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German President Resigns Effective Immediately
Someone sure isn't drinking the 63 out of 63 trading days Crissy in East Hampton on this sunny morning. Spiegel reports that German president, and former IMF head, Horst Kohler has resigned effective immediately, "a shock announcement that comes as the latest in a series of blows to Chancellor Angela Merkel." The cause for the resignation is the fierce criticism of comments he made about Germany's military mission in Afghanistan. More importantly, this will merely add to the instability in an otherwise already politically ravaged Germany. Got Bund, Bobl and Schatz?
From Spiegel:
German President Horst Köhler announced his resignation on Monday in response to fierce criticism of comments he made about Germany's military mission in Afghanistan.
"I declare my resignation from the office of president -- with immediate effect," Köhler, with tears in his eyes and speaking in a faltering voice, said in a statement, flanked by his wife Eva-Luise.
The president is the head of state and his duties are largely ceremonial. But the resignation is the latest in a string of setbacks for Chancellor Angela Merkel since her re-election last September. The German federal assembly -- made up of parliamentary MPs and delegates appointed by the country's 16 federal states -- will have to vote for a successor to Köhler within 30 days, according to the federal constitution.
The president had become the target of intense criticism following remarks he made during a surprise visit to soldiers of the Bundeswehr German army in Afghanistan on May 22. In an interview with a German radio reporter who accompanied him on the trip, he seemed to justify his country's military missions abroad with the need to protect economic interests.
"A country of our size, with its focus on exports and thus reliance on foreign trade, must be aware that ... military deployments are necessary in an emergency to protect our interests -- for example when it comes to trade routes, for example when it comes to preventing regional instabilities that could negatively influence our trade, jobs and incomes," Köhler said.
It sounded as though Köhler was justifying wars for the sake of economic interests, in the context of the Afghan mission which is highly controversial in Germany and throughout Europe.
'The Criticism Lacks the Necessary Respect for My Office'
In his statement on Monday, Köhler said: "My comments about foreign missions by the Bundeswehr on May 22 this year met with heavy criticism. I regret that my comments led to misunderstandings in a question so important and difficult for our nation. But the criticism has gone as far as to accuse me of supporting Bundeswehr missions that are not covered by the constitution. This criticism is devoid of any justification. It lacks the necessary respect for my office."
Köhler became president in 2004 and was elected for a second five-year term in 2009. The former head of the International Monetary Fund was the first non-politician to become German head of state. He is a member of Merkel's conservative Christian Democrats and was nominated for the presidency by the CDU with the backing of their coalition partners, the pro-business Free Democrats.
Köhler won praise during his first term for making a series of strong speeches urging Germany to reform its economy, and his apparent independence from the government prompted mass circulation Bild newspaper to dub him "Super Horst." But he surprised commentators in recent months by appearing to stay on the sidelines in the euro crisis.
Finding a successor will pose a headache for Merkel, whose popularity has slumped in recent months. She has been hit by criticism of her handling of the euro crisis and by the loss of a center-right majority in the upper house following sharp declines for her CDU in a state election in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany's most populous state, on May 9.
A further blow came last week with the resignation of CDU heavyweight Roland Koch, the governor of Hesse, a conservative hardliner whose departure has left a big gap in the right wing of her party.
h/t Cheeky Bastard
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Europeans will resign at the drop of a hat, but US politicians are like ticks sucking lifeblood forever.
+1. How can Dodd, Frank and Schumer show their faces in public?
Because they are Sociopaths....Clear it up any?
Glibness/Superficial Charm
Language can be used without effort by them to confuse and convince their audience. Captivating storytellers that exude self-confidence, they can spin a web that intrigues others. Since they are persuasive, they have the capacity to destroy their critics verbally or emotionally.
Manipulative and Conning
They never recognize the rights of others and see their self-serving behaviors permissible. They appear to be charming, yet are covertly hostile and domineering, seeing their victim as merely an instrument to be used. They dominate and humiliate their victims.
