Let’s Make A Deal

A deal you can’t refuse.

Five Germans handed jail sentence for Green Vault jewel heist. But these slaps on the wrist aren’t the story.

A part of the loot had been handed over to to a lawyer’s office. In return, the clan members received lighter sentences. The deal had previously been arranged through the defense, a capitulation to the clan criminals before the rule of law.

And the “six German men” handed jail sentences? They weren’t of the Michael and Johannes type. They were of the Lebanese Remmo Clan variety. You know, Corleone style.

Germany May Be Arming Ukraine

But it clearly has no intention of arming itself.

This is still considered news?

Germany is finally focusing on defending NATO, but its military ‘lacks almost everything’ it needs to do it, a former German general says.

In the early years after the Cold War, the military of the reunited Germany — comprising the West German Bundeswehr and parts of East Germany’s National Volksarmee — was a large, well-trained, and well-equipped force.

In 1990, that force had almost 500,000 personnel. Today, the German military is just 183,000-strong, and it can’t meet its recruiting goals. In 2018, half of its jet fighters and none of its six submarines were rated ready for combat. In 2022, German commanders complained that their Puma infantry fighting vehicles were plagued by defects.

Country Saving The Planet Consumes Enough For Three

“Am deutschen Wesen soll die Welt genesen.” That’s something like: The world shall be healed following the German way.

Overconsumption: Germany needs 3 planets – On May 4, Germany exhausted its capacity to sustain itself. This “earth overshoot” will be compensated by taking finite resources from poorer countries — and future generations.

Despite the economic slowdown due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Germany has now overreached its sustainable biological limits.

Meanwhile, this year’s global Earth Overshoot Day is, like last year, projected to be around July 28.

People Try To Put Us Down

Just because we st-st-stick around.

Don’t wanna move from this location. Talking bout my Last Generation!

I’m shocked. And stunned. That 1) this could still be considered “news” and 2) that anyone anywhere could possibly find it of any interest.

German climate protesters glue themselves to Berlin streets – Last Generation climate protesters have caused widespread traffic disruption in the German capital. “We will no longer accept that the government has no plan to stop the destruction of our livelihoods,” the group said.

What’s With Your Knife-Free Zones, Germany?

Seems to be taking longer than you were planning.

Or would that be racist (the attackers never seem to be a Lukas, Tobias or a Günther)? Whatever. But once they are introduced, knife attacks will finally be a thing of the past.

Stabbing attack at German gym leaves 4 severely injured – German police say four people have been severely injured in a stabbing attack at a gym in the western city of Duisburg.

PS: While we’re at it. Why don’t you consider banning fitness studios (gyms)?

“Mugged By Reality”

That’s a great way to put it. But hey. It’s what the Germans want.

Nobody else gets it, of course. Personally, I think it’s just good old-fashioned German megalomania again. Only this time they’re saving the planet instead of conquering the world.

Germans Are Getting Mugged by Reality of Green Energy (the last German nuclear reactors are being shut down tomorrow).

“The impact [of the energy crisis] is easy to say, I just have a lot less money. I now pay a quarter more in electricity since the Ukraine war started. The annual Warmmiete [warm rent] that I pay, which covers rent, heating, and hot water, is now 20% higher, not including the additional costs I have to pay at the end of the year. There are some people using only natural gas as a heating source who are paying 55% more.”

This Isn’t A Joke

Gun and/or knife controllers never joke. And there is a certain logic to it.

But once you outlaw knives, shouldn’t you consider outlawing sticks and stones and pressure cookers and umbrellas too? Or, if you really want take that big leap and finally get it over with, why not just outlaw people who want to harm or kill other people? Oh, that’s right. You already have. Well, what if you outlaw them twice?

German police calls for knife-free zones in cities – Interior Minister Nancy Faeser and the federal police are calling for more weapon-free zones on trains and in inner city areas in a bid to tackle knife crime.

“We should think about banning knives on public transport, on buses and trains,” Faeser told the Funke Media Group. “After all, anyone traveling by plane is not allowed to take a knife with them.” Apart from increasing security measures on public transport, Faeser said another solution could be weapon-free zones in certain urban areas.

Boost Your Defense Industry

Not your defense.

That’s how it’s always been in today’s Germany. Search here (in the upper left) for “beautiful German weapon sale” to get just a few examples.

Thanks to Putin, Business Is Booming for Germany’s Defense Contractors – As governments rearm in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the German arms industry is a prime beneficiary, and that’s making some of the public uncomfortable.

PS: Happy Good Friday to that.

Germany’s Education System Sucks Almost As Much As US-Amerika’s

But we’re still number one! USA! USA!

85 percent of Germans dissatisfied with the education system, survey reveals – A staggering 85 percent of people are dissatisfied with schools and educational policy in Germany, according to a recent representative survey by the Forsa Institute. 85 percent of survey respondents said that they believed the German education system did not sufficiently equip children and young adults for leaving school.

Pupils’ delayed learning caused by school closures during the coronavirus pandemic was among the biggest concerns for respondents. Recent data from Destatis revealed that the number of children repeating an academic year increased by 67 percent between 2021 to 2022; the academic year 2021 / 22 saw 155.800 pupils retake a year. The survey results also come as Germany reckons with a debilitating teacher shortage, with between 32.000 and 40.000 posts unfilled.

You Can Always Count On Us

To not be counted on.

Don’t thank us. It’s just what we do. Or don’t do, in this case.

German minister expects Bundeswehr shortages beyond 2030.

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius has said the country’s military, the Bundeswehr, will not be able to bridge gaps in funding and supplies by 2030.

“We all know that the existing gaps cannot be completely closed by 2030… It will take years. Everyone is aware of that…”

Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced a special fund to raise €100 billion for the Bundeswehr last year, although this has not yet been put to use. The government last week also earmarked €12 billion over the next nine years to supply Ukraine with newly produced weapons and ammunition rather than from German stockpiles.