Re: Germany: vice ring scandal

["Johannes Schneider" <Johannes.Schneider@xxxxxxx>]

Michael wrote:

> regime change in Germany remains high on the US
> political agenda, and, as with Britain in the 1970s, there is a
well-placed
> section of German state and capital ready to collaborate in such a
venture.

I doubt there is any conservative politician here to play the role of
Thatcher. They are all much too mediocre, epecially CDU-chair Angela Merkel.

Furthermore any kind of regime change would not bring any government
substantially more frendly towards the US. Actually Schroeder's 'anti-US'
rhetoric is the only aspect that scores him a few points in public opinion.

> Hence the emergence of this story, which reads like a classic
> destabilisation effort, conveniently timed to capitalise on a politically
> very weak government. Any further information on this would be very
> gratefully received, especially from those best placed to offer it --
i.e.,
> resident in Germany.
>

I do not think the vice ring scandal is any problem for the Schroeder
government. First of all German public is more tolerant towards the sexual
behviours of its politicians than the US public (e.g. the Levinsky episode
was never understood here).

Secondly the material evidence for any kind of scandal at all is very weak:
It is not even clear whether the alleged list of phone calls even exists at
all or whether its is a fabrication by the Bild daily (the German equivalent
to the Sun).

One SPD backbencher received an email trying to blackmail him, but there
does not seem to be any material that can be used at all for blackmail.

The only public figure implicated in any kind of scandal is talk-show host
Michel Friedman: An Ukranian prostitute accused him of having used cocaine.
For details see:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/3005338.stm
But Friedman is a member of the CDU (albeit from its liberal wing), so no
way to weaken the SPD here.

What is more important with Friedman here are two facts: Friedman is the
deputy deputy head of the Jewish community and he was the political
arch-enemy of the late Vice-Chancellor Moellemann.

Moellemann died a few weeks ago during a parachute accident, police said he
committed suicide.

Up to last summer Moellemann was the deputy chair of the liberal FDP. During
his election campaign he heavily attacked Israel for its policy towards the
Palestinians. Moellemann especially  attacked Israeli PM Sharon and Michel
Friedman.
For Moellemann see:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/2970066.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/2267130.stm

Though Moellemann's criticism of Israel were corrected, he obviously tried
to win votes from an anti-semite consituency. He was subsequently accused of
anti-semitism and forced to leave his party.

So much for the facts, now for the conspiracy theories:
Actually there are two versions:
- the anti-semite one:
Moellemann did not commit suicide, but was killed by a Zionist conspiracy,
because he was the only mainstream politician who dared to speak out against
Israel. This is why he had to die.
- the Zionist one:
The accusations against Friedman are a revenge by anti-semite circles for
the dead of Moellemann. Since cocaine usage is widespread in German society,
it is unfair to single out the most prominent Jew, this can be only
motivated by anti-semitism. The conspiracy is led by a circle of right-wing
Berlin attorneys who initially supported Moellemann in the FDP.

Obviously both is bull-shit, but even so there is no material in it that
could hurt the Schroeder government, because most of the persons involved
are from the opposition party CDU and FDP.

Johannes