Or the Euro falls, I should say.
And it’s fallen to the lowest its been in four years.
Für das abermalige Minus waren nach Angaben von Händlern erneute Sorgen über die hohe Schuldenlast einiger Euro-Staaten sowie schlecht bewertete Arbeitsmarktzahlen aus den USA verantwortlich.
Observing Hermann 
I’m sorry; I have trouble not savouring my three hot, steaming bowls of Schadenfreude daily vis à vis the Eurozone crisis. I have been told for years how the 21st century would be the European century by so many well meaning Germans, that I have trouble not gloating at their misfortune. There are only two ways out; a disintegration of the Eurozone or a federal mechanism that will mirror the Fed’s control over state finances in the US. No extra points are awarded for a correct answer to this question.
And I’m surprised at how quickly all of this came about (I’m probably not the only one). If you maybe watched Anne Will the other night, I was shocked at the sense of urgency concerning the Euro, the alarmist, “we’re all gonna die” attitude that’s creeping into the picture now (although that may have more to do with the German worry syndrome – thanks for your comment on that post too – and stop that drinking game before it kills you!). Although should I be shocked? It always bounces from one extreme to the other, doesn’t it? Public opinion (media generated), I mean, or mood swings or whatever the hell it is we want to call it. I often get the impression that humanity (not just Germany – although they’re the best at it maybe) is just a big herd of hysterical sheep on the frantic search for the next thing to be scared of.
We have to fudge a little bit on the drinking game rules. While I enjoy the occasional tipple, and I do have a strong Jewish liver, I unfortunately don’t have the strength or the money to drink German worries away. Who does?
Though this will come as no surprise to you, the Germans as a people are quite hysterical. I think a lot of it has to do with the need to mitigate every risk in order to remove the danger of unknown or unfamiliar situations from their lives. This certainly makes them susceptible to hysteria and fearful of change. With regards to the Euro, I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that they have largely been fed one version of events for years. There have been few cases when someone argued publicly that the German economic model was in serious danger: not from the coming pension crisis, not from an over-reliance on exports, not from stifling government bureaucracy, and definitely not from profligacy in or outside of Germany. It was much easier to fear “Amerikanische Verhältnisse.” While I am no social-psychologist, I would be willing to wager that much of this has to do with the large segments of boomers in German society that have been promised a long, secure retirement only to see the wheels come up a couple of years before they plan on retiring. In this case, I certainly see the threat as real.
I am not a fatalist, nor am I the type to scream that the sky is falling, but I do believe this is quite serious. I’m even more worried by the fact that there is no leadership at the national or European level at the moment. Unfortunately, a crisis like this demands decisive, speedy action, which is something that the Germans do not excel at. I’m leaving Germany soon, and wish them the best, but I am certainly glad I have other options and don’t have to spend the next few decades here.