Detailing a Hypothetical Burst of Mockery from Helmut Schmidt Towards His Companions, Indicating the Blowing of Mocking Chicken Fumes
Title: The Return of Former SPD Leader – Rolf Mützenich and the Questionable "Manifesto"
Informal start: Hey there! Rolf Mützenich, the ex-parliamentary group leader of the SPD who almost turned the Bundeswehr into a pushover, is back! He's teamed up with a gang of senior SPD dudes (Stegner, Eichel, and so forth) to pen a "manifesto" that feels like they're living in an alternate universe. Here's what they're grumbling about:
- They're all worked up about the "military alarm rhetoric" and "massive rearmament" in Europe.
- They have a bone to pick with the deployment of intermediate-range missiles or boosts in defense budgets.
- They dream of "re-engaging with Russia in dialogue," but keep forgetting that Putin's been denying all diplomatic offers and compromise proposals since forever.
- And in typical Wagenknecht-AfD fashion, they claim that the EU's rearmament is "destabilizing" – like ignoring the fact that it's Russia invading countries, not us.
Old Wine in a New Bottle: Remembering Helmut Schmidt
It might be a good idea to remind these gentlemen of their esteemed predecessors such as Willy Brandt and Egon Bahr. When they initiated their détente policy with Moscow, guess what? The defense budget was above three percent, and it stayed that way until 1986. You don't think anyone then secretly believed that you could only negotiate from a position of strength and secure peace, right?
Much the same goes for Brandt's successor, Helmut Schmidt, who pushed through the NATO dual-track decision despite massive resistance—you know, the one that laid the foundation for actual disarmament negotiations. Realistic comrades like Mützenich and Stegner might've gotten a dismissive puff of cigarette smoke from him if they'd existed back then.
Hot Words Won't Harm Putin
Granted, let these chaps write their manifestos if they have no power left—but the situation is too grave for platitudes. The attitude that one must only cozy up to Moscow, and everything will be alright, is all too common in the SPD. Mützenich, Stegner, and co. are just feeding the desire within the SPD to be the "peace party" once more with their paper. They seem to have overlooked that times have changed drastically.
Russia isn't a status quo power like the Soviet Union—it's an imperialistic country with a militarized focus, and it's converted its entire economy to war goods production. It threatens Europe not just with words and missiles, but with daily hybrid attacks.
Soft words won't ward off such a neighbor. Thankfully, the new party and parliamentary group leadership around Lars Klingbeil has recognized this.
For further reading: New Corona variant: Is "Nimbus" already in Hamburg?
- In light of the current war-and-conflicts situation in Europe, it's questionable whether Rolf Mützenich and his associates, with their manifesto promoting dialogue with Russia, are considering the realities of present policy-and-legislation and politics.
- The general-news of Russia's militarized focus and war goods production, as well as its daily hybrid attacks, highlight the need for proper policy-and-legislation and strong response, rather than abstract notions of peace as suggested by Mützenich and his group.
