Snowdon is a dummy

@Frank Apisa,

Frank Apisa wrote:

...although he carefully cloaks it as commentary about "the government."

That's another point.

I'm not a big supporter of our government at all. (In Germany and other countries, the government is the government = what the word says and means: the executive in control of a state at a given time. (The administration is as well what the word says: civil servants, employees who work for the state/government.)

1 Reply

@Walter Hinteler,

Walter Hinteler wrote:

Frank Apisa wrote:

xcellent question, Revelette. I misread Walter's opening sentence to read that he considers it good advice. I was surprised that he did...but the fact is that anyone...even people who are fervent supporters of Snowden should be able to see the value of the advice.

I wrote:
Is this really a good advice, German media ask this morning, when they published the following.

If that is so easily ti misunderstand - how should it be phrased in proper English (or American English)? I wanted to say that this morning various media published that dpa-report, all (five at the moment I posted it) asked "Is this really a good advice?" (Or slightly differently worded.)

Not your English at all, Walter. It was a screw up on my part. I must be getting a bit dyslexic or something.

I apologize. You are asking a legitimate question...and wording it correctly. My bad.

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@Walter Hinteler,

Walter Hinteler wrote:

Frank Apisa wrote:
...although he carefully cloaks it as commentary about "the government."

That's another point.

I'm not a big supporter of our government at all. (In Germany and other countries, the government is the government = what the word says and means: the executive in control of a state at a given time. (The administration is as well what the word says: civil servants, employees who work for the state/government.)

I tend to think of "our government" as being us...We, the people.

Many disagree with me.

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@Frank Apisa,

Frank Apisa wrote:

I tend to think of "our government" as being us...We, the people.

Many disagree with me.

We have a coalition government. The coalition parties have 504 seats in the parliament, the opposition parties only 127.

So, the majority of Germans, who went to the poll, elected this government.
My party (the SPD, 193 seats) asked its members, if they agree to form this government. I didn't, but was in minority (76% yes vs. 24% nos)

1 Reply

@Walter Hinteler,

Perhaps put a question mark at the end?

But what do you think, is it good advice?

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@Walter Hinteler,

Kind of like our parties of democrat or republican or independents in congress?

Right now with Obama as president, there are less obvious differences between republican and democrat, our government runs to the right no matter who in charge because really our country does on international issues and more left on domestic issues.

1 Reply

@revelette2,

revelette2 wrote:

Kind of like our parties of democrat or republican or independents in congress?

Not really: the Bundeskanzler (federal chancellor) heads the Bundesregierung (federal government) and thus the executive branch of the federal government. He or she is elected by and responsible to the Bundestag, Germany's parliament. The other members of the government are the Federal Ministers; they are chosen by the Chancellor.
The German Government (Bundesregierung) is the chief executive body of the Federal Republic of Germany.

The Parliament of Germany, the Bundestag, has a plural multi-party system, with two major parties, the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) and the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), with its sister party, the Christian Social Union (CSU) in the same parliamentary group, also known as CDU/CSU or the Union.
Furthermore, Germany has three minor parties, the Free Democratic Party (FDP), The Left, and Alliance '90/The Greens. The federal government of Germany usually consists of a coalition of a major and a minor party, most typically CDU/CSU and FDP, or a 'red-green alliance' of the SPD and Greens. From 1966 to 1969,from 2005 to 2009 and again since 2013, the federal government consisted of a Grand Coalition.
(Source: wikipedia)

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German opposition slams Maas' Snowden comments

Quote:

NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden has been living in Russia for nearly one year. Now German Justice Minister Heiko Maas has suggested he go back to the US, sparking outrage among left-wing politicians.
[...]
Together with the Greens, The Left is prepared to go to court in order to force the NSA investigation committee to question Snowden. The majority of the committee, which is largely made up of Angela Merkel's Christian Democrats and their coalition partner, the Social Democrats, is against the move. The Green and Left panelists have now filed an official request asking the German government to revise the decision at its first sitting after the summer break at the latest. Should this request not be met, the opposition will take the matter to the constitutional court.

It is not certain, however, whether Snowden will still be in Russia at the time when the German constitutional court is likely to take on the case. Snowden's term ends on July 31 and it is not yet clear whether the Russian government will permit him to stay longer. According to his lawyer, he has submitted an application for an extension.

1 Reply

@Walter Hinteler,

Walter Hinteler wrote:

German opposition slams Maas' Snowden comments

Quote:
NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden has been living in Russia for nearly one year. Now German Justice Minister Heiko Maas has suggested he go back to the US, sparking outrage among left-wing politicians.
[...]
Together with the Greens, The Left is prepared to go to court in order to force the NSA investigation committee to question Snowden. The majority of the committee, which is largely made up of Angela Merkel's Christian Democrats and their coalition partner, the Social Democrats, is against the move. The Green and Left panelists have now filed an official request asking the German government to revise the decision at its first sitting after the summer break at the latest. Should this request not be met, the opposition will take the matter to the constitutional court.

