That is, “the same in green.” Even though she’s wearing red. A much more appropriate color for her, by the way.
“Das Gleiche in Grün” means it’s the same exact thing, except in a different color. Angela Merkel is no different than Gazprom Gerd, in other words. Not when it comes to being nonapologetic about relentlessly pursuing a catastrophic policy, that is.
“No Apologies”: Ex-German Chancellor Defends Her Russia Policy Amid War – Former German chancellor Angela Merkel on Tuesday defended her years-long policy of detente towards Moscow, saying she had “nothing to apologise for” even as the Ukraine war casts a pall on her legacy.
“Diplomacy isn’t wrong just because it hasn’t worked.”
Uh, believe me. Germany is still sleeping. Sound asleep. And a giant is the last thing it is. Certainly not when it comes to its military.
Europe’s Sleeping Giant Awakens – Politics in Berlin has undergone a cataclysm that no one saw coming.
Scholz announced that Germany would end its dependence on Russian gas (no, they won’t), spend an additional 100 billion euros on its military (a lot but not nearly enough), and deliver hundreds of anti-tank weapons and Stinger missiles to Ukraine in order to help its overmatched military counter Russia’s all-out assault (nice symbolic gesture). Germany may also be forced to extend the life of its nuclear plants to fill the energy gap created by the halt to Russian gas supplies (ha, ha, ha).
“Freedom does not mean as much in Germany as it might in other places,” this person told me, speaking on the condition of anonymity in order to candidly discuss German political mores. “If the trade-off is between economic decline and an erosion of freedoms, Germany could well choose the latter.”
But what could be more natural than coal, right? Is wind more natural? Why? How?
Germany: Coal tops wind as primary electricity source – In the first half of 2021, coal shot up as the biggest contributor to Germany’s electric grid, while wind power dropped to its lowest level since 2018. Officials say the weather is partly to blame.
The weather made us do it, the Greens will now explain. Like, duh. Are they finally starting to figure it out? The weather always makes us do it. The climate even (weather over time). It’s called not wanting to freeze to death.
But you don’t have to name your kid Kevin. Don’t get me wrong. I’m just sayin’.
You can be German even if your name is not ‘Klaus’ or ‘Erika’ -Merkel.
Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Tuesday migrants who settle in Germany are German even if they have foreign-sounding names, making a subtle dig at a widespread habit among white Germans of asking Turks born on German soil where they come from.
“Integration cannot be a seven-generation endeavour that never ends just because one isn’t called Klaus or Erika,” Merkel said with a wry smile during a ceremony to mark 60 years since Germany signed a treaty with Turkey to bring in hundreds of thousands of Turkish men to fill labour shortages in the 1960s.
It won’t be China. German warships usually go kaputt, you know. And the German Navy doesn’t really, well, exist.
Although if the Germans ask the Chinese really nicely…
German warship ‘Bayern’ heads to the Indo-Pacific – The German navy’s frigate “Bayern” set sail on Monday for the Indo-Pacific region, fully loaded with Berlin’s aspirations to play a small role in the geopolitical standoff between China and the West.
The first such deployment in almost 20 years is meant to uphold freedom of navigation in international waters, protect “open societies” and express support for regional partners sharing Germany’s values, Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer was quoted as saying in a statement.
And they’re not very good at it either. The Germans, this time along with the French, are doing their “friends don’t spy on friends” routine again.
France and Germany are “seeking full clarity” on a report claiming that one of Denmark’s intelligence agencies helped the United States spy on several senior European officials, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Emmanuel Macron said Monday.
Just so you know who you’re dealing with, here are just a handful of the German cases of friends spying on friends I’ve collected over the years:
That the Banana Republic would let Germany get away with the Nord Stream 2 pipeline.
US Spares Ally Germany in Sanctions for Nord Stream Pipeline – The U.S. has battled for years to block the pipeline, now 95% complete, though construction has not yet started on its German leg. The pipeline will carry natural gas from Russia to Germany, increasing Russia’s leverage as a vital energy supplier in Europe. The U.S. argues that the pipeline threatens European energy security, heightens Russia’s influence and poses risks to Ukraine and Poland in bypassing both countries.
“The Nord Stream 2 project is in line with our commitment to strengthen our Transatlantic relationships as a matter of national security.”
Similar to the way dissidents in the Banana Republic are labeled racists, fascists, white supremicists, etc. whenever they disagree with what they are force fed on mainstream media, Germans who think differently about their government’s repeatedly failed coronavirus restriction policies (officially sanctioned by German State Media, of course) are labled Nazis. The only difference is that they are then also placed under observation by the country’s Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution. This is their FBI, sort of, although Thought Police seems more appropriate to me.
Germany puts anti-lockdown Querdenker group under observation – German intelligence chiefs have placed parts of the anti-coronavirus lockdown protest movement under observation.
PS: I assume that a certain group of German actors are now being closely monitored as well.
Being that the German government is incapable of organizing enough COVID-19 vaccinations for its own citizens, a tour operator is now organizing flights to Russia to get vaccinated with Sputnik V there.
Germans head to Russia for Sputnik V jab – As Germany’s COVID-19 vaccination campaign lags, some Germans are going to Russia for the jab. Though Russia’s borders are mostly closed, the Kremlin seems to be permitting vaccine trips to Moscow for noncitizens.
Deutsche Impftouristen in Moskau – Einmal Sputnik V und zurück. In Deutschland müsste Thomas Waller noch Monate auf seine Corona-Impfung warten – in Moskau kann er sich sofort behandeln lassen. Ein Reiseveranstalter organisiert Sputnik-V-Trips für Deutsche.
German of the day: Perfektionismus. That means perfectionism. But what it really means here in Germany these days is something else altogether. The Germans are now perfect at getting everything wrong. The days of German perfectionism are long gone and they are reminded of it daily.
Heroes to zeros: how German perfectionism wrecked its Covid vaccine drive – The same thoroughness that made Angela Merkel’s government a pandemic role model is now holding it back.
This time Angie let Brussels handle the vaccination planning, like a good European. BIG strategic blunder. That blew up in her face big time. But she can never get it right, really. The Germans are damned if they do (as in do it alone), damned if they don’t.
Observing Hermann 