Grandiose Sense of Self
Feels entitled to certain things as "their right." Craves adulation and attendance. Must be the center of attention with their own fantasies as the "spokesman for God," "enlightened," "leader of humankind," etc. Creates an us-versus-them mentality.
Pathological Lying
Has no problem lying coolly and easily and it is almost impossible for them to be truthful on a consistent basis. Can create, and get caught up in, a complex belief about their own powers and abilities. Extremely convincing and able to pass lie detector tests.
Lack of Remorse, Shame or Guilt
A deep seated rage, which is split off and repressed, is at their core. Does not see others around them as people, but only as targets and opportunities. Instead of friends, they have victims and accomplices who end up as victims. The end always justifies the means and they let nothing stand in their way.
Shallow Emotions
When they show what seems to be warmth, joy, love and compassion, it is more feigned than experienced and serves an ulterior motive. Outraged by insignificant matters, yet remaining unmoved and cold by what would upset a normal person. Since they are not genuine, neither are their promises.
Incapacity for Love
While they talk about "God's love" they are unable to give or receive it. Since they do not believe in the genuineness of their followers' love, they are very harsh in testing it from their devotees and expect them to feel guilt for their failings. Expects unconditional surrender.
Need for Stimulation
Living on the edge, yet testing the beliefs of their followers with bizarre rules, punishments and behaviors. Verbal outbursts and physical punishments are normal.
Callousness/Lack of Empathy
Unable to empathize with the pain of their victims, having only contempt for others' feelings of distress and readily taking advantage of them. Their skills are used to exploit, abuse and exert power. Since the follower cannot believe their leader would callously hurt them, they rationalize the behavior as necessary for their (or the group's) own "good" and deny the abuse. When devotees become aware of the exploitation it feels like a "spiritual rape" to them.
Poor Behavioral Controls/Impulsive Nature
Rage and abuse, alternating with small expressions of love and approval produce an addictive cycle for abuser and abused, as well as creating hopelessness in the victim. Believe they are all-powerful, all-knowing, entitled to every wish, no sense of personal boundaries, no concern for their impact on others. The followers only see them as near perfect.
Early Behavior Problems/Juvenile Delinquency
Usually has a history of behavioral and academic difficulties, yet "gets by" by conning others. Problems in making and keeping friends; aberrant behaviors such as cruelty to people or animals, stealing, etc.
Irresponsibility/Unreliability
Not concerned about wrecking others' lives and dreams. Oblivious or indifferent to the devastation they cause. Does not accept blame themselves, but blame their followers or others outside their group. Blame reinforces passivity and obedience and produces guilt, shame, terror and conformity in the followers.
Promiscuous Sexual Behavior/Infidelity
Totalist leaders frequently practice promiscuity, child sexual abuse, rape and sexual acting out of all sorts. This is usually kept hidden from all but the inner circle. Stringent sexual control of their followers, such as forced breakups and divorces, removal of children from parents, rules for dating, etc.
Lack of Realistic Life Plan/Parasitic Lifestyle
Tends to move around a lot or makes all encompassing promises for the future. Many groups claim as their goal world-domination or other utopian promises. Great contrast between the leader's opulent lifestyle and the followers' impoverishment. Support by gifts and donations from the followers who are pressured to give through fear and guilt. Highly sensitive to their own pain and health.
Changes their image and that of the group as needed to avoid prosecution and to increase income and to recruit a range of members. Is able to adapt or relocate as needed to preserve the group. Can resurface later with a new name, a new front group and a new twist on the scam.
How do you know so much about me?
Fuck off, asshole.
Easy. They have so very many to choose from.
Tapeworm is probably a more apt comparison.
US politicians are like ticks sucking lifeblood forever
Couldn't have said it better.
So cry boy got his feelings hurt. How sad. Make sure he closes the door on his way out. And will someone please shoot him if he says anything pro war again.
Grow up and ask yourself what you want of a politician. Truth or lies.
Cognitive Dissonance - You want to be lied to. Member of the green party per chance?
Not even close. Try again.
I call BS.
