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Presidential Election in Germany on May 23
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Addicted to MacNN
Join Date: Apr 2001
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The new president for Germany is going to be elected on May 23. Elected will be the Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund Horst Köhler.
Politics is degenerating into finances and enforcing globalisation.
Discuss.
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Nasrudin sat on a river bank when someone shouted to him from the opposite side: "Hey! how do I get across?" "You are across!" Nasrudin shouted back.
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Posting Junkie
Join Date: Mar 2002
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How much power does the federal president have?
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Originally posted by SimeyTheLimey:
How much power does the federal president have?
Practically none.
I assume this was a rhetorical question, but I don't get what you're really trying to say.
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Nasrudin sat on a river bank when someone shouted to him from the opposite side: "Hey! how do I get across?" "You are across!" Nasrudin shouted back.
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Mac Elite
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Originally posted by Developer:
Practically none.
I assume this was a rhetorical question, but I don't get what you're really trying to say.
he is trying to say that since the the "president" doesn't have much power, your assesment is wrong.
once again, a conservative denying the writings on the wall.
oh, and btw, you are completely correct regarding your claim about politics. the question is, what are we going to do about it?
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So keep on living And don`t start giving The devil good reasons To get you in the seasons of heartbreak Baby are you tough enough?
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Posting Junkie
Join Date: Mar 2002
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Originally posted by phoenixboy:
he is trying to say that since the the "president" doesn't have much power, your assesment is wrong.
once again, a conservative denying the writings on the wall.
oh, and btw, you are completely correct regarding your claim about politics. the question is, what are we going to do about it?
No, I was simply asking a question. My recollection was that the president was essentially a figurehead. But I wasn't sure, not being that familiar with the German Basic Law.
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Originally posted by SimeyTheLimey:
No, I was simply asking a question. My recollection was that the president was essentially a figurehead. But I wasn't sure, not being that familiar with the German Basic Law.
oh, sorry then.
yeah, his role is similar to that of the royals in britain etc.
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So keep on living And don`t start giving The devil good reasons To get you in the seasons of heartbreak Baby are you tough enough?
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Posting Junkie
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Originally posted by phoenixboy:
yeah, his role is similar to that of the royals in britain etc.
Minus the sex scandals, hopefully. 
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Posting Junkie
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Originally posted by SimeyTheLimey:
Minus the sex scandals, hopefully.
w00t
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I could take Sean Connery in a fight... I could definitely take him.
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Originally posted by SimeyTheLimey:
Minus the sex scandals, hopefully.
fo shizzl! especially when looking at the other candidate for the job.
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So keep on living And don`t start giving The devil good reasons To get you in the seasons of heartbreak Baby are you tough enough?
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Posting Junkie
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Originally posted by phoenixboy:
fo shizzl! especially when looking at the other candidate for the job.
LOL!
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Originally posted by Developer:
The new president for Germany is going to be elected on May 23. Elected will be the Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund Horst Köhler.
Politics is degenerating into finances and enforcing globalisation.
Discuss.
Yeah, I think you are right. However, the tide will soon turn, as it always does. Relax, man.
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e-gads
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Originally posted by SimeyTheLimey:
the president was essentially a figurehead.
Yes, the president has mainly representative duties. Not sure that a financial expert is able to represent Germany in all aspects.
But the president has also another important role. He needs to sign laws for them to become effective. In case he finds a law to be against the Basic Law, he shall not sign it. I don't trust the judgement of a banker here.
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Nasrudin sat on a river bank when someone shouted to him from the opposite side: "Hey! how do I get across?" "You are across!" Nasrudin shouted back.
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Posting Junkie
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Originally posted by Developer:
Yes, the president has mainly representative duties. Not sure that a financial expert is able to represent Germany in all aspects.
But the president has also another important role. He needs to sign laws for them to become effective. In case he finds a law to be against the Basic Law, he shall not sign it. I don't trust the judgement of a banker here.
Well, I don't know much about your constitution, but I find it odd that being a banker disqualifies someone from being a president. What other professions are ineligible in your mind? Doctors? Engineers? How about professional politicians? Would they be any more qualified to judge whether a law is against the Basic Law?
So does the president have to be a lawyer or a judge? If so, what is the role of your courts? Why can't a non-lawyer rely on his legal advisors?
Also, what's involved in "representing" the country? Isn't a lot of it just ceremony? Is a banker incapable of walking on red carpets and sipping wine? What profession would be better? An actor, maybe? Or perhaps a diplomat? But isn't that a large part of what the leader of an international organization really is?
