New stupid video scandal in the Bundeswehr

[Skybird]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6556643.stm

The last months and years have seen a series of incidents of racism and sadism in the Bundeswehr, both in recruit training units, and units serving overseas. the general impression is that the rate of such incidents is slowly growing. At the same time, motivation of troops is decreasing more and more, while the (militarily) totally incompetent situational assessment by politicians of the Afghanistan adventure is affecting moral severly, and even feeds a rebellious spirit amongst higher ranking officers. The politicians want the BW to take more and more international responsibility, but keeping financial funding very low at the same time. This gives no perspective to young soldiers as well as old professionals alike, and the general unjustice concerning some young men being drafted, others doing civil service, and a third (large) group doing neither the one nor the other does not help to improve general mood.

what is needed is to give up the concept of a conscript army, increase funding, better and more competent spending of funds that are there (currently still a lot of money is wasted on realizations of projects that base on concepts of fighting a hot war against the Warsaw Pact), better payment for pro soldiers and raising the criterions to accept recruits, and finally decrease the number of international commitments and concentrate on thoroughly modernisation of the Bundeswehr. Technically it is in a very poor, and aged, shape, and the number of ready status-units is constantly declining, for they get constantly cannibalized to keep the oversea equipment running. during the cold war, BW was considered to be a top notch army. Today it is not even second league, in my opinion.

Of course nothing of all this will happen soon, for politicians have decided to go for that damn UN security council seat, and for acchieving that an increase in international military commitements seem to be inevitable.

Since the bundeswehr is operated by a concept we call "citizen in uniform", it also represents social tendencies. Rightwing opinions are booming in some parts of the country, especially the new federal states, and more and more people in general dare to express loudly their anger for the general political course concerning foreigners moving to Germany, also seen in the Islamic and turkish context. That hate and racist paroles are also explained by such shifts in the social environment is meant as an explanation only, not an excuse.

But as so often, I have no doubt that politicians will - again - not listen to this, too. It all we be talked down, and then ignored. Business as usual.

German medias are silent about this new racism-story, btw, although it is an "arch-german" issue. But that Erdogan of Turkey is complainign about Germany not being helpful enough to enforce Turkey's EU membership - this example of maximum arrogance and declaring the negotiations a fake, currently is making headlines in all media. As if we must care for what the Turks think about Germany not being pro-Turkish enough.

Queer world.