Category Archives: Habitudes

Green Germany looks more black to me

September 22, 2023 By in Habitudes, Hard Facts, Heconomy, Helplessness, Hideology, Home Cooking, Hurt Feelings Tags: , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

Black as night when you turn off the light.

The Green obsession with doing without is in full nighttime bloom.

Germany passes law to make energy savings compulsory – Germany’s lower house of parliament on Thursday passed a bill to make saving energy compulsory in all economic sectors, a move intended to help fight climate change and curb use of imported fossil fuels.

The Energy Efficiency Act, introduced by the Greens-led economy ministry, includes regulation for energy savings in public buildings, industry and fast-growing data centres across Germany, with the goal of a 26.5% cut by 2030 from 2008.

Spurred by fears that persistently low Russian gas supplies could lead to shortages, the German government introduced some initial energy-saving measures last year, including banning heating for private swimming pools and encouraging people to work from home.

Green Diplomacy

September 19, 2023 By in Habitudes, Hard Facts, Helplessness, Hideology, Home Cooking, Hurt Feelings Tags: , , , , , Leave a comment

It’s a lot like Green energy utopia. It has nothing to do with the real world.

Real world diplomacy rule number one: Never actually speak the truth.

Beijing summons German ambassador after foreign minister calls Xi Jinping a ‘dictator’ – While they are major trade partners, Berlin-Beijing ties have been fraying as some in the German government take a harder line over issues ranging from human rights to Taiwan.

Baerbock, who has pushed for a more hawkish line, made the remarks in a Fox News interview on Thursday during a visit to the US.

While talking about the Ukraine war, she said: “If Putin were to win this war, what sign would that be for other dictators in the world, like Xi, like the Chinese president? So therefore Ukraine has to win this war.”

It’s not like I want to tell you that I told you so…

September 17, 2023 By in Habitudes, Hard Facts, Helplessness, Hideology, Home Cooking Tags: , , , , , , Leave a comment

But actually, I do.

I told you so.

Germany says it will keep taking in migrants from Italy after all – Germany has decided to keep taking in migrants and refugees arriving in Italy, the interior minister said late on Friday, two days after it announced the suspension of a voluntary agreement with Rome to receive new arrivals.

Under an European Union solidarity scheme, Germany had pledged to help member states such as Italy that are particularly overwhelmed by migrants by taking in 3,500 people, but it announced the suspension of the accord on Wednesday.

High migratory pressure?

September 14, 2023 By in Habitudes, Hard Facts, Helplessness, Hideology, Home Cooking Tags: , , , , , Leave a comment

In Germany? Since when?

Too much migratory pressure? Germans can’t get enough of it. If you believe Germany is going to “supend migrant intake,” I’ve got some prime Florida swamp land I can sell you at a real bargain.

Germany suspends migrant intake from Italy – The voluntary agreement aimed to ease the burden on the southern EU border country. Germany’s interior ministry has now paused it due to “high migratory pressure.”

German of the day: alles bestens

September 8, 2023 By in Habitudes, Hard Facts, Heconomy, Helplessness, Hideology, Home Cooking, Hurt Feelings Tags: , , , , , , , Leave a comment

That means everything is fine, cool, hunky-dory.

Falling industrial output for three straight months ain’t no big deal, says German Green Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck. And “not everything is bad,” he added. Wow. That’s actually unbridled optimism for a Green.

Habeck defends German economy as output drops – Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck said Germany remains a “highly attractive location” for investors. But the statistics agency said industrial output fell for a third straight month, and that wasn’t the only negative news.

What, me worry?

September 7, 2023 By in Habitudes, Hard Facts, Heconomy, Helplessness, Hideology Tags: , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

About work? I live in Germany.

I’ll just live off the state (i.e., taxpayers). Everybody’s doing it!

Germans question value of working after new welfare increases, survey shows – More than half of Germans believe work is not worthwhile after the government’s planned increase in welfare payments and child benefits, a survey showed on Tuesday.