It is not certain, however, whether Snowden will still be in Russia at the time when the German constitutional court is likely to take on the case. Snowden's term ends on July 31 and it is not yet clear whether the Russian government will permit him to stay longer. According to his lawyer, he has submitted an application for an extension.

I am ever more firmly of the opinion that Angela Merkel is MUCH more bothered by the fact that spying (in either direction) has been revealed...

...than by the spying itself.

She is a pragmatist...and realizes it happens. She also knows...although she may tread lightly on this...that Germany and the United States are hard and fast friends and allies...with cooperation being of great benefit to both.

My guess: She wants this all to go away...and probably does not want many questions asked or answered.

1 Reply

@Frank Apisa,

I really don't see any slightest hint that she is a pragmatist about spying.

Edited; I just looked it up: last year, in an angry exchange with Obama, Merkel indeed had compared the snooping practices of the US with those of the Stasi.
And a couple of days ago, she said that U.S. espionage against a close ally is unacceptable.

1 Reply

@Walter Hinteler,

Walter Hinteler wrote:

I really don't see any slightest hint that she is a pragmatist about spying.

Edited; I just looked it up: last year, in an angry exchange with Obama, Merkel indeed had compared the snooping practices of the US with those of the Stasi.
And a couple of days ago, she said that U.S. espionage against a close ally is unacceptable.

Okay.

Then any day now she should change her mind and join with her opposition in demanding that the government question Edward Snowden...right?

1 Reply

@Frank Apisa,

Frank Apisa wrote:

Then any day now she should change her mind and join with her opposition in demanding that the government question Edward Snowden...right?

She's no member of that committee. (It really would be obscure, if she would be investigating with juridical powers her own government. We don't live here in a Nazi or Communist dictature anymore.)

1 Reply

@Walter Hinteler,

The German government rejected the idea to allow Snowden to come to Berlin to testify to the parliamentary inquiry, saying it would hurt relations. [Personally, I think, it's legally questionable. And de facto impossible.]

(Asked whether Snowden might still come, German justice minister Maas said, he doesn't "really see it at the moment".)

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@Frank Apisa,

Sorry Frank but you are wrong on this one. I have also lost confidence in ALL of our government. As I keep pointing out it is the best government money can buy. And if someone tries to force me to leave they are going to have one hell of a fight on their hands.

1 Reply

@RABEL222,

RABEL222 wrote:

Sorry Frank but you are wrong on this one. I have also lost confidence in ALL of our government. As I keep pointing out it is the best government money can buy. And if someone tries to force me to leave they are going to have one hell of a fight on their hands.

I have not suggested anyone be forced to leave.

I have suggested that if someone despises the US as much as ci does, the most honorable thing to do would be to leave.

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@Frank Apisa,

Frank wrote

Quote:

I tend to think of "our government" as being us...We, the people.

Many disagree with me.

I disagree with you. I dont think we should be giving the Isralie government 30 billion dollars a year with which to kill children and civilians. I dont think we should have gone into Iraq. I dont think we should be vetoing votes against Israel in the U N no matter how apparent it is they are in the wrong. All this is according to you my government at work. If it was up to me our present government would removed lock stock and barrel and replaced with people who actually were interested in the common man rather than in making money on the corpses of citizens. And yes I know that the common citizen is partly at fault for accepting what ever garbage the media puts out.

1 Reply

@RABEL222,

RABEL222 wrote:

Frank wrote

Quote:
I tend to think of "our government" as being us...We, the people.

Many disagree with me.

I disagree with you. I dont think we should be giving the Isralie government 30 billion dollars a year with which to kill children and civilians. I dont think we should have gone into Iraq. I dont think we should be vetoing votes against Israel in the U N no matter how apparent it is they are in the wrong. All this is according to you my government at work. If it was up to me our present government would removed lock stock and barrel and replaced with people who actually were interested in the common man rather than in making money on the corpses of citizens. And yes I know that the common citizen is partly at fault for accepting what ever garbage the media puts out.

We disagree. We have to accept that we do.

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@cicerone imposter,

Quote:

I doubt anyone can trust the US

I certainly don't, but a public trial could have advantages as a platform to speak to average Americans, irrespective of the fairness and outcome of the process.

I'm not saying he should surrender, just trying to second-guess Snowden's strategy here... Maybe he has something else in mind.

1 Reply

@Frank Apisa,

You want your country to become a vast sheep farm, Frank, with only loyal government supporters allowed to stay?

1 Reply

@Olivier5,

Olivier5 wrote:

You want your country to become a vast sheep farm, Frank, with only loyal government supporters allowed to stay?

No.

1 Reply

Snowdon is a dummy

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