They have another word for it. It’s called Alleingang.
That means going-it-alone, of course. Although that is something Germans regularly claim they would never ever do. Apparently, only Germans are capable of believing such nonsense.
Olaf Scholz Is Undermining Western Unity on China – The German chancellor’s go-it-alone approach has alienated domestic, EU, and international partners.
The German chancellor sought to get ahead of the pack. Scholz argued it was time to speak directly with Xi after a three-year hiatus in such bilateral meetings due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The chancellor said he sought to confront issues in the Germany-China relationship precisely because it isn’t business as usual. In an op-ed in the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Scholz wrote that “as China changes, so must our approach to the country.”
Like the cold of winter? Unaffordable energy bills? Renewable energy pipe dreams that will never succeed? You know. Stuff like that? That’s why.
Why can’t Germany break up with nuclear energy? – Germany has spent 25 years flipflopping on nuclear power. An energy crunch caused by the war in Ukraine is the latest reason to reconsider the technology.
“Really, I think of myself as against nuclear energy, but I have to admit that you see the situation a bit differently now.”
While making this mistake again. The dependency mistake. See the Russian energy dependency mistake. This time it’s the hooked on China mistake.
China is a key market for German automakers including Volkswagen, BMW and Mercedes-Benz. If not the key market. And it will remain that way, despite the German government’s latest public relations move.
German auto industry could face tougher rules over China relations – Germany’s auto industry could face tougher rules on disclosing information over its China relations.
Germany’s foreign ministry plans to tighten the rules for companies including automakers that are deeply exposed to China, making them disclose more information and possibly conduct stress tests for geopolitical risks.
For the German government. Look, if we allow people to say and to think anything they want, well, they just might.
And if we can no longer ensure that German citizens think the correct thoughts, they might just refuse to do what we tell them to do. And who knows where that could lead to?
Germany watching developments at Twitter with growing concern – The German government is watching developments at Twitter with growing concern, a government spokesperson said on Friday.
“Of course, we are observing this with great interest and growing concern … but at the moment there is no new (government) position,” the spokesperson told a regular government news conference.
Some say it means “ring exchange” (not the wedding kind). Others say it means being chicken shit.
With Slovakian deal, Germany expands three-way ‘Ringtausch’ dance to arm Ukraine – Under the Ringtausch program, Germany has sent newer equipment to Slovakia, Greece, Slovenia and the Czech Republic, with those countries shifting older gear to Ukraine.
The Germans have a specific word for an exchange between at least three parties: “Ringtausch.” So it makes sense that is what the German government has named its procedure to gift modern military equipment to former Soviet-bloc countries who, in turn, gift their Soviet-era equipment to Ukraine.
Why didn’t anyone think of this in the past? Why did we have to wait until the Greens are in power before finding such simple and effective solutions?
Nothing like good old-fashioned German megalomania.
Germany should help poor countries bear climate change costs – Germany needs to help countries that cannot afford to pay for the losses and damage caused by climate change, Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said on Wednesday at the COP27 climate summit in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt.
Dozens of developing countries have called for a deal at COP27 on a funding facility where rich nations would provide loss and damage cash to vulnerable states.
It doesn’t stink anymore either these days, for some reason.
Germany finishes construction of its first LNG import terminal – Completion of project in just 200 days eases fears of gas shortage amid cut in Russian supplies.
Liquefied gas is to secure the energy supply in the coming years. The first plant has already been completed in Wilhelmshaven, but terminals are also likely to follow at other locations.
Germany in secret talks to buy Iranian oil amid Russian war sanctions – The chief economist for the partially state-owned bank LBBW in the southwestern German state of Baden-Württemberg announced that Germany is engaged in secret talks with the Islamic Republic of Iran to buy Iranian oil.
“Intensive talks are already being held behind the scenes with Venezuela, Iran or Algeria to cover Germany’s oil and gasoline needs.”
You know, like “which wood is the cheapest for heating?” Firewood is big these days in Germany for some reason. How green. Or something.
Expensive oak, cheap spruce or fragrant birch? Anyone who has a fireplace or wood-burning stove in their home has a great selection to choose from when it comes to firewood...
Heating is an important issue for many households this winter. Although the prices for firewood have also risen sharply in the course of the energy crisis, the domestic energy supplier wood is more popular than ever. However, the cheapest wood is not necessarily the most cost-efficient energy supplier.
“I’m taking Blackout Basics. Which one did you enroll in?”
The folks who caused the situation in the first place (German voters) are now teaching each other how to avoid the situation they already caused in the first place. Go renewables! Nuclear energy? Nein, Danke!
Growing number of Germans won’t be left in dark with blackout courses – Once purely the stuff of action movie plots, the prospect of the lights going out in Europe’s biggest economy has become a conceivable threat during the current energy crisis.
Looking to be the heroes in a real-life blackout, a growing number of Germans are turning to citizens’ courses to learn how to act if they find themselves plunged into darkness.
“If the electricity goes out then absolutely nothing works any more. And we need to understand what ‘nothing working’ really means,” said Birgitt Eberlin, an instructor at the Workers’ Samaritan Federation (ASB).
Observing Hermann 