See
attachments in the part following the Marx quote
Today, we
discuss the results of the elections in Germany on February 23, 2025.
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These elections
have been marked by the failure of the government of Chancellor Olaf Scholz, of
the so-called “Traffic Light Coalition”, made up of partners as disparate as
the Social Democratic Party (SPD), the Greens and the FDP (the “liberals”). A
coalition eroded from within by internal disagreements, in which the junior
partner of the government (FDP) acted as opposition, seeking its own profile to
survive politically as a partner of a new CDU-CSU government.
The basis of
this political crisis, not only of the government but of the other parties and
institutions, in a word of the German imperialist state, is the recurring
economic crisis of the last 10 years. But in particular, in the case of the
government of Chancellor Scholz, still in office until the new government is
formed, the stagnation of the economy with a supply barely above “0” has
already lasted for 2 consecutive years. Naturally, the cause is the most
advanced parasitism or imperialist decomposition, expressed in the fact that
Germany is the third economic power in the world, with a growing export of
capital in the midst of the internal crisis to exploit the whole world in
search of imperialist super-profits, in collusion and conflict with the other
imperialists. It is a fact that the deepest cause is not the high energy prices,
taxes and too much regulation and bureaucracy for companies. The above will be
true for medium-sized companies and below that are also affected by the
relocation of the plants of the large monopolistic companies; The reason for
the decline of the economy in the country is that German financial capital is
invested in China or in the most advanced sectors such as AI in the USA,
associated with Yankee financial capital (participation system). The most
labor-intensive, least competitive and least productive industries go to the
semi-colonies of Eastern Europe, Brazil, Mexico. All of which is done with the
impetus of the economic policy of the State and its government in power. Do not
forget that it is state monopoly capitalism.
As Marx teaches,
in the event of an economic crisis, losses are inevitable for the capitalist
class as a whole. But how much of this does each capitalist have to bear? This
is decided by strength and cunning; at this point, competition becomes a fight
between enemy brothers. From this moment on, the antagonism between the
interest of each individual capitalist and that of the capitalist class as a
whole prevails.The antagonism in the economy is reflected in the political
superstructure. Collusion and struggle become more acute. The interests of an
imperialist faction and of the groups within it are expressed in the struggle
between the government and the opposition, and within the government and the
opposition itself, between the various parties that make it up. We are faced
with what is known as the phenomenon of “political polarization”; the
antagonism between the interests of each faction, of each group, of each party
and even of their representatives prevails. We have seen the display of
strength and cunning by Olaf Scholz and Habeck and the blatant lies of Linder,
each trying to hide their true performance in the predicted end of the
“Coalition.”
This weak and
dissimilar government was not in a position to offer a “stable government” and
the next one – as has been announced for some time, before December 6, 2024 –
will not be a stable government either, nor will the one that follows it. The
government of Chancellor Scholz, who is still in office, like the governments
that will follow it, must act in the midst of the sharpening of all contradictions.
We list: the contradiction with the sole hegemonic superpower, Yankee
imperialism, with the other imperialist powers, especially Russia, and within
the imperialist alliance of the EU itself; the sharpening of the main
contradiction, imperialist countries-oppressed nations; contradictions that
drive the development of the bourgeoisie-proletariat contradiction in the
country itself.
In relation to
the previous paragraph, we refer as an example to the economic sanctions
imposed by Yankee imperialism against Russian imperialism, followed by the
European Union (EU), which affects Germany and other EU members and produces
the rise in prices for energy and transport, which directly affects the homes
of the vast majority of the population and raises prices (inflation).
Imperialist war against Ukraine, consequence: hundreds of thousands of refugees
from Ukraine in Germany and other EU countries; 2011, war of aggression against
Syria and increase of hundreds of thousands of refugees in Germany from 2014;
the current war of Yankee imperialism and the Zionist State against Palestine,
Lebanon, Jemen and other oppressed nations of the MoA: a great wave of
solidarity from millions of people in the country and the world, rejection,
condemnation and greater discrediting of the governments of the imperialist
countries for the political, economic and military support of their governments
to the imperialist-Zionist genocidal action.
