This Is The Real Problem

June 19, 2020 By Hermann Observer in Habitudes, Hard Facts, Heconomy, Helplessness, Hideology, Home Cooking, Hurt Feelings, Hustle (Hoax), Hypocrisy, Hysteria Tags: Armies, Bundeswehr, Defense, Defense Spending, Donald Trump, EU, Eurozone, German, Germans, Germany, Military, NATO, Spending, Troops, Ursula von der Leyen Leave a comment

Not Donald Trump withdrawing American troops.

The Germans want a free ride and they’re offended at having finally been caught.

The Sorry State of Germany’s Armed Forces – Trump’s calls to withdraw U.S. troops from the country are impulsive, but Germany isn’t blameless.

The German armed forces are in a sorry state, and that’s not because Germany, more important to NATO’s efficacy as a collective defense pact than any other European member state, lacks the means to fix this problem. It does not.

Germany’s gross domestic product, valued at $4 trillion, ranks fourth in the world and first in Europe. The country is also Europe’s technological powerhouse. Indeed, in 2018, the World Economic Forum hailed it as the world’s leader in technological innovation.

And yet the German military remains riddled with problems. A damning 2019 report (available in an English-language summary) issued by the Bundestag’s then commissioner for the armed forces, Hans-Peter Bartels, summed up the problem.

PS: Please note here that the woman who ran the Bundeswehr for years and years and proved to be unable to fix it is now the woman EU technocrats (voters weren’t asked) have chosen to fix Europe.

German Of The Day: Säumig

June 16, 2020 By Hermann Observer in Hard Facts, Heconomy, Helplessness, Hideology, Home Cooking, Humility, Hurt Feelings Tags: Armies, Defense, German, Germans, Germany, Language, Military, NATO, Spending, Troops Leave a comment

That means delinquent.

You know, as in Donald Trump accusing Germany of being “delinquent” in its payments to Nato, and saying he would stick with the plan unless Berlin changed its course? The truth hurts, Germany. “Why does Germany pay billions to Russia for energy and then we’re supposed to protect Germany from Russia? How is that supposed to work? It doesn’t.”

Trump confirms plan to cut troops in Germany – US President Donald Trump has confirmed plans to withdraw 9,500 American troops from bases in Germany.

„Warum zahlt Deutschland Russland Milliarden Dollar für Energie, und dann sollen wir Deutschland vor Russland schützen? Wie soll das funktionieren? Es funktioniert nicht.“

What’s An Increase Of 42% Among Friends?

June 15, 2020 By Hermann Observer in Hard Facts, Heconomy, Helplessness, Hideology, Home Cooking, Hurt Feelings Tags: Brexit, Budgets, Debt, EU, Europe, Eurozone, German, Germans, Germany, Government Waste, Redistribution Leave a comment

Somebody just slammed Germany in the face with a brick. I mean a Brexit.

Germany to contribute 42% more to EU budget: report – The European Commission would like to see €13 billion more per year from Europe’s largest economy. EU leaders, including Angela Merkel, are meeting Friday to discuss the bloc’s future budget.

Germany currently contributes an average of €31 billion a year to the EU budget. The proposal for the new budget would raise that contribution to €44 billion — an increase of 42%.

$1.5 Trillion?

June 11, 2020 By Hermann Observer in Hard Facts, Heconomy, Helplessness, Hideology, Home Cooking, Hysteria Tags: Consumers, Corona, Coronavirus, COVID-19, Debt, Government spending, Government Waste, Lobbies, Stimulus, Taxation, Taxpayers, Waste Leave a comment

There must be a better word than “stimulus” for that.

Wherever medication is given in huge and sudden doses, there’s a risk of unpleasant side effects. In Germany, and Europe generally, one of these may be a lasting shift in governing philosophy from market-friendly policies to state interventionism. That needn’t end in central planning. But even going part of the way would mean buying relief today at the price of misery tomorrow…

First, governments tend to confuse a company’s size with strength. Second, they’re usually worse than private investors at spotting winners, and always worse at pulling money out of losers. Third, they turn the economy into a big lobbying competition for businesses, which eventually hurts taxpayers and consumers.

What A Coincidence

June 9, 2020 By Hermann Observer in Habitudes, Hard Facts, Heconomy, Helplessness, Hideology, Home Cooking, Hypocrisy, Hysteria Tags: Business, FakeNews, Fascism, Hysteria, Journalism, Media, Media Bias, News, Profit, Racism Leave a comment

Imagine that. “Racism on the rise in Germany” now too.

What would be the odds that Germany discovers racism is rising in Germany at the very same time US-Amerika discovers that racism is rising there? Like, right now. Suddenly. Simultaneously. Out of the blue, so-to-speak. It’s mind-boggling, don’t you think?

Unless, of course, racism – like fascism and all those other -isms out there – is ALWAYS rising. But that can’t be true. Otherwise this wouldn’t be considered a news article. It would be an artificial construct. It would be fake. And fake news is not allowed in Germany. It’s the law or something.

Recent statistics back up the protesters’ criticism and confirm a dismal trend: Racial discrimination has increased significantly in Germany.

According to the 2019 annual report presented Tuesday by the German Federal Anti-Discrimination Agency (ADS), the number of such cases reported in Germany rose by almost 10% to 1,176. They make up 33% of the cases dealt with by the agency. That is the largest share, and not for the first time: In 2016, it was already 25%. Since 2015, when 545 reported cases were listed, the number has more than doubled.

