You Can Fool All Of The People Some Of The Time

September 25, 2015 By Hermann Observer in Hard Facts, Helections, Helplessness, Home Cooking, Hurt Feelings Tags: German, Germans, Germany, Merkel, Migrants, Polls, Refugees, Surveys Leave a comment

Roughly half of Germans asked are dissatisfied with chancellor Merkel’s refugee policy. This has come out in a survey taken by the INSA Opinion Research Institute in Erfurt. 48 percent disagreed with the statement “For the most part I am satisfied with the chancellor’s handling of the situation.” 41 percent agreed. 11 Percent did not specify.

Despite Chancellor Angela Merkel’s warm words and saintly intentions to shoulder the refugee crisis, her efforts are meeting resistance at home. The populace feels overwhelmed and unsupported, not knowing where to accommodate so many people.

„In der Flüchtlingspolitik hat die Bundeskanzlerin die Deutschen mehrheitlich gegen sich. Und zwar aus ganz unterschiedlichen Gründen: Die einen nschen sich noch mehr Offenheit gegenüber den Flüchtlingen, die anderen Orbans Härte.“

German Media Giving Germans A Distorted Image Of The Migrant Crisis?

September 24, 2015 By Hermann Observer in Habitudes, Hard Facts, Helplessness, Hideology, High Art, Higher Education, Home Cooking, Hurt Feelings, Hustle (Hoax), Hypocrisy, Hysteria Tags: Distortion, German, Germans, Germany, Journalism, Media, Migrants, Misrepresentation, Political correctness, Refugees, UK Leave a comment

No way. Or way?

The German language website Frankfurter Allgemene has reported on how the British media “reports on the crisis differently than the German” media.

The newspaper explains: “When it came to clashes between Hungarian border guards and refugees, the BBC showed young men who threw stones.”

The rioting, fit young men were of course described as “hungry”, “desperate” and “defensive,” but at least the images were shown. The suggestion that such a key part of the developing story was omitted on German TV is a startling one.

“On [German channel] ARD Tagesschau,” Frankfurter Allgemenie reports, “the most dramatic pictures could not be seen – instead, women and children, fleeing the tear gas by security forces [was shown]… German television suggesting disproportionate action by Hungary, however the BBC reported of the “defense of the borders…””

Flüchtlinge sind eine Chance, heißt immerfort. Und das entspricht der Wahrheit. Gleichzeitig jedoch stellen uns die 800 000 Flüchtlinge vor Integrationsprobleme, die offen anzusprechen ein Tabu ist. Menschen, die dies trotzdem tun, werden unbedarft rechts verortet, teils sogar medial beleidigt. Dabei muss das Stellen von Fragen erlaubt sein: Wenn so getan wird, als gäbe es bei hunderttausenden Flüchtlingen keine oder kaum Probleme, können diese auch nicht bekämpft werden.

I Got Your Green Credentials For You Right Here, Pal

September 22, 2015 By Hermann Observer in Habeas Corpus, Hard Facts, Heconomy, Home Cooking, Hurt Feelings, Hustle (Hoax), Hypocrisy Tags: Climate Change, Climate Goals, Emissions, German, Germans, Germany, Greens, Merkel, Renewable energy, UN, Volkswagen, VW 1 Comment

“It’s ugly, but it gets you there.” But it’s ugly. And it’s getting uglier by the minute.

The timing of the scandal could not be worse for the government.

Chancellor Angela Merkel is scheduled to travel to New York on Friday to persuade fellow members of the United Nations to adopt climate goals ahead of a UN climate conference in Paris in December.

Merkel sees herself as champion of climate issues and would like to see Germany’s decision to abandon nuclear power and the transition to renewable energy as one of her most lasting legacies.

In June, she helped draw up ambitious carbon emission reduction goals adopted by the Group of Seven (G7) countries.

At the same time, she has always robustly defended the interests of her country’s automakers and postponed the implementation of European emission limits.

Wertheim

September 21, 2015 By Hermann Observer in Habitudes, Hard Facts, Hate, Home Cooking, Hurt Feelings, Hysteria Tags: Arson, Germany, Refugees, Wertheim, Xenophobia Leave a comment

Beautiful German arson attack of the week.

Because somebody has to notice they’re happening.

„Von der Spurenlage her sieht es nach Brandbeschleuniger aus.“

German Of The Day: Dreck Am Stecken

September 20, 2015 By Hermann Observer in Habeas Corpus, Habitudes, Hard Facts, Health, Helplessness, Home Cooking, Hurt Feelings, Hustle (Hoax), Hypocrisy Tags: Automobiles, Crime, Defeat Devices, Emissions Testing, Environment, EPA, German, Germans, Germany, Greens, Industry, Language, Volkswagen 3 Comments

That means there is dirt stuck (to you) somewhere or you have dirt under your carpet – as in having done something wrong or illegal.

You know, like Volkswagen has/does in US-Amerika? The company inserted a device into almost 500,000 cars meant to trick emissions testing, the EPA says. Volkswagen is not denying this.

