But, like, with US-Amerika? Again? Sheesh.
German navy almost shot down US drone over Red Sea – A German warship in the Red Sea almost shot down a US drone in a narrowly averted case of friendly fire, according to reports.
When we could smirk our smirk with impunity.
But then the real world happened. Again.
Germany Should Have Listened to Trump – He was right about Berlin’s self-defense and risky energy dependence on Russia.
The lower house of Germany’s Parliament voted to legalize the recreational use of cannabis last week. It was a timely move. Germany’s leadership class is going to need all the mellow it can find in a world that isn’t going Germany’s way.
That’s all we’ve ever been. It’s never been about film.
But we’re not just Crappy-Movies-R-Us anymore. Now we’re openly anti-Israeli. Wait. We’ve always been openly anti-Israel. But now we’re openly openly anti-Israeli.
Germany launches probe over Berlin film festival anti-Israel row – German officials will investigate how Berlin film festival winners were able to make “one-sided” comments condemning Israel’s war in Gaza at the event’s finale, a government spokeswoman says.
At Saturday’s awards ceremony, several winners were accused of making biased remarks on stage in relation to Israel’s war against Hamas, which began after the October 7 assault by the terror group that killed some 1,200 people, most of them civilians, and saw 253 taken hostage.
US filmmaker Ben Russell, wearing a Palestinian scarf, accused Israel of committing “genocide.”
I’ll see you down at the cannabis club.
Germany’s Parliament to Debate and Vote on Liberalizing Cannabis Rules – German lawmakers are expected to vote on a government plan to liberalize rules on cannabis, which would decriminalize limited amounts of marijuana and allow members of “cannabis clubs” to buy it for recreational purposes.
A fourth straight quarter of zero or negative growth.
Germany likely in recession, Bundesbank says – Germany is likely in recession now as external demand is weak, consumers remain cautious and domestic investment is held back by high borrowing costs, the Bundesbank said in a regular monthly report on Monday about Europe’s biggest economy.
Germany has struggled since Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine pushed up energy costs, and its vast, industry-heavy economy is now in its fourth straight quarter of zero or negative growth, weighing on all of the euro zone.
There seems to be some misunderstanding here. The Berlin Film Festival has never not gotten off to a political start.
It moves on from there to a politcal midway point and then to a political end, for some political end, politically. It’s never been any different. That’s why the films they show here are always so crappy.
Berlin Film Festival Off to a Political Start as Three Protests Precede Opening Ceremony – After kicking off with a feisty press conference, the Berlin Film Festival got even more political as three groups of protesters descended on Potsdamer Platz before the start of opening night festivities.
That means, more or less: “Well, what do you know? It’s possible after all.”
Germany hits 2% NATO spending target for first time since end of Cold War – Germany has met a NATO alliance target to spend 2% of its gross domestic product on defence for the first time since the early 1990s, a defence ministry spokesperson said on Wednesday, as spending ramped up after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
The German government is allocating the equivalent of 71.8 billion euros ($76.8 billion) for defence spending in the current year through regular and special budget outlays. However, the sum of its total defence spending is classified.
They reflect the widespread nervousness caused by the somewhat older new measures created to increase this widespread nervousness, a widespread nervousness that was increased by other new measures before them that much, much older new measures created in the first place.
You know the routine. Ritual, actually. “Right-wing extremism” is on the rise in Germany. It’s always been on the rise, of course. It’s been on the rise for decades and decades yet it never seems to rise quite high enough to satisfy those worrying about its rising. These are, at the moment, those politicians in the established parties being threatened by the AfD, a party that actually claims to be interested in addressing the migrant madness German voters want them to address, something these established parties refuse to do. They’re plotting to ban the AfD, in other words, because they are incapable of addressing the problems the electorate wants them to address.
Germany bolsters gun curbs, financial policing to rein in far right – German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser on Tuesday unveiled measures ranging from stronger financial policing and earlier detection of so-called botnets to tightened firearms controls to tackle a far-right surge that has spooked the country.
The measures reflect widespread nervousness that the far-right Alternative for Germany party could end up the largest party in several state parliaments later this year, propelled by a gloomy economy and overburdened public services.
Germany’s economy is doing just fine.
Germany’s economy is on shaky ground and glimmers of hope are few and far between – Good news has been sparse for the German economy. And the latest economic data has not done much to change this.
A few key 2023 data points, namely factory orders, exports and industrial production, were out last week and indicated a weak end to the year that saw questions about Germany being the “sick man of Europe” resurface.
Ausladung means to cancel an invitation.
Ausgrenzung means exclusion, marginalisation.
Co-head of the Berlinale justifies the cancellation with high pressure – The managing director of the Berlinale, Mariette Rissenbeek, has defended the decision to exclude AfD politicians from the opening gala. In the face of widespread criticism, it was “a very difficult gesture to say: ‘You are welcome!
AfD parliamentary group leader Brinker criticizes Berlinale decision as “exclusion.”
Observing Hermann 