lolQuote:
Originally Posted by AdrianII
Merkel´s problem is that no one can imagine her as a figurehead. But then, the CDU has currently a lack of possible figureheads.
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lolQuote:
Originally Posted by AdrianII
Merkel´s problem is that no one can imagine her as a figurehead. But then, the CDU has currently a lack of possible figureheads.
But so seemingly has the SPD, if I am to believe this morning's FAZ. They write that the SPD has great trouble finding capable people. Muentefering is a not a Volljurist so they can't give him Justice. Other SPD candidates are losers of State elections - not very attractive or authoritative.Quote:
Originally Posted by A.Saturnus
But maybe the real recruitment problem of both parties is the fact that no capable politician wants to 'burn his fingers' on a risky coalition that some commentators predict will not last much longer than a year.
New elections coming down the road very soon? Quite possible. Yet the true reason for Merkel’s underachievement is not her lack of abilities (which, objectively, cannot yet be assessed) but her utter lack of charisma.Quote:
Originally Posted by AdrianII
Gerd is a twat. He is a circus clown that plays a role of serious politician, and he pulled it off pretty well for a long time. He, however, outweighs Merkel in matters populism and charisma by far. It appears obvious to me that many have forgotten how important the charisma of a candidate is for his/hers overall success. Note the comment
Merkel is no genius, and I am not confident in her abilities to lead Germany as good as I would want her to, but to outbid the old weasel in matters of incompetence, she would have to actively work against all and any German economical interest. It would not suffice for her to just be bad; she would have to try hard to be really bad. No one but Gerd has this ability to mess up so many things at the same time so badly.Quote:
Originally Posted by Germaanse Strijder
Schroeder being an opportunist of major league, he wouldn’t have hesitated for one second to do the exact opposite if it would have been in his own interest. His downfall, which should have occurred four years ago, was painfully postponed because he collected massive points in the great flooding in Germany where he went around and shook hands like a berserk, promising extensive help, but far more so counting on today’s Germany’s utter resistance to each and any form of armed conflict. Riding on those two currents, he won narrowly the elections four years ago. Alas, no major catastrophe or war on Syria this year, tough luck Gerd.Quote:
Originally Posted by evil_maniac from mars
I suppose it’s the same generosity and unselfishness that made him step down from leadership of SDP in favor of Muentefering? Well, I don’t believe in Santa Claus anymore.Quote:
Originally Posted by A.Saturnus
Well, there´s a difference. Back then, it was clear that Schröder would remain to be the boss. Whatever his intend now, the actual result was beneficial for the SPD and not for him. Unselfish hardly describes him, admitted, but it seems there are still a few things he can´t bring him to do for power.Quote:
Originally Posted by voigtkampf
Voigtkampf: I totally disagree with Schröder beeing an all too bad chancellor, remember Kohl? Schröder hat to live through 9/11 in his years of leading and through dozens of other problems, such as rising Oil prices and gathering money for any catastrophes occuring anywhere else on the world, would you expect someone in these times to lead a country to the High Road when the whole world has problems?
Yes, these years were not an optimum for us, but neither were it americas good years under George W. Bush...woops! He's not voted off yet. Sorry... Anyway, you get the my point. The whole world has suffered and someone has to be responsible for the problems that effect germany, if we had Kohl as a leader our country wouldn't be in a better position and Kohl would be as hated as Schröder, I might guess.
And yeah, Schröder is charismatic. ;)
The man on the helm of Germany in the days of reunification? The man that was chancellor for sixteen years? Yeah, I remember Kohl.Quote:
Originally Posted by Arcanum
Gerd only profited from 9/11; first by identifying him and Germany with the USA in the times of suffering, condemning the attacks, and then with bailing out from US sponsored Iraqi war, riding on the highly accentuated anti-war “stimmung” of the Germans. Rising oil prices and other mentioned difficulties have hit not only Germany, but other European and world countries as well; still, economical indicators have revealed that the Germany was coping with all of those far worse then others due to ineffective government. Google it up, if you missed the numbers.Quote:
Schröder hat to live through 9/11 in his years of leading and through dozens of other problems, such as rising Oil prices and gathering money for any catastrophes occuring anywhere else on the world, would you expect someone in these times to lead a country to the High Road when the whole world has problems?
I could never make a better claim for Schroeder’s inefficiency then you just have.Quote:
Yes, these years were not an optimum for us, but neither were it americas good years under George W. Bush...woops! He's not voted off yet.
