I´ve written to Chancellor Schröder. By email. I felt like a small child doing it, never really expecting an answer, but harbouring the tiniest bit of hope to be heard.

The issue I´ve written about is the ongoing process of selecting the future computer system for the Bundestag. It is currently based on Windows NT 4 and two camps have formed: One camp wants to go Open Source the other wants to go Microsoft. Why not take the democratic route and getting the best of both worlds? Mac OS X could satisfy the requirements of both camps. But how big is the chance that politicians arrive at some sensible solution? The taxpayer foots the bill, after all.

The scandal there is that government agencies lock in the companies into Microsoft based solutions. We have to complete a questionaire for statiscal reasons every couple of months. Now they sent us a brochure which tells you how to submit it electronically. They not only not support any other thing than Windows, they even make it especially hard for people who do not use it. - Discuss

I am sorry, but the following is very difficult to translate into English, so I post it first in German:

Ansprache vor dem Bundestag zum Misstrauensantrag von Gerhard Schröder. - Discuss

The US has turned into a rightless state - for foreigners. Right now, I am glad that I don´t have to go there anytime soon. Not that I plan to break the law, but someone could simply accuse me of doing it and I would end up in jail or on the chair without a fair trial.

This is a huge step in the wrong direction and in direct violation of human rights.

Something similar is happening in Germany. So I am writing a speech I would give in the Bundestag if I were a representative today. - Discuss