Do you believe in Merkel? - Page 18

#**341** 30.06.2017, 13:13

This story should be more concerning though:

Germany votes for 50m euro social media fines

#**342** 30.06.2017, 13:21

	Quote:	Loz1983
	If you lecture Putin you should be expected to lecture other world leaders who practice the same persecution of homosexuals. If you are pro gay rights, then you should be pro gay marriage.

I still don't think there is a connection between violence towards gays (or anyone, for that matter) with impunity and gay marriage.

Just because there is a common denominator of sexual orientation does not mean there is a connection.

greenmount · #**343** 30.06.2017, 13:44

	Quote:	Loz1983
	This story should be more concerning though: Germany votes for 50m euro social media fines

Yeah, I can't wait for Germany to tell us whom should we hate and whom should we love from now on. What will be construed as hate speech and towards whom? The thing that worries me is that it will be all very arbitrary, the whole political correctness philosophy is. We are "correct" with some, but not with others.
Really seems like the reverse propaganda of the '30s, but for sure there will be scapegoats as ever.

Eta. Let's hope common sense will prevail though because for the moment it really looks like they lost not only their minds but also all the credibility they still had..

	Quote:
	The bill has also faced criticism from human right's campaigners. "Many of the violations covered by the bill are highly dependent on context, context which platforms are in no position to assess," wrote the UN Special Rapporteur to the High Commissioner for Human Rights, David Kaye. He added that "the obligations placed upon private companies to regulate and take down content raises concern with respect to freedom of expression". The law could still be stopped in Brussels, where campaigners have claimed it breaches EU laws.

lewton · #**344** 30.06.2017, 14:17

	Quote:	Loz1983
	This story should be more concerning though: Germany votes for 50m euro social media fines

To me it is concerning if they only impose fines.
Fines are fine

for the public finances, but after too many offences the next step would be to ban platforms that do not do enough to limit hate speech and fake news.
Imagine a world without Facebook.

amogles · #**345** 30.06.2017, 14:55

	Quote:	Loz1983
	This story should be more concerning though: Germany votes for 50m euro social media fines

Sad thing that Germans don't study history and remember what happened last time they chose this path.

amogles · #**346** 30.06.2017, 15:02

	Quote:	lewton
	To me it is concerning if they only impose fines. Fines are fine for the public finances, but after too many offences the next step would be to ban platforms that do not do enough to limit hate speech and fake news. Imagine a world without Facebook.

Imagine a world without the local.

Rob · #**347** 30.06.2017, 15:58

	Quote:	amogles
	Imagine a world without the local.

Very easily.

lewton · #**348** 30.06.2017, 16:20

	Quote:	amogles
	Imagine a world without the local.

Without what?

greenmount · #**349** 30.06.2017, 16:34

	Quote:	lewton
	Imagine a world without Facebook.

Or YouTube.

For goodness' sake, I learned how to cut wood without cutting my fingers from youtube...

I can do without Facebook....for a week though.

Seriously, how will they justify the "impeachment" (I lack a better word) of a platform that can be used in e-Learning for instance? In the name of which superior moral goals?
The German politicians are a weird lot lately.

omtatsat · #**350** 01.07.2017, 07:31

no! She's a politician

k_and_e · #**351** 01.07.2017, 08:56

	Quote:	amogles
	Imagine a world without the local.

Imagine a world with the local.

Rob · #**352** 06.07.2017, 15:45

Britian Furst supporter calls for Merkel to be assasinated for her refugee policy.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/20...refugee-policy

	Quote:
	A prominent Britain First supporter has advocated gunning down Angela Merkel because of Germany’s policy of allowing Muslim refugees to settle in Europe. Marian Lukasik, a far-right activist, said the German chancellor should be shot “to pieces” after allowing Syrian and Iraqi people to enter Germany. Footage of his comments has been uploaded to YouTube as part of an interview which has been viewed thousands of times. It comes days after a man, reportedly with rightwing views, was charged with planning to assassinate the French president, Emmanuel Macron, and one year on from the murder of the Labour MP Jo Cox, who was killed by a far-right activist who shouted “Britain First” before shooting and stabbing her.

amogles · #**353** 21.07.2017, 14:32

Is Merkel ready to sacrifice Schäuble?

	Quote:
	SASBACHWALDEN, Germany (Reuters) - Wolfgang Schaeuble has won his parliamentary seat a dozen times, survived an attempt on his life and guided Angela Merkel through the euro zone crisis. Now, the German chancellor may have to sacrifice him to secure a coalition deal. Merkel's conservatives are likely to win a national election on Sept. 24, but lack of an overall majority could force them to continue their alliance with the center-left Social Democratic Party (SPD). SPD leaders say their price for a re-run of the current 'grand coalition' would be for Schaeuble to vacate the finance ministry and hand it to them.

more here http://www.businessinsider.com/r-mer...inister-2017-7

rainer_d · #**354** 21.07.2017, 17:39

That could be a risky move.

While he isn't overly popular or an empathic leader-type, there are a couple of ways this could turn out really bad.

After all, he's seen "responsible" for the budget surplus.

marton · #**355** 21.07.2017, 20:53

	Quote:	rainer_d
	That could be a risky move. While he isn't overly popular or an empathic leader-type, there are a couple of ways this could turn out really bad. After all, he's seen "responsible" for the budget surplus.

Could turn out well, the European Commissioner for Economic and Monetary Affairs and the Euro will need to be replaced next year at the end of his 5 year term

marton · #**356** 27.07.2017, 01:41

May you live in interesting times - old Chinese curse

	Quote:
	In a ruling which could have far-reaching consequences for how the European Union deals with migrants in future, the European Court of Justice on Wednesday upheld the right of member states to deport asylum-seekers to the first EU country they enter. The ruling amounted to an effective rejection of Angela Merkel’s controversial “open-door” refugee policy, which saw more than one million asylum-seekers flood into Germany.

Source

parnell · #**357** 27.07.2017, 06:55

Incredibly stupid naieve undemocratic and unilateral decision is also illegal. Worst chancellor in 60 years.

amogles · #**358** 02.08.2017, 16:19

I don't think this is going anywhere. But the Polish government are apparently considering demanding Germany pay them reparations for WW2.

https://de.sputniknews.com/politik/2...riegsschaeden/

I understand the German position is that the door has been closed on the topic by various treaties signed between German and Poland over the years, and that Poland cannot now pretend those treaties have no validity.

I guess it's a tactical move to deflect from Germany's massive criticism of Poland lately, and maybe put Germany onto its back foot.

But it may lead to some interesting discussions.

The Realpolitik equivalent of Godwin maybe?

rainer_d · #**359** 02.08.2017, 16:45

Wasn't this settled with the 2+4 talks and with Germany unconditionally accepting the Oder-Neisse border?

amogles · #**360** 02.08.2017, 16:58

	Quote:	rainer_d
	Wasn't this settled with the 2+4 talks and with Germany unconditionally accepting the Oder-Neisse border?

I think the line the present Polish government are towing is that the Ostverträge were agreements between Germany and the then Soviet-controlled puppet government and thus have no validity.

I'm not sure what the legal standing is of treaties signed by illegitimate governments.

But I don't think the Poles even want to consider renegotiating the border for example. This is not about a new settlement but about creating a tactical diversion.