Scandal in the German Bundestag during November 9 commemoration

[solarstorm]

During the Bundestag's commemoration of 25th the anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall there has was unusual appearance: At the invitation of the President of the Bundestag, Norbert Lammert, songwriter Wolf Biermann, who was expatriated from the GDR in 1976, had come to the commemoration. His appearance had caused a stir beforehand.

Biermann attacked the Left Party head-on. "It is the wretched remnants of what has fortunately been overcome," he said in the Reichstag, to which he was actually invited to sing. With reference to his designation as "dragonslayer" the songwriter said, he could "not subdue the remains of dragonspawn, they are already subdued."

Lammert said to Biermann's unusual appearance with a reference to the parliamentary law: "As soon as you run for the Bundestag and are selected, you can also talk. Now you are here to sing." Biermann replied: "I never gave up free speech in the GDR, and I am certainly not going to do it here." Addressing the Left party he said: "You are doomed to endure this, and I do not begrudge you."

In regard to an interjection by the Left faction, they had been elected, Biermann said, an election is "no judgment of God". The Left Party is in actual fact "reactionary". Following the slugfest Biermann sang his song "Ermutigung" (encouragement), which was popular with the opposition in the former GDR. Biermann himself called it "a piece of soul's bread", especially for the inmates of the GDR prisons.

At the beginning of the celebration Lammert had declared, without the civil rights movement, without the popular movements resulting therefrom, and without the peaceful mass demonstrations there had been no November 9, 1989. "A miracle, however, the fall of the wall was not, but the result of a - not only in the history of Germany - unprecedented peaceful revolution."

Video of the turmoil: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kUheTVZTPNI

[ag]

Gosh, how I envy the Germans!

[Famous Mortimer]

Know to American hipster weirdos as Nina Hagen's step father.

[ZuWo]

I listened to Gregor Gysi's speech later on during the debate and it immediately became clear to me that Biermann's outburst was not only justified but also necessary. Gysi delivered a very stiff, half-hearted and brief obligatory condemnation of the political system in the GDR but then spent the next few moments of his speech pointing out the perceived positive aspects of the GDR era before changing the topic altogether and talking about the unjust capitalist society of today. Considering that this wasn't a speech at a party conference of Die Linke but a debate to commemorate the Fall of the Wall, I thought that was disgraceful.

[politicus]

I listened to Gregor Gysi's speech later on during the debate and it immediately became clear to me that Biermann's outburst was not only justified but also necessary. Gysi delivered a very stiff, half-hearted and brief obligatory condemnation of the political system in the GDR but then spent the next few moments of his speech pointing out the perceived positive aspects of the GDR era before changing the topic altogether and talking about the unjust capitalist society of today. Considering that this wasn't a speech at a party conference of Die Linke but a debate to commemorate the Fall of the Wall, I thought that was disgraceful.

Couldn't agree more.

[Tender Branson]

Scandal ? What scandal ?

The German "Left Party" is the country's version of the FPÖ, just on the other end of the political spectrum.

Both have a problem with the past and continue to bring it up to appeal to their base.

I think Biermann (and Gauck not long ago) are right in putting the finger into the wound as often as they can. The worst thing would be to make The Left and the FPÖ salonfähig by forgetting about their past ...

[solarstorm]

Biermann was not allowed to hold a "speech" in the Bundestag. Period.
Lammert did know that Biermann wouldn't follow the rules when he invited him on his own hook, since he has been known for decades for his anti-social behavior. I saw him on TV several times long time ago, and if one would encounter him in the pedestrian mall, they would consider him a boozy bum.

And to those who defend war hawk Biermann, you should inform yourselves about his views about the Iraq War, which he still holds.

And the Left Party, which is not the successor party of the SED, is the only faction in the Bundestag that never passed a anti-constitutional bill. If I were German I would certainly vote for that party.

[politicus]

Biermann was not allowed to hold a "speech" in the Bundestag. Period.
Lammert did know that Biermann wouldn't follow the rules when he invited him on his own hook, since he has been known for decades for his anti-social behavior. I saw him on TV several times long time ago, and if one would encounter him in the pedestrian mall, they would consider him a boozy bum.

And to those who defend war hawk Biermann, you should inform yourselves about his views about the Iraq War, which he still holds.

And the Left Party, which is not the successor party of the SED, is the only faction in the Bundestag that never passed a anti-constitutional bill. If I were German I would certainly vote for that party.

Being for the Iraq war doesn't make Biermann's critique of Die Linke less relevant.

[Middle-aged Europe]

I consider this mostly a non-event.

