Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

No

9 (37.5%)

Yes

15 (62.5%)

Total Members Voted: 23

[Loud Whispers]

Big English-language article about Helmut Schmidt, his life, and why he was so important to Germany and the Germans.

Getting some deja vu here
HELGO CONFIRMED HELMUTSHILL

In more seriousness though, how do people feel in regards to breaking your own constitutional limits and going extralegal in times of crisis? Is it justifiable in certain cases as in natural disaster or crises as with Helmut or Obama?

[Bouchart]

In more seriousness though, how do people feel in regards to breaking your own constitutional limits and going extralegal in times of crisis? Is it justifiable in certain cases as in natural disaster or crises as with Helmut or Obama?

You mean like how Lincoln suspended the writ of habeus corpus, declared martial law and burned down half of the south?

[Descan]

Or when Trudeau declared martial law to solve the Quebecois separatist terrorists problem?

[Helgoland]

Good God, I read that as 'Truean'.

Well, Ol' Helmut may not have technically had the authority to call in Bundeswehr helicopters to evacuate flood victims, but it was fairly clear that he was acting according to the spirit of the law, even if he may have been breaking the letter.
In addition to that, there's a strong case to be made with Artikel Eins:

Artikel 1

(1) Die Würde des Menschen ist unantastbar. Sie zu achten und zu schützen ist Verpflichtung aller staatlichen Gewalt.

(2) Das Deutsche Volk bekennt sich darum zu unverletzlichen und unveräußerlichen Menschenrechten als Grundlage jeder menschlichen Gemeinschaft, des Friedens und der Gerechtigkeit in der Welt.

(3) Die nachfolgenden Grundrechte binden Gesetzgebung, vollziehende Gewalt und Rechtsprechung als unmittelbar geltendes Recht.

Translation:

(1) Human dignity is uninfringible. To act and defend it is the duty of all state force.

(2) Therefore the German people commit themselves to inviolable and inalienable human rights as foundation of all human community, of peace and of justice in the world.

(3) The following fundamental rights bind the legislative, the executive, and the judicial branch as directly applicable law.

[MarcAFK]

In Australia we just borrow helicopters to save the hassle of needing to find somewhere to park, your politicians are crazy using them for emergencies like that.

[mainiac]

You mean like how Lincoln suspended the writ of habeus corpus, declared martial law and burned down half of the south?

You mean when Lincoln scrupulously obeyed the constitution which provided an exception for the exact circumstances he was in?

The Privilege of the Writ of Habeas Corpus shall not be suspended, unless when in Cases of Rebellion or Invasion the public Safety may require it.

[Sinistar]

Also, these days absolutely anything critical of Islam in any way is accused of Islamophobia, racism, and countless other meaningless buzzwords.

And similarly anyone who shows any kind of sympathy for the refugees, decrees Islamization to be a buzzword and is of opinion Orban and his ilk are all bunch of shitheads is branded dirty liberal, filthy progy, stupid humanist or just plain old lefty. Gotta show both sides of the coin to keep the balance, mang.

In other, slightly older news: there were parliamentary elections over in Croatia. The currently ruling Social Democrats lost to HDZ party. The fun part is both of them are nearly tied in votes and thus both lack the seats to form a government. And it's pretty unlikely they will join up together of course. There's also a third player here, party called Most, a Croatian version of parties like Podemos and Siriza we've seen rise in recent times in EU. Last time I heard they were firmly adamant not to join with either of the bigger players, but linked articles says they are apparently ready to compromise. Here's to hope HDZ get's run over because in recent time I've heard about some disturbingly far-right rhetoric coming from their side.

[Morrigi]

Regardless, it is objective fact that at least half of the so-called refugees are not refugees at all and aren't even Syrian, and that the vast majority of the migrants are refusing to file for asylum anywhere but Western Europe. This makes them economic migrants, not refugees. The real refugees are largely in Turkey and Jordan, in the refugee camps. If people want to help them then they should donate to organizations involved in helping at those camps. Opportunists are ensuring that money that could be spent on people who are actually in need and who have nothing is being wasted, and crippling European government budgets while they're at it.

[Sheb]

Actually, a lot of the people applying for asylum in Europe are people that come from the Jordanians and Turkish camps. One the reasons the flux picked up so dramatically this year is that Jordan and Turkey have been toughening the rules on refugees (banning them from working among other things).

