Brüning’s Social Policy

From a political standpoint I completely understand your desire for a Christmas peace. However, Mr. Reich Chancellor, I would like to look back to your speech during the parliamentary debate defending the first emergency decree. The results are not open to doubt. Back then you gave yourself over to illusions that are unforgivable for a statesman.

At the Reichstag session of 16 October 1930, Mr. Reich Chancellor, you said:

“The Reich government has developed a major economic and financial plan to overcome the crisis.”

Mr. Reich Chancellor, that major plan has proven to be an illusion, since the crisis was not overcome.

At the same session, you also said:

“With this emergency decree (of 26.7.30) the Reich President and the Reich government, based on Article 48 of the Weimar Constitution, have taken the first steps to ameliorate the financial, economic, and social crisis.”

Mr. Reich Chancellor, neither the financial, nor the economic, nor the social crisis has been ameliorated. Such a view rests on an illusion. You further said:

“Important parts of the welfare system have been revised to make it possible to rescue the welfare system.”

Mr. Reich Chancellor, the welfare system seems to me to be less rescued that it was before. Instead, it is seriously threatened. I have the feeling here, too, that this statement will prove to be an illusion.

In that same speech, Mr. Reich Chancellor, you assured us that a basic principle of the reforms back then was the “simplification of the administrative system, in particular a taxation policy that does not unacceptably burden the productive process, but instead encourages savings by small savers, and finally sound financial accords between the Reich, the provinces, and the municipalities.”

Since all of these hopes went unfulfilled, we can relegate to the area of illusions as well.

It also turned out to be an illusion that everything would be done as part of this economic plan to put as many people to work as possible.

Finally, you assured us:

“In view of the spiritual and economic crisis of our fatherland, the government considers it one of its most important tasks to do all it can to combat cultural decline as energetically as possible. The severe crisis that Germany must overcome (as already mentioned, that was said on 10.10.30) demands moral strength and courageous solidarity on the part of all who love the fatherland.”

Mr. Reich Chancellor, was that an illusion, was it wishful thinking, or are the filthy films in Germany today, along with the Marxist-Jewish cultural subversion we see everywhere, among those efforts to combat cultural destruction?

It was an illusion, however, when you said back then that:

“Sacrifices must be demanded that will lead the way to freedom and recovery.”

Economic sacrifices are only secondary to the freedom of peoples. It must primarily be achieved through political sacrifices and achievements. Any other viewpoint is an illusion.