The not so short lived non argumentative political thread.

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  • Sir Hillary BraySir Hillary Bray College of ArmsPosts: 2,174MI6 Agent
    Higgins -- Question for you...I read earlier this week about a group called The Wing which sits within AfD. Sounded like a far-far-far-right group within a far-right party. The Wing was being shut down or co-opted or something like that -- I probably have it wrong. The article I read confused me more than anything. I know COVID-19 is top of everyone's mind right now, but can you explain if what has happened within AfD has any real meaning? Are they splintering and less cohesive? More cohesive? No change? Just curious. Thanks.
    Hilly...you old devil!
  • HigginsHiggins GermanyPosts: 16,618MI6 Agent
    Excuse me if the reply is getting a bit lengthy...

    Indeed, "Der Flügel" ( The Wing) is the far-far-far right wing in the far-far-right AfD.
    Problem is that they gained more and more power within the party and basically nothing can be decided against their will - or better - they move the party more and more to the right corner.

    The AFD was started by an economy professor, who was constantly ranting against the Euro during the Eurocrisis (with Greece, Portugal etc.) and he pulled a lot of unhappy conservative centrist voters with that programme.
    At this time, the AfD was a protest party, which had difficulties pulling over the 5% hurdle in elections.
    The breakthru came with the refugee crisis, where the AfD leaders discovered a massive potential for them to get traction. The founder and his follower both resigned because the party moved too right and the xenophobes became more and more powerful and vocal.
    With the usual methods ( attacking the free press and singing a borderline xenophobic tune with the friendly help of Mr. Putin) the party has gotten stronger and stronger, the more they have been moving to the right.

    Now, here comes the dilemma: The more nazi you become, the more likely you disgust and lose law abiding conservatives who want to protest and get their voices heard.

    A recent court trial decided, that Der Flügel was anti-constitutional and will be severely observed by the authorities.

    This means that civil servants are on the border of getting fired, when they are AfD members, because parts of them are officially anti-constitution.

    Consequently and recently the AfD leaders demanded Der Flügel to lock down and surprisingly they obeyed, but honestly it will be still the same people with the same ideas part of the AfD and I have doubts that anything will substantially change for the better.

    And my personal take is - no matter if you are light-brown or dark-brown - Nazi remains Nazi.
    And if you walk with Nazis, vote for them you become a part of them - no matter what your motives really are (protesting, getting your voice heard) for voting for them.
    President of the 'Misty Eyes Club'.

    Dalton - the weak and weepy Bond!
  • Number24Number24 NorwayPosts: 21,702MI6 Agent
    Do you see AfD as being completely fascist, or is it an element (at least among their voters) who are something else?
  • HigginsHiggins GermanyPosts: 16,618MI6 Agent
    I see them as xenophobic and populist and half of their MPs are flirting with fascists.

    Their voters are mainly the conservative protestvoters, who would not support the last 2 decades course of the conservative party moving more and more into the middle.
    That leaves a gap on the right, which the AfD is happy to fill.
    President of the 'Misty Eyes Club'.

    Dalton - the weak and weepy Bond!
  • Number24Number24 NorwayPosts: 21,702MI6 Agent
    thanks
  • Sir Hillary BraySir Hillary Bray College of ArmsPosts: 2,174MI6 Agent
    Appreciate the response, Higgins. Not too lengthy at all. :)
    Hilly...you old devil!
  • HigginsHiggins GermanyPosts: 16,618MI6 Agent
    edited March 2020
    Just wanted to add, that so far, the band-aid for conservative voters with a conscience was, that the AfD was a democratically elected party - so there is nothing wrong about voting for the AfD.
    That does not work anymore, if a part of this party is now officially declared to be against the constitution, so the AfD leadership was scared that they will lose some centrist voters and many civil servants.
    And they had to do something against it.
    President of the 'Misty Eyes Club'.

    Dalton - the weak and weepy Bond!
  • Number24Number24 NorwayPosts: 21,702MI6 Agent
    I see Keir Starmer will most likely be the next Labour leader in Britain. I hear he sems electable, but in spite of an interesting name he's a boring person. Any comments?
  • ChriscoopChriscoop Belize Posts: 10,449MI6 Agent
    I quite like Kier Starmer, he's a more serious and intelligent politician than Corbyn, and would hopefully bring the Party back toward the centre, the only problem being that as Boris is pulling the Tories towards the centre we could end up with the two leading parties being a bit too close to each others positions for comfort.
    Of course a lot depends on the shadow cabinet members, he really needs to have a complete clear out of the dross that currently occupy those seats.
    It was either that.....or the priesthood
  • BarbelBarbel ScotlandPosts: 36,053Chief of Staff
    As expected, Sir Keir Starmer is now the new leader of the Labour Party.
  • Number24Number24 NorwayPosts: 21,702MI6 Agent
    I think Labour missed an historic chance when the Tory party was a mess because of Brexit. Now the Tories are marching more in step and the chance may be gone. I think part of the reason why the Labour wasn't able to do something that should have been easy could be Corbyn's lack of charisma. He sumply doesn't have the mass appeal Bernie Sanders has. We'll see if Starmer will be able to make Labour more popular.
  • BarbelBarbel ScotlandPosts: 36,053Chief of Staff
    Well, I believe he's announced plans to build a giant rocket in an installation on the SE corner of England, using 50 scientists of his own choice. He had the temerity to write to the Queen about it. He was hoping to play a game of cards or two first, but the current situation is holding that back.
    That should affect his popularity- in some cases, ahem, drastically.
  • Number24Number24 NorwayPosts: 21,702MI6 Agent
    What type of missile? A moonraker? I guess it's for civilian use, but are they plannig manned launches?
  • BarbelBarbel ScotlandPosts: 36,053Chief of Staff
    I hear it may be used eventually for manned launches, but not for about 24 years.
  • Number24Number24 NorwayPosts: 21,702MI6 Agent
    How large is the planned missile? I'm just wondering if Britian is trying to close the missile gap to Norway :v
  • BarbelBarbel ScotlandPosts: 36,053Chief of Staff
    Its range would cover nearly every capital in Europe and I think (I'd have to check) it's about 60' long. It's fleming, sorry I mean flaming, big.
  • Number24Number24 NorwayPosts: 21,702MI6 Agent
    That's great. Hopefully Britain's space program will get better than the Norwegian one in a few years :D

