: Hmmm, Fischer is notorously left-wing? The german greens apparently have a split, much like my beloved second international split between the possiblists and the impossiblists (althought one camp call themselves 'Realists' and tothers are 'Fundamentalists').SDF: RD, could you please elaborate on what you know about Fischer's politics? A friend of mine who researched the issue claims that Fischer is a conservative. I guess it's "liberals" who are supposed to support the war in the US, they're also supposed to support phonies like Bill Clinton, whatever...
: Effectively, they are facing the same problems as the left, a La Tony Benn, did in the Labour party over here in the 70's, finding that the constitution is in contradiction with internal party democracy (Fischer said he would not impliment the poliy, and there'd be nothing the party could do about it- save leave government, which would scrap all their other policies, its a hard call). Benn noted the way in which leaders (the greens have no leaders, but the constitution effectively forces on on them) can threaten to resign, whatever....
SDF: Sure, but I still have to wonder whether the "leaders" consulted the "followers" when deciding to equate a largely gratuitous bombing attack, designed to replace the UN with NATO, with the "nonviolence" inscribed in the Green canon of values... at least the US Greens have thought about this...
: : SDF: Then why is "grassroots democracy" one of the Ten Key Values?
: And how can it work in representative democracy (it can't).
SDF: Let's use some creativity to attack this problem, not just throw up our hands and give up. I'm still asking questions, not claiming to know the answers.
: : SDF: Maybe it's that the Greens in power are foolish enough to think that bombing and no action are the only two options.
: Maybe they know its a straight choice betwen being in power, and comprimising principles- the first duty of any governmetn is to stay in power, if it must comprimise principles, it means it'll get a few of its policies through at least. How much is power worth?
SDF: What happens if the German Green public decides that they don't have to vote for the Greens if they want a political party to support the bombing?
: : SDF: Fischer is not really a Green, as I've said above.
: I know many would dispute that, too easy a dissmissal.
SDF: And their arguments for Fischer being a Green?
