On Wed, 24 Apr 2002, Max B. Sawicky wrote:
> Can anybody explain this, starting with, is it true?
>
> mbs
>
> ===============================
> World Socialist Web Site, 4/24
[BTW, I can't find this article on that website. Do you have a URL?]
> Germany's Green Party demands a powerful professional army
That part's true. They want it for two reasons: (1) It's a lot cheaper than conscription, and they have become the party of fiscal responsibility; and (2) They are for stronger European integration, part of which is supposed to be this new European Defense Initiative that will supposedly be able to field 60,000 troops someday. So that when the next Bosnia or Afghanistan comes along, they'll be able to play a role semi-independent of the US, especially as peacekeeping forces. The present high-manpower low-tech conscription force is basically useless for anything other than defending the Fulda Gap, which doesn't need defending anymore.
Why does the WSWS see this as embracing militarism? Two reasons. (1) They thought the intervention into Kosovo was pure militarism. They don't believe there can be such a thing as a humanitarian intervention. And (2) Since WWII, there has been a deep and broad and kind of unique tradition in Germany of being scared of their own military. It's unique in that it's so broad -- even establishment conservatives pay lip service to it. This is why they haven't managed to rid of conscription, even though it serves no military purpose, nobody wants to serve, and they desperately want to pare their budget gap: because universal conscription is supposed to forever keep the army from becoming independent of society.
It's a little odd from an American point of view, this position of the left (not to mention much of the center and right) being *for* keeping the draft because they think it *prevents* militarism. But that's what makes comparative national political culture such an interesting study. You can certainly see how recent history played a role in giving this fear high priority in Germany.
I think if you start from these premises, the relative positions of the Greens and the WSWS should make more sense to you.
Michael