From: ws@mbpdo.UUCP (Wolfgang Schelongowski)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.europe,soc.culture.nordic,eunet.politics
Subject: Re: EC membership of Sweden and Austria, and so WHAT ?
Summary: Wrong time
Date: 15 Apr 92 19:16:12 GMT
Followup-To: soc.culture.europe,soc.culture.nordic,eunet.politics
Organization: mbp Software & Systems GmbH, Dortmund

In article <1992Apr14.133415.21041@odin.diku.dk>, karl@diku.dk (Karl-Christian Hansen) writes:
> muller@advection.engin.umich.edu (Jens-Dominik Mueller) writes:
> >In article <1992Apr8.103114.15035@odin.diku.dk>, karl@diku.dk (Karl-Christian Hansen) writes:
> >...
> >> BUT consider this fact: Helmuth Kohl recently won a German election by
> >> calling Willy Brandt a traitor. Reason: Brandt defected Germany in the 
> >> 1930's. Running from the Nazi's obviously makes you a traitor in Herr
> >> Kohl's mind. So what is he?
> >...
Willy Brandt left office as chancellor about twenty years ago due to
an east german spy planted in his immediate neighbourhood. He was
immediately followed (no elections) by Helmut Schmidt (SPD) who held 
his office until about 1983. Then Kohl took over. There was never 
a choice Brandt versus Kohl. Brandt has been "elder statesman" for
some years.
But the CDU and even more the CSU tried to make Brandt appear as unsuitable
before 1973 in about the way you said. I believe that they even
(indirectly) discriminated against him for beeing an illegitimate 
child. But I'm not sure about that discrimination, and both slanderings
were a long time ago.

> >> But just to make it clear: Our not-so-good friend H. Kohl recently suggested
> >> that South Jutland should be German territory again. His reasoning was
I didn't hear anything about it. I would be against it, for principal
reasons. In such border areas the people are mixed in language/culture
and arbitrary borders could be drawn. Might is right? Even if it were, 
it would just create senseless reorganization. Nobody would benefit
except buerocrats and the like bloddsuckers. However, minorities in 
those areas should have special rights. I understand that the Danish 
have a special status in Schleswig-Holstein. I like their MP of the SSW
for what he did in the Barschel hearings about five years ago. He has a 
very common German name, but I forgot it.

> >> something like "historical rights". (He made the same claim with respect
> >> to Western Poland, but who cares in Denmark.) 
In the past there has a lot been said about "Germany in the Borders of 1937".
This has become outdated. I propose "Germany in the borders of 1537" :_)))) :
Spain->Mexico->Texas-> OIL ! WE'RE RICH !
How about the borders of 800 ? France ? Italy ? ... well, the north of it.
Of course, Austria, Switzerland, Hungary, Jugoslavia, Romania, ...
are all in it. And do not forget that the Germans originated in what
was Denmark/Norway/Sweden at some time B.C. ...
Did I leave out somebody ? Oh yes, Andorra ... ;-)

Well, 'NUFF JOKED, I believe the Germans want all those areas as much as
the Danish claim UK on account of the Danish King Canute, who was said 
to have ruled the waves (of the Northsea) at about 1030. I personnally 
know a woman who some time ago visited her old home in what is now
Poland. She said she would never go back there. I believe most people
have a similar opinion. Of course you will always and anywhere find 
people who will use any excuse to get things off other people.

The important point is not getting the political circumstances 
into such a mess that those people can "grab the power". If you
had a father who got paid billions (yes, 1E12) a week when he got
his first job and it wasn't worth anything THEN you might understand
a bit what "political circumstances" mean. This and a few other
things done by the winners of world war 1 were the roots of the success
of "Our Saviour from the Bohemian Forest".

What might be possible, however, that there would be a fifty meter
high wall around Germany ... in the borders of 1988 ! Easy access
for people of the EC, however : We might need your help against the
Bavarians :-)

Disclaimer: One of my best friends IS a Bavarian !

dsw
-- 
Wolfgang Schelongowski			Tel.: +49-231-944-1302/1352
mbp Software & Systems GmbH, Semerteichstr. 47-49, D-4600 Dortmund 1
Usenet: ws@mbpdo.UUCP		Bang: ...!mcsun!unido!mbpdo!ws
Beware of Signature Tyrannosaurus Rex's !
Xref: sparky soc.culture.europe:3518 soc.culture.nordic:2629 eunet.politics:580