German Foreign Minister Says “Mumpf Blaf Prawf”

June 8, 2020 By Hermann Observer in Hard Facts, Heconomy, Helplessness, Hideology, Home Cooking, Hurt Feelings, Hypocrisy Tags: Defense, Defense Spending, Donald Trump, German, Germans, Germany, Heiko Maas, NATO 1 Comment

Then, after somebody finally got him to take that stupid face mask off, he says “Berlin and Washington remain NATO partners but the U.S. relationship is now ‘complicated.’”

This, however, is more nonsensical than “mumpf blaf prawf” because there ain’t nothing complicated about it. You made an obligation, Germany. Many, many years ago (way long before Donald Trump came along). And you still haven’t lived up to it. Auf Wiedersehen already.

Then he praised Republican former Republican President George W. Bush and current Democratic presidential contender Joe Biden’s responses to the anti-racism protests, telling the newspaper: “This gives me hope that there are responsible voices in both camps. I really hope that the sensible ones will prevail.”

Der Außenminister absolviert ein unfassbares Tagespensum. Er mahnt, warnt, fordert, hebt auf, äußert Verständnis, erklärt sich solidarisch oder äußert sein Mitgefühl – und das praktisch ununterbrochen, manchmal mehrmals pro Stunde.

So Everybody’s Happy, Right?

June 7, 2020 By Hermann Observer in Hard Facts, Heconomy, Helplessness, Home Cooking, Hurt Feelings, Hypocrisy Tags: Defense, Donald Trump, German, Germans, Germany, NATO, Troops Leave a comment

Germans are peace loving pacifists. They are also self-proclaimed Schmarotzer who refuse to live up their defense obligations.

So everyone here must be thrilled about Donald Trump now making good on his threat to withdraw roughly a third of the US troops stationed in Germany.

Oddly, some Germans find it ‘Regrettable’: Germany reacts to Trump plan to withdraw US troops Reduction of 9,500 personnel criticised by the German right and welcomed by the left. They’ll get over it. The Germans always get over.

“The real danger lurks across the eastern border, so moving US troops to Nato’s eastern flank will be a security boost to all of Europe.”

German Of The Day: Überraschend

June 5, 2020 By Hermann Observer in Hard Facts, Heconomy, Helplessness, Hideology, Home Cooking, Hurt Feelings, Hypocrisy, Hysteria Tags: Experts, German, Germans, Germany, Jobs, Labor Market, Language, Media, News, Statistics, Unemployment, USA Leave a comment

That means surprisingly.

And you can just hear the disappointment ringing in this article’s title: Arbeitslosigkeit in den USA im Mai überraschend gesunken. That means unemployment in the USA in May sunk surprisingly.

You’ll get over it, Germany. That we’ll get over it, I mean. Now let’s see what you can do about your rising unemployment figures.

Damit haben die Experten nicht gerechnet: Die Arbeitslosenquote in den USA ist trotz der anhaltenden Folgen der Viruskrise überraschend gesunken.

Germany To Subsidize Tesla

June 4, 2020 By Hermann Observer in Habitudes, Hard Facts, Heconomy, Helplessness, Hideology, Home Cooking, Humor, Hurt Feelings, Hysteria Tags: Automobile Industry, BMW, Daimer, Electric Cars, German, Germans, Germany, Government Subsidies, Government Waste, Subsidies, Tesla, VW, Waste Leave a comment

In a bold move to help the ailing German automobile industry, the German government will be spending billions of euros on subsidies for electric cars most likely manufactured by the American electric vehicle maker Tesla Inc. (Germans don’t do electric cars).

Germany raised the incentives to buy electric cars and cut the sales tax on more fuel-efficient internal combustion engines (ICE), but increased taxes on gas guzzling SUVs and sports cars which will hit the profits of the big auto makers.

„Wumms“ für Tesla und Nel. Geldregen für Wasserstoff und E-Auto – Daimler und Co stehen im Regen.

Your Flight From 2012 Is Now Ready For Boarding

June 1, 2020 By Hermann Observer in Hard Facts, Heconomy, Helplessness, Hi-tech, Hideology, High Art, Home Cooking, Humility, Humor, Hurt Feelings Tags: Airports, BER, BER Berlin Brandenburg, Berlin, Brandenburg, Construction Projects, Germans, Germany, Jokes, Tegel Leave a comment

What do you mean? Berlin’s party joke phantom airport may be opening after all?

Too bad I didn’t keep our plane tickets from 2012 as souvenirs. They showed us departing from Los Angeles (LAX) and arriving at Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER), which was just about to open. But the launch, already delayed the previous year, was again called off at the last minute. So we landed instead at the charming but small Tegel airport (TXL) that dates back to the early Cold War…

To pessimists, BER symbolizes Germany’s bad developments. Its highly publicized bureaucratic and engineering fiascoes have dented the country’s former reputation — not always entirely flattering — of being relentlessly meticulous and punctual. The subtext is that Germany, whether it’s building airports or algorithms, is increasingly leaving economic dynamism to others, especially China.

To optimists, this too is part of Germany’s long historical arc to “normality.” Germans today are more relaxed about their national identity and place in the world than they’ve ever been. That explains why they’ve also been nonchalant about BER’s travails. The truth is, many Germans have secretly been savoring the airport headlines as a font of gossip. Many an awkward dinner party has been saved by boozy debates about whether humans would set foot on Mars before disembarking at BER, or whether it would be more cost-effective to rebuild the capital near a working airport.

Observing Hermann

“Was interessiert mich mein Geschwätz von gestern?”

Category Archives: Heconomy