You guys forgot to mention, that former chancellor turned Germany’s Ruzzian oligarch, Gerhard Schröder, has praised his old pal Olaf Scholz for his stance on Ukraine. As in not delivering Taurus.
Currently, CDU is projected at getting the same amount of votes as Scholz‘ ruling ‚Ampel‘-Coalition (traffic light coalition). https://www.wahlrecht.de/umfragen/ So, It’s pretty safe to assume, that Merz will become the next Chancellor of Germany.
In terms of the rest of the podcast I personally am a big fan of Freidrich Merz and according the polls he is likely to get the largest share of the vote in the next German election scheduled in late 2025. In my own view he is a cross between Helmut Kohl and Emmanuel Macron. He is like Kohl solely a creature of traditional "West" German society and unlike Angela Merkel has little use for the neutralism of the former DDR/East Germany or really anything East German related(A real "Wessie"). Like Macron he is also quite comfortable and friendly with big business and capital. A real traditional center right politician out of the 1980s Helmut Kohl/Ronald Reagan/Margaret Thatcher/Brian Mulroney/Nakasone era. So yes I can totally get why Claire would be a huge fan of him as am I. The real issue for Merz is just how much share of the vote he gets and which other parties he will need in coalition to form government. It is very unlikely you will see a CDU/FDP coalition like you saw back in the 1980s pre unification under Helmut Kohl. A Green/CDU coalition could agree strongly on the subject of Ukraine but strongly disagree on bringing back nuclear energy(Which Merz has already indicated will be part of his electoral platform reversing the CDU's position under Merkel) One possibility which my friend Mark Nelson from Radiant Energy has been discussing is there might be a return to nuclear with a Lander veto. So Bavaria might be allowed to turn back on two nuclear plants(Bavaria's Lander govt supports nuclear) but bringing back some of nuclear plants in Northern Germany where the SDP and Greens are stronger might be a harder lift.
I personally think in homage to the Alex P Keaton/Ronald Reagan/Helmut Kohl style of politics Merz wants to bring back he should make Randy Newman's song from 1988 "It's Money that Matters" his campaign theme song.
And if you wonder why I choose this "American" song note all the references not just to 1980s American culture but also our 1980s G7 allies like Japan, France, Italy and yes West Germany going through there own booms in conspicuous consumption. BTW, if France is so socialist especially in the 1980s why was Cannes, France the sister city of Beverly Hills, CA?
From the article......".This leaves a problem. Donald Trump, like most challengers to a vulnerable sitting president, relies on hyperbolic criticism and changing the subject rather than committing himself on difficult policy choices that might displease some set of voters.
The media, however, can no longer be trusted to give a skeptical, realistic account of what he might do as president, preferring to put words in his mouth to suit its own narratives.
In Ukraine, the American people don’t want Russia to win, don’t want to see the war expanded, and don’t want it to drag on." (Holman Jenkins.)
My ❤️ is for the darling, but useless, pic at the end. Perfect
Why not catch the mouse in trap that will not harm him and let him loose in a park?
You guys forgot to mention, that former chancellor turned Germany’s Ruzzian oligarch, Gerhard Schröder, has praised his old pal Olaf Scholz for his stance on Ukraine. As in not delivering Taurus.
Currently, CDU is projected at getting the same amount of votes as Scholz‘ ruling ‚Ampel‘-Coalition (traffic light coalition). https://www.wahlrecht.de/umfragen/ So, It’s pretty safe to assume, that Merz will become the next Chancellor of Germany.
Mice respond to incentives.
I nominate this to be proclaimed the Official Light Verse of "The Elephant Cage":
https://unwokeindianaag.substack.com/p/poetry-corner
In terms of the rest of the podcast I personally am a big fan of Freidrich Merz and according the polls he is likely to get the largest share of the vote in the next German election scheduled in late 2025. In my own view he is a cross between Helmut Kohl and Emmanuel Macron. He is like Kohl solely a creature of traditional "West" German society and unlike Angela Merkel has little use for the neutralism of the former DDR/East Germany or really anything East German related(A real "Wessie"). Like Macron he is also quite comfortable and friendly with big business and capital. A real traditional center right politician out of the 1980s Helmut Kohl/Ronald Reagan/Margaret Thatcher/Brian Mulroney/Nakasone era. So yes I can totally get why Claire would be a huge fan of him as am I. The real issue for Merz is just how much share of the vote he gets and which other parties he will need in coalition to form government. It is very unlikely you will see a CDU/FDP coalition like you saw back in the 1980s pre unification under Helmut Kohl. A Green/CDU coalition could agree strongly on the subject of Ukraine but strongly disagree on bringing back nuclear energy(Which Merz has already indicated will be part of his electoral platform reversing the CDU's position under Merkel) One possibility which my friend Mark Nelson from Radiant Energy has been discussing is there might be a return to nuclear with a Lander veto. So Bavaria might be allowed to turn back on two nuclear plants(Bavaria's Lander govt supports nuclear) but bringing back some of nuclear plants in Northern Germany where the SDP and Greens are stronger might be a harder lift.
I personally think in homage to the Alex P Keaton/Ronald Reagan/Helmut Kohl style of politics Merz wants to bring back he should make Randy Newman's song from 1988 "It's Money that Matters" his campaign theme song.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cS06eprlj2I
And if you wonder why I choose this "American" song note all the references not just to 1980s American culture but also our 1980s G7 allies like Japan, France, Italy and yes West Germany going through there own booms in conspicuous consumption. BTW, if France is so socialist especially in the 1980s why was Cannes, France the sister city of Beverly Hills, CA?
From the article......".This leaves a problem. Donald Trump, like most challengers to a vulnerable sitting president, relies on hyperbolic criticism and changing the subject rather than committing himself on difficult policy choices that might displease some set of voters.
The media, however, can no longer be trusted to give a skeptical, realistic account of what he might do as president, preferring to put words in his mouth to suit its own narratives.
In Ukraine, the American people don’t want Russia to win, don’t want to see the war expanded, and don’t want it to drag on." (Holman Jenkins.)
https://www.wsj.com/articles/trump-and-ukraine-dont-listen-to-mainstream-media-predictions-on-second-term-0a7589cd?st=0rkexkt64obanrr If you can't access, I'll excerpt.
Dou remember the old westerns?
Cowboys sitting around a campfire, cattle milling nearby, thunder in the distance, and one of the cowboys says: "Cattle are restless tonight "?
You know that trouble is coming.
Feels like that right now - on a lot of fronts.
Don't know if it will be a stampede, Indians (sorry Native-Americans), or rustlers.
But trouble is coming.
And like in the westerns, good character, skills, and determination will be needed.
I am friends with the head of Radiant energy who wrote that report on nuclear energy in Germany, FYI.