The Left Party says “there shouldn’t be any billionaires.” With Germany gearing up for an election, the far-left force has launched a new tax plan — though it will most likely never get a chance to implement it.
They also barely scrape together 5% in the polls, which means their seats in parliament are on shaky ground right now.
They will most likely get three direct elected, so their seats are pretty sturdy.
Unfortunally they also want to replace NATO with an alliance with Russia … so they are unelectable.
This is rather an unfavorable reading of their position. And to nail down them being unelectable to this position, is very reductive in an environment where we have: fascists at 20%, rather turned rightward conservatives at 30%, geriatric and corrupt “socdems” at like 15, and libbed up greens also at roughly 15%. All of these are for various reasons also unelectable largely more unelectable. Weighing a further destruction of the economy, and a further rightward shift, up against an idealistic maybe naive position on foreign politics I mean come on.
The actual read of their NATO position btw. Is closer to the the EU is already a military alliance with strength, and the US (+five eyes) is an unreliable/ imperialistic partner against which the EU should also strengthen itself. Largely they see Russia as worse(or at least equally bad) for the moment, but maybe not forever. Which is what the comment above is likely alluding to.
Pretty standard socialist FP positions for Europe I’d say. If you don’t get why NATO might be bad maybe brush up on Afghanistan and Iraq.
Also their FP is not going to matter this election apart from being a check to the governments position, even if they were to somehow end up in one.
in an environment where we have: fascists at 20%
There is also the enviornement where we have fascists invading Europe and they need to be stopped now. The AfD won’t get into power this election, so there is 4 more years to sort them out.
Weighing a further destruction of the economy, and a further rightward shift, up against an idealistic maybe naive position on foreign politics I mean come on.
Right. Not sure what this “destruction of the economy” but anyway, the foreign politics aspect is massivly more important. “maybe naive”. That an understatement.
If you don’t get why NATO might be bad maybe brush up on Afghanistan and Iraq.
I’m well aware. But it’s honestly irrelevant. Right now we need NATO for European security and a party that can’t see that is either in Putin’s pocket or incompetently naive.
The actual read of their NATO position btw. Is closer to the the EU is already a military alliance with strength, and the US (+five eyes) is an unreliable/ imperialistic partner against which the EU should also strengthen itself. Largely they see Russia as worse(or at least equally bad) for the moment, but maybe not forever.
You sure? Because the actual actual read of their NATO position is that they want it disbanded and replaced wih an security alliance the includes Russia.
“Wir fordern die Auflösung der NATO und ihre Ersetzung durch ein kollektives Sicherheitssystem unter Beteiligung Russlands, das Abrüstung als ein zentrales Ziel hat.”
soruce: https://www.die-linke.de/partei/programm/ (under 4.6).
Don’t get me wrong, I’d I love to vote the greens in two weeks (Habeck’s Ukraine position has been solid), but only if there is no chance of red/red/green (which looks good so far).
The AfD won’t get into power this election, so there is 4 more years to sort them out.
Have you been in germany this last week, have you read any of the news from there ? are you Naive about the CDUs position ? How come that this can still be the excuse ? Have you lived under CDU nothingness for most of the last 25 years? And the afd imo. only is this big because of fear of economic downturn from it’s voterbase + the constant fearmongering now taken up by CDU and SPD as well as to a lesser extent Grüne.
Not sure what this “destruction of the economy”
With destruction of the economy I mean continuation of the neolib Status quo which has existed more or less unchanged for my entire life. Under all the parties except for afd and linke mind you. Which has and is continuing to make life here economically relatively hard. Sure not as bad as some place else but this is not an EU election it’s for this place.
You sure? Because the actual actual read of their NATO position is that they want it disbanded and replaced wih an security alliance the includes Russia. “Wir fordern die Auflösung der NATO und ihre Ersetzung durch ein kollektives Sicherheitssystem unter Beteiligung Russlands, das Abrüstung als ein zentrales Ziel hat.”
If you just look at a party Program without listening to the politicians when they actually explain it sure yes that is the position. Do you believe party programs will be policy word for word? If you don’t we can go back to my little paragraph which is from recent communication from the party heads. Also not perfect sure but much less (self) reductive.
invading Europe and they need to be stopped now.
They haven’t been for 2+ years now don’t kid yourself that they can be stopped in the way you’d like (total ukrainian victory plus short timeline is a pipedream). So tell me why I should not vote for my self interest economically, but instead vote for this idealistic, and with cheeto deals increasingly hollow, ukrainian victory.
Don’t get me wrong, I’d I love to vote the greens in two weeks (Habeck’s Ukraine position has been solid), but only if there is no chance of red/red/green (which looks good so far).
And if there is a chance of RRG your already threatening (with the Ukraine thing still being like 90+% solid), to throw any chance of progress for anyone that doesn’t already have it all away, fucking beautifully compassionate.
Honestly the kind of blindness to the status quos failings displayed by people along your lines is the reason I’m going to vote linke, so that there’s at least someone to call out the shenanigans when they go down in the Bundestag, in our oh so infallible Democracy.
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geschichte_der_Deutschen_Zentrumspartei
Just for a little reminder why one might be pissed of at people threatening to vote CDU of all things in this environment.