It is more than that. Far more. I run my own business; I suffer from oil prices, market changes, inflation, lack of skilled craftsman, in short, almost everything economy can put up. I must cope with all of these circumstances, and if I fail, I failed not because of those issues, but because of my lack of ability to cope with them. In that case, I better go and find myself a steady, non-entrepreneurship occupation.Quote:
Sorry... Anyway, you get the my point. The whole world has suffered and someone has to be responsible for the problems that effect germany, if we had Kohl as a leader our country wouldn't be in a better position and Kohl would be as hated as Schröder, I might guess.
Same with Gerd. Not that he didn’t manage to turn the odds to his benefit, he even failed to cope with them with the same efficiency his other European neighbors managed to do that. Tough luck, Gerd, I don’t let that “It wasn’t me!” excuse slide, if you are not able to stand the heat, stay out of the kitchen; if you are not able to run the world’s third greatest economy satisfactory, hand the job over to someone who might.
Not to me; I understand his general appeal, though.Quote:
And yeah, Schröder is charismatic. ;)
Very good, Kohl was as much of a shocking impact to germany as Schröder, maybe even worse. If germany wouldn't have been that badly scarred before, we could even have ignored a Schröder leadership and felt fine.Quote:
Originally Posted by voigtkampf
I looked a bit around and found this (assuming that you're german aswell) http://www.tatsachen-ueber-deutschland.de/11.0.htmlQuote:
Gerd only profited from 9/11; first by identifying him and Germany with the USA in the times of suffering, condemning the attacks, and then with bailing out from US sponsored Iraqi war, riding on the highly accentuated anti-war “stimmung” of the Germans. Rising oil prices and other mentioned difficulties have hit not only Germany, but other European and world countries as well; still, economical indicators have revealed that the Germany was coping with all of those far worse then others due to ineffective government. Google it up, if you missed the numbers.
Guess that tells us that we even more depend on World economics than most other countries in the world, if we are as naive as I am and believe the official sources.
I never said he was efficient, but he isn't the worst one can imagine...eh?Quote:
I could never make a better claim for Schroeder’s inefficiency then you just have.
Wait a second, that means, if you had a factory and a hurricane would crush it down, it's your fault because you were not able to cope with the hurricane that crashed your business? Hmm... sounds like natural selection for me.Quote:
It is more than that. Far more. I run my own business; I suffer from oil prices, market changes, inflation, lack of skilled craftsman, in short, almost everything economy can put up. I must cope with all of these circumstances, and if I fail, I failed not because of those issues, but because of my lack of ability to cope with them. In that case, I better go and find myself a steady, non-entrepreneurship occupation.
Running a country "satisfactory" is not often achieved these days. Can't argue that we need a better Government though...but nearly everyone does. Except for the British *sigh*Quote:
Same with Gerd. Not that he didn’t manage to turn the odds to his benefit, he even failed to cope with them with the same efficiency his other European neighbors managed to do that. Tough luck, Gerd, I don’t let that “It wasn’t me!” excuse slide, if you are not able to stand the heat, stay out of the kitchen; if you are not able to run the world’s third greatest economy satisfactory, hand the job over to someone who might.
You always choose the lesser evil, and saying that Merkel is charismatic is strange.Quote:
Not to me; I understand his general appeal, though.
To me Schröder was anything but charismatic. Compared to Merkel he may be but then what Germany really needed was exacltly that; a charismatic leader. He didn't necessarily needed to be all that good and competent but he needed to have a face to show to the world and most of all to the German people.
The current chancellor needs to put fresh life into the economy, into the social agenda etc.; (s)he needs to make the German people blieve in themselves again, to have confidence. What I see at the moment is just petty squabbling amongst two opposing parties who pretend to be all cheery and friendly, not able to form a decisive govenment. Germany has to wait for a real leader that will make things happen again. Therefore, I will not hold my breath for the new government. I predict it won't last long, this so-called coalition. It will crumble and sooner rather than later, at that. I sincerely wish the German people all the best in their endeavour especially since Switzerland WILL inevitably be affected by Germany's decisions.
I don't doubt Merkel's abilities for a minute...I very much doubt her uncharismatic ways, however. She has about as much of that as a seagull has meat under its kneecap.
Quid
Yes, he did that. But not much else actually. All those reforms Germany needs since decades now could have been done then. When we had the money to do all that is necessary. But all looked well then, why do anything? "Die Rente isch sicher!"Quote:
The man on the helm of Germany in the days of reunification?
Truth be told, a number of other major European powers aren´t doing so great as well.Quote:
Rising oil prices and other mentioned difficulties have hit not only Germany, but other European and world countries as well; still, economical indicators have revealed that the Germany was coping with all of those far worse then others due to ineffective government.