German Of The Day: Fünfprozenthürde

That means the “five percent hurdle.” A political party has to get at least five percent of the votes in order to get seats in the German Bundestag.

The Left Party (communists pretending not to be communists) received only 4.9 percent in yesterday’s election so they’re out. Couldn’t have happened to a nicer party. Don’t let the door hit you and all that.

So, with them gone, the local Berlin vote to pass the non-binding referendum to expropriate real estate companies (already deemed illegal by Germany’s highest court) takes on an even more fantastic touch.

Germany: Berlin locals vote to expropriate real estate giants – Berliners cast their referendum votes on whether to nationalize thousands of housing units owned by real estate giants. After counting 27% of the votes, results found that over half voted yes while just 39% voted no.

Most Germans Find Religion Unimportant

A survey says. Most Germans also find that they are miserable and without purpose or direction and in desperate search of some Ersatzreligion (substitute religion – see apocalyptic environmentalism and climate activism), my observation says. But maybe that’s just me.

Most Germans find religion unimportant, survey shows – A significant majority of Germans say religion plays no role in their life, a poll has shown. Fewer than one in eight adults believe that faith makes the world a fairer place, although younger people were more positive.

German Of The Day: Mund-Nasen-Schutz

That means mouth and nose protection. You know, a face mask?

They keep you safe. Unless you’re a gas station employee asking a customer to put one on. Then they can be dangerous, deadly even. Remember the days when gas station employees were endangered by people who were already wearing the face masks when they came in?

Germany: Gas station employee killed over a face mask – A 20-year-old clerk was shot after asking a customer to wear a face mask in Germany. The suspected shooter said he was stressed out by coronavirus measures.

Even “Kevin” Will Do

But you don’t have to name your kid Kevin. Don’t get me wrong. I’m just sayin’.

You can be German even if your name is not ‘Klaus’ or ‘Erika’ -Merkel.

Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Tuesday migrants who settle in Germany are German even if they have foreign-sounding names, making a subtle dig at a widespread habit among white Germans of asking Turks born on German soil where they come from.

“Integration cannot be a seven-generation endeavour that never ends just because one isn’t called Klaus or Erika,” Merkel said with a wry smile during a ceremony to mark 60 years since Germany signed a treaty with Turkey to bring in hundreds of thousands of Turkish men to fill labour shortages in the 1960s.

Meanwhile… Germany’s Merkel says some 10-40,000 left in Afghanistan with right to German residence.

German Of The Day: Kapitulationserklärung

That means declaration of surrender.

And here you thought Joe Biden was good at hightailing it – and of course he’s world class, let’s face it. Just watch how he leaves a press conference if you don’t believe me. But the Germans are abandoning Kabul and the tens of thousands of Afghans who helped them TODAY. They’re not even going to wait for Joe’s deadline of August 31. Sorry, I meant of course the Taliban’s deadline. They call the shots in Washington now.

Es sollte die große Afghanistan-Rede der Kanzlerin sein – und es wurde zu einer Kapitulationserklärung! Am Mittwoch versuchte Bundeskanzlerin Angela Merkel (67, CDU), das Versagen der Regierung zu rechtfertigen. Sie versprach, das Land trotz Taliban-Übernahme nicht aufzugeben.

Real Bourgeois Socialists Overtake Fake Bourgeois Socialists

Hauptsache (the main thing) is that bourgeois socialists remain in power. More free stuff appears to be on the way.

Germany election: SPD overtakes Merkel’s CDU in polls for first time in 15 years.

Germany’s Social Democratic Party (SPD) has moved ahead of Angela Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union (CDU) in the polls for the first time in fifteen years.

The SPD was polling at 23% while the CDU was one point behind at 22%, according to figures released on Tuesday by Forsa.

German Of The Day: Unter Beschuss

That means under fire.

Thank goodness Joe Biden has “made progress” and continues to have the situation under control.

A firefight broke out between unidentified gunmen, Western security forces and Afghan guards at the North Gate of Kabul airport on Monday, Germany’s armed forces said, as thousands of Afghans and foreigners thronged the airport, seeking to flee Taliban rule.

One Afghan guard was killed and three others were injured in the battle, which also involved US and German forces, the German military said on Twitter, without specifying whether the dead Afghan was one of the Taliban fighters deployed to guard the airport.

In dem Gefecht seien eine afghanische Sicherheitskraft getötet und drei weitere verletzt worden, meldete die Bundeswehr auf Twitter. Demnach ereignete sich der Angriff um 4.13 Uhr deutscher Zeit.

I’m The Guy You Want To Vote For

Honest!

Poor Mini-Me-Merkel-Man Armin Laschet. Nobody wants him as the post-Merkel CDU chancellor candidate. Not even Mother Merkel herself, looks like to me. Begeisterung sieht anders aus – enthusiasm looks different.

Chancellor Angela Merkel’s would-be successor pledged Saturday to “fight with everything that I can” for victory in Germany’s Sept. 26 election, as the long-time leader’s center-right bloc kicked off its official campaign amid a worrying sag in its poll ratings.

Merkel joined Armin Laschet, a state governor and leader of her Christian Democratic Union party, to appeal to voters to extend the party’s long run in the chancellery. Laschet is running to succeed Merkel after her 16 years in office.

German Of The Day: Coronamüde

That means corona-tired.

And who isn’t coronamüde these days?

The never-ending game of Regulation Roulette has resulted in an array of responses across Berlin and its many different art scenes. The overall effect is a pervasive sense of coronamüde (literally “corona-tired”) but, beyond that—as gallerist Tanja Wagner put it—“everyone has a completely different take on the situation.”

But It’s Not A Mandatory Vaccination

Nor is it a mandatory vaccination durch die Hintertür (through the back door).

It’s merely a… I mean, it’s just that… “Vaccinated people in Germany may get more rights.” They may get more rights that they actually already have? How cool is that?! Where can I sign up?

Soon, a trip to the movies, the theater or a restaurant may require proof of vaccination. At least that’s what German Health Minister Jens Spahn wants, but not everyone agrees.

“Those who want to exercise their right to be unreasonable have to take into account that others will want to be protected from them.”