Lying to me is telling me that I'm too weak for the truth.
Lying hides the truth that there are always alternatives - just not as financially beneficial to the powers that be.
The question is: Who needs them? A: Those too weak to live by their own resources.
+1
one corrupt politico less. This one was only a little puppet but still a shame.
So war is never justified under any circumstances -- is that what you're saying?
Das ist nicht gut.
HOW DARE HE SAY WARS ONLY SERVE COMMERCIAL PURPOSES!!
All lies I tell you! Lies!
We only fight and bomb the living daylights out of those countries for peace!
Sure, it's proven that since we started attacking these countries everythings gets worse day by day, but those who don't understand we want peace MUST DIE!
If only the Religion of Peace had been able to retake Spain and conquer England through the subway bombing approach, all would be well again. A happy Caliphate is a peaceful Caliphate.
@Augustus
In 25 years the EU will be a federation of Islamic states, and narry a shot will have been fired -- demographics. The only question is will the leader be Persian or Arab?
You mean Asian right? Yes, you must.
You must mean Asian.
YES..... war is peace. 1984, doublethink. I swear you HAVE to be a psychopath to be able to continue to lie about the truth that you believe but aren't admitting. The poor guy, I think he just forgot. Now the ministry of Love will have to re-educate him one more time!!!
I'm sorry. Is there a purpose to a military mission other than the preservation of trade routes and economic influence?
Mitchman
Yes to "blood" soldiers and officers. To test new weapons, strategies, and work out the kinks with supplies.
To reduce old stockpiles of munitions and resupply.
Gully, You became hep to the truth in one day. Remarkable!
Thanks for all the responses, folks! I love ZH!
What kind of stupid question is that?!?
We get to blow up stuff, shoot stuff, smoke stuff, did it mention shoot stuff?
Also, thanks to obama, we get go fuck eachother in the ass on our spear time.
WTF man!?
Remember, it's much faster to get promoted during wartime. How you gonna get from Colonel to General otherwise?
But, having known many an enlisted man, those guys do more to get from Corporal to Sergeant than any of those desk generals ever do.
As for any ZHer, we inherently know that the purpose of war is to increase profits for Halliburton and the rest of the military-industrial complex. We had anticipated that Hopey McChange was going to reverse that (since the Halliburton guy wasn't VP anymore) but he's kept full steam ahead on the road to oblivion.
fun
This is in interesting.
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2010/5/31/871525/-Israels-attack-tests....
Israel's attack tests NATO Doctrine.
by 8ackgr0und N015e
Israel's attack on the MV Blue Mamara, a Turkish vessel, means they just attacked a member of NATO. According to the NATO Charter, Article 5
The Parties agree that an armed attack against one or more of them in Europe or North America shall be considered an attack against them all and consequently they agree that, if such an armed attack occurs, each of them, in exercise of the right of individual or collective self-defence recognised by Article 51 of the Charter of the United Nations, will assist the Party or Parties so attacked by taking forthwith, individually and in concert with the other Parties, such action as it deems necessary, including the use of armed force, to restore and maintain the security of the North Atlantic area.
If you think there is wiggle room in that definition, you would be mistaken. Article 6 is explicit about where attacks will trigger responses. Vessels in the Mediterranean Sea are mentioned explicitly.
* 8ackgr0und N015e's diary :: ::
*
Article 6 (1)
For the purpose of Article 5, an armed attack on one or more of the Parties is deemed to include an armed attack:
on the territory of any of the Parties in Europe or North America, on the Algerian Departments of France (2), on the territory of or on the Islands under the jurisdiction of any of the Parties in the North Atlantic area north of the Tropic of Cancer;
on the forces, vessels, or aircraft of any of the Parties, when in or over these territories or any other area in Europe in which occupation forces of any of the Parties were stationed on the date when the Treaty entered into force or the Mediterranean Sea or the North Atlantic area north of the Tropic of Cancer.
(1) The definition of the territories to which Article 5 applies was revised by Article 2 of the Protocol to the North Atlantic Treaty on the accession of Greece and Turkey signed on 22 October 1951.