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Heh you sound like the right wing nuts here in Iceland Simey
They really don't like the president. Mostly because last time the president was a woman and now he's a communist!
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I could take Sean Connery in a fight... I could definitely take him.
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Cheap polemics by Simey.
The question is not what disqualifies a banker from being president, the question is what qualifies a banker to be president. Economic expertise is nice, but it's not an ample criteria.
And representing a country is not just "sipping wine". It might in include representing German companies at times, but above all it means representing the German people with all their opinions, problems, controversies, and their culture. It also means giving reflected guidance in political and social issues. I don't see what qualifies him for that. He didn't even live in Germany for years.
I also don't trust a banker in the other - non representative - duties of the president, as I said.
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Nasrudin sat on a river bank when someone shouted to him from the opposite side: "Hey! how do I get across?" "You are across!" Nasrudin shouted back.
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Posting Junkie
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Originally posted by Developer:
Cheap polemics by Simey.
The question is not what disqualifies a banker from being president, the question is what qualifies a banker to be president. Economic expertise is nice, but it's not an ample criteria.
And representing a country is not just "sipping wine". It might in include representing German companies at times, but above all it means representing the German people with all their opinions, problems, controversies, and their culture. It also means giving reflected guidance in political and social issues. I don't see what qualifies him for that. He didn't even live in Germany for years.
I also don't trust a banker in the other - non representative - duties of the president, as I said.
No, not cheap polemics. You seemed to be focussing entirely on his professional background as a banker. I found that odd.
I don't personally know anything about this individual other than what you have said about him. If there are other reasons why he's not a good candidate then that's different. But I would find it hard to disqualify someone simply because he's been a banker or because he lead the IMF (which, of course, isn't really a bank).
Given that you have said that the German president is really only of symbolic importance, I don't really know what the ideal candidate would be in terms of representing the "German people with all their opinions, problems, controversies, and their culture." It sounds to me that you want Miss Germany rather than a politician. It couldn't just be that you happen to be of a different political opinion or party than this guy, could it?  For example, suppose he had spent the last few years directing the International Labor Organization. Would he be OK?
(Last edited by SimeyTheLimey; Mar 4, 2004 at 01:38 PM.
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(Last edited by daimoni; Apr 21, 2004 at 11:24 AM.
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Originally posted by Developer:
So what happened? Why's he crying? 
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(Last edited by daimoni; Apr 21, 2004 at 11:25 AM.
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Posting Junkie
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Originally posted by daimoni:
I know everyone is not this way, but I think Germany has this stern, paternalistic notion of "the way things are done".
Criteria. Honorifics. Expertise. Certifications. Close the stores at a certain time. Never thinking outside the box.
Is there a German word for "jack-of-all-trades"?
(off to get dictionary)
þúsundþjalasmiður 
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I could take Sean Connery in a fight... I could definitely take him.
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(Last edited by daimoni; Apr 21, 2004 at 11:26 AM.
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Clinically Insane
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Originally posted by daimoni:
Is there a German word for "jack-of-all-trades"?
(off to get dictionary)
"Hans-Dampf-in-allen-Gassen", or just "Hans Dampf".
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(Last edited by daimoni; Apr 21, 2004 at 11:29 AM.
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This thread is.. oh.. how do you say...
StiercScheiße.
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New, Improved and Legal in 50 States
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Can those of us in America vote for your President???
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Originally posted by SimeyTheLimey:
No, not cheap polemics.
Originally posted by SimeyTheLimey:
It sounds to me that you want Miss Germany rather than a politician.
So what is ridiculing the office of the federal president of Germany if not cheap polemics?
It couldn't just be that you happen to be of a different political opinion or party than this guy, could it?
It is true that I don't like to see a representative of anti-social elbow capitalism as president, that's of course not the main reason.
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Nasrudin sat on a river bank when someone shouted to him from the opposite side: "Hey! how do I get across?" "You are across!" Nasrudin shouted back.
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Posting Junkie
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Originally posted by Developer:
So what is ridiculing the office of the federal president of Germany if not cheap polemics?
LOL! I wasn't making fun of the office of the president of Germany, I was making fun of your (to me) quirky requirements for the officeholder.
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(Last edited by daimoni; Apr 21, 2004 at 11:32 AM.
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Originally posted by lil'babykitten:
So what happened? Why's he crying?
Something got caught in his fly on the way back from the loo.
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weird wabbit
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Originally posted by theolein:
Something got caught in his fly on the way back from the loo.
Either that, or the ghost of the bratwurst he had for lunch is wafting about.
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