Axeman With Nothing To Axe

March 8, 2013 By Hermann Observer in Heconomy, Helplessness, High Art, Home Cooking, Hurt Feelings, Hysteria Tags: Airports, BER, Berlin, Berlin International Airport, German, Germans, Germany, Mismanagement, Politics, Projects, SPD 1 Comment

Hey, nobody else wanted the job.

Hartmut Mehdorn, former Deutsche Bahn boss, will now be taking over the unbelievable mess some here refer to as Berlin’s international airport or BER. I mean, it’s not really an airport, of course. It’s an urban myth maybe, or a spooky ghost town place or a money-guzzling black hole or maybe even all three of those things, but it ain’t no airport.

Anyways, Mehdorn turned things around by being a tough restructurer at the Deutsche Bahn and Air Berlin. You know, he axed a lot of stuff, people included (that’s why nobody likes him in Germany – there can never be any “losers” here). But how can you be a tough restructurer for something that doesn’t have any structure? Chaos theory is chaos theory and what’s more chaotic than the non-existent Berlin Internatinal Airport? Or did I miss something again and is it in a parallel universe we just haven’t been able to reach yet?

Good luck or something.

“Sie haben mich geholt, jetzt müssen sie mich auch aushalten.”

Inequality For All

March 7, 2013 By Hermann Observer in Habitudes, Hard Facts, Heconomy, Home Cooking, Hurt Feelings, Hypochondria, Hysteria Tags: Berlin, Economics, Economy, Equality, Fairness, German, Germans, Germany, Growth, Humor, Perceptions, Satire, Statistics, Wealth Leave a comment

That seems to be what most Germans think their country provides them with these days. They are forever moaning and groaning about how the German “social divide” keeps widening.

Germans can be pretty innumerate, you see, believe it or not (when the media hype wants them to be). Nobody ever stops to consider the numbers here, either (just like everywhere else). You have to go to professional-like people on the outside (like at The Economist) for that.

DIW, an economic think-tank in Berlin, says that inequality rose significantly after German reunification; but that it has fallen a bit since 2005 (see chart). Awkwardly for the left, that is when Angela Merkel became chancellor, in coalition first with the SPD, then with the FDP.

This is the opposite of what the public believes. According to a study by Allensbach, a polling institute, 69% of Germans think wealth and income are unfairly distributed, and almost two-thirds believe inequality has risen in the past few years. That is good for the left.

Germany remains a huge social and economic success, something that it often seems unGerman to savour.

Empörungsprofis

March 5, 2013 By Hermann Observer in Habeas Corpus, Habitudes, Heconomy, Helplessness, Home Cooking, Humor, Hustle (Hoax), Hypocrisy, Hysteria Tags: Anarchy, Berlin, Demonstrations, East Side Gallery, Gentrification, Humor, Protest, Satire, The Berlin Wall 1 Comment

Outrage professionals.

A farce, this “protest movement” at the East Side Gallery. And a well-written article, this is. But sorry, I don’t have the time or the energy to translate it today.

Wo war eigentlich Claudia Roth?

Hoff The Wall

March 4, 2013 By Hermann Observer in Habitudes, Heconomy, Helplessness, History, Humor, Hurt Feelings, Hypocrisy, Hysteria Tags: Berlin, David Hasselhoff, Demonstrations, East Side Gallery, Gentrification, German, Germans, Germany, Humor, Protest, Satire, The Berlin Wall 2 Comments

David Hasselhoff himself, “adored by fans in Germany after his 1989 performance of his song Looking for Freedom on top of the Berlin Wall,” is mad as hell and isn’t going to take it anymore and will now sign a petition opposing the further removal of remnants of the wall at Berlin’s East Side Gallery.

But that’s not the interesting part of this article, I find. The following line is:

He once complained that his role in the reunification of East and West Germany had been overlooked following the fall of the Berlin Wall.

His role in the reunification of East and West Germany? I don’t get it. David Hasselhoff’s roles are always overlooked. That’s just what he does. That’s his trademark, so-to-speak. So let’s move on and overlook his latest role here while we’re at it, too.

“How can you tear down the wall that signifies freedom, perseverance and the sacrifice of human life?”

The British are leaving! The British are leaving!

March 3, 2013 By Hermann Observer in Hard Facts, Heconomy, Helplessness, High Art, History, Humor, Hypocrisy, Hysteria Tags: Allied Forces, Berlin, British Army, Defense, German, Germans, Germany, Humor, Military, NATO, Occupation, Satire, The British Army on the Rhine, Timetables, UK Troops Leave a comment

And the German communities they will soon be leaving don’t like it one little bit. It has to do with Kaufkraft (spending power) or something.

