German Of The Day: Grottenschlecht

October 29, 2019 By Hermann Observer in Habitudes, Hard Facts, Helections, Helplessness, Home Cooking, Hurt Feelings Tags: AfD, AKK, Angela Merkel, Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, CDU, Elections, Friedrich Merz, German, Germans, Germany, Language, Migrants, Politicians, Thuringia Leave a comment

That means abysmal, godawful, extremely bad, mega-bad and really sucky.

And after the CDU’s latest election disaster in Thuringia, Angela Merkel/Mini-Merkel adversary Friedrich Merz has grown the cojones (that’s Spanish so you’ll have to look that up somewhere else) needed to call Angela Merkel and her team’s “leadership” skills just that. Which, of course, they are. Somebody has to. Not that it’s going to make a difference or anything. But somebody has to.

German, European stability prospects unclear after Thuringia election – The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) led by Björn Höcke — whose local political faction is being investigated for extremism — doubled its vote share to place second with 23%. The CDU placed third with 22%, followed by the SPD with 8%. The environmentalist Greens and the liberal Free Democrats (FDP) both finished with about 5% of the vote, the minimum needed to reenter the regional parliament.

„Das gesamte Erscheinungsbild der deutschen Bundesregierung ist einfach grottenschlecht.”

Turn, Turn, Turn

October 28, 2019 By Hermann Observer in Habitudes, Hard Facts, Heconomy, Helplessness, Hideology, Home Cooking, Hurt Feelings Tags: Alternative Energy, Bureaucracy, Employment, Energy, German, Germans, Germany, Jobs, Red Tape, Wind Energy Leave a comment

Wind turbines turn. But for how much longer?

To everything turn, turn, turn
There is a season turn, turn, turn
A time to buid up
A time to break down…

Germany’s wind power industry could shed about 40% of its jobs because of sliding interest among investors to build turbines on land, threatening a key driver of the nation’s ambitious clean energy targets.

Environmental rules are snagging license approval for scores of onshore projects, causing delays of as long as two years, according to a report by Psephos GmbH for Germany’s VDMA machine makers lobby group. As developers and investors shy away from auctions and wading through the thicket of red tape, construction of new parks is grinding to a halt and putting jobs in jeopardy.

Deutschland ist weltweit Vorreiter bei der Energiewende – dem Umstieg auf erneuerbare Energien. Doch ausgerechnet im wichtigsten Erneuerbaren-Bereich im deutschen Markt gibt es große Probleme.

Virtual Socialist Reality

October 27, 2019 By Hermann Observer in Heconomy, Hideology, Higher Education, History, Home Cooking Tags: Berlin, Berlin Wall, Bus Tours, Cold War, Communism, East Berlin, GDR, German, Germans, Germany, History, Socialism, The Berlin Wall, Time Travel, TimeRide, Tourism, VEB Zeitreisen, Virtual Reality 2 Comments

Last call for boarding to Cold War Berlin. Don’t forget your VR goggles.

Who says time travel isn’t possible?

30 years later, Berlin Wall comes back to life with virtual reality – German startup offering visitors and history buffs an ‘authentic’ and immersive Cold War-era tour of the divided capital.

A packed bus approaches Checkpoint Charlie, the Cold War’s most famous border crossing, as grim-faced East German guards whisper among themselves about whether to hold you for questioning.

After a few heart-stopping minutes, you and your fellow passengers are free to pass into the smog, soot and shadowy intrigue of 1980s East Berlin.

Das Ost-Berlin vor dem Mauerfall ersteht für Touristen wieder auf. Mit VR-Brille kann man eine Stadtrundfahrt vom Checkpoint Charlie zum Palast der Republik unternehmen, vorbei an Gendarmenmarkt und „Ahornblatt”.

You Are A Racist

October 25, 2019 By Hermann Observer in Hard Facts, Helections, Hideology, Home Cooking, Hurt Feelings Tags: AfD, Elections, German, Germans, Germany, Name-Calling, Political Parties, Politicians Leave a comment

‘You are a racist,’ Germans tell AfD politician.

Then they called him a bigot, a fascist and a Nazi, I’m sure. You know, the standard leftist/status quo “argumentation” used all over the world against anyone who does not agree with them about, well, anything.

Oddly, though, AfD gains expected in battle for political heart of Germany – Party whose leader is labelled a Nazi is on par with CDU going into Thuringia poll on Sunday.

So are all of these Germans in Thuringia racists, bigots, fascists and Nazis? Of course they’re not. Hmmm. Then these Germans must be voting for the “Alternative for Germany” party for some other reason. Why don’t we ask the “established” parties that have been in power for years and years and years in Germany what they think the reason could be.

“We have been left behind.”

