That’s short for Social Democrat. And that’s short for Socialist. And that’s short for the big spending of other people’s money. Or “redistribuiton,” if you prefer.
Olaf Scholz is a Sozi.
Social Democrat Olaf Scholz elected as German chancellor – German lawmakers elected Social Democrat Olaf Scholz as new chancellor on Wednesday, ending 16 years of conservative rule under Angela Merkel and paving the way for a pro-European coalition government which has vowed to boost green investment.
What do Germans fear the most?
An annual study has again asked people what they fear the most. After almost two years of COVID pandemic, somewhat surprisingly, health issues do not top the list.
For years, there was no new public debt in Germany. This gave citizens the reassuring feeling of living in a fiscally sound country — until the coronavirus pandemic came rolling over our world like a tsunami.
“People like to push thoughts of illness away, we all know that. But when it comes to money, then, also in my experience, the fears are always very large.”
But you do, German taxpayer. So we’ll take it from you.
As you may have noticed, Angela Merkel’s CDU became the SPD (Social Democrats) long ago and Armin Laschet, her designated mini-me survivor, is holding that red flag high. As you also may have noticed, the only thing socialists do well (or Social Democrats – or Democrats, for that matter) is spend other people’s money.
Armin Laschet, Germany’s leading candidate to replace Chancellor Angela Merkel, has created a rift between German conservative parties over his comments that now is not the time for tax relief.
Laschet, representing Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union (CDU), on Sunday categorically rejected a proposal for new tax cuts as Germans emerge from the pandemic. “The core message is no tax cuts right now — we don’t have the money for it,” he said in a televised interview.
You know, V. Like V are having the worst economic downturn since World War II.
But whether the German stimulus measures “have bucked the Corona crisis” or not remains to be seen.
It can’t be too much of a crisis anymore though. Not if all the brothels are being allowed to open again. Come what may.
Several states in northern Germany are set to lift or ease pandemic restrictions on prostitution, with North Rhine-Westphalia now allowing sex workers to resume their business. The decision comes in the wake of several court cases filed by sex workers, who argued the restrictions unfairly discriminated against them.
In Germany too.
The govenment might not directly admit it but the days when they at least strove to reach a balanced budget (black zero) are over.
Germany’s spending to counter the coronavirus crisis and modernize its economy means the country shouldn’t return to a balanced budget anytime soon, according to a senior Finance Ministry official…
Chancellor Angela Merkel’s government abandoned its balanced-budget policy this year and is set to borrow about 218 billion euros ($258 billion). A deficit of more than 80 billion euros is set for next year to fight the fallout from the pandemic, people familiar with the matter have said…
Germany’s constitutional debt brake obliges the government to keep debt under control. In good times, the rule allows for a structural deficit of 0.35% of gross domestic product. In times of recession, new borrowing can go up in proportion with the economic decline.
“A balanced budget isn’t obligatory.”
No way out. No doubt about it.
Spending other people’s money is so exciting. Joint debt is the bestest kind of debt there is. It’s free. Somebody else will pay it back. In this case, the Germans. Germans who haven’t even been born yet, but still.
Germany’s Scholz (SPD) sees ‘no way back’ from EU joint debt – German Finance Minister Olaf Scholz said Sunday (23 August) that the European Union’s recovery package financed by joint borrowing was a long-term measure rather than a short-term coronavirus crisis fix, contradicting Chancellor Angela Merkel.
“The Recovery Fund is a real step forward for Germany and for Europe, one we won’t go back on,” Scholz, who is also the centre-left Social Democratic Party (SPD) candidate to succeed Merkel in 2021 elections, told the Funke newspaper group.
Not. Not according to this latest study.
Normally, the per capita economic output (GDP) in capital cities in Europe is higher than in the rest of the given country. There is one big exception, however. Germany would be wealthier without Berlin.
“Poor but sexy” is out. Now Berlin is just poor. Actually, it’s been that way for ages but nobody seems inclined to do anything about it. See the current red-redder-green city government.
Jeder Deutsche wäre ohne Berlin knapp 80 Euro reicher. Every German would be about 80 euros richer without it.
That means to withdraw.
US to withdraw 12,000 troops from Germany in ‘strategic’ move – The US is set to withdraw almost 12,000 troops from Germany in what it described as a “strategic” repositioning of its forces in Europe.
About 6,400 troops will be sent home, with the rest moved to other Nato countries such as Italy and Belgium.
President Donald Trump said the move was a response to Germany failing to meet Nato targets on defence spending.
Not Donald Trump withdrawing American troops.
The Germans want a free ride and they’re offended at having finally been caught.
The Sorry State of Germany’s Armed Forces – Trump’s calls to withdraw U.S. troops from the country are impulsive, but Germany isn’t blameless.
The German armed forces are in a sorry state, and that’s not because Germany, more important to NATO’s efficacy as a collective defense pact than any other European member state, lacks the means to fix this problem. It does not.
Germany’s gross domestic product, valued at $4 trillion, ranks fourth in the world and first in Europe. The country is also Europe’s technological powerhouse. Indeed, in 2018, the World Economic Forum hailed it as the world’s leader in technological innovation.
And yet the German military remains riddled with problems. A damning 2019 report (available in an English-language summary) issued by the Bundestag’s then commissioner for the armed forces, Hans-Peter Bartels, summed up the problem.
PS: Please note here that the woman who ran the Bundeswehr for years and years and proved to be unable to fix it is now the woman EU technocrats (voters weren’t asked) have chosen to fix Europe.
That means delinquent.
You know, as in Donald Trump accusing Germany of being “delinquent” in its payments to Nato, and saying he would stick with the plan unless Berlin changed its course? The truth hurts, Germany. “Why does Germany pay billions to Russia for energy and then we’re supposed to protect Germany from Russia? How is that supposed to work? It doesn’t.”
Trump confirms plan to cut troops in Germany – US President Donald Trump has confirmed plans to withdraw 9,500 American troops from bases in Germany.
„Warum zahlt Deutschland Russland Milliarden Dollar für Energie, und dann sollen wir Deutschland vor Russland schützen? Wie soll das funktionieren? Es funktioniert nicht.“
Observing Hermann 