War of Russian
imperialism against the Ukrainian nation (main contradiction) and
inter-imperialist contradiction; that is, Yankee imperialism and the
imperialist forces under NATO command against the Russian atomic power. It is
true that the imperialists provide the bullets and we provide the dead, as
Chairman Gonzalo said in relation to Afghanistan and other wars of imperialist
aggression or representation against the oppressed nations for the spoils,
which are the oppressed nations.In the case of Ukraine, the two contradictions
overlap, without ceasing to be, the contradiction of the oppressed nation
Ukraine against the war of aggression of Russian imperialism, the main
contradiction among the two contradictions; the other is secondary. All of the
above, plus the acts of Islamist terrorism and some hateful actions by
extremists against Muslim migrants, such as the public burning of copies of the
Koran, have aggravated the “security problems” in the EU and Germany.
In short: the
growing discontent of the working class and the majority of the population
against the government headed by this imperialist bourgeois state led by the
financial oligarchy.
On migration (illegal migration) and “internal
security problems”: domination through the policy of “divide and rule”
Therefore, the
various parties, not only the ultras of the AfD, have agitated against
migration (illegal migration) and “internal security problems” in the election
campaign that culminated in the vote on February 23, 2025, in order to divert
attention from the real problems faced by the oppressed in this country.
On this issue,
with only minor differences, the reactionaries’ plans and propaganda are aimed
at contrasting the interests of the German workers and population with those of
workers and people of foreign origin, in order to poison the consciousness of
the great oppressed masses with distrust and hatred of this part of the
population because of their origin, under the cover of the fight against
“illegal migration” and “internal security problems”, taking advantage of
individual “Islamist” acts of terror, etc. This propaganda against migrants is
not only from the AfD extremists and neo-Nazi groups, but from other parties as
well.
The working
class needs unity, not division. Its worst enemy is the savage prejudices and
superstitions that its enemies sow in the masses. Hatred and distrust of
foreigners is a double-edged sword. One edge is directed against the
"foreigners" and the other against the German people. That is why the
working class must protest with the greatest energy against these plans and
reactionary propaganda, as Lenin taught us. As he himself said, they try to
make the foreigner the scapegoat for their own sins, we are referring to
oppression and imperialist wars of aggression against oppressed countries.
Class solidarity
among workers in Germany without any kind of prejudice and solidarity with the
struggle of oppressed nations "is not a question of abstract justice or
human sympathy, but the first condition of their own social emancipation."
Therefore, it is
necessary to refer to "the problem of security." A German academic
from the Royal College of London was asked a few days ago on the MOMA (ARD) TV
programme how these young Islamists become radicalised to the point of
committing these acts of terror. He replied that it was through Islamist
platforms that incite people to take revenge for acts committed by the infidels
in their countries, such as in Gaza, etc. So, what can we deduce? That this
security specialist, despite the careful formulation of his answer, so as not
to go against imperialism, for some reason he works at RCL, wanted to say that
the ultimate cause of this radicalisation and individual acts of terror would
be the imperialist wars that are taking place in the Greater Middle East, we add,
especially since 1990 to date.
This means, as
has been said many times, by friends and strangers, if there were no
oppression, exploitation, misery and imperialist war against the oppressed
countries, there would not be this “radicalisation” to commit acts of Islamist
terror. Thus, the ultimate cause of these “Islamists” would not be their
backward religious ideology, and there would not be the radicalization of some
individuals against “internal security” in these countries, there would not be
imperialist genocide against the oppressed peoples. And without the imperialist
wars of plunder there would not be an increasing increase in migration from
these oppressed countries to the imperialist countries.
On the subject
of individual acts of terror, we take Marx who said that no English worker
would agree to be blown up in London by a bomb from the Irish Fenians, that
these acts did not serve to win the sympathy of the English workers for the
cause of Irish independence. “The Fenian rising took place early in 1867. Marx
had been most active in promoting an agitation among the English workingmen in
favour of the imprisoned Fenians, and wrote with passionate indignation of
English hypocrisy in refusing to treat them as political prisoners, but he
realised the limitations of the movement and disapproved of its terroristic
displays (Note to Letter 102. FROM MARX TO ENGELS. London, 30 November 1867).
ELECTION NIGHT NOTES
The AfD
celebrated its “great success”. It proposes a coalition with the CDU-CSU,
because that is how it was voted.
Merz said that
they had won the election. But with less than 30% of the votes cast, that is, a
bad starting point for a “stable coalition government”. He is, according to
him, in favour of a pragmatic energy policy, economic growth and NATO.
