Tag Archives: German

German of the day: Wahnhaft

June 27, 2025 By in Hard Facts, Heconomy, Helplessness, Home Cooking, Hurt Feelings Tags: , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

That means delusional.

Merz ‘delusional’ over US sparing German cars in EU trade deal – Brussels has warned German chancellor not to expect UK-style carve-out for car sector in EU deal with Donald Trump.

Chancellor Friedrich Merz is “delusional” in his expectation that Germany’s car industry will be spared from US tariffs, according to EU officials involved in trade talks with the Trump administration.

Merz has been pressing the European Commission, which manages trade policy on behalf of the EU’s 27 member states, to sign a “framework” deal with Washington aping the US-UK agreement signed earlier this month, which included a special dispensation for cars.

But Brussels officials have privately told Berlin that such an arrangement would not be possible, as reducing German car imports is a big focus for US President Donald Trump, two people briefed on the discussions told the Financial Times.

German of the day: Waffenruhe

June 24, 2025 By in Hard Facts Tags: , , , , , , Leave a comment

That means ceasefire.

Trump says Israel and Iran have negotiated ‘complete’ ceasefire – After the president announced the ceasefire would start in coming hours, Iran and Israel exchanged several waves of strikes…

Iranian state TV said that a ceasefire was coming into effect, which it described as a being “imposed on the enemy.”

This guy showing off any kind of skills is a surprise to me

June 17, 2025 By in Hard Facts, Helplessness Tags: , , , , Leave a comment

Prince Harry shows off surprise language skills in message in German to mark its first Veterans Day.

Prince Harry has demonstrated his German language skills in an emotional message as the country held its first ever Veterans Day.

The Duke of Sussex was invited by Germany’s defence minister to deliver a statement at the inaugural event.

While he delivered most of his speech, shared on Instagram, in English, he did both start and end it in German.

German of the day: Lebenslänglich

June 16, 2025 By in Hard Facts, Helplessness, Hideology Tags: , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

That means jail for life. Which actually means only fifteen (15) years in Germany.

German court sentences Syrian doctor to life in jail for crimes against humanity – Alaa Mousa accused of torturing detainees at military hospitals during Syrian civil war under former ruler Bashar al-Assad…

Mousa has lived in Germany for 10 years. He worked in various clinics over five years as an orthopaedic medic, most recently at a hospital in Bad Wildungen in the state of Hessen, in western Germany, until his arrest in summer 2020. He was recognised and reported to the authorities after some of his victims saw him in a TV documentary about the Syrian city of Homs and was placed in custody. The court case against him at Frankfurt’s higher regional court started in January 2022 and took place over nearly 190 days.

German of the day: Veteranentag

June 14, 2025 By in Hard Facts, Helplessness, Hideology, History Tags: , , , , , , , Leave a comment

That means Veterans Day.

Germany’s first since, well, ever. Breaking taboos is hard to do.

Germany will hold its first celebration of veterans since the second world war on Sunday, as the nation recalibrates its complex relationship with the armed forces in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Germany breaks taboo with first celebration of veterans since second world war

Russian aggression in Ukraine has helped drive a historic shift in attitudes towards military.

Defence minister Boris Pistorius will join current and former soldiers and members of the public taking part in a day of events across the country — including at a “veterans’ village” constructed in front of the Reichstag in Berlin.

It marks a historic shift in a nation where anything that could be viewed as a display of militarism was for years seen as taboo.

German of the day: Überwiegend friedliche Proteste

June 12, 2025 By in Hard Facts, Helplessness, Hideology Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

That means mostly peaceful protests.

I’m not kidding. That’s the international media language, I guess. Does somebody press a button somewhere to distribute this nonsense because they all mimic the same thing.

Mostly peaceful protests in LA: Trump warns of “city on fire” – and sends more soldiers.

According to city officials, the predominantly peaceful protests only affect a very small area. Nevertheless, Trump is sending another 2000 National Guard soldiers.

German of the day: Kleine grüne Männchen

June 10, 2025 By in Hard Facts, Helplessness, Hideology, Home Cooking Tags: , , , , , , , Leave a comment

That means little green men.

Russia could send “little green men” to test NATO’s resolve, German intelligence boss warns – Russia is determined to test the resolve of the NATO alliance, including by extending its confrontation with the West beyond the borders of Ukraine, the Germany’s foreign intelligence chief told the Table Media news organization.

Bruno Kahl, head of the Federal Intelligence Service, said his agency had clear intelligence indications that Russian officials believed the collective defence obligations enshrined in the NATO treaty no longer had practical force…

Without detailing the nature of his intelligence sources, Kahl said Russian officials were envisaging confrontations that fell short of a full military engagement that would test whether the U.S. would really live up to its mutual aid obligations under Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty.

“They don’t need to dispatch armies of tanks for that,” he said. “It’s enough to send little green men to Estonia to protect supposedly oppressed Russian minorities.”

German of the day: Bunker

June 8, 2025 By in Hard Facts, Helplessness, Hideology, Hurt Feelings Tags: , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

That means bunker.

Germany plans to revamp shelter system in case of Russian attack as fears of a major war rise – Fearing Russia could attack another European country within the next four years, Germany is planning to expand its network of bomb-proof bunkers and shelters, according to reports.

“For a long time, there was a widespread belief in Germany that war was not a scenario for which we needed to prepare,” Ralph Tiesler, the head of the Federal Office of Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance, said in a recent interview as reported by The Guardian.

“That has changed,” Tiesler said. “We are concerned about the risk of a major war of aggression in Europe.”

German of the day: Waffen und Messer verboten!

May 26, 2025 By in Hard Facts, Helplessness, Hideology, Home Cooking Tags: , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

That means weapons and knives are forbidden (here).

Why didn’t anybody think of this before? Problem solved. At least “temporarily.”

Federal police declare temporary knife ban at major Berlin train stations – A temporary knife ban at major Berlin stations promises safety but raises questions about policing and public space.

Starting next week, Berlin’s central train stations will become no-knife zones, at least for part of the day. In an effort to curb rising violence, federal police are instituting a month-long weapons ban across twelve of the city’s busiest stations.

German of the day: Schneckentempo

May 19, 2025 By in Helplessness, Hideology Tags: , , , , , , , Leave a comment

That means moving at a snail’s pace.

But at least it’s still movement. In the right direction.

Germany drops opposition to nuclear power in rapprochement with France – Paris wins approval from Berlin to remove anti-nuclear bias in EU legislation, say officials.

Germany has dropped its long-held opposition to nuclear power, in the first concrete sign of rapprochement with France by Berlin’s new government led by conservative Chancellor Friedrich Merz.

Berlin has signalled to Paris it will no longer block French efforts to ensure nuclear power is treated on par with renewable energy in EU legislation, according to French and German officials.