Karl Rove the Ankle nipper

Good comparison in today Sueddeutschen
Karl Rove the master at Krocket, the game that combines, Chess, Billiard and Golf. On the outside, it is typically english, blood less and without obvious enthusiams, but it is so mean - since you can beat away the opponents, that are in better positions, with carefully planed attacks.
The rest of the article is worth reading as well. (sorry all in German)

Orbituary

I am sorry to read that Billmon has left the house and has closed shop with one last post here and in the LATimes (registration required).
I remember him way back when he was a regular at dkos. His comments always had the fury of the rightousness and where eloquent in a manner, that revealed his years experience as a professional writer.

My only question to his reasons for leaving is:
What did you expect, the Blogsphere would achieve? And why is that aim now not achievable?
I had lots of discussions with people in the past about, joining the establishment to change. "Marsch durch die Institution" as we militaristic Germans call it. Well, Germany is going to switch off its nuclear powerstations, because people corrupted themselves with power. I think, that is a success of the "Ausserparlamentarischen Opposition". If you make descision, if you get involved, you always carry part of the blame, when things don't go the way of all your former friends and as honorable it might be, to say I will stay squiggy clean. Life is not like that. Keeping the balance between, being corrupt or corrupted and failing your abilities or potential.
Ha, I could go on here, but it would become to personal. (-:

Billmon, I am sorry you stopped blogging, I really am. It is our loss. I hope you can find a new medium to express your anger in that will stay up to your standards. And I sincerely hope I will be able to get hold of this. I cannot meet you in your local, because you live on the other side of the atlantic, and I think, you would probably not even be interested in talking to me, even if I showed up. Not that I am not an interesting guy to talk to, but, ah well, I just know myself to well (-:
PeWi

Braune sauce

Fuck,

not many other words come to mind, if you look at the election results in Sachsen and Brandenburg.

nearly 9.2 % and 6% in either Land.

to much, by far.

lamenting?

History help, put this in relation, please. Brandenburg, hardly any gains for the right wing. so solid at 10%? also T.Folks.U [I am sooo not linking to them] und Fash.P.T [nor to them] are not quite friendly with each other, must have made a pact, not to go into each others space. What ever happend to the Rebublikans? didn't they get something like 12% in BW not so long ago, were even considered coalition partners with the CDU - didn't they even end up in the EU parliament.... those were the times before the infights put them in their place.

and CSU is blaming the Greens and SPD - how did that end up as being news.

PeDeeS. not surprising, really not surprising, people forgett so quick. how can I say that, I have never lived there, while they were still in power. The burden Birne put on Germany was enourmous, and all subsequent lamenting easy. Once there was euphoria, now there is respectlessness. but somehow, people, sit together and sort it.

Where is the optimism. Come on, Germany, Come on.

Lone caller in the desert, shreeking, ha.

Kurt Kister sets it right in der Sueddeutschen.

Das 20. Jahrhundert war die blutigste Lernphase der europäischen Geschichte. An ihrem Ende steht die Erkenntnis, dass das Streben nach einem perfekten politischen System unter einer obersten Autorität geradlinig mindestens in die Unfreiheit und den Spitzelstaat, im schlimmsten Fall in den Massen- und Völkermord führt.
In Deutschland haben wir im vergangenen Jahrhundert zu unserem Leid und dem unserer Nachbarn all diese Varianten mutwillig ausprobiert.

how to translate this.
oh, how to translate this: Unfreiheit - bondage... hihihi the result of the online dictionary.
German can be so succinct.
Liberty and freedom but what is the opposit: deprivation of liberty, hmm
Miriam Webster suggests: coercion.

so my try:
The 20th Century was the bloodiest lecture in European history. Its conclusion is this realisation: the desire for a perfect political system under one highest authority leads straight into deprivation of liberty and the "snitch state". It might even go to the extreme of massmurder and genocide.
We tried this in Germany in the last century [ed]this from a man who was born in Dachau[/ed]. It led to the suffering of our nation and our neighbours, when we willfully tested all possible variants.

Onion is reality

This Article in der Spiegel, makes me incredibly sad.
Not that it is particularly surprising, considering the recent elections and the unemployment and, and, and. but boy, how glad am I that we have a Social democrat as a Kanzler. With those lovely fellows from the CDU, we would be in Iraq and we still would be hooked to nuclear power and so much more. I seem to be the only one who thinks so, however.
Not forgetting it was our uberkanzler Birne Cabbage the II, who brought us into this mess. Decicive action that lead to reunification. that was great. but please, could we take back all subsequent policy decisions?

Not many words needed

When I read the title of this Guardian column by Yasmin Ataullah, I was immediately upset. Not that I do that lightly, you understand...
However when i started reading, I got even more outraged, which lead me to writing my first letter to a columnist. which was thus:

Dear Yasmin,

thank you for explaining your postion in todays Guardian which I read with great interest.  There is one thing I am not able to understand however.  Why are you talking about the French government forbidding the wearing of the hijab in general terms, when it is only referring to very specific cases. Nobody forbids anybody to wear the hijab in their everyday life. It is only when you enter a state building attending your education that you are not allowed to show any symbols of your religion - everybody is treated the same here.

I understand that the hijab is a powerful symbol, that can show that you belong to a group, reveals that you are part of a tradition to which you have every right to be proud of.  But it is also revealing to see that you say, it was your choice. Of course it is about choice and I am all for your choice to wear the hijab and I would always stand up to defend your right for your choice.  Sometimes there are circumstances were we do not have choice and the question is, who makes the decision about our freedom. In France, the french government makes the choice. They can be voted out.

Being forced to wear a hijab in my eyes, is more suppressive than being forced to not wear one in certain circumstances.  Your choice has to be to say Yes, not to have to fight for your No.  And the discussion about the hijab is a fight about the right to say No to having to wear it, because there are women that see the hijab as a symbol of suppression. Even if you personally don't see it that way, and might not understand these woman. I am sure you can agree, there are Muslim women, that feel suppressed by having to wear the hijab.

The law is blind to everybody and in a secular society, which the French is more so than the English (and I am saying this as a German, where we have a similar, but slightly different discussion) the state has the right to say No on your behalf.  It is the strength of the state, that gives you the space to get out of your tradition and learn about others, that is what education, in a liberal, secular society is about.  And it is this strenght that also allows you to embrace what ever religious tradition you choose as right for you. Of course differences are important, they can be celebrated and they have to be discussed, but for me this law is not an afront against you as individual Muslim, it does not take away your right to be a Muslim. Instead it gives women a choice, they might not get otherwise.

You have the right to say Yes, but not everybody is given this freedom.  I see the French law as enabeling people to learn to say Yes to Islam, not as a supression of your individual freedom. 

Sorry for my rant.

And I wish you peace on your way.

Signed with name

I got a reply, well, it sounded automated. So no dialogue here. I am sorry.