    [url]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andøya_Space_Center[/url]
  • Charmed & DangerousCharmed & Dangerous Posts: 7,358MI6 Agent
    Barbel wrote:
    Well, I believe he's announced plans to build a giant rocket in an installation on the SE corner of England, using 50 scientists of his own choice. He had the temerity to write to the Queen about it. He was hoping to play a game of cards or two first, but the current situation is holding that back.
    That should affect his popularity- in some cases, ahem, drastically.

    :)) :)) :))

    I hope he, um, launches it onto the British public with a suitable gala reception.
    "How was your lamb?" "Skewered. One sympathises."
  • BarbelBarbel ScotlandPosts: 36,053Chief of Staff
    {[] and :)) :)) :))

    Perhaps he might sell the brand if he has a good head on his shoulders.
  • ChriscoopChriscoop Belize Posts: 10,449MI6 Agent
    Sanders has suspended his campaign, what does that mean? No election this year?
    It was either that.....or the priesthood
  • Westward_DriftWestward_Drift Posts: 3,085MI6 Agent
    Chriscoop wrote:
    Sanders has suspended his campaign, what does that mean? No election this year?

    Just means Biden will be assured the Democratic Party nomination, which was pretty much determined after Super Tuesday anyway. State primary elections will still go ahead, eventually. The presidential election in November goes ahead. That date can't be changed without Congressional approval.
  • ChriscoopChriscoop Belize Posts: 10,449MI6 Agent
    Chriscoop wrote:
    Sanders has suspended his campaign, what does that mean? No election this year?

    Just means Biden will be assured the Democratic Party nomination, which was pretty much determined after Super Tuesday anyway. State primary elections will still go ahead, eventually. The presidential election in November goes ahead. That date can't be changed without Congressional approval.
    Thanks for the round up {[]
    I was just wondering whether there could be an unopposed presidential candidate, or whether it would cause some, mainly the Sanders supporters to feel they didn't get their say.
    It was either that.....or the priesthood
  • ChriscoopChriscoop Belize Posts: 10,449MI6 Agent
    I've also just read that France has now tipped into recession, posting their worst figures since ww2, frightening stuff and a scenario I think will soon be repeated around the world.
    It was either that.....or the priesthood
  • Number24Number24 NorwayPosts: 21,702MI6 Agent
    I think Sanders stayed on for so long in the hope of pulling Biden's politics to the left, because his chances of wining has been next to zero since super Tuesday. Now I wonder how the huge jump in unemployment numbers because of corona will influence Trump'schances in the election. The very good economy was likely to be his number one speaking point in the election.
  • Number24Number24 NorwayPosts: 21,702MI6 Agent
    "When somebody is the president of the United States, the authority is total. And that's the way it's got to be."
    - Donald Trump


    He also belives he has the right to influence the outcome of court trials and he Calls the press "the enemy of the people".

    Ask yourself: If you saw these statements before Trump became president, would you think these were the Words of an US president or some dictator?
    Next question: If Obama or Hillary Clinton had said it, would it be OK or terrifying? If it's terrifying when one person says it's also vdery wrong if Trump says it.
  • BarbelBarbel ScotlandPosts: 36,053Chief of Staff
    Trump has halted US funding for the World Health Organisation over their handling of the coronavirus outbreak.
  • ThunderpussyThunderpussy Behind you !Posts: 63,792MI6 Agent
    The Chinese government will cover
    That loss. Given as how WHO has
    Bent over backwards to protect the
    Chinese Government. ;)
    "I've been informed that there ARE a couple of QAnon supporters who are fairly regular posters in AJB."
  • Number24Number24 NorwayPosts: 21,702MI6 Agent
    The Chinese government will cover
    That loss. Given as how WHO has
    Bent over backwards to protect the
    Chinese Government. ;)

    Have they? Please eleborate.
  • ThunderpussyThunderpussy Behind you !Posts: 63,792MI6 Agent
    I'm not going to bother all the information
    Is out there. I honestly believe that if
    Trump found the cure for cancer, some
    Would still have a problem with it.
    "I've been informed that there ARE a couple of QAnon supporters who are fairly regular posters in AJB."
  • HigginsHiggins GermanyPosts: 16,618MI6 Agent
    The entire WHO blaming is just a deflection from Trump other populists.

    Experts are constantly learning in the current situation and so does the WHO.
    The WHO warned - and more importantly spread infos about the virus DNA code in January 2020.

    Uk and US leaders have been downplaying this and disregarded widely the scientists warnings until mid of March and are now blaming the WHO and China not telling about it.

    While both China and the WHO where not acting perfectly, the gap of doing nothing between early January and mid March is more harmful than any of China‘s or WHO shortcomings have caused.

    And suspending WHO funding when they are needed most ( this thing has just started in India and Africa who are highly depending on the WHO) is just ridiculous.
    President of the 'Misty Eyes Club'.

    Dalton - the weak and weepy Bond!
This discussion has been closed.