Can we talk about Germany for a bit?

[number 46]

loafer123 said:

It is all sounding a little 1930s for my liking over there.

I have no idea what you mean????

Best Wishes

Angela!!!!

[irocfan]

Good to see the peaceful anti fascist lot in action...

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-46792556


Bloke my be a bottom feeder but this doesn't help

[Digga]

All this and Germany industry is tanking too: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-01-08...

[BlackLabel]

More trouble brewing over the Nord Stream 2 pipeline project too.


https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-01-07...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nord_Stream#Expansio...

[Ron Maiden]

Germany's AfD party has raised the prospect of 'Dexit', saying it will back withdrawal from the EU if Brussels does not combat the 'Islamisation' of the continent.

[SpeckledJim]

Ron Maiden said:

Germany's AfD party has raised the prospect of 'Dexit', saying it will back withdrawal from the EU if Brussels does not combat the 'Islamisation' of the continent.

Braces for toppstuff to tell us that AfD are an irrelevance, with no real support, and normal service will soon be resumed.

[RedWhiteMonkey]

Ron Maiden said:

Germany's AfD party has raised the prospect of 'Dexit', saying it will back withdrawal from the EU if Brussels does not combat the 'Islamisation' of the continent.

I suspect that the EU would have to collapse before Germany left it as they are probably the biggest beneficiaries from it. Whilst they obviously could get bigger (or conversely they could disappear) the AFD are still a minority party that no other party is particularly willing to get to closely involved with. This strikes me as just another AFD soundbite intended to raise their profile.

[amusingduck]

Ron Maiden said:

Germany's AfD party has raised the prospect of 'Dexit', saying it will back withdrawal from the EU if Brussels does not combat the 'Islamisation' of the continent.

I'm sure the EU will give Germany the €1,000,000,000,000 they're owed if they leave

Saying that, they were never going to get it anyway, so nothing lost there.

Edited by amusingduck on Tuesday 8th January 12:49

[NAS]

RedWhiteMonkey said:

Ron Maiden said:

Germany's AfD party has raised the prospect of 'Dexit', saying it will back withdrawal from the EU if Brussels does not combat the 'Islamisation' of the continent.

I suspect that the EU would have collapse before Germany left it as they are probably the biggest beneficiaries from it. Whilst they obviously could get bigger (or conversely they could disappear) the AFD are still a minority party that no other party is particularly willing to get to closely involved with. This strikes me as just another AFD soundbite intended to raise their profile.

What he said.

Hope springs eternal that the CDU will work on becoming more attractive to more "right wing" voters with AKK at the wheel, and that die Linke (funnily enough, the key competition for the AFD) become slightly less of a clusterfk so that those two parties keep themselves in balance in irrelevance.

"Right wing" is written like this because AFD policies are actually really rather left, with some added "conservatism" dislike of foreign cultures/ways of life.

If not, the AFD could still rise to over 20%.

[wc98]

SpeckledJim said:

Braces for toppstuff to tell us that AfD are an irrelevance, with no real support, and normal service will soon be resumed.

by the time he is back from his latest business trip he will have spoken to the majority of germans and will be able to give us their (for their read his) considered view on the subject. what a disastrous end to merkels reign. she must have lost her mind in recent years.

[Kawasicki]

AFD politician Magnitz beaten/clubbed unconscious by three thugs, in what is believed to be a politically motivated attack.

The pictures turn my stomach.

[Digga]

Kawasicki said:

AFD politician Magnitz beaten/clubbed unconscious by three thugs, in what is believed to be a politically motivated attack.

The pictures turn my stomach.

Quite. Like the idiots in Westminster shouting "Nazi" at Soubry (FWIW I don't like what she is doing but do not for one minute think the mob behaviour was acceptable) extremists on all sides threaten to derail democracy and force minority views onto all sides.

The rise of alt groups, left and right, is a worry.

[Hugh Jarse]

Digga said:

Quite. Like the idiots in Westminster shouting "Nazi" at Soubry (FWIW I don't like what she is doing but do not for one minute think the mob behaviour was acceptable) extremists on all sides threaten to derail democracy and force minority views onto all sides.