(2) On January 16, 1963, the North Atlantic Council noted that insofar as the former Algerian Departments of France were concerned, the relevant clauses of this Treaty had become inapplicable as from July 3, 1962.
If the former Soviet Union had attacked a NATO vessel in the Mediterranean, we know what would have happened. Of course, that never happened for obvious reasons. In fact, Article 5 was never invoked until the attack on the WTC and the Pentagon on Sept. 11, 2001. After 9/11, the US invoked Article 5 for the first time in the history of NATO. That's why NATO forces are still in Afghanistan.
Attacking vessels on the high seas is not the sort of thing people ignore. When the PLO boarded a vessel (the Achille Lauro) and took it over, killing one of the passengers (Leon Klinghoffer), the UN responded by redefining piracy. Nations cannot be guilty of piracy -- by definition. However, this certainly seems to be a criminal act at a minimum. Some might even consider it an act of war. The question now is whether an Israeli attack on the MV Blue Mamara, a Turkish vessel, and thus a vessel of a NATO member, in the Mediterranean Sea leads Turkey to invoke its rights under Article 5 of the NATO Treaty.
The US media is very slow to cover this early on, while Europe and even Ha'aretz is giving this front page coverage.
I wonder if Rahm is still in Israel? This certainly has the potential to develop into an ugly confrontation.
Well I am sure it could be grounds for expulsion however that is not happening. We will see a round of apologies, a round of peace talks and will return to business as usual by next week.
But remember that Israel bombed the USS Liberty and killed members of her company.
For that action she was rewarded with subsidized US armaments.
You don't mess with god's chosen people. Whatever they do is kosher.
Hahahahaha! I'm sure the US-led NATO will demand swift military action against Israel. Yeah, right. The un-written rule of governments everywhere is that they ignore their own rules when it suits them.
Did Geithner use "grip" instead of "KY" when he visited? LOL
I guess he doesn't want to be part of the ponzi anymore. Can't blame him.
'this will merely add to the instability in an otherwise already politically ravaged Germany'
LOL. A sack of rice tipping over in China is causing as much instability in Germany as the president resigning. His role is competely ceremonial.
I am quite happy with this hysteric anti-Euro campaign. Germany still has an economy that deserves the label "industrial" and will benefit from a weak Euro.
Futures still up after these weekend gems.
There is no spill, there is no Spain, there is no flotilla & there is no spoon.
Om.
Was ist los Horst?
Der Hund ist los!
At last - a politician that told the truth and now he's gone.
My German is a bit rusty, but trying to justify military action against "terrorists" isn't coming clean. It's pathetic.
Any chance our own celeb-prez will follow suite?
So you want Joe Biden for Prez?
One is an empty suit, the other is an empty head. Big choice.
Hopey McChangey". I love it.
Again,
As a german is say:
Thank god this moron is out.
Nobody will miss him.Like this f-tard Roland Koch.
+1
I fail to see what he said that caused such outrage.
Sometimes i pity the job of a politician when they have to rule over such ignorant morons. Only sometimes , usually its just loathing for the freeloading scum in high office.
The few standout politicians alive today have my sympathies.
It didn´t cause so much outrage among the people here because we all know that our boys down there are not fighting for democracy or freedom, but all the other weak ass politicians here in germany told us so for 7 years now. They all told us that we have to defend our freedom on the hindukush and so when "Hotte" told the truth, the whole opposition was like... "noooo that´s not true it´s all about freedom and erm yeahh freedom and erm ... freedom i guess" And since our Parlament is like kindergarten the one who said "bad things" has to go ....
You guys actually agree with him? Seriously?
The truth...the truth..., you can't handle the truth.
ROFLMAO
Of course it's in their interest to defeat the radical Muslims.
Its not a matter of agreeing or disagreeing.
Im at a loss if the sheeple think one less belatedly-honest politician is gone that things will improve. Who do you think made him resign? Think about that.
