Troops go home! But not my troops….

In a follow-up to the announcement that the US is redeploying a large chunk of the forces currently stationed in Germany, the staff of ver.di, Germany’s largest service-sector union and the largest independent, individual trade union in the world, is worried. Apparently, there won't be enough imperial hegemonist warmongers around to to adequately support members’ socialist way-of-life. Lest anyone think that I'm exaggerating about the “imperial hegemonist warmongers”, let's go to some quotes by ver.di's chairman, Frank Bsirske:

“What it (the US government) puts in place of the UN order is an order which follows its imperial gusto and understanding of its own interests.”

“That connects itself to a concept of hegemony, that, with Iraq in mind, is also clearly motivated by the favoring of an economic development that dramatically increases energy use and raises demand for oil in a sustained way. Access to the oil sources is to be politically and militarily secured. That aims towards a war with a government, and this will likely not be the last, that one once supported, financed and armed.”

“On Day X as many people as possible should take to the streets and show that they are against the war in Iraq. We call upon all members to take part in the actions.” (This is from a press release on the ver.di website, not a speech.)

“Let us set our protest against the warmongers, the protest of millions of people in the entire world, our dedication and our strength, the strength of the international peace movement!”

All emphasis is mine.

You'd think that ver.di would be happy that thousands of “imperialist hegemons” would be leaving Germany. In fact, the opposite is true. This apparent contradiction highlights the fact that there is indeed something more important to Germany’s leftist dominated unions than exploiting anti-American sentiment for political gain. Apparently, to ver.di and its members, “Troops Out!” doesn't include their troops, which they both used for their livelihoods and for scoring cheap political points.

Maybe they'll even see the irony. After all, they're getting what they say they've wanted. Wonder if the membership will see it that way?