Tag Archives: Ukraine

Just Like I Got Everything Else Wrong

April 5, 2022 By in Habitudes, Hard Facts, Helplessness, Hideology, Hurt Feelings Tags: , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

Ever. But who cares? I’m just the President of Germany.

I got Putin wrong, says chastened German President – German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, long an advocate of Western rapprochement with Russia, expressed regret for his earlier stance, saying his years of support for the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline had been a clear mistake.

Steinmeier, a Social Democrat who served as Foreign Minister under Chancellor Angela Merkel before being elevated to the presidency, said Russia’s invasion of Ukraine meant he and others had to reckon honestly with what they had got wrong.

It’s Time To Drop Your Masks, Germans

April 3, 2022 By in Hard Facts, Heconomy, Helplessness, Hideology, Home Cooking, Hurt Feelings Tags: , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

And show us your real faces.

Faces plagued by real problems, for a change. Problems like finding new sources of energy that will keep your homes heated and your economy running (and breaking free from your dependency on Russian energy = 50%), skyrocketing inflation, dire economic forecasts and that little war thing going on in Ukraine just a few miles down the road, for instance. COVID-19? What’s COVID-19?

Starting Friday, a number of rules and restrictions went away in much of Germany. That means no more masks in most shops, and no more proof of vaccination or day-of test in restaurants. Though some public transportation systems, individual businesses and institutions will keep mask requirements in place, the move to drop the majority of mandates tracks with many of Germany’s neighbors.

German Of The Day: Ärmer

April 1, 2022 By in Hard Facts, Heconomy, Helplessness, Hurt Feelings Tags: , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

That means poorer.

As in “we will become poorer as a result.”

Germany “will be poorer” because of Russia’s assault on Ukraine, the government’s economy minister has warned, as soaring energy prices fuel record inflation and threaten to tip Europe’s biggest economy into a recession.

“It is not possible that this ends without costs for German society, it is unthinkable,” Robert Habeck told public broadcaster ZDF on Wednesday. “I believe that we are ready to pay this price which is small enough compared to the sufferings in Ukraine.”

Is This The Beginning Of The End?

March 29, 2022 By in Hard Facts, Heconomy, Helplessness, Hideology, Hurt Feelings Tags: , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

Or the end of the beginning? Or just the start of the next big ugly mess – once Putin turns the gas off.

Germany: G7 rejects Russia’s demand to pay for gas in rubles – The Group of Seven major economies have agreed to reject Moscow’s demand to pay for Russian natural gas exports in rubles.

“Payment in ruble is not acceptable, and we will urge the companies affected not to follow (Russian President Vladimir) Putin’s demand.”

Now They’re Cancelling The Alphabet

March 28, 2022 By in Hard Facts, Helplessness, Hideology, Higher Education, Hurt Feelings, Hysteria Tags: , , , , , Leave a comment

Or z last letter of it, I should say.

What will zhey cancel next?

Two German states ban Russian ‘Z’ symbol – The ‘Z’ symbol used by Russia in the war against Ukraine is banned by two of Germany’s federal states, and more could soon follow as calls to extend the ban to other regions pile up.

Bavaria and Lower Saxony, two of the most populated German regions, have outlawed the public use of the Russian symbol. Anyone showing the symbol publicly or at demonstrations can now face up to three years in prison or a fine.

Great Idea!

March 27, 2022 By in Habitudes, Hard Facts, Heconomy, Helplessness, Hideology, Hurt Feelings Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

Pass a law that mandates gas storage facilities be filled by winter.

Only, what are you going to fill these storage facilties with? If Vladimir Putin turns off the gas, I mean. Oktoberfest beer?

Germany approves law mandating full gas storage before winter – The Bundestag lower house on Friday approved legislation requiring Germany’s privately-operated gas storage facilities to be full at the start of the next winter, to try to avert shortages in the event of a halt in Russian gas imports.

Castes A Shadow Over Her Party?

March 24, 2022 By in Hard Facts, Helplessness, Hideology, Hurt Feelings, Hypocrisy Tags: , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

But not over her? How convenient. Even that saluting soldier down there can see that something ain’t kosher with her.

Talk about Teflon. But even the Germans will scratch it all off eventually, Mutti. Get those memoires out ASAP!

Merkel’s Legacy on Russia Casts a Shadow over Her Party – Angela Merkel had been fully aware of just how brutal Vladimir Putin could be. She even admitted the Nord Stream 2 pipeline had been a “devil’s project.” But why didn’t she do anything to change Germany’s energy dependence on Russia – and why is her party so quiet about it now?

Grab a pencil and a piece of paper and I’ll explain to you: She systematically bumped off anybody in her party who dared to have an opinion other than hers. See Friedrich Merz, the guy who came back in from the cold to run the party now. They’ll get around to dismantling her eventually, once they’re in power again.

PS: Personally, I think she was a Russian mole. But maybe that’s just me.

Germany Needs More Windmills

March 23, 2022 By in Habitudes, Hard Facts, Heconomy, Helplessness, Hideology, Hypocrisy Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

And pronto!

But until then, just in case you were wondering:

Germany to continue buying Russian-provided oil, gas, coal – German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Tuesday again dismissed calls to boycott Russian energy supplies in the wake of the attack on Ukraine.

Scholz said sanctions already imposed on Russia were hitting its economy “and this will only get more dramatic every day.”

At the same time, Scholz said the sanctions were designed to be “tolerable” for those imposing them, including in the long term.

“That is why Germany’s position on this question (of an energy boycott) remains unchanged,” he said.

German Of The Day: Endlich

March 22, 2022 By in Habitudes, Hard Facts, Helplessness, Hysteria Tags: , , , , , , , 1 Comment

That means finally. You know, like in “Finally! German anxiety is growing again.”

As if it had ever stopped.

Sales of “pop-up panic rooms” are booming.

German anxieties grow as Ukraine war continues – War has returned in Europe — and with it strong fears for the future. Germans are preparing for an emergency.

There Are Walls

March 18, 2022 By in Hard Facts, Helplessness, Hurt Feelings, Hypocrisy Tags: , , , , , , Leave a comment

Then there are walls.

Or, German of the day: Unangenehm. That means that means unpleasant.

Zelensky’s Appeal in Berlin Meets a Realpolitik Wall – President Volodymyr Zelensky would be demanding, begging, and accusing. He would appeal to the conscience of Germany’s parliament deputies to do more than they had done so far. Knowing this, Chancellor Olaf Scholz and his ministers rejected attempts to add a debate on Ukraine to the agenda after Zelensky’s video appearance. Scholz, who had orchestrated nothing less than an about-face of German foreign policy weeks before, dodged the expected unpleasant grilling.

The government wanted to move on to the next item on the list, as though a speech by the embattled president of a neighboring country is just another item on the day’s agenda. Yes, there was a standing ovation—but it lasted just 60 seconds. Then Zelensky waved good-bye and ended the video transmission, leaving the applauding deputies standing and ashamed.

Is Germany’s moment of courage over before it even began?