CDU Needs to Diverge More Distinctly from the Greens, According to Linnemann and Ploß
CDU Advocates for Mandatory Service for Young People, Opposes Identity Politics
In a recent article, two CDU Members of Parliament, Carsten Linnemann and Christoph Ploß, have called for their party to distance itself more strongly from the Greens. The authors of the article suggest that the CDU has the necessary tools for this opposition: a commitment to the Christian view of man, which recognizes every person as unique and valuable, and an unrestricted commitment to the Basic Law.
The debate revolves around the CDU's stance on a mandatory year of service for young people and the Greens' progressive approach. The CDU, under leaders like Friedrich Merz, favors compulsory service as a means to integrate youth within a common framework and enforce social cohesion. This contrasts with the Greens' emphasis on voluntary participation and individual freedom.
The CDU's approach reflects a conservative emphasis on discipline and order, with a preference for a unifying national identity enforced by the state rather than embracing diverse identity politics. Merz has advocated for a German Leitkultur, a specific cultural identity, and has been critical of multicultural identity politics.
In contrast, the Greens tend to oppose compulsory measures that impose state dominance over individual choices, advocating for more inclusive and pluralistic social policies that respect diverse identities. They are typically critical of strict state control or militarization of youth under mandatory programs, favoring voluntary service or alternatives that align with ecological, social justice, and human rights values.
The article also addresses identity politics and state dominance. The CDU appears to endorse policies that emphasize a cohesive national identity and state authority, resisting fragmented identity politics that might undermine a unified societal order. The Greens, conversely, endorse pluralism and integration without forced assimilation, challenging the state’s dominance being exercised through compulsory programs or exclusionary cultural policies.
The authors argue that service for the common good is becoming an increasingly rare commodity, and the CDU must oppose this development with all its strength. They compare the Greens' election program to a watermelon, stating that it is "green on the outside, deep red on the inside," suggesting a contradiction between the Greens' progressive exterior and their supposedly conservative interior.
The debate between the CDU and the Greens on mandatory service for young people and identity politics is a significant one, reflecting differing philosophies on the role of the state, individual freedom, and social cohesion in modern digital societies that tend towards individualization and self-optimization.
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