Good luck to them
Its obvious, but for some reason also rage inducing, that for every billionaire with at least 2 billion in wealth, taking half their wealth has them remain a billionaire. If you take half the wealth of some average individual they’re probably going from “sort of getting by” to “heavily at risk”
World watches as majority of all humans on the planet slowly loose their wealth and ability to sustain themselves: … meh, can’t do much about it
Someone suggests we should take wealth of wealthiest people even though it wouldn’t really hurt them anyway: … WWIII it is!
The people think about it and feel bad for those billionaires because the people think they are just temporarily inconvenienced billionaires themselves, and when their billions come in they don’t want anyone taking their billions away.
When I was young people were temporary inconvenienced millionaires, where are we heading?!
:-)
What I truly don’t understand is, let’s say that the billionaires completely “win” and we’re all of their servants in some way. Who is going to actually protect them or serve them? Do they think they’ll be sitting in that bunker and everyone around them will cook for them and protect them from the people wanting to steal what they have? The extremely more likely scenario is that people just go in and take they what they want, servant, neighbor, whatever. They won’t be safe, lol. Desperate people will take you down to save their own family.
I now know why there are always these loyal servants in movies that fight with the master to the end. It’s the wealthy paying for scripts to plant the seed, lol.
This is frustratingly naive. Do you think there’s no one who will offer protection in exchange for an extra scoop of porridge? Throughout history, most soldiers didn’t fight for acause…they did it for the paycheck. Billionaires already have an entourage, there will always be people under their umbrellas.
Hell, forget about the money…you don’t think there’s anyone who would gladly take a bullet for Elon Musk in exchange for nothing?
That’s because we’re not desperate. If zuck is living in a bunker, it would not be normal times.
“I’m looking for 50 guys to defend my compound. You can live there and eat for free”
Nobody’s taking that offer when they’re desperate?
Lol, they would absolutely take that offer. Have you ever lived in the South? They would then go there and do whatever, and I mean whatever, they want.
ETA: Do you think people wouldn’t do it because they have morals or ethics about it or something? Even if you’re a fan of Musk, it wouldn’t be for long and he would be gone.
WWIII it is!
Plebs get to uppity, you mow that lawn!
Eliting 101
Unfortunately they also want to stop helping Ukraine defend against russia. So they’re a no-go.
The party of non violence except for self defense wants to stop participating in imperialist forever wars?
How shocking!
The green party (Bündnis 90/Die Grünen) is moderate left and fully supporrs Ukraine. I’m probably gonna vote for them. The war is only going a few years yet, so I wouldn’t call it a “forever war”. I’ve seen a lot of wars come and go in my lifetime and I think this one will end in a few more years or less. It’s just very important to teach russia a lesson, they can’t just attack others without serious consequences. It’s not just important for Ukraines future, but for all mankind. Ukraine and the heroes risking and giving their life on the battlefield for our future deserve our full support for teaching russia that lesson. If the war ends before russia learns that, they will soon attack another friendly neighbour, so it’s either fight now or fight even more later. It’s unfortunate, but sometimes you just gotta resist and fight back for a better future.
It’s incredibly easy to teach others lessons when you have nothing at risk, now or in the future.
Ukraine risks a lot to teach that lesson and they have my full support. It’s not easy tho, because there are people like you trying to send us all to our doom.
Yes, it’s easy to teach lessons when you are taking no risk and losing nothing.
It’s not so great for the Ukrainians who were forcibly drafted at the end of a gun, so Germany can teach Russia a lesson.
If you think any of nuclear Europe is ever at any risk from Russia, you’re too stupid to breathe, much less have an opinion on the matter.
You are arguing in super-bad faith.
No one is forcing Ukraine to right but Russia.
How in your mind does not sending them help teach anyone a lesson? Fuck allies who are defending themselves?
No, I’m disagreeing with you. That’s not arguing in bad faith and trying to claim that is simply nonsense to protect your echo chamber generated views.
You’re right, no one is forcing Ukraine to fight Russia, except every international aid agency. Oh and Black Rock now that they’ve purchased large swaths of Ukrainian land. But more importantly Ukraine isn’t it’s people. It’s never been a democratic state by any standards, until 2014 it was downright considered despotic. But that government that does not have consent from the majority of its people is forcibly conscripting men off the street to fight and die in a war they clearly don’t want to fight. While this is happening the Ukrainian government has massively enriched itself.
Not sending them help, and instead treating them like any other war victim would be the fair thing. Take in the refugees. Resettle anyone that doesn’t want to speak Russian or go to the meat grinder. Sanction Russia.
Ukraine isn’t an ally to anyone, it’s an investment opportunity for billionaires. That’s about it. Let’s not depopulate it and let the land be given away.
First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out— Because I was not a socialist.
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out— Because I was not a trade unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out— Because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.
The risk for not helping the Ukrainians is that this will set precedence the collapse of the international order and institution that prevented major wars since World War 2, because the international charter explicitly forbids violating another nation’s sovereignty. If no one speaks out or support Ukraine, then it will be you and your loved ones next in the next world war.
That’s a sentiment that will only continue to increase for as long as the war remains a stalemate and we don’t see any results for the billions we’re pouring in.
I don’t support it because I intend to become a billionaire one day (shut up, I’m not fixing that ice cream machine)