So the next time Germans begin those tiring lectures about doing more for the Umwelt (another German word meaning environment), remember to make sure and check if their emissions are make-believe or not.

There are almost 500,000 vehicles on American roads with the devices installed, according to the EPA. Volkswagen must now pay to repair the emissions systems in affected cars. The government may also fine the company as much as $18 billion.

It Was Fifty Years Ago Today

September 16, 2015 By Hermann Observer in Habeas Corpus, Hard Facts, History, Home Cooking, Hurt Feelings, Hysteria Tags: Berlin, Concerts, Die Waldbühne, German, Germans, Germany, The 1960s, The Rolling Stones 3 Comments

Sergeant Pepper taught the band to play. No, wait. That was the Rolling Stones. And they were destroying Berlin’s Waldbühne.

After World War II, the Olympic grounds were within the British occupation sector of Berlin. They were released for public use beginning in 1948, and the amphitheater was used for film showings, including for the Berlinale, and beginning in 1960 for boxing matches. Use for concerts began in the 1960s, but when the Rolling Stones performed there on 15 September 1965, the theater was severely damaged. Fans stormed the stage, and after the band left after a set of only 20 to 25 minutes, fought police, who attempted to control them with rubber truncheons and fire hoses, and destroyed the seating, fire hydrants and other furnishings. 270,000 DM in damage was done, in a riot that fulfilled the dire prophecies of some Berlin newspapers about rock concerts and was the first inter-generational battle of the 1960s in Germany. A reporter from Bild wrote of the concert, “I know Hell.” The arena had to be completely renovated and was then little used until 1978.

Germany’s Anti-Social Network

September 15, 2015 By Hermann Observer in Hard Facts, Hate, Helplessness, Home Cooking, Hurt Feelings, Hysteria Tags: Facebook, German, Germans, Germany, Immigration, Refugees, Social Networks, Xenophobia Leave a comment

Facebook should do more to crack down on German hate speech and xenophobia about refugees online? Sure, why not? But maybe Germans should do more to crack down on the Germans doing the hating, too. Just a thought.

Germany expects to see a record number of asylum seekers this year, most from war-torn countries like Syria and Afghanistan. The country expects to see 800,000 refugees through this year, and has pledged to accept more than any other European government, though its response has stoked some xenophobic riots. Last month, Germany’s ministry of justice criticized Facebook for not doing more to police hate speech, alleging that the social network reacts faster to remove sexual imagery than it does racist messages. German Justice Minister Heiko Maas announced the creation of the online task force after meeting with Facebook in Berlin on Monday.

Are We Having An Ugly American Border Wall Yet?

September 14, 2015 By Hermann Observer in Habeas Corpus, Hard Facts, Helplessness, Higher Education, Home Cooking, Hurt Feelings, Hypocrisy, Hysteria Tags: Borders, EU, German, Germans, Germany, Immigration, Migrants, Refugees, The Schengen Zone 4 Comments

Sooner or later reality gets up in your face.

Germany has introduced temporary controls on its border with Austria to cope with the influx of migrants, the interior minister has said.

Politically this is a shrewd move by Thomas de Maiziere. His announcement comes just a day before he travels to Brussels to meet other EU interior ministers to discuss the migrant crisis. The measure will help him put pressure on other European countries to do their bit. It highlights just how much Germany is struggling to cope.

The move could also serve as a useful threat; after all, Mr de Maiziere said Germany was controlling the border with Austria “first”, the implication being more could follow. The possibility that Germany might suddenly decide to control its other borders could well help jolt EU partners into action.

Better Late Than Never?

September 10, 2015 By Hermann Observer in Hard Facts, Health, Higher Education, Home Cooking, Humor Tags: German, Germans, Germany, Helmut Schmidt, Smoking Leave a comment

81 years of smoking down the drain.

After a recent stay in a Hamburg hospital, ex-chancellor Helmut Schmidt has finally decided that 96 is the right age to stop smoking. I’ll miss his politically incorrect smoking on talk shows here (or Talkshows, if you prefer). He went out of his way to annoy everybody with it.

Der 96-Jährige war als notorischer Raucher bekannt – selbst in Talkshows durfte er sich einen Klimmstengel anzünden.

Is Bild Without Bild Still Bild?

September 9, 2015 By Hermann Observer in Hard Facts, Higher Education, Home Cooking, Humility Tags: Bild, Bildzeitung, Europe, German, Germans, Germany, Images, Immigration, Journalism, Migrants, Newspapers, Pictures, Refugees 1 Comment

Germany’s best-selling newspaper has removed all pictures from its print edition and website in response to complaints about its decision to publish images of the three-year-old Syrian refugee who drowned trying to reach Greece.

The decision to remove pictures in print and online comes less than a week after the newspaper dedicated its whole back page to the distressing image of Alan lying face down on the beach in Bodrum, surrounded by a black background and a plea for action from Europe.

Observing Hermann

“Was interessiert mich mein Geschwätz von gestern?”

Category Archives: Hard Facts