[Loud Whispers]

Actually, neither of you posted citations.
Earlier in 2014 amongst first time asylum seekers the proportion of Syrians was around 10-15%, not accounting for second time asylum seekers, fake Syrians, those coming by sea nor immigrants who authorities fail to log. Eurostat has 700,000 asylum seekers in total logged across the EU despite countries like Germany alone taking in 750,000 illegal immigrants yearly, set to rise to 800,000 - conservative estimates. Measuring by asylum applications only takes into account those who bother to apply for asylum and takes their word for it. The German panic over how big they fucked up is intensifying after they failed to stop the influx (it has increased to record highs) of people, after they failed to shovel the immigrants they so desperately lusted for onto other EU countries because they got cold feet and couldn't handle their own banter, after Merkel undermined her own power, the didactic duo are running out of emergency accommodation on their own turf.

Meanwhile the British are still helping those actually fleeing from war. Heck, we're still helping those still caught in war. [pdf] That aid has helped millions already and will help millions more to people who actually needed it. Continental Yuros done fucked up. Pathological altruism, where you want to help everyone, but end up hurting everyone - failing to do what helps most in favour of what feels good. Does anyone remember when the Anglos were about to evacuate Mt. Sinjar? Broke the siege with PKK and Freedom airstrikes.

Also top kek, the German doc was right.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

German hospitals are increasing security to protect doctors and nurses from violent attacks by migrants who are unhappy with the medical treatment they are receiving.

Critics are warning that German taxpayers will end up paying billions of euros to provide healthcare for a never-ending wave of asylum seekers. This is in addition to the billions of euros already being spent to provide newcomers with food, clothing and shelter.

In addition to the massive economic and social costs, as well as the burden of increased crime, including a rape epidemic, Germans are now facing the risk of being exposed to exotic diseases — and tuberculosis.

Roughly 5% of asylum seekers are carrying resistant germs. In real numbers, this works out to around 75,000 newcomers with highly infectious diseases. — Dr. Jan-Thorsten Gräsner, director of the Institute for Rescue and Emergency Medicine.

Twenty types of vaccines are now in short supply, and 16 others are no longer available at all. Because of production bottlenecks, some vaccines will not become available until 2017.

Muslim women refuse to be treated by male doctors, and many Muslim men refuse to be treated by females. — Max Kaplan, director of the Bavarian Medical Board.

And in response to receiving 10k immigrants in 7 days the Swedish PM is begging immigrants to stay in Germany.

It seems fitting to use the german word schadenfreude here, how pleasing it is to see when people get knocked off their moral high horses with a sharp kick to the bum. It is easy to see who has helped and who has miserably failed, failed their own people, failed Syrians and Iraqis, Somalis and Libyans and throw in a couple crying Germans and Swedes. It disappoints me that after Rotherham the German and Swedish police have not learned from this and also try to cover up enriching crime :/

and crippling European government budgets while they're at it.

Honestly if I didn't have "no ruining other people's countries intentionally" as a rule in the OP I'd be seriously advocating Germany accept another few million in the next two years for being such racist shitbigolords under the anticipation that it'd finally snap and northern politics would become considerably easier without eurocrats confounding everyone everywhere.

[miljan]

Radical Poles mark Independence Day
http://www.chron.com/news/world/article/Radical-Poles-mark-Independence-Day-with-6624448.php

http://www.worldbulletin.net/todays-news/166254/nationalist-demo-in-polish-capital

"Tens of thousands of protesters poured into Warsaw's streets on Wednesday for a demonstration organised by the far-right, marching under the slogan "Poland for the Polish" and burning an EU flag."

In other news this is what kids learn in poland (the teacher was fired after this was leaked)
http://imgur.com/GkEG5ZI

Slovenia putting up fence along border with Croatia to control migrant flow
Read more at Reutershttp://www.reuters.com/article/2015/11/11/us-europe-migrants-slovenia-idUSKCN0T00I120151111#tfOiKA5FgIzjl5PQ.99

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/11/11/us-europe-migrants-slovenia-idUSKCN0T00I120151111

[SaberToothTiger]

Welp, the Polish Independence Day is basically th eday when all of the shitlords in Warsaw pour out on the streets and say shit. They are a significant factor and their opinion's are, which is not hard to guess, fucking stupid.

It's no longer a day for patriotism, but for nationalism and mental retardation nearing terpentine drinking level.

[Morrigi]

Someone has made a reasonably high-quality anti-immigration propaganda video and it's gone viral on both YouTube and dumpert.nl, apparently a popular video hosting site in the Netherlands. I'm rather impressed.

This is the face of the new right, people. Like it or not, it's here to stay.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=44vzMNG2fZc

[miljan]

Sweden to introduce border controls at noon

http://www.thelocal.se/20151111/sweden-set-to-mount-border-checks

[mainiac]

Sweden to introduce border controls at noon

So 11 AM is gonna be fun?