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[miauw62]

Can't find a source for this currently, but hasn't De Wever explicitly said that the NVA forming a government with the PS is not going to happen?

Imo, the MR is probably our best bet on getting a government formed.

[Sheb]

Well, not sure about this. This side of the borders, every single party has been using De Wever has a bogeyman claiming they won't form a government with them and that voting for an other party is voting for the NVA (Whatever that is supposed to mean).

We also have to figure out who the commission president will be. Junkers won the vote, but Orban already said he won't back him, and Cameron ain't happy either. Word is also that he might want to become Council president rather than Commission president. In the meantime, Schultz is vying for some powerful job (at least he'll get to keep his job as Speaker I guess). Oh, and Verhofstadt is trying to spin the idea that since no single group has a majority, he should get the job as a compromise candidate. :p

[Helgoland]

Spoiler: Here is an example of the kinds of headlines our press was running with until recently. (click to show/hide)

Admittedly, these are all right-wing rags, but they are well read right-wing rags. I think the entire UKIP vote in Scotland was comprised of all the Scottish Daily Mail, Telegraph and Daily Express readers put together.

Germany is very lucky in a way that I realized only recently: While we do have tabloids, they retain at least some journalistic standards - and the only one that's important nation-wide, the Bild, has a very strong history of supporting the CDU, the main conservative party. They're not reactionary, but cater to the 'dumb gut-conservative' demographic. It's not perfect, but it prevents the German tabloids from going off the deep end.

norway thinks it's more of an empire than germany does

Hell, you're always in for a laugh when reading about the actual colonial empire - all the pieces the other nations didn't want, we claimed
About Heimat: That's probably what Owlbread's part of Scotland is to him - a specific region that you belong to. It's patriotism without a nation, just love for the region and its people. I get that every time I drive towards Cologne: The Autobahn goes over a hill, and the city lies before you, you can guess where the Rhine flows, and in the centre of it all, you see the cathedral, the Kölner Dom...
I firmly believe that this is what makes the Rhineland special: It's a distinct area, historically has had great influence, has a common dialect uniting its people, a very distinct culture... And yet, Rhineland nationalism never became a thing. We have our fields, our beer, our carnival - why would we need a nation?

[Sheb]

And yet, Rhineland nationalism never became a thing. We have our fields, our beer, our carnival - why would we need a nation?

If I had a car, it'd sport a bumper-sticker saying "Too drunk for patriotism"

[Helgoland]

I might need a beer glass with that on it...

[Sheb]

Frankly, so many wars could have been (or have been) avoided because the leaders on each side got drunk enough together. 'shame them Palestinian leaders won't get drunk.

[XXSockXX]

Germany is very lucky in a way that I realized only recently: While we do have tabloids, they retain at least some journalistic standards - and the only one that's important nation-wide, the Bild, has a very strong history of supporting the CDU, the main conservative party. They're not reactionary, but cater to the 'dumb gut-conservative' demographic. It's not perfect, but it prevents the German tabloids from going off the ddeep end.

Part of that is that Bild belongs to the Springer publishing house, which while being "gut-conservative" and being the object of passionate hatred for the '68 generation, has some corporate principles their employees need to abide by:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Part of the articles of association of Axel Springer AG are the five socio-political preambles that were written by Axel Springer in 1967, amended in 1990 following German reunification and supplemented in 2001.

    To uphold liberty and law in Germany, a country belonging to the Western family of nations, and to further the unification of Europe.
    To promote reconciliation of Jews and Germans and support the vital rights of the State of Israel.
    To support the Transatlantic Alliance, and solidarity with the United States of America in the common values of free nations.
    To reject all forms of political totalitarism.
    To uphold the principles of a free social market economy.

So while Bild is a populist tabloid of questionable journalistic value, there are lines they won't cross.

[scriver]

I firmly believe that this is what makes the Rhineland special: It's a distinct area, historically has had great influence, has a common dialect uniting its people, a very distinct culture... And yet, Rhineland nationalism never became a thing. We have our fields, our beer, our carnival - why would we need a nation?