If Only US-Amerika Had A Rate That Low

October 24, 2019 By Hermann Observer in Hard Facts, Helplessness, History, Hurt Feelings Tags: Anti-Semites, Antisemitism, Berlin, German, Germans, Germany, History, Holocaust, Jews, Surveys 1 Comment

Of Antisemitism, I mean. Only one in four? Damn. Seriously, folks. That’s not bad at all.

One in four Germans hold anti-Semitic beliefs, study finds – More than a quarter of Germans surveyed said they agreed with anti-Semitic statements, including that Jews have “too much power over the economy.” Over 40% said they thought Jews “talk about the Holocaust too much.”

Jeder vierte Deutsche hegt laut einer neuen Studie antisemitische Gedanken.

Venezuela Here I Come!

October 23, 2019 By Hermann Observer in Habitudes, Hard Facts, Heconomy, Helplessness, Hideology, Home Cooking, Hypocrisy, Hysteria Tags: Berlin, Berlin Wall, Expropriation, German, Germans, Germany, Greens, Property, Rent, Rent Freeze, Social Democracy, Socialism, SPD, The Left Party Leave a comment

Right back where I started from…

Berlin’s state cabinet has agreed on a rent freeze for five years to counter rising housing costs in the German capital.

The city’s leftwing coalition government wants to freeze the rent for apartments built before 2014, according to a report by the German news agency dpa.

Only a minority of Berliners own their homes or apartments and rent has been rising sharply in recent years, forcing many to move outside the city.

So put back up that Berlin Wall.

Cause Venezuela here I come!

Mini-MErkel: International = Without Germany

October 22, 2019 By Hermann Observer in Habitudes, Helplessness, Hideology, Home Cooking, Hypocrisy Tags: AKK, Armies, Bundeswehr, German, Germans, Germany, Military, Security Zones, Syria, Troops, USA 1 Comment

That’s what it means when it comes to troops and international security zones, at any rate.

It’s hilarious to watch this ritual. Whenever no one else is around to do the dirty work (in this case US-Amerika in Syria), Germans like to pretend that an international force can do the dirty work instead. The punchline comes later, however (stay tuned): The same Germans will then turn down any attempt made in the Bundestag to have German troops participate in such an international security zone. It’s a win-win situation.

Germany’s defence minister has suggested creating a security zone in northern Syria to protect displaced civilians and ensure the fight continues against Islamic State militia, the first time Berlin has proposed a military mission in the Middle East.

Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, Angela Merkel’s preferred successor as chancellor, said she would discuss the initiative with NATO partners this week and did not rule out sending German soldiers to Syria, saying that would be a matter for parliament.

“We cannot just stand by and watch and not doing anything.” That’s right. Sit down and do so.

Thanks For Straightening That Up, Heiko

October 21, 2019 By Hermann Observer in Habitudes, Heconomy, Helplessness, Home Cooking, Hypocrisy Tags: Erdogan, Exports, German, Germans, Germany, Kurds, Syria, Turkey, Weapons, Weapons Sales Leave a comment

I’m sure Mr. Erdogan had no idea and will now be recalling his troops ASAP.

Germany’s Maas says Turkey ‘invasion’ illegitimate under international law – German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas has described Turkey’s offensive against Syrian Kurds as an “invasion” and said Berlin saw it as illegitimate. The EU may yet impose economic sanctions on Turkey, Maas said.

“We have been very clear that we are keeping other measures open — and they might also include economic sanctions.”

PS: What kind of economic sanctions were you thinking about?

German Of The Day: Geschwindigkeitsbegrenzung

October 20, 2019 By Hermann Observer in Habitudes, Hard Facts, Helplessness, Hideology, Home Cooking Tags: Autobahn, Automobiles, Cars, Driving, German, Germans, Germany, Language, Laws, Regulation, Speed Limits, Words 2 Comments

That’s a beauty, isn’t it? Some prefer using the word Tempolimit instead. To save time. Both mean “speed limit,” however. And no, it can’t happen here.

A measure to introduce a 130 km/h (roughly 81 mph) speed limit on the network of motorways that has crisscrossed the country since the ‘30s was introduced by the German Green Party was rejected on Thursday by a majority of Bundestag members. Germany is currently the only country in Europe with stretches of unrestricted motorways, with neighboring countries conforming at the very least to the 130 km/h limit similar to the one proposed.

Bundestag lehnt Tempolimit auf Autobahnen ab.

Turkey

October 18, 2019 By Hermann Observer in Habitudes, Hard Facts, Heconomy, Helplessness, Hypocrisy Tags: Exports, German, Germans, Germany, Pacifism, Profit, Sales, Turkey, Weapons, Weapons Exports Leave a comment

Beautiful German weapon sale of the week.

Exports

Because somebody has to admire them.

German arms exports to Turkey at highest level since 2005 – Last year, Turkey was the No. 1 importer of German weapons by far, with contracts amounting to €242.8 million. Despite a halt in some deliveries, it is on track to claim that title again in 2019.

Observing Hermann

“Was interessiert mich mein Geschwätz von gestern?”

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