Western European News Digest

No Upswing in Germany; Only BüSo Is Telling the Truth

Aug. 21 (EIRNS)—Just-released figures indicate the phase change which is about to occur in the German economy:

* Poverty risk increases among people who still have jobs. The German Federal Office of Statistics (FOS) has found this to be the case, with Mecklenburg-Prepomerania the worst state, where 12.3% of all employed are on the verge of becoming poor.

* The deficits of the German Federal government and the individual states during the first half of this year increased remarkably. According to the FOS, the German states had a deficit of EU15.4 billion for the first six months, as compared to last year, when they had a surplus of EU3.1 billion.

The Federal deficit in the same time period increased from EU13.1 billion to EU14.7 billion. This comparatively slow increase is due to the fact that it excludes payments from various "extra" budgets.

* For the first time in four years, unemployment figures have started to increase during the second quarter, compared to last year: -0.1% (25,000 fewer jobs) out of 40.2 million employed in Germany. Especially hard-hit were industry and construction.

The Civil Rights Movement Solidarity (BüSo), whose electoral slate is headed up by Chancellor candidate Helga Zepp-LaRouche, is the only political party addressing the crisis, and regional election coverage of the BüSo candidates in Bavaria reflects this. The Altoettinger Zeitung on Aug. 12, headlines its coverage: "The Worst Is Yet To Come: Bavarian BüSo Chairman Werner Zuse Sees Economic Crisis in Full Swing," pointing out that this statement is contrary to the statements of all the other politicians, who claim the recovery is taking off. Another article says, "BüSo Sees Hard Times Coming" (Trostberger Zeitung). The lengthy articles report the BüSo's demand to write off toxic financial waste, eliminate "bad banks," and go for a new world credit system, a New Bretton Woods; they also points out that the BüSo advocates maglev technology and nuclear power.

Tories Split on Health Care

Aug. 17 (EIRNS)—The attempt of the British to come to the rescue of their stooge, President Barack Obama, has split the Conservative Party. Tory leader David Cameron is now having the same problem as President Obama on health care. His statement on how great the National Health Service is has split the Conservative Party; many members see it as "socialist" or even "Stalinist." According to the Independent, in a poll of Conservative Members of Parliament who are most likely to be reelected, only one-third support Cameron's position of making the NHS "most immune" from budget cuts.

Tory MP Peter Bone authored a report arguing that the NHS "would not be out of place in Stalin's Russia," and that "we have gone from having the best health services in the Western world to arguably the worst, which had centralized and Stalinist management." He wrote the paper for the Cornerstone Group of Tory MPs which includes front-benchers Gerald Howarth and Andrew Rosindell.

New Czech Legal Action Against Lisbon Treaty

Aug. 20 (EIRNS)—In the Czech Republic, a group of Senators of the Civic Democrats (ODS) party plans to ask the country's Constitutional Court to suspend ratification of the European Union's Lisbon Treaty, until the legislation approving it is changed. The critics from the Senate claim that such a transfer of powers to the EU Commission in Brussels should always be approved by no less than a constitutional majority, which is 60% of both the House of Deputies and the Senate, while the law on the special EU mandate requires only a simple majority.

"We will file the complaint next week," Sen. Jiri Oberfalzer (ODS) told the CTK agency yesterday, specifying that, along with his colleagues, he would propose that the Constitutional Court define the minimal powers that make the country a sovereign state. He also requires that the court's own influence be boosted by entitling it to control whether individual steps taken by EU institutions are in line with the Czech Constitution.

The Senators are also preparing a fresh complaint against the new treaty as such, the fate of which hangs on the outcome of a referendum in Ireland on Oct. 2. Czech President Vaclav Klaus (ODS) has stated repeatedly that he does not intend to sign the approval of the Treaty before the Irish referendum occurs. A further delay is implied, as the Czech Public itself is currently preparing for early parliamentary elections Oct 9-10.

Brits Attack Euro-Russian Cooperation

Aug. 19 (EIRNS)—British diplomats who want to remain anonymous are cited in an article in the Turin, Italy daily La Stampa yesterday, warning that the (Italian-built) South Stream pipeline project will be used by Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin "to set a trap and make you dependent on Russian gas supplies." Especially Italy and its oil company ENI are targetted by British warnings: Italy "risks a move into a position of weakness," the Foreign Office diplomats say.

The day before, the same daily ran an article with similar warnings from people in the U.S. State Department and U.S.-based think tanks. An unnamed diplomat is quoted saying: "We do not understand why ENI behaves like a Gazprom lobbyist by promoting, through South Stream, a pipeline aimed at transforming Italy into the new Ukraine of Europe."

New Flu Video Game Promotes 'Life Boat' Ethics

PARIS, Aug. 19 (EIRNS)—RANJ, a Dutch producer of "serious games," has released its new video game, "The Great Flu," produced for the Erasmus Medical Center of Rotterdam. The behaviorist-inspired online "game" aims at brainwashing people to accept "life-boat ethics," as promoted by the British Empire and Obama health-care guru Ezekiel Emanuel.

One ad reads: "To many, turning a deadly disease into a playable pastime might seem distasteful, especially as North America braces for a second wave of H1N1. But among children, this gimmick may actually be the most effective way to communicate serious news."

In "The Great Flu," produced in March 2009 as "part of the Darwin year," the player heads the "World Pandemic Control," sitting in front of a world map where time starts ticking from April 2009, and little dots light up in Asia and Mexico before spreading over all continents.

What comes to mind is Ezekiel Emanuel's article, "Who Should Get Influenza Vaccine When Not All Can?", published in the British magazine Science on May 12, 2006, when the avian flu appeared as a deadly menace.

German Police Union Attacks Depression Cover-Up

Aug. 18 (EIRNS)— In an editorial in the current issue of the German police union (GdP) magazine, union president Konrad Freiberg says it is "irresponsible" of politicians not to address economic reality before the national elections, but rather to play music like the orchestra on the sinking Titanic. But after the elections, the politicians will impose drastic budget cuts—for the police, among others—thereby making the citizens pay the bill and reducing their safety at the same time, Freiberg warns.

He points to the staggering increase in the debt of Germany's states, which will soon pass the EU2 trillion level, and to the industry forecasts that more jobs will be axed in the coming months, and he warns that the increase of joblessness, plus the loss of wealth that goes along with it, may lead to "distribution fights" and social conflicts—"an explosive mix." All of these things should be addressed by politicians before Election Day, and "nobody should be allowed to say he knew nothing about it," Freiberg writes.