German Land election

[Johannes Schneider]

Angela asked:
> Johannes wrote:
>
> >>Thats the argument of those ones who want to have a 'respectable' racism
> and nationalism. If you compare the platform of the CSU in this regard you
> will find more radical statements than in the platform of some right wing
> parties. But at the end of the day it will make the Neonazi positions look
> acceptable. So the whole argument is complete nonsense and hypocritical.<<
>
> I'm inclined to agree, though I'm more familiar with UK and Southern Euro
> border policies, as well as the overall euro Shengen policy than with
> Germany -- though I'm vaguely familiar with some of the changes Kohl made
> after Rostock.
> Care to elaborate for those of us who get our info from the tv?
Certainly the most decisive change in the 90ties was the  factual
elimination of the right for political asylum from the German constitution.
The constitutional change only marked the endpoint of a process in which it
became almost impossible to be recognised as political refugee in Germany.
The discussion about the change of the constititution was done with racist
stereotypes of the kind of 'the flood of refugees', 'the boat is full' etc.
It served to establish an image as if a refugee ( and thus any foreigner )
is a menace and a thread to the German society as a whole. I dont think that
during those discussions the worst outbreaks of violent racism occured.
In recent years the discussion about refugees has cooled down somewhat, but
racist propaganda is still a focal point for bourgeois politicians. Thus in
1998 the issue of the 'criminal' foreigener was raised. For the first time
ever a 14 year old was deported from Germany without it parents to Turkey,
though he was born in Germany and does not even know Turkish.
The pattern is always similiar. First an issue is brought up by conservative
politicians. Soon Socialdemocrats agree there is a problem. Liberals and
Greens will join defending the racist status quo.
Last year the reform of the citizenship law was the central issue. The
CDU/CSU mobilised with a signature campaign against it and immediatly the
Red-Green government dropped its initial  law, without any real resistance
against the racist campaign by the conservatives.
Just recently a new issue has surfaced. Chancellor Schroeder has proposed to
give some work permits to computer experts. At the moment the discussion is
centering around the question, how to restrict the those work permits, that
the immigratin computer engineers are not a 'threat' to Germans.
This discussion has to be seen in the context, that in some sections of the
German economy there is an accute shortage of workforce. Mainly in the
computer industry, but in nursing, gastronomy and agriculture as well.
Johannes