Tuesday, April 19, 2005

Greens Give Go-Ahead to Defense Project | Germany | Deutsche Welle |

This might get lost in the other news today, but there seems to have been a minor shift in international military cooperation, thanks to a surprising source. Nina Werkhäuser reports for Deutsche Welle:

The last hurdle to Germany’s participation in the "MEADS" transatlantic missile project has been overcome after the Green party, the junior partner in government, said it will vote in favor of the air defense system.

After weeks of opposition, Germany’s Green Party has decided to support the Medium Extended Air Defense System, or MEADS.

Funded by the US, Italy and Germany, MEADS aims to protect troops or sensitive locations from aerial assault by missile or plane. The system is intended to replace Patriot missiles in the United States and Germany, and Nike Hercules missiles in Italy...
This does not mean that they are signing on whole-heartedly (far from it), and they will undoubtedly expect something in return (politics is politics, and they've asked that other defense spending be cut in return for this), and there actually haven't been any final votes yet (so I'm not sure but there's still a chance that this might fall through), but, my golly, we have Green Party officials actually going on record to say that everything else taken into consideration, they can step aside and let a military project happen. My golly, the Greens in Europe looking at something in context, and being reasonable? Taking a big, broad view and looking ahead? Making compromises? In public, no less? There is hope, after all. (Knock wood.)

Or am I behind the times, here? I haven't been following what Greens have been up to in Europe lately, to be honest with you. But the last time I checked, they were latching on to bits and pieces of odd social engineering, and couldn't seem to connect dots for the life of them. They also seemed rather prone to losing their tempers, and having no patience with anybody who wasn't in lockstep. Heads in the clouds, boot tips on other people's shins sorts of people, if you'd like to put it that way. Have they been evolving/maturing while I wasn't looking?

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