But you do, German taxpayer. So we’ll take it from you.

As you may have noticed, Angela Merkel’s CDU became the SPD (Social Democrats) long ago and Armin Laschet, her designated mini-me survivor, is holding that red flag high. As you also may have noticed, the only thing socialists do well (or Social Democrats – or Democrats, for that matter) is spend other people’s money.

Armin Laschet, Germany’s leading candidate to replace Chancellor Angela Merkel, has created a rift between German conservative parties over his comments that now is not the time for tax relief.

Laschet, representing Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union (CDU), on Sunday categorically rejected a proposal for new tax cuts as Germans emerge from the pandemic. “The core message is no tax cuts right now — we don’t have the money for it,” he said in a televised interview.