Germany Lecturing Others About Not Taking Their Defense Seriously

February 15, 2023 By Hermann Observer in Habitudes, Hard Facts, Helplessness, Hideology, Hurt Feelings, Hypocrisy Tags: Defense, EU, German, Germany, Language, NATO, Russia, Tanks, Ukraine Leave a comment

German of the day: Ein Esel schimpft den anderen Langohr. That means “a donkey scolds the other long-eared.”

In other words, the pot is calling the kettle black.

Germany chides allies for delays in delivering tanks to Ukraine – Defence minister expresses disbelief at slow progress by countries that pressed Berlin for Leopard decision.

Germany’s defence minister has voiced his frustration with European partners who spent months pressuring Berlin to supply tanks to Ukraine but have so far failed to deliver any of the heavy armour themselves.

The More Things Change…

February 13, 2023 By Hermann Observer in Habitudes, Hard Facts, Helplessness, Hideology, Hurt Feelings Tags: Berlin, Coalition Governments, Elections, Germany Leave a comment

Winning an election in Germany doesn’t mean you’ve been elected.

That would be undemocratic. Here, in Berlin, the loser parties get back together to form the next coalition government the voters just rejected.

Berlin: Conservatives win vote but unclear who will rule – Voters returned to polling booths across the German capital after a botched 2021 election was declared invalid. More voters picked the center-right CDU than any other party, but its candidate may not get to be mayor.

Dysfunctional Elections?

February 12, 2023 By Hermann Observer in Habitudes, Hard Facts, Helections, Helplessness, Hideology Tags: Berlin, Election Integrity, Elections, Germany Leave a comment

Oh brother. The Germans (Berliners) are copying US-Amerika again.

Only they got it all wrong, as usual. They’re actually trying to undue the damage done by rerunning the failed election. They’re actually trying to get an honest and fair result, in other words. Amateurs. They’ll never play in our league. When it comes to Banana Republicism, Americans will continue to lead the world.

Berlin holds court-ordered rerun of chaotic state election – The city of Berlin on Sunday is holding a court-ordered rerun of a chaotic 2021 state election that was marred by severe glitches at many polling stations that led to hours-long lines as some polling places ran out of ballot papers or received ones for the wrong district.

Berliners have long been frustrated by the German capital’s notoriously dysfunctional ways, which have been defying clichés of German efficiency for years and have made the city the laughing stock of the rest of the country.

European Greens Against Huge Investments In Green Technologies

February 8, 2023 By Hermann Observer in Habitudes, Hard Facts, Heconomy, Helplessness, Hideology, Hurt Feelings Tags: EU, Greens, Inflation Reduction Act, Investments, IRA, Technology Leave a comment

Because they’re not the right shade of Green. They’re not European Green, in other words.

They’re more of a Greenback shade of Green. And this makes them Green with envy. Or maybe it’s more like Green about the gills.

German Vice Chancellor and Economy Minister Robert Habeck was holding talks in Washington on Tuesday focused on the controversial US Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), which foresees huge investments in green technologies.

A large portion of the Inflation Reduction Act, somewhere in the region of $370 billion (roughly €350 billion at current exchange rates), is earmarked for spending and subsidies designed to support the green transition in the US.

For instance, it includes government incentives for consumers to buy electric vehicles, but only if the vehicles and batteries were produced either in the US or a country with a trade deal with the US.

Norway

February 5, 2023 By Hermann Observer in Habitudes, Hard Facts, Home Cooking Tags: Arms, Exports, Germans, Germany, Profit, Profits, Russia, Sales, Ukraine, War, Weapons Leave a comment

Beautiful German weapons sale of the week.

Because somebody has to admire them.

Norway to order 54 new army tanks from Germany – Norway will order 54 new German-made Leopard 2 tanks for its army from the Krauss-Maffei Wegmann Group, and will get an option to buy a further 18 tanks at a later time, the government said on Friday.

Germany Debates

February 1, 2023 By Hermann Observer in Habitudes, Hard Facts, Helplessness, Hideology Tags: Asylum Seekers, Borders, Crime, Deportation, Immigration, Migrants Leave a comment

And debates, and debates. But they never deport anybody.

And everybody who comes here knows it. That’s one of the main reasons they come. It’s a little game the Germans play; pretending they are a country that deports people who have come here to break the law.

