German Of The Day: Selbstzufriedenheit

That means complacency or smugness.

A long and highly valued German state of mind.

I still recall the sardonic, patronizing response I received in the German Chancellery around 2010, when I tried to warn my interlocutors about the danger of Russian hybrid warfare tactics—the cocktail of disinformation, economic coercion, subversion, espionage, and threats of force that Russia uses against its neighbors. “You are not seriously saying that Russia would conduct these operations against the Federal Republic of Germany?” my hosts asked, incredulously.

“Duh, yes,” I replied.

Scholz publicly hankers for a return to Europe’s “pre-war peace order,” suggesting that the lessons of 2022 have yet to sink in.

Things Are Not Looking Good

Because things are looking better.

Because once things start looking better, they can only get worse.

German businesses expect only mild recession as disruptions ease – German companies expect only a mild recession next year despite headwinds from the energy crisis, raw material shortages and a tepid global economy, a survey of major associations published by Reuters on Tuesday showed.

There have been growing signs that the German economy could stave off the worst of an economic downturn triggered by a plunge in energy supply from Russia after the Ukraine invasion.

Inflation to 11.3% in November from a high of 11.6% the month prior as energy prices eased. The German government has predicted the economy will grow by 1.4% this year and next year.

German Of The Day: Maulwurf

That means mole.

German politicians hail capture of suspected Russian ‘mole’ – The capture of an alleged Russian spy in Germany’s intelligence agencies has been called a “wake-up call” by politicians who are concerned by the threat of hybrid warfare.

“The fact that there are Russian espionage activities in Germany is well known and hardly surprising. But if now even in the ranks of the BND an employee is said to have spied for Russia, then this would be a completely new and frightening quality. Of course, this also raises the question of the effectiveness of the BND’s own security.”

EU Can Do

What does it matter that the EU can’t even control its own borders, create a common defense, organise vaccines, agree on a data protection law, control money laundering, unite properly over practically all major issues, agree on one location to seat its government, sanction its own misbehaving members, actually get rid of daylight savings time after having announced it got rid of daylight savings time many years ago… And so very, very much more?

Its bureaucrats, technocrats, kleptocrats and all the other crats mean well and have their hearts in the right place. So, sure, who could be better qualified to place Twitter under direct supervision? Other than Big Brother himself. I mean herself. You know what I mean. Whatever kind of self Big Brother might have these days.

EU should put Twitter under direct supervision after missteps: German official – A senior German official said on Thursday Twitter should join other tech firms in being directly monitored by the European Commission, saying the company’s erratic behaviour under new owner Elon Musk posed a threat to free speech.

“The power of the big platforms over public discourse needs necessary safeguards so that fundamental rights are effectively protected.”

Environmentalists Desecrate Tree

Unable to see beyond the tips of their noses, a group of zany climate activists tried to tip the balance of power in Germany by tipping their hands and cutting off the tip of a Christmas tree.

That’s right. Don’t ask. Hell if I know.

Police got a tip-off but this anonymous tip came too late to keep the tip from tipping off. The activists are doing this, they were told, in order to… Wait a minute, it’s on the tip of my tongue… That’s right! In order to “save the planet.” How stunning and brave or something. Merry Christmas to you too, pal.

Climate activists decapitate prominent Berlin Christmas tree – Climate activists said Wednesday that they have sawed off the tip of the Christmas tree erected in front of Berlin’s iconic Brandenburg Gate.

The group Last Generation said two of its members used a hydraulic lift and a hand saw to cut two meters (six feet) off the top of the 15-meter (50-foot) tree and hang up a banner stating: “This is only the tip of the Christmas tree. (tip of the “climate catastrophe,” get it?).”

No Wa-Way

Wa-Way. As in Huawei. It’s the German way.

Germany is (still) a Huawei hotspot in Europe – Europe’s largest economy Germany hasn’t kicked its habit of using Chinese kit for its 5G telecoms networks yet.

A new study analyzing Huawei’s market share in Europe estimates that Germany relies on Chinese technology for 59 percent of its 5G networks. Other key markets including Italy and the Netherlands are also among eight countries where over half of 5G networks run on Chinese equipment.

There Is No Struggle

And there is no movement or threat. Certainly not of any importance. Nice try, though.

Talk about your manufactured fake news. It’s just another one of those routine anti-Faschist, anti-right-wing-terror rituals all leftist media cultures have to perform from time to time. It’s performance art, in other words.

Why Germany Is Struggling to Address the Reichsbürger Threat – Right-wing terror has been generally underestimated by German authorities.

PS: It’s just like back home. The danger of right-wing terror is growing! I’ve been watching it grow here in Germany for forty years. Yawn.

What Country Is More Obsessed With Personal Data Privacy Than Germany?

I know of none.

Yet, oddly, officials at the German Foreign Office are apparently very upset that the Twitter accounts of journalists who openly disregarded Twitter’s personal data privacy guidelines (no doxing) were suspended. I’m sure this was some mistake and they’ll be coming out with an explanation for this puzzling contradiction soon.

Germany on Twitter suspensions: ‘We have a problem, @Twitter’ – The German Foreign Office tweeted screenshots on Friday of the accounts of journalists suspended by Twitter, warning the platform that the ministry had a problem with moves that jeapordised press freedom.

German Of The Day: Totalausfall

That means total failure or total loss.

Like the latest “unexpected” breakdown (or are these planned?) in the mighty German war machine.

TECHNICAL PROBLEMS WITH THE PUMA – Our armored personnel carrier is a total failure.

The Bundeswehr has encountered serious technical problems with the Puma armored personnel carrier during exercises for NATO’s “spearhead” force.