[MaxQue]

Biermann is mostly right, but impestive and chose the wrong platform to talk.
Gyzi is mostly wrong, a old relic than Die Linke should get rid of and he also also chose the wrong platform to talk.

[solarstorm]

Being for the Iraq war doesn't make Biermann's critique of Die Linke less relevant.

It's not just his support of the Iraq War. He thought Hussein really owned WMD (when every sane person already knew that there wasn't any evidence), and much worse, he blamed Schröder and Chirac for the realization of that illegal war.
Just because someone used to fight against the GDR doesn't mean they aren't radicals.
Plus all of Biermann's and Gauck's criticism of the Left Party are void.

[ag]

You must be logged in to read this quote.

Luckily for you, in (West) Germany they never allowed a successor to NSDAP. Or, surely, you would consider voting for them as well.

[ag]

Biermann is mostly right, but impestive and chose the wrong platform to talk.
Gyzi is mostly wrong, a old relic than Die Linke should get rid of and he also also chose the wrong platform to talk.

This is the right platform: it is the Bundestag.

[Silent Hunter]

And the Left Party, which is not the successor party of the SED, is the only faction in the Bundestag that never passed a anti-constitutional bill. If I were German I would certainly vote for that party.

It was a merger of a West German party and the PDS, who were the SED's successors.

[they don't love you like i love you]

Blaming Linke today for anything that happened in the GDR is like Oldiesfreak linking the modern Democratic Party to slavery.

[they don't love you like i love you]

Blaming Linke today for anything that happened in the GDR is like Oldiesfreak linking the modern Democratic Party to slavery.

[Velasco]

I consider this mostly a non-event.

[ag]

Blaming Linke today for anything that happened in the GDR is like Oldiesfreak linking the modern Democratic Party to slavery.

Unlike the Democratic party, they never recanted. They ARE the unreconstructed slavers.

[solarstorm]

Luckily for you, in (West) Germany they never allowed a successor to NSDAP. Or, surely, you would consider voting for them as well.

There were former Nazis who became judges, policemen, teacher, drill instructors (who were allowed to torture forcibly recruited young men for more than 50), members of parliament, ministers, chancellors and presidents. Plus German soldiers who fled from the war are still officially considered deserters.
Your second statement I have skipped...

[solarstorm]

Blaming Linke today for anything that happened in the GDR is like Oldiesfreak linking the modern Democratic Party to slavery.

[Vosem]

Biermann was not allowed to hold a "speech" in the Bundestag. Period.
Lammert did know that Biermann wouldn't follow the rules when he invited him on his own hook, since he has been known for decades for his anti-social behavior. I saw him on TV several times long time ago, and if one would encounter him in the pedestrian mall, they would consider him a boozy bum.

And to those who defend war hawk Biermann, you should inform yourselves about his views about the Iraq War, which he still holds.

And the Left Party, which is not the successor party of the SED, is the only faction in the Bundestag that never passed a anti-constitutional bill. If I were German I would certainly vote for that party.

You realize you're just making sound Biermann sound better, right?

[MaxQue]

Biermann is mostly right, but impestive and chose the wrong platform to talk.
Gyzi is mostly wrong, a old relic than Die Linke should get rid of and he also also chose the wrong platform to talk.

This is the right platform: it is the Bundestag.

No, it's a commemorative event to commemorate the fall of the Wall. It must unite the population, not divide it with political debates.

[Snowstalker Mk. II]

Biermann is mostly right, but impestive and chose the wrong platform to talk.
Gyzi is mostly wrong, a old relic than Die Linke should get rid of and he also also chose the wrong platform to talk.

This is the right platform: it is the Bundestag.

No, it's a commemorative event to commemorate the fall of the Wall. It must unite the population, not divide it with political debates.

The fall of the Berlin Wall (and the notion of Germany unity itself) wasn't a political event?

[ag]

Biermann is mostly right, but impestive and chose the wrong platform to talk.
Gyzi is mostly wrong, a old relic than Die Linke should get rid of and he also also chose the wrong platform to talk.

This is the right platform: it is the Bundestag.

No, it's a commemorative event to commemorate the fall of the Wall. It must unite the population, not divide it with political debates.

So, when commemorating the end of WWII we should unite with the Nazis?

[MaxQue]

Biermann is mostly right, but impestive and chose the wrong platform to talk.
Gyzi is mostly wrong, a old relic than Die Linke should get rid of and he also also chose the wrong platform to talk.

This is the right platform: it is the Bundestag.

No, it's a commemorative event to commemorate the fall of the Wall. It must unite the population, not divide it with political debates.

So, when commemorating the end of WWII we should unite with the Nazis?

Stop comparing apples and oranges.