Dissent in East Germany

Yet more glimmers in Germany that a semblance of sanity might still exist there. A group of 27 Christian Democrat politicians from the states of Brandenburg and Berlin have signed a letter criticizing Schröder, which they are going to hand to the American ambassador tomorrow. The statement contains the following:

It is a matter close to heart to tell you that we are ashamed at the behavior of our goverment in the Iraq conflict in both the Security Council and within NATO. [...] The goverment led by Chancellor Schröder has in four and a half years ruined our country economically and is now damaging our long-term security interests.

They also blast the peace movement of both today and of yesterday. Referring the 1979 NATO decision to station nuclear Pershing and cruise missiles in Europe to counter the Soviet threat, they say that the same forces who were opposed to the NATO policy then and "sought proximity to the SED-regime of East Germany" are now splitting Europe apart. (The SED was the communist party, which still exists in its current PDS form.)

Of course, they should have spoken out during the election campaign. But I suppose better late than never.