You should study the history of nationalism more. It was all about forcing together similar regional cultures into one national identity. German nationalism espoused the union of all German regions into one Germany. Same with Italy and Russia. In the north, nationalist did not speak of Swedish, Danish, or Norwegian nations - they spoke of a Scandinavian Nordic nation (the idea just never gained huge popular following, we like hating the Danish too much). That's the reason that in the swedish national hymn they end the lyrics with a "I want to live, I want do die / In the North" rather than "In Sweden".

So yeah, of course Rhinelander "nationalism" never took hold. It would have been against the whole point of the nationalist school of thought. It would have been regionalism. It's like asking why there's no Gotlander (Defined region separate from the mainland, unique culture, very different dialect with completely separate language roots) "nationalism". There is. It's just a part of (modern) Swedish nationalism.

[MonkeyHead]

Admittedly, these are all right-wing rags, but they are well read right-wing rags. I think the entire UKIP vote in Scotland was comprised of all the Scottish Daily Mail, Telegraph and Daily Express readers put together.

Of note is that the 4 areas in Wales (Conwy, Denbighshire, Flintshire and Wrexham) that went UKIP are pretty much the least racially diverse areas in the country, with a demographic skewed towards older white voters. Coincidence?

[10ebbor10]

Speaking about the British press. The European commission has a list of all the myths they have ever perpetuated.

Link

[Helgoland]

-snip-

The Cologne area was a major political power in the middle ages, though - one could very well imagine an alternate reality in which it split off and became a separate state. That's all I'm saying: There was true potential for a separate nationalism, but it didn't happen.

Plus the German national identity came about pretty naturally, no need to eradicate local culture there...

[XXSockXX]

Yeah, in Germany, being a rather young nation state, with strong federal structures and nationalism becoming somewhat taboo after WW2 regionalism has been preserved very well. But to have these regional identities become separate national ones would have required a different course of history. Especially in Southern and Western Germany having separate states would have been a real possibility at various points, it just never happened.

[scrdest]

-snip-

The Cologne area was a major political power in the middle ages, though - one could very well imagine an alternate reality in which it split off and became a separate state. That's all I'm saying: There was true potential for a separate nationalism, but it didn't happen.

Plus the German national identity came about pretty naturally, no need to eradicate local culture there...

That would require a very specific course of history - not only it would have to remain independent, it would have to flourish and survive as a power to late XVIII to XIXth century - nationalism is a fairly recent invention, as far as history goes.

[Helgoland]

Most nations developed pre-1789. The difference between a kingdom and a nation is one of degree rather than one of quality.

Spoiler: Let's play alternate history: With only two changes to reality! (click to show/hide)

Imagine, let's say, Napoleon not being a humongous war-monger and not marching on Moscow, instead reaching a peace with England - unlikely, but possible. The German-speaking territories left of the Rhine remain with France; their culture becomes French-influenced to an even larger degree, while the rest of Germany solidifies into several medium-sized countries. German nationalism exists, but German unification doesn't happen because neither Prussia nor Austria develop enough power inside Germany to unite it under their lead - instead, strong regional identities develop. After some later war, the Rhine Germans - being sick of the French oppression and thus having gained a collective identity - gain independence under a settlement between France and another major power (think Poland 1918). Tadaah - an independant Rhineland! The only two changes: Napoleon being more reasonable, and a lack of a major inner-German power.

I'm not Owlbread, though - I'm quite content with being ruled by those damn Prussians.

[Guardian G.I.]

Meanwhile in Ukraine:

After pro-Russian forces took control of Donetsk International Airport, Ukrainian military counterattacked: Ukrainian Mi-24 helicopters bombed the airport, National Guard attacked the pro-Russian positions. Current situation is unclear - reportedly fighting is still going on.

Spoiler: Photos (click to show/hide)

Ukrainian helicopter firing at pro-Russian forces in the airport.
Ditto, shot from far away.
This post wouldn't be perfect without a video shot by bloodthirsty Russian barbarian journalists from RT.