Germany debates tougher deportation rules – A deadly knife attack on a German regional train has triggered a debate on deportation laws and their application. The suspect, a Palestinian, was living in Germany despite his criminal record.

Two weeks ago, a knife attack shook Germany when a man traveling on a regional train headed for Hamburg randomly stabbed passengers, killing two of them.

The alleged perpetrator, 33-year-old Ibrahim A.*, was known to the police, as he had multiple prior convictions for assault. He had just been released from detention, although he had nowhere to go.

We Germans Would Never Twist Words Around Like That

January 29, 2023 By Hermann Observer in Habitudes, Hard Facts, Helplessness, Hideology, Hurt Feelings, Hypocrisy Tags: Annalena Baerbock, Diplomacy, Germany, Greens, Incompetence, Propaganda, Russia, Ukraine, War, Words Leave a comment

So you sneaky Russkies better stop accusing us of doing so.

After all, just because our foreign minister said “we are fighting a war against Russia” doesn’t mean that we are fighting a war against Russia. Quit twisting her words around like that already. She’s a diplomat. And a Green one too (in more ways than one). And now you’ve offended us.

Germany accuses Russia of twisting minister’s war comments for ‘propaganda’ – Russia has twisted comments by Germany’s foreign minister about the war in Ukraine for propaganda purposes, a German foreign ministry spokesperson said on Friday, stressing Berlin’s position that NATO must not become party to the conflict.

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock riled Moscow with comments at an event in Strasbourg on Tuesday, when, speaking in English, she said that “we are fighting a war against Russia, and not against each other.”

Was It Information About Tanks?

January 27, 2023 By Hermann Observer in Habitudes, Hard Facts, Helplessness, Hideology Tags: BND, Espionage, German, Germans, Germany, Intelligence, Russia, Spies Leave a comment

Tank goodness we have intelligence services.

German arrested for allegedly passing on intelligence to Russia – A German citizen was arrested at the Munich airport on suspicion of treason for allegedly colluding with an intelligence service employee to pass on intelligence to Russia, the prosecutor general’s office said on Thursday.

The man, identified as Arthur E., was arrested on Sunday upon arriving in Germany from the United States, the prosecutor said in a statement. He is said to be an associate of Carsten L., an employee of the German foreign intelligence service (BND) who was arrested in December on suspicion of spying for Russia.

Since The Suspect Must Remain Innocent Until Proven Innocent

January 26, 2023 By Hermann Observer in Habitudes, Hard Facts, Helplessness, Hideology Tags: Asylum Seekers, Borders, Crime, EU, Europe, German, Germans, Germany, Immigration, Migrants, Refugees, Terror, Terrorists Leave a comment

And since the policies which allowed the suspect to be in the country in the first place must remain above reproach…

It’s time to consider tougher knife control laws in Germany again.

Palestinian man arrested for deadly stabbing spree on German train – A knife-wielding man described as a stateless Palestinian fatally stabbed two passengers and injured seven others on a train in northern Germany before being grabbed by members of the public and arrested by police, officials say. The motive of the attack was not immediately known.

Sean Penn’s Ukraine Doc Won’t Be Competing!

January 24, 2023 By Hermann Observer in Habitudes, Hard Facts, Hideology Tags: Berlin, Berlinale, Celebrities, Festivals, Films, Hollywood, Movies, Politics, Propaganda, Ukraine, Virtue Signalling Leave a comment

It’s that good. Just like the Berlin International Film Festival itself. They’re both so good they’re for the greater good.

Too bad their films are always so no good.

The Berlin International Film Festival unveiled the competition lineup for its 2023 edition on Monday morning, naming the 18 movies that will compete for the coveted Gold and Silver Bears at the 73rd Berlinale…

Berlin 2023, taking place a year after Russia’s Feb. 24 invasion, will have a major focus on Ukraine. Even the festival’s official pin will be in the Ukraine colors of blue and yellow…

In a late addition, Superpower, Sean Penn and Aaron Kaufman’s documentary on Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky, the Russian invasion of the country and the ongoing war, will have its world premiere in Berlin’s out-of-competition Berlinale Special section.

Observing Hermann

“Was interessiert mich mein Geschwätz von gestern?”

Category Archives: Habitudes