that hasn't worked...

danielphilips.bsky.social•8 days ago

We don’t know if it hasn’t worked without a context factual.

alecjburrett.bsky.social•8 days ago

Massive transport infrastructure spending and, net zero heavy industry would be my suggestion.

alecjburrett.bsky.social•8 days ago

Maybe also throw in some part state owned tank factories.

beatekubitz.bsky.social•7 days ago

I can’t do what my dad did - which was to move back to the east and set up a small technical manufacturing firm.
(Practical reasons - I’m married to a Brit who won’t learn German) so I’m stuck just voting and hoping. It’s hard though E Germans don’t appreciate how much better life is in Germany!

jonworth.eu•7 days ago

oh for me as a Brit who moved to Germany and became German, I relate to that 100% - and I look at some of these complaints in the east and ask myself "are you really looking at the same problem as I am?"

beatekubitz.bsky.social•7 days ago

We should run coach trips to Greater Manchester, without wanting to run down the efforts of councils there to turn stuff round they have a bigger hill to climb than say Erfurt or Leipzig

joeborges.bsky.social•8 days ago

Moving from London to Cottbus, it was sometimes unnerving to live in a depopulating city, sure. I saw fresh anti-LGBT graffiti and teenage AfD support, but also antiracist and antifascist action. I think German and European media are too quick to blame GDR legacy for the modern state’s failings.

marcbln.bsky.social•8 days ago

But what’s the reason in Cottbus? Ok infrastructure, university, some culture, new jobs coming or already there (DB), quite bright outlook for the future, good connection to Berlin… is it lacking education?

corleonelennon.bsky.social•7 days ago

I blame the DDR - it's there on the map! Clear as a bell. A few patches of Bayern which are always suspect and a tiny piece of Swabia maybe but otherwise it's a single story.

jmorris14.bsky.social•8 days ago

What scares me more is the areas that are growing in the East also were approaching 30% for AfD. I don't know how this can be resolved. Cutting social funding further including reducing public transport frequency (as planned for Dresden) seems like it will make things quite a bit worse...

danielphilips.bsky.social•8 days ago

Are people in the west fed up of cross subsidy? When things are getting worse locally the pressure to spend locally can increase.

jonworth.eu•8 days ago

Yep, exactly. That sort of thing is very worrying.

jenschu.de•8 days ago

The same question as with the Fly-Over-States in the US. Open a new Autobahn and people start driving through. Open a new Gewerbegebiet and some Discounters settle and the small village shop dies.

Industrial settlements like Saxony Valley etc may help to a certain degree, /1

jenschu.de•8 days ago

but in comparison to the west it's lacking medium sized industry which specializes in certain areas. These fill the industrial vacuum between small business and corporate structures.

garretbeggan.bsky.social•7 days ago

Give them to Poland, who seem to be making a go of Schlesien, Pommern, Warthegau and the rest, maybe? 🤔

Shuts the Poles up about WW2 reparations for good measure. 🙂

corleonelennon.bsky.social•7 days ago

Best idea I've seen all day!

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