Migration is
portrayed as “illegal immigration”, “an internal security problem” and an
economic problem. Chauvinists, jingoists…
Olaf Scholz
acknowledged his defeat and with it his failure as Chancellor. He congratulated
Merz, spoke for the democrats and acknowledged his failure against the ultras,
and called for continuing to fight against them. Ukraine, as a supporter and
against the extension of the war, was grateful that the party stood firm,
closed ranks with its government,
Commentator, it
is a historic fall in its entire history (of the SPD).
BSW, the social
chauvinists, a party that is not in parliament has no significance, words of
Sara Wagenkenett herself. And they have been left out of parliament.
TV
moderator: Merz “clear winner”, AfD celebrates, “Left” (die Linke) claims
great success with less than 9% of total votes cast, SPD worst historical
defeat.
But the moderator
said that Merz's future as chancellor was not clear, he is below the 30% he
aspired to for a “stable coalition” with his preferred partner the FDP.
Merz talks of
political change, but how is he obliged to partner with the SPD to govern. The
prediction of Gabriel, Merkel's former foreign minister, that the next
government and therefore the one that follows will not be stable is being
fulfilled.
The CSU is
ruling out the Greens, because the voters have voted for a political change and
that cannot be done with the Greens, we are waiting for the results.
For the first
time an ultra party like AfD is the second force, that is to say a party
different from the CDU-CSU and SPD.
Merz had hoped
for a victory (more than 30%), in the course of the night it will not be enough
for a majority with a stable government, we know, he does not have his own
majority, the formation of a stable majority is an open problem.
Scholz bitter
result.
Merz insists
that he is the clear winner, “we wanted a coalition with one partner but if the
voters decide otherwise it will be with two.” In addition, his preferred party,
the FDP, did not enter parliament.
Moderator, it is
not a stunning result, it needs at least two partners. What changed after 10 pm
when it became certain that BSW would be out of parliament.
Weidel, the
voters have voted for a blue (CDU) and black (AfD) government. They must
explain to the voters how they are going to deal with the Greens. If they go
with the SPD and the Greens they will not be a stable government and in two or
three years they will be overtaken by us, that is my prophecy.
The CSU is
putting the emphasis on anti-AfD politics and on the fact that they do not want
to be vassals of Moscow (Sölder.), thereby extending a helping hand to the
future, i.e. the path to normalisation of the ultras. They are not attacking
them for being “right-wing ultras”, as is the official line.
Habeck is ready
for talks. He spoke of normalisation of the AfD, we do not know what that means
for him, whether it is because of the 20% result or because of the speech.
Liedner says, a
heavy fall for the FDP.
MRZ: The
situation is more difficult than we had imagined. I hope to form a coalition by
Easter.
They speak of a
clear mandate from the electors that the results do not authorise.
Merz is going to
do the same as the failed coalition, which is why there will be new elections,
says Weidel.
Merz: “This
party only exists because there are unsolved problems in Germany and if they
are solved they will disappear. What we translate is, “if the Merz government
adopts their programme, they cannot radicalise any further.” This is the same
discourse as the CDU government of the time in the early 1990s, with the
“neo-Nazi” terrorist attacks against foreigners, which it used to cut back on
asylum rights. What was done in the past with terrorism is now done by the AfD
to cut back on rights, that is, the reactionary state and law through
low-intensity warfare.
Merz: As for
Trump and Putin, for me it is an absolute priority to strengthen Europe and be
independent of the US. For the US, Europe is of no concern, we have no
illusions about what comes from Washington, intervention in the internal
politics of Washington and Moscow.
In a word, they
complain about Germany’s (Europe’s) dependence on US imperialism and that it
treats them as vassals (as Putin said). We say: three worlds are being outlined
(Chairman Mao). Lenin: “The Russian army serves as a pretext and basis for all
militarism in Europe…”
The Greens are
offering to form a coalition government at any price in the name of democracy
and Europe. Habeck said that Merz had lost ground in the elections and would
have to talk to them.
Scholz
reforms the debt ceiling. It is his stalking horse for the SPD in the coalition
talks.
According to
commentators, the results do not lead to a stable government. What is the clear
victory of the next chancellor, Merz? How will he be able to implement his
migration and economic policies, which he copied from us on these two issues?
Chrupalla, a member of the AfD extremists, said.
MARX QUOTE.