The government said it was raising benefits, first introduced in 2005, to fight child poverty and help citizens cope with inflation, but added it did not want to deter people from work altogether.

Welfare payments, dubbed “citizens’ money”, for more than 5.5 million jobless in Germany will rise to 563 euros ($605.06)from 502 euros per month for single people from next year.

PS: What you may not be aware of is that those who receive welfare payments in Germany also get their rent, healthcare and other entitlements paid for in addition.

For the past forty years…

September 6, 2023 By in Habitudes, Hard Facts, Helplessness, Hideology Tags: , , , , , , , Leave a comment

Germany has been becoming “a far-right stronghold.” For the past forty years at least (I’ve seen it, live).

So, you’d think that after all this time and effort these far-right folks might have finally built a stronghold that anyone with any sense would finally feel threatened by. Well, they haven’t. This is just another classic media and leftist party trope the German establishment recycles at regular intervals to allow their clientele to feel morally superior and signal virtue. You know. That “cry wolf” kinda thing? Call them Nazis and the people will love you for it.

Once Inoculated by Its Nazi Past, Germany Is Becoming a Far-Right Stronghold – Support for pro-Russia, anti-immigration Alternative for Germany surges as more voters lose faith in mainstream politics.

The lack of Russian gas isn’t your problem, Germany

August 30, 2023 By in Habitudes, Hard Facts, Heconomy, Helplessness, Hideology, Home Cooking Tags: , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

It was your willing dependency on it. And your systematic shutdown of reliable energy sources at home.

Green ideology got you here. Now sit back and enjoy it. And remember: You’re setting an example for the rest of the world.

Energy fears spur German industrials to seek investments abroad – Annual business survey finds concern over country’s future without Russian gas.

Nearly a third of German industrial companies are planning to boost production abroad rather than at home amid increasing concern over the country’s future without Russian gas, according to a closely watched annual survey.

The annual “Energy Transition Barometer” by the German Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DIHK) found that 32 per cent of companies surveyed favoured investment abroad over domestic expansion. The figure was double the 16 per cent in last year’s survey.

Step One: Do everything you can to make it difficult to build new housing…

August 27, 2023 By in Habitudes, Hard Facts, Heconomy, Helplessness, Hideology, Home Cooking Tags: , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

Step two: Once rent prices explode due to step one, introduce a rent freeze to end the few meager building projects still in operation.

Go Social Democracy!

Germany’s ruling party plans to curb rent increases – SPD set to unveil measures to tackle soaring costs facing tenants, says senior lawmaker.

Germany’s ruling Social Democratic party is set to propose a three-year rent break across the country, as tenants struggle to cope with the soaring cost of housing in Europe’s largest economy.

“We need to create breathing room — we need a rent freeze for the next three years,” senior SPD lawmaker Verena Hubertz told Bild am Sonntag, adding that Chancellor Olaf Scholz would outline measures on Monday to tackle the country’s cost of living crisis.

Englisch of the Day: Guarantee

August 25, 2023 By in Habitudes, Hard Facts, Heconomy, Helplessness, Hideology, Home Cooking, Hurt Feelings Tags: , , , , , , Leave a comment

This is an assurance that another’s obligation will be fulfilled, or something presented as such security; guaranty. In this case, they mean with taxpayer money.

And the guarantee is that the Germany economy is guaranteed to fall flat on its face if the German government continues its odd obsession with remaining dependent on China as a business partner. It’s recent dependency on Russan gas was just that much fun, I guess.

German guarantees for China investments plummet -document.

The volume of investment guarantees provided by the German government to companies investing in China has collapsed this year, a government document showed, highlighting the impact of Berlin’s efforts to end over-reliance on the country.

Only 51.9 million euros ($56.26 million) in guarantees have been issued so far this year, according to the document seen by Reuters, less than a tenth of the 745.9 million euros in guarantees issued over the whole of last year.