Web discussions:Breakthrough in Germany

We've explored the phenomeonon of Die Linke (The Left) in Germany before here but language and distiance does handciap our ability to monitor that left regroupment dynamic closely. But over at Socialist Unity, Andy Newman offers an important post (and a translation from the original German) that fleshes out some of politics involved:

In his founding speech Oskar Lafontaine linked the perspectives of democratic socialism with a clear anti-capitalist reform programme, with practical political initiatives and a historic mission: The LEFT stands in the tradition of the workers movement, Rosa Luxemburg’s and Karl Liebknecht’s movement. Rosa Luxemburg advised the left to always acknowledge the facts. The German workers movement and the left split over the questions of war and peace, social reform or revolution, and the consequences of this split plunged Germany and Europe into two huge catastrophes. Today, the unity of the left is possible. One Left, for all those who say No to war, for the organic connection of democracy and socialism, and are building the endeavour to abolish all exploitation and oppressive relationships. Guido Westerwelle [leader of the Free Democratic party] had churned out an attack “Freedom instead of socialism”, Oskar answered for the left: “with freedom to socialism”.!