“ (...) the most
important thing: every industrial and commercial centre in England now has
a working population divided into two hostile camps, the English proletarians
and the Irish proletarians. The average English worker hates the Irish worker
as a competitor who lowers his standard of living. In relation to the Irish
worker, he feels himself a member of the dominant nation, thus becoming an
instrument of the aristocrats and capitalists in central Ireland, thereby
reinforcing the domination of the former over themselves. He has religious,
social and national prejudices against the Irish worker. He adopts towards him
an attitude very similar to that which the “poor whites” maintained towards the
blacks in the former slave states of the USA. For his part, the Irishman
returns the same coin with interest. He considers the "English worker as a
participant in English domination over Ireland and at the same time as its
blind instrument.
This antagonism
is artificially maintained and sharpened by the press, the pulpit, the humorous
newspapers, in a word, by all the means at the disposal of the ruling classes.
It is the secret of the impotence of the English working class in spite of its
organization. It is the secret of the maintenance of power by the capitalist class.
This class is fully aware of this" (LETTER FROM MARX TO MEYER AND VOGÍ
•[London] April 9, 1870)
See
attachments in the part following the Marx quote
US
ELECTIONS 2024
US
elections at "Caren Miosga"
Gabriel04.11.2024
For
Gabriel, the US is the "only superpower" and if the country
"only has to look after itself, we as Europeans will be the hardest
hit." The former vice chancellor paints a bleak picture for Germany and
its neighbouring countries should Trump win and the US become increasingly
isolated: "We are dependent on this America. Without it we are a
province."
Sigmar
Gabriel at Caren Miosga
"We
obviously have no government"
November 4,
2024
Sigmar
Gabriel (SPD) speaks with Caren Miosga about the dispute within the traffic
light coalition. The ARD talk also focuses on the upcoming US elections. There
is also praise for Trump's election campaign.
On Tuesday,
the world will be watching the US elections and Caren Miosga interviewed former
Minister of Economics and Foreign Affairs and Chairman of the Atlantic Bridge,
Sigmar Gabriel (SPD), on Sunday evening on ARD, together with three other
experts, on the question "Trump or Harris?" as a guest.
However,
she could not ignore the divisions in the coalition government in Berlin; she
addressed them at the end of the programme and asked Gabriel whether he would
have allowed himself to be invited to an economic summit by Chancellor Olaf
Scholz, unlike Minister Robert Habeck. "There is obviously no
government," replied Gabriel, adding that a primary campaign is already
underway.
The fact
that Habeck has publicly presented his own proposals for an investment fund and
that Finance Minister Christian Lindner has now published an 18-page document
on economic recovery actually belongs to "interdepartmental
coordination." However, Gabriel does not believe that the traffic light
coalition will end quickly and says that the coalition partners are
"afraid of new elections." By the way, that would also be “suicide
out of fear of death.”
Sigmar
Gabriel praises Christian Lindner
There are
many signs that the traffic light government will continue. Unlike in 1982,
when Otto Graf Lambsdorff (FDP) broke the coalition with the SPD and simply
“went over to the CDU”, a CDU-FDP coalition would currently not have a majority
in the Bundestag. Gabriel said he was more worried about the federal election
in 2029 than the one in 2025, because if “the government continues to be so
bad” then it would lead to “conditions like those in France”.
Terrorism
expert Peter Neumann
:
Radicalisation
on the Internet: “More than ever”
February
17, 2025 | 09:23
Terrorism
expert Neumann warns of ever-increasing radicalisation on the Internet. Social
media must be dealt with “more severely”, “where Islamists are more active than
ever”.
A series of
violent incidents have occurred in Germany: in Munich, Mannheim, Solingen,
Magdeburg and Aschaffenburg. In Austria, there was also a recent attack in
Villach. The threat of terrorism seems to be increasing and the debate about
its causes, prevention and political measures continues. Topics discussed
include radicalisation, the importance of social media and the dependence on
international actors.
Terrorism
expert Peter Neumann has answers to questions such as how perpetrators become
radicalised, what measures would be necessary to counter such attacks and what
role the United States plays in uncovering such acts.
In an
interview with the morning newspaper ZDF, Neumann explains...
...how
perpetrators can become radicalised
According
to Neumann, who was part of Armin Laschet's (CDU) team of experts during the
2021 federal election campaign, radicalisation has increased considerably in
recent years. This is a "novelty": "It's not that the Internet
is something new," says Neumann, "but that exclusionary
radicalisation on the Internet is becoming more and more evident."
