A self-inflicted hostage-taking situation?

Why is it that big German automakers are worried about Chinese retaliation?

Because they voluntarily put themselves in the position to be retaliated against. Think Germany’s voluntary dependency on Russian gas recently. That didn’t work out very well either. But for whatever reason, this is what Germans do.

Germany launches 11th-hour bid to avert trade war with China – Germany wants the EU to set tariffs on electric vehicles at a low level to avoid severe retaliation from Beijing…

Germany’s position was “problematic,” he said: While big German automakers still entertain good ties with Beijing, that’s not necessarily the case for smaller businesses, meaning “the German economy as a whole has an interest in a more assertive policy towards China.”

None of the experts can figure out why…

It’s inexplicable. Why on earth would Europeans by voting for the right?

Something seems to bothering the electorate that we professionals in power have not been able to understand. Oh well. I suppose it’s one of those mysteries we will never be able to solve…

In Germany, the EU’s most populous nation, projections indicated that voters had not been dissuaded by the AfD’s scandals as it rose to 16.5%, up from 11% in 2019. In comparison, the combined result for the three parties in the German governing coalition barely topped 30%.

Insurrection, German style

Boy oh boy. that was one close call for German democracy itself.

Or something. Yawn. This “coup” is so embarrassing it’s cute. A cute coup. It’s kind of like US-Amerika‘s January 6, only dopier. If you can imagine that.

Germany coup plot trial begins amid high security – Self-styled Prince Heinrich XIII among alleged ringleaders of plan for violent overthrow of state…

A total of 26 people are on trial – a 27th, a man in his 70s, died recently in hospital in Frankfurt – and the three cases are expected to go on for a year or more. Gundula Fehns-Böer, a spokesperson for Frankfurt’s regional court, said: “It’s a challenge for us all, but we’ll sit here for as long as we have to sit.”

The alleged plotters were arrested in December 2022, when heavily armed forces stormed houses, flats, offices and a remote hunting lodge. Investigators had surveilled the group in the previous few months. Among the arrests made were a leading member of the QAnon conspiracy theory organisation, a clairvoyant, a dentist and an amateur pilot.

If you can’t beat them, ban them

Don’t listen to what the electorate actually wants (an end to the migrant madness), the thing that forced them into the arms of the AfD in the first place.

Just label them “undemocratic” (the votes the AfD gets apparently aren’t as democratic as those of the established parties) and then bump them off.

Germany: Court says far-right AfD is suspected of extremism – The move, which upholds a lower-court ruling the party had challenged, means intelligence services can continue to monitor AfD activities and communications…

For years discussions about a ban have surfaced regularly. Critics of the idea say that would simply play into the AfD’s hands by boosting its narrative of victimisation.

Legally it would also be difficult, time-consuming and possibly be rejected by the constitutional court.

But with each new scandal involving the AfD, calls grow louder from all mainstream parties to investigate whether there are at least sufficient grounds to try.

Did someone finally give the German media Brain Police a wake-up pill?

Or are they finally figuring out where the real danger (and exploitable fear) lies?

A German dilemma: Everybody here knows what everybody here is really worried about but the only ones openly saying it are the evil “Nazi” AfD party. It’s called painting yourself into a corner.

Germans fear migration more than climate change, study finds – Europeans — especially Germans — are increasingly keen on curbing immigration and are less focused on climate change, according to a study by a Danish-based think tank.

We deceived for the greater good

Because our ideology said we could.

Green deception isn’t like normal deception. It’s cleaner. And renewable.

German ministers quizzed over nuclear phase out ‘deception’ – A political magazine alleged that the Economy Ministry hid expert advice supporting the extension of Germany’s remaining nuclear power plants. Two ministers defended their decision to a parliamentary committee.

Cicero magazine reported a day earlier that officials from the environmentally friendly Green Party had acted in a “deceptive” manner by ignoring expert advice and seeking to proceed with the phase-out of nuclear energy, which had been planned since 2011…

Habeck’s viewpoint conflicted with advice from experts who said that nuclear power could help save the use of gas and avoid a power crisis, just as Germany was trying to cut its dependence on Russian energy.

Germans asked to stop being so naive

Germans reply by saying “What do you mean?”

“Just because we’re uncritical, unquestioning and easily taken in doesn’t necessarily mean that we’re naive. It worked with Russia, didn’t it?”

German spy agency warns companies against being too “naive” on China – Germany’s domestic spy agency told companies on Wednesday they should be on guard against industrial espionage by Beijing, warning them not to be naive or over-reliant on China.

The warning from the agency’s deputy head Sinan Selen came days after three German nationals were arrested on suspicion of handing over technology with military applications – a case which has highlighted mounting anxiety across Western Europe about Chinese spying.

German of the day: Da ist nichts zu lachen

That means that’s nothing to laugh about.

Although, actually…

Car sharing driver overturns – laughing gas in the car!

Serious accident at night in Berlin-Wilmersdorf! A car-sharing car crashed into several parked cars and left a field of debris in its wake.

I don’t think Indian students deserve this

They didn’t do anything wrong.

Why can’t we just learn to live in peace?

Germany targets Indian students to address labor shortages – Germany looks to tap into international student talent to keep its engineering and IT sectors afloat.

Germany is grappling with a critical labor shortage and aging population, with projections indicating a deficit of seven million skilled workers by 2035.

With some 700,000 vacancies currently unfilled, Germany’s economic growth potential has dropped to about 0.7% now from around 2% in the 1980s, and is set to fall further to 0.5% if the country fails to resolve this problem, German Economy Minister Robert Habeck has said, stressing the importance of migration in bridging this widening gap.

Engaging Germany’s Indian student population in the workforce may be part of the solution.