The rise of alt groups, left and right, is a worry.

Farage has been called a Nazi for twenty years by various door handles, nobody batted an eyelid.
Bizarre you are equating yobs shouting with attempted murder.

[rscott]

irocfan said:

Good to see the peaceful anti fascist lot in action...

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-46792556


Bloke my be a bottom feeder but this doesn't help

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-46842106

Video released of the assault. Contradicts claims by the AfD that he was hit with a piece of wood and kicked while on the ground..

[Not-The-Messiah]

rscott said:

irocfan said:

Good to see the peaceful anti fascist lot in action...

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-46792556


Bloke my be a bottom feeder but this doesn't help

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-46842106

Video released of the assault. Contradicts claims by the AfD that he was hit with a piece of wood and kicked while on the ground..

What real difference does that make and what point are they trying to make?

Ultimately the key point is he was attacked and could have quite easily have died. In a what seems to be a politically motivated attack.

You could get into was is attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon and so on but that's not the point. I some how think if that was Anna soubry in hospital the BBC wouldn't be producing articles questioning the style of the attack. It would be MP attacked by who ever and that's all that would matter.

[rscott]

Not-The-Messiah said:

rscott said:

irocfan said:

Good to see the peaceful anti fascist lot in action...

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-46792556


Bloke my be a bottom feeder but this doesn't help

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-46842106

Video released of the assault. Contradicts claims by the AfD that he was hit with a piece of wood and kicked while on the ground..

What real difference does that make and what point are they trying to make?

Ultimately the key point is he was attacked and could have quite easily have died. In a what seems to be a politically motivated attack.

You could get into was is attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon and so on but that's not the point. I some how think if that was Anna soubry in hospital the BBC wouldn't be producing articles questioning the style of the attack. It would be MP attacked by who ever and that's all that would matter.

They're simply reporting the German police report and CCTV, which appear to be somewhat different to the statements issued by the AfD.
There's no disputing it was a cowardly attack from behind, but doesn't seem to have been as severe as claimed (one single blow pushing him face first into the concrete, rather than the claim of being hit with a piece of wood and then kicked).
It probably is political, but no one has claimed responsibility for it yet, so how do we know for sure?

Nice usage of whatabout, by the way.

[alfie2244]

rscott said:

They're simply reporting the German police report and CCTV, which appear to be somewhat different to the statements issued by the AfD.
There's no disputing it was a cowardly attack from behind, but doesn't seem to have been as severe as claimed (one single blow pushing him face first into the concrete, rather than the claim of being hit with a piece of wood and then kicked).
It probably is political, but no one has claimed responsibility for it yet, so how do we know for sure?

Nice usage of whatabout, by the way.

Piece of wood or not I have seen some fairly nasty looking pics of his head injuries...assuming they aren't faked of course.

[The Dangerous Elk]

There seems to be either a block of wood or a brick in the guys hand ~

[BlackLabel]

Germany are moaning about the brain drain now and want to stop doctors and others emigrating. How very progressive of them. They’ve been happy enough to poach labour from the poorer parts of Europe and the world for years.


“VIENNA (Reuters) - The European Union should consider regulating to stop member states from poaching each other’s doctors and other professionals, German Health Minister Jens Spahn said.”

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-eu-migration-ge...

[glazbagun]

BlackLabel said:

Germany are moaning about the brain drain now and want to stop doctors and others emigrating. How very progressive of them. They’ve been happy enough to poach labour from the poorer parts of Europe and the world for years.


“VIENNA (Reuters) - The European Union should consider regulating to stop member states from poaching each other’s doctors and other professionals, German Health Minister Jens Spahn said.”

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-eu-migration-ge...

Same as us. Benefit from it (have a department set up for it!) but don't like it going the other way.

He's behind the curve- The Tories have been there already-
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/jer...

Free movement of labour is a bh.

Of course when you're highly skilled, FMOL is less of a hurdle anyway.