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Linards Ticmanis
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 Posted: Tue Aug 19, 2008 4:55 pm Post subject: Former German chancellor Schröder on Georgi a-Russia crisis |
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http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,572686,00.html
The interview is of course somewhat biased. It's well known Schröder
personally got along with Putin a lot better than with George W. Bush,
and that he generally has a bit of a soft spot for Russia. Still a much
calmer assessment than most of what's currently floating around.
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Linards Ticmanis |
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veritas
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| Posted: Tue Aug 19, 2008 5:46 pm Post subject: Re: Former German chancellor Schröder on Georgia-Russia cris |
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On Tue, 19 Aug 2008 13:55:31 +0200, Linards Ticmanis <ticmanis@gmx.de>
wrote:
| Quote: | http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,572686,00.html
The interview is of course somewhat biased. It's well known Schröder
personally got along with Putin a lot better than with George W. Bush,
and that he generally has a bit of a soft spot for Russia. Still a much
calmer assessment than most of what's currently floating around.
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Thanks .
I will read this.
Peter |
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John Galt
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| Posted: Tue Aug 19, 2008 9:45 pm Post subject: Re: Former German chancellor Schröder on Georgia-Russia cris |
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"Linards Ticmanis" <ticmanis@gmx.de> wrote in message
news:48aab4b4$0$20701$9b4e6d93@newsspool4.arcor-online.net...
| Quote: | http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,572686,00.html
The interview is of course somewhat biased. It's well known Schröder
personally got along with Putin a lot better than with George W. Bush, and
that he generally has a bit of a soft spot for Russia.
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Uh, Russia also pays his salary, since he works for Gazprom, and Russia
stole Gazprom from its owners. There's really no reason to consider him
credible on the subject at all.
JG
Still a much
| Quote: | calmer assessment than most of what's currently floating around.
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Linards Ticmanis |
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Linards Ticmanis
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| Posted: Tue Aug 19, 2008 10:23 pm Post subject: Re: Former German chancellor Schröder on Ge orgia-Russia cri |
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John Galt wrote:
| Quote: | "Linards Ticmanis" <ticmanis@gmx.de> wrote in message
news:48aab4b4$0$20701$9b4e6d93@newsspool4.arcor-online.net...
http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,572686,00.html
The interview is of course somewhat biased. It's well known Schröder
personally got along with Putin a lot better than with George W. Bush, and
that he generally has a bit of a soft spot for Russia.
Uh, Russia also pays his salary, since he works for Gazprom, and Russia
stole Gazprom from its owners. There's really no reason to consider him
credible on the subject at all.
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To be exact, he is chairman of the supervisory board of a Russian-German
joint venture to built a pipeline across the Baltic Sea floor, half of
which is owned by Gazprom and half by two German industrial giants.
People on a supervisory board are not employees under German law. But
yes, he does get considerable monetary compensation for it; although he
wouldn't have to do this to keep food on the table, since he gets a very
sizable pension for being ex-chancellor.
--
Linards Ticmanis |
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Linards Ticmanis
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| Posted: Tue Aug 19, 2008 10:32 pm Post subject: Re: Former German chancellor Schröder on Ge orgia-Russia cri |
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Linards Ticmanis wrote:
| Quote: | People on a supervisory board are not employees under German law. But
yes, he does get considerable monetary compensation for it; although he
wouldn't have to do this to keep food on the table, since he gets a very
sizable pension for being ex-chancellor.
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I fear that wasn't too clear. The point is, since Schröder is not an
employee, Gazprom cannot legally order him to do or not to do any thing,
or to behave in specific ways. He couldn't legally be kicked out for
saying bad things about Gazprom or about Russia.
Also they cannot really afford to have him resign over political
differences; a resignation would hurt Gazprom much more than it would
hurt Schröder. So their power over him would be rather limited.
But it is well known that he enjoyed his trips to Russia more than other
foreign visits, and that he and his current wife, who do not have
children together, adopted a Russian orphan.
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Linards Ticmanis |
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John Galt
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| Posted: Tue Aug 19, 2008 11:57 pm Post subject: Re: Former German chancellor Schröder on Georgia-Russia cris |
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"Linards Ticmanis" <ticmanis@gmx.de> wrote in message
news:48ab03c8$0$11744$9b4e6d93@newsspool1.arcor-online.net...
| Quote: | Linards Ticmanis wrote:
People on a supervisory board are not employees under German law. But
yes, he does get considerable monetary compensation for it; although he
wouldn't have to do this to keep food on the table, since he gets a very
sizable pension for being ex-chancellor.
I fear that wasn't too clear. The point is, since Schröder is not an
employee, Gazprom cannot legally order him to do or not to do any thing,
or to behave in specific ways. He couldn't legally be kicked out for
saying bad things about Gazprom or about Russia.
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Granted, but he could be "dis-employed." When he was hired, it was generally
viewed as payback for his pro-Russian positions by Putin, and nobody really
disagreed with that conclusion.
Your point about his pension is well taken, but it's always better to have
more than less.
| Quote: |
Also they cannot really afford to have him resign over political
differences; a resignation would hurt Gazprom much more than it would hurt
Schröder. So their power over him would be rather limited.
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From the georgian situation, it's pretty clear that Putin doesn't really
care about external appearances. I have my doubts this matters much. But,
even if insulated, people work in their own best interests, and if the man
wants a long tenure with as little hassle and controversy as possible, he'll
toe the party line, even if the party line is not defined for him.
That all said, Schroeder takes in the article the expected stand, portraying
the Georgian incident as no big deal, the Russians as worthwhile members of
the international community, the Thomas Friedman position that nations in
business with one another can't afford to go to war, with a dose of
anti-Americanism tossed in. We'll see where this goes.
s well known that he enjoyed his trips to Russia more than other
| Quote: | foreign visits, and that he and his current wife, who do not have children
together, adopted a Russian orphan.
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Ah, yes, I forgot: the "Audi" chancellor.....
JG
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Linards Ticmanis |
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Joe Orthodox
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| Posted: Wed Aug 20, 2008 12:04 am Post subject: Re: Former German chancellor Schröder on Ge orgia-Russia cri |
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Linards Ticmanis wrote:
| Quote: | http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,572686,00.html
The interview is of course somewhat biased. It's well known Schröder
personally got along with Putin a lot better than with George W. Bush,
and that he generally has a bit of a soft spot for Russia. Still a much
calmer assessment than most of what's currently floating around.
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Mr. Schroeder was a stooge for Russia during his tenure in office and he
veered Germany way off its previous course as a strong US ally. His
"employment" for a Russian government sponsored venture immediately
after leaving office was widely reported in Germany as a deal sealed
before he had left his job. It was a quid pro quo for his having his
friend Putin's back. |
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