Sunday, September 08, 2013

German Election campaign getting down and dirty

The German election campaign is in full swing at the moment, judging by the plethora of election posters that line the B31 at the moment. The RDP, in my opinion, have the most risque poster that I have seen this year.

If you can't tell what that is, or rather can't beleive your eyes, they are four buttocks in various colors. The caption is "Which ass are you going to elect this year?"

REP's website has an even more risque music video (link to the youtube upload):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJZmydFB6ug&feature=c4-overview&list=UUXrwVUL2IiYJtP5leWd2wjw

They are not a popular party in Germany (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Republicans_(Germany)) but have scored some PR points in my book with their chutzpah.

Growing up in Kerala, seeing the communist parties contest general elections was nothing out of the ordinary. It was standard fare of Kerala (and Bengal) politics. However, it was an enormous shock to see the Marxist Leninist Party of Germany posters hanging from the street lamps near Freidrichshafen.
The caption states "For the liberation of women" Obviously, given what has happened with the banking crisis, the problems in Greece, Spain, Ireland etc, there needs to be some rethinking if the way capitalism works today is in the best interests of the majority of Germans.
However, it seems to me that the MLPD need to understand what happened in 1989 in Berlin and if anybody is in dire need of rebranding, it is the MLPD, which literally stands for Marxist Leninist Partei Deutschlands. People who are completely comfortable with their platform will still feel unease voting for them given the history of governments peddling Marxism and Leninism in this part of the world. Even the ex-communists have realized this fundamental fact and rebranded themselves, Die Linke (The Left), acknowledging no debt to Communism whatsoever.

The CDU, the party on power and the odds on favourite to win again, have made an odd choice for their super large poster of Angela Merkel that sits between right outside of Ittendorf.
Germans are famously creeped out by people smiling (among the reasons cited for Walmart's exit from Germany was their insistance that the cashiers smile at the customers which creeped Germans out to such a degree that they stopped shopping there) but I find the half smile even creepier. It looks much creepier super sized.

The party that seems to have their act together (only as far as election posters on the B31 are concerned let me point out) are the Green Party. One example
This one says "People before banks. How about you?" They frame their arguments on a personal level, frame it as a conversation and all the posters are people (and one animal) outside (http://www.gruene.de/wahl-2013/gruene-wahlplakate-zur-bundestagswahl-2013.html)
In contrast, there are the poster from Die Linke, which seem to be shoving their platform down zour throat. (http://www.die-linke.de/wahlen/kampagne/themenplakate/)

In the end, this election matters not a whole lot to me. I may as well be living in North Korea seeing how much effect I have in choosing the government (none) I have also been kicked off the rolls in Texas, and am having a difficult time being reinstated as a voter. However, I can walk into any gun store in the Lone Star State and purchase a firearm without any problem. It is true what Clinton said. This is not to purely rip on the Texas. I love the state. I love the back country in Brazos county. I think Big Bend is among the most beautiful places on earth. And the cities of Texas, Dallas, Houston, and Austin are among the most diverse places anywhere on earth.
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