Category Archives: Hard Facts

FSB, DGSI, FBI…

December 28, 2025 By in Hard Facts, Home Cooking Tags: , , , , , , , Leave a comment

It’s all BfV to me.

Recruiting for Germany’s Secret Police – Like almost any other country – the Russian Tsar’s Okhrana (later: NKVD and now: FSB), Iran’s feared SAVAK, Pinochet’s torturing DINA, South Africa’s BOSS and NIS, Franco’s BSI, Mussolini’s OVRA, and Hoover’s FBI – Germany too has a secret police that today is no longer called Gestapo or Stasi. Yet Germany’s agency is distinctively different from, for example, France’s DGSI.

Deceptively labelled the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (Bundesamt für Verfassungsschutz, or BfV), it spies on people. It operates in the shadows, in secret and by stealth. Being unnoticed and silent is of the essence.

Cheaper coffee?

December 27, 2025 By in Hard Facts, Helplessness, Hideology, Home Cooking Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

Why, that’s capitalism!

Or maybe even Raubtierkapitalismus (predatory capitalism)! Or something else like that.

People really are confused these days, don’t you think? Not that they weren’t in the past. I just think they’re better at it now. Being confused.

Berlin’s budget chain cafes attacked by mobs of hard-Left activists – Protesters in Berlin are hurling red paint at outlets for a new chain that offers drinks at nearly half the price of others.

It is at night that the group of angry Berliners hurl red paint at the coffee shop front, scrawling “Boycott LAP” on the walls.

The Global Censorship-Industrial Complex

December 24, 2025 By in Habitudes, Hard Facts, Hideology, Higher Education, Home Cooking Tags: , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

Isn’t all that complex.

It just wants to tell you what not to think. It suppresses American viewpoints, in other words.

USA sanctions leadership of German organization HateAid – The entry ban imposed by the US government due to alleged censorship of American online platforms also affects the directors of the German organization HateAid, which is committed to combating hate online.

“For far too long, ideologues in Europe have led organized efforts to force American platforms to punish American viewpoints that do not suit them.”

I got your neighborhood pub for you right here, pal

December 23, 2025 By in Hard Facts, Helplessness, Hideology, Home Cooking Tags: , , , , , Leave a comment

It’s called my sofa.

As Germans Drink Alone at Home, Community Pubs Are Closing – Skyrocketing prices and stagnating real wages are forcing more and more pubs to shut their doors. The closing of neighborhood pubs means the loss of leisure space, and of the community built around it.

But the truth is this is nothing new. German Kneipen have been dying out for decades.

German of the day: Wenn das Geld alle ist

December 22, 2025 By in Hard Facts, Heconomy, Helplessness, Hideology, Home Cooking, Hurt Feelings Tags: , , , , , , , Leave a comment

That means when the money’s gone.

And when the money’s gone, the money’s gone.

Sweden and Germany slash aid budgets to focus on Ukraine and defence spending – Echoing the dismantling of USAID, other countries are changing funding priorities and health and hunger programmes in Africa will lose out.

Germany’s Best Security Barriers

December 20, 2025 By in Hard Facts, Helplessness, Hideology, Home Cooking Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

Enjoy these German gems!

Germany’s security barriers are legendary, and for good reason. Security barriers are among many holiday traditions, like Christmas trees and Advent calendars, thought to have originated in Germany. The oldest known security barriers date back to the 15th century in Germany — and today, security barriers modeled after the German version pop up each winter across Europe and even in some U.S. cities. Between the twinkling lights, festive music, handicraft stalls stretching on for miles and mug after steaming mug of gluhwein (mulled wine), you can’t beat the festive atmosphere once you make it past one of these German gems.

Also see Germany’ Best Christmas Markets.

German of the day: Insolvenz

December 19, 2025 By in Hard Facts, Heconomy, Helplessness, Hideology, Home Cooking Tags: , , , , , , Leave a comment

That means bankruptcy.

German business bankruptcies hit decade high amid downturn – Business bankruptcies have climbed to an 11-year high, with small firms hardest hit by Germany’s anemic growth. Economists warn of job losses but see tentative signs that the insolvency wave may be leveling off.

Don’t worry, in other words. Once everybody has gone bankrupt the bankruptcies will stop.

German of the day: Russisches Vermögen

December 18, 2025 By in Hard Facts, Helplessness, Hideology, Home Cooking Tags: , , , , , , Leave a comment

That means Russian assets (frozen assets).

Merz also wants to use Russian assets in Germany.

Brilliant move, Germany. The Russians won’t notice and there won’t be any retaliation.

Can Russia’s assets frozen in the EU be used for Ukraine? Negotiations on this issue are gaining momentum. Germany is also making concessions.

There’s always a first time

December 17, 2025 By in Hard Facts, Home Cooking, Hurt Feelings Tags: , , , , , , Leave a comment

Then a second, then a third…

Volkswagen shutters a German plant for first time ever as Trump tariffs squeeze car giant – Volkswagen is ending vehicle production at its Dresden factory — the first time in the automaker’s 88-year history that it has closed a plant in its home country — as weakening demand and punishing US tariffs squeeze the German car giant.

The last vehicle rolled off the line Tuesday at the Dresden site, known as the “Transparent Factory” because of its glass-walled design, capping 24 years of production that began in 2001.

Because Germans are making cars that nobody wants to buy…

December 16, 2025 By in Hard Facts, Helplessness, Hideology, Home Cooking Tags: , , , , , , Leave a comment

And voluntarily killing their number one industry in the process.

That’s why.

Why Germany’s auto capitals face financial crisis – The crisis in Germany’s revered car industry is taking a toll on its wealthiest regions — and hitting the pocketbooks of residents.