Strange, isn’t it? Germans are always the first to demand the quickest possible withdrawal timetable for “foreign” troops (NATO, ISAF, etc.) taking part in peacekeeping operations elsewhere in the world, but then start whining once the foreign peacekeepers in Germany finally have enough already and decide to leave themselves – after nearly seventy years.

Peace is hell.

“Da sind die Auswirkungen nur schwer abzuschätzen.”

Remove 20 Meters?

March 1, 2013 By Hermann Observer in Habeas Corpus, Habitudes, Heconomy, Helplessness, History, Hurt Feelings, Hypocrisy, Hysteria Tags: Berlin, Gentrification, German, Germans, Germany, Humor, Protest, Satire, The Berlin Wall 3 Comments

Of a 1.3-kilometer stretch of the Berlin Wall?

And you can still find 300 people who care?

The real issue: This is being done to build a road to a new luxury condominium so, well, the yuppie scum must be behind it again.

“Does culture no longer have any value?”

Big Phasehout Payout On The Way

February 28, 2013 By Hermann Observer in Habeas Corpus, Heconomy, Helplessness, Home Cooking, Hurt Feelings, Hypocrisy, Hysteria Tags: Atomic energy, Berlin, Courts, Energy Turnaround, Fukushima, German, Germans, Germany, Law, Nuclear energy, The Green Shirts Leave a comment

A three-month closure imposed by the government on RWE’s Biblis A and B reactors as an immediate response to the Fukushima accident was illegal, a German court has ruled.

The administrative court for the German state of Hesse has found the state ministry of the environment acted illegally on 18 March 2011 when it issued an order for the immediate closure of the Biblis units.

This decision, as well as a tax on nuclear fuel levied in anticipation of continued operation of nuclear plants before the phaseout decision, have cost German nuclear operators dear: RWE estimated that the phase-out cost the company over €1 billion ($1.3 billion) in 2011 alone.

Any claims for damages against the state of Hesse would be decided in subsequent civil court proceedings.

Germany Not Trying To Dominate Europe

February 22, 2013 By Hermann Observer in Hard Facts, Heconomy, Helections, Helplessness, Higher Education, History, Home Cooking, Hurt Feelings, Hypochondria, Hypocrisy Tags: Domination, EU, Europe, German, Germans, Germany, Humor, Presidents, Psychology, Satire, The Euro Zone Leave a comment

Honest. Why try when it comes so naturally?

No, seriously folks. Poor German President Joachim Gauck. He certainly means well (and somebody’s talking head has to say this stuff, I guess), but how can you not think that Germany is imposing a “diktat” on the rest of the continent when he goes out of his way to tell you that Germany is not imposing a “diktat” on the rest of the continent?

“In Germany, more Europe doesn’t mean a German Europe. To us, more Europe means a European Germany.”

Well, nice try, but you forgot about the German European Germany variation. It’s not that we don’t trust you, Germany. It’s just that we don’t trust you. It’s called the BKB Syndrome (or at least that’s what I call it). You know, The Big Kid on the Block Syndrome? It’s incurable and there’s not a damned thing you can do about it and you’re guilty until proven guilty so just go ahead and kick back and get used to the situation (as if you weren’t already). And, oh yeah, welcome to the club already, too.

“I was shocked to see how quickly perceptions became distorted, as if today’s Germany stood in the tradition of German imperialism, even of German crimes.”

German Defense Technology

February 21, 2013 By Hermann Observer in Habitudes, Heconomy, Hi-tech, Hypocrisy Tags: Abu Dhabi, Arms, Exports, German, Germans, Germany, IDEX, Weapons 1 Comment

Made in Germany. By German pacifists.

For the International Defense Exhibition & Conference (Idex) in Abu Dhabi. For all of us, I mean.

Die deutschen Konzerne betreiben einen großen Aufwand, um sich in Abu Dhabi zu präsentieren. Denn wer auf der Arabischen Halbinsel Rüstungsgüter erfolgreich verkaufen will, muss seine Produkte auf der Idex zeigen.

Republic of I.

February 20, 2013 By Hermann Observer in Habitudes, Heconomy, Hurt Feelings, Hypocrisy Tags: Berlin, Drones, Embargos, Exports, Germans, Germany, Iran, Pacifism, Sanctions, Terrorism, Weapons Leave a comment

Beautiful German weapon sale of the week.

Because somebody has to admire them.

Observing Hermann

“Was interessiert mich mein Geschwätz von gestern?”

Category Archives: Heconomy