This development
is due to "so-called algorithmic amplification", i.e. the automated
amplification and distribution of certain content on the Internet. "If you
are interested in the situation in the Middle East, you click on a video that
perhaps has an Islamist tone, you only see videos like that," he explains.
The platforms also provided the personal network.
"This
is happening faster and more frequently than ever before," warns Neumann.
"That is why we also see cycles of radicalisation that sometimes last
weeks or months and which are actually very, very difficult for security
authorities to detect."
US
ELECTIONS 2024
US
elections at "Caren Miosga"
Gabriel04.11.2024
For
Gabriel, the US is the "only superpower" and if the country
"only has to look after itself, we as Europeans will be the hardest
hit." The former vice chancellor paints a bleak picture for Germany and
its neighbouring countries should Trump win and the US become increasingly
isolated: "We are dependent on this America. Without it we are a
province."
Sigmar
Gabriel at Caren Miosga
"We
obviously have no government"
November 4,
2024
Sigmar
Gabriel (SPD) speaks with Caren Miosga about the dispute within the traffic
light coalition. The ARD talk also focuses on the upcoming US elections. There
is also praise for Trump's election campaign.
On Tuesday,
the world will be watching the US elections and Caren Miosga interviewed former
Minister of Economics and Foreign Affairs and Chairman of the Atlantic Bridge,
Sigmar Gabriel (SPD), on Sunday evening on ARD, together with three other
experts, on the question "Trump or Harris?" as a guest.
However,
she could not ignore the divisions in the coalition government in Berlin; she
addressed them at the end of the programme and asked Gabriel whether he would
have allowed himself to be invited to an economic summit by Chancellor Olaf
Scholz, unlike Minister Robert Habeck. "There is obviously no
government," replied Gabriel, adding that a primary campaign is already
underway.
The fact
that Habeck has publicly presented his own proposals for an investment fund and
that Finance Minister Christian Lindner has now published an 18-page document
on economic recovery actually belongs to "interdepartmental
coordination." However, Gabriel does not believe that the traffic light
coalition will end quickly and says that the coalition partners are
"afraid of new elections." By the way, that would also be “suicide
out of fear of death.”
Sigmar
Gabriel praises Christian Lindner
There are
many signs that the traffic light government will continue. Unlike in 1982,
when Otto Graf Lambsdorff (FDP) broke the coalition with the SPD and simply
“went over to the CDU”, a CDU-FDP coalition would currently not have a majority
in the Bundestag. Gabriel said he was more worried about the federal election
in 2029 than the one in 2025, because if “the government continues to be so
bad” then it would lead to “conditions like those in France”.
Terrorism
expert Peter Neumann
:
Radicalisation
on the Internet: “More than ever”
February
17, 2025 | 09:23
|
Terrorism
expert Neumann warns of ever-increasing radicalisation on the Internet. Social
media must be dealt with “more severely”, “where Islamists are more active than
ever”.
A series of
violent incidents have occurred in Germany: in Munich, Mannheim, Solingen,
Magdeburg and Aschaffenburg. In Austria, there was also a recent attack in
Villach. The threat of terrorism seems to be increasing and the debate about
its causes, prevention and political measures continues. Topics discussed
include radicalisation, the importance of social media and the dependence on
international actors.
Terrorism
expert Peter Neumann has answers to questions such as how perpetrators become
radicalised, what measures would be necessary to counter such attacks and what
role the United States plays in uncovering such acts.
In an
interview with the morning newspaper ZDF, Neumann explains...
...how
perpetrators can become radicalised
According
to Neumann, who was part of Armin Laschet's (CDU) team of experts during the
2021 federal election campaign, radicalisation has increased considerably in
recent years. This is a "novelty": "It's not that the Internet
is something new," says Neumann, "but that exclusionary
radicalisation on the Internet is becoming more and more evident."
This development
is due to "so-called algorithmic amplification", i.e. the automated
amplification and distribution of certain content on the Internet. "If you
are interested in the situation in the Middle East, you click on a video that
perhaps has an Islamist tone, you only see videos like that," he explains.
The platforms also provided the personal network.
"This
is happening faster and more frequently than ever before," warns Neumann.
"That is why we also see cycles of radicalisation that sometimes last
weeks or months and which are actually very, very difficult for security
authorities to detect."