War is largely about economics. If you believe all the terrorist , muslim bandwagon BS then theres really not much point in taking the conversation further. Unfortunately the overwhleming majority of McDonald eating , Pop Idol watching ignoramuses believe what they see on tv and read in the gutter press.
+1
They only standout by the degree of their criminality.
Oh the commercial interests of protecting poppy farmers.
Nice tally: President, minister of defence, chief of staff, and one general gone within one year.
spot on!
here, here. +100
watching a national geographic documentary on the afghan war stating their mission had been completed in 2 months.... that's all it says.... then they just merrily go on talking about the poppies heroine and drug trade exploding from there. I tell you, I will be shocked if we who know what's going on DON'T end up in a concentration camp. I really will. The doublespeak is so ingrained now.... the general public is brain dead so they are not a threat. you go zhedgers. keep eating organic and distilled water and treat that tv to a drop from a 4th floor window
INSOMNIA:
http://williambanzai7.blogspot.com/2010/05/insomnia.html
With Germany signed up and helping to finance Nord Stream, their little adventure in Afghanistan has become redundant. The Neocon dream of stealing Caspian oil and gas and bypassing Russia is dead.
Strange Coincidence:
The Germanm President resigns, the Prime Minister of Hessen Roland Koch resigned a few days earlier and a commedian at the same time.
All of them are closer related or informed of financial matters then usual.
The commedian explained as Wing commander Sanftleben "This is the first world war of Big Money vs. States. Euroland got attacked and is not tenable any more. Dollar-Land and Pound-Land are in a weak position too but ther might be a non-aggression-pact from former times."
That got aired in mainstrem TV a week ago, the clip (German) is here:
http://www.youtube.com/v/wU3tWjC-ueM&hl=de_DE&fs=1&
I thoght when viewing the clip that he (or his writer) is reading ZeroHedge.
The President started his career in banking and was from 2000 til 2004 head of the IMF.
Koch was lawyer specializing in business law and competition law.
I recommended Schrammin an email 1 year ago to read zerohedge.
I think he did it.
What's scary is that Koehler is a former director of the IMF. Could there be another agenda here? The Afghanistan nonsense does not seem sufficient cause for him to quit. What is there is some more substantive reason having to do with something serious, like, er, economics?
Thats the FIRST thing I saw, The IMF..Something else to this..I guess we will find out later..
He should have taken the "honorable route" and just flown to the Katyn Forest.
Germanys presidents are only figureheads in german politics, ever since instable Weimar Republic days and what come from that, the Nazi Regime. They get to hold speeches on new year's eve and XMas and have the right to Veto new laws (which they hardly ever do/did). It is not as much that Germany has no president right now, but that it, coupled with some other resignations in the past weeks, further destabilises the current government. Given on what grounds those resignations were based (hardly noteworthy) and what kind of information those guys had access to, I can only conclude for myself:
"THE RATS ARE LEAVING THE SHIP!"
Both Koch and Köhler are well informed elitists, they left now, so others get blamed, tar'd and feathered or worse, when TSHTF. I guess it won't be long now...
Precisely. The phenomena is global. That's what's worrying me about the near term future. They are all scurrying to their spider holes.
Whoa, Mr. President Kohler...
out of control...
invasion of Belgium next?
or Sudetenland.....that's a nice place...
how about Poland now that it has become wealthy?
Afghan commander Gen. Stanley McChrystal is in Germany at the moment where he might need to help the government there with a bit of messaging on Afghanistan. German troops have been buying up badges saying “I Fight For Merkel,” an ironic jab at German Chancellor Angela Merkel who they say has failed to explain why German troops are fighting and dying in Afghanistan. The protest badges have reportedly sent shock waves through the Bundeswehr leadership.
http://defensetech.org/2010/04/23/german-soldiers-in-afghanistan-wear-th...Can you imagine US soldiers with "I fight for Wall Street" on their arms?
lol
Everyday. The patch is in the shape and colors of the flag.
Or Wall Street rentiers with badges saying "I structure for Satan"...