GER politics thread

[Skybird]

I say since long time that military goods and weapons should be banned from being traded around like just any ordinary trading good. All weapon producers shoukd comply with that (but of course never will).

The SIPRI yearbook 2016 gives these shares of global arms trade:

USA 33%
Russia 25%
China 5.9%
France 5%
Germany 4.7%

The biggest importer gets listed as India with 13%. All Asia without China, and the ME and namely Saudi Arabia, are big importers as well.

At best we should trade military stuff only amongst NATO members, excluding Turkey.

[Jimbuna]

I wonder where the UK rank?

[Skybird]

Originally Posted by Jimbuna

I wonder where the UK rank?

I think 6th or 7th. But that is just a rolling echo from inside my head. The numbers also may have changed in the past 2-3 years. Weapons boom (forgive the wordplay). I think last year saw the steepest climb in trade since end of the cold war.


Meanwhile, Germany. Moody says Germany is ill-armoured for the coming recession - which may already have begun. The massive export-orientation and the high rate of social transfers get mentioned as arguments. Well - don't I preach right these two tings since years? A nation that depends so strongly on exporting, is no strong economic actor, but a very vunerable one. But the past coaltions, in tueir attempt to bribe voters, have focussed on spending frenzies and raised longterm liabilities that raise the hidden, the implicit debt massively - haven'T I preached this since years as well?


I think we are standing now at the top of the cliff, and of way, peak mountain. And from this winter on we will go into a deeper and deeper dive. If the paper money crisis explodes right in these years ahead of us, then help us God. Though I must admit that beside beign affected from the fallout as well, I nevertheless would allow me the satisfaction of a grim laughter as well.


The recent bank stress test of the ECB saw German and British banks being the weakest members in the chain. German banks - a risk for the Eurozone. Think of it.

It was reported already in past weeks over here thsat first quarter saw an unexpected huge fall of expected growth rate. Another hint for that we are at tipping point.



https://translate.google.de/translat...tml&edit-text=



Enjoy the ride, Germany. From this winter on I think there is just one direction: down.

[Jimbuna]

^ I'd have thought the Greek and Italian banks would be in a far more precarious position.

[Skybird]

Originally Posted by Jimbuna

^ I'd have thought the Greek and Italian banks would be in a far more precarious position.

Me too, but the German problems are the Deutsche Bank and especially the socalled Landesbanken, which usually are heavily interferred with by clueless or retired politicians making decisions without having the competence to evaluate risks, or mistaking their political ideological goals with business reason. The german Landesbanken should be shut down, imo. They are a major threat to the common interest. Some of them already spelled desaster ten years ago.


Since then, our beloved leader and stealth duck Angela Merkel made sure that Germany mounted even greater risks for the finance mismanagement in other countries. Our soul for the EU. Our last penny for the Euro. Dying we must anyway, so why not for a good cause - or the most tempting of illusions.

[Jimbuna]

If matters are really as bad as you say I can't fathom out how or why the German people are allowing themselves to be treated like sheep.

[Skybird]

Broken soul from WWII, destroyed national pride, and human laziness. The expectation that the state will care for just everything.

But then, are other people in Europe less stupid? Not much less, I would say, they only enjoy the advantge of not being burdened with being german, and often not being net payers. And do not underestumate the age factor. Old societies, overaged societies like ours, are less adventurous and expansive and are seeking more for the securing of the elderS' interests, than young societies with an overshoot in young adult males. More than half of the elctirate in german yis not age 50+. The young ones would not have a rela chance to escape the tax regime even if they woudl want it. Many still won't. Dont ask me why. Must be the ideological brainwashing of the past 50 years. Our educaitonal sector is hoeplessly far left leanign since the "68er" years, universities and school pedagogcis were left to far elft leaning "elites". The fodnig beneraiton may be gone, but they used their time in job and office to foster the growing of their follow generation and generation "left 3.0". At the same time, the intellectual quality of the German unvioersities dropped and dropped deeper. While I agree with the German speciality of Humboldt ideals in education and acadmeical studying, and dislike the massive debts students need to accept at universities run by the fiscal regimes in the Anglosaxon universitty tradition, I also see the immense abuse of the German system, the underfunding and the loss if, well, loss of said intekllectual quality, and lack of prgaatic business orientation. If you check international lists with top universities, you hardly find German adresses amongst the top ranks.

Finally, Germany is at the European top of the finance chain, while most countries are net receivers, which gives them more power than net payers. When you "lend" money, the receiver has the power to now blackmail you, threatening that if you do nto give hiom ever more, he will not pay back what you gave him.

The Italians currently practice it in excess, maybe even in a bid to prepare Italy for leaving the Euro. All those unloved Target 2 Saldi - gone. Germany would loose hundreds of billions in demands towards the ECB. Germany accepted Target-2 Spanish banks.

And then there is France... Another positive side effect of Merkel getting wrung down is that Macronman cannot fly anymore (at the expense of German taxpayers). His ideas of turning the EU more socialist than ever before were a big threat to German savers and taxpayers. He wanted his ideas beign paid for by German money, but himself and france getting the shine and glory for it.

[Jimbuna]

As far as I'm aware, Macron is not very popular with the French electorate but I don't see a viable alternative.

Nor do I see France and German ever being in a partnership of total transparency and as equals but I guess that is the way the future Europe is heading.

I'm happy that the UK are leaving the EU (and I'll not add any derogatory terms for that entity) but I also remain hopeful that the initial financial and economic pain that will bring will be short lived and swiftly overcome.

I should imagine certain parties within the EU are dreading that outcome for fear of it encouraging other member states to follow suit.

[Skybird]

Originally Posted by Jimbuna

I should imagine certain parties within the EU are dreading that outcome for fear of it encouraging other member states to follow suit.

Exactly what I say since all beginning: the precedence of an exit from the EU being successfull and thus showing that there is a life after and withot the EU, must be prevented at all cost. From the EU's point of view. There can - and there should never be - no life without the great EU - this lesson is already being taught at schools these days. Sometimes even by distorting historical facts.



We mock it when we see in some Asian and ME regimes the omnipresence of the big leader in ublic plces, in form of statues, posters, and social and public rites and habits. But in principle the EU has established a similiar kind of leader cult, it just more subtle and psychologically underhanded, to prevent it from being easily recognized.

[Jimbuna]

I look at the top six officials in the EU and what strikes me immediately is the fact they are either from net receiving countries or from political backgrounds from which they have either failed or have been rejected by their own electorates.

[Skybird]

Why does this strike you? Its the logial consequence of the way their predecessors have designed the present EU and Euro.


A recent poll in Germany done by FORSA (biggest polling institute over here) finds that over 60% of Germans may not want Merkel anymore - but want to continue the political course she has established.


Hopeless and confused these Germans are. They are like flees caught in honey. Its sweet, its sticky, and there shall be no escape.


Germans want to lull and dull themselves to non-existence.

[STEED]

Bring on Nigel Farage to help those poor Germans.

BTW: His wife is German.

[Jimbuna]

Originally Posted by Skybird

Why does this strike you? Its the logial consequence of the way their predecessors have designed the present EU and Euro.


A recent poll in Germany done by FORSA (biggest polling institute over here) finds that over 60% of Germans may not want Merkel anymore - but want to continue the political course she has established.


Hopeless and confused these Germans are. They are like flees caught in honey. Its sweet, its sticky, and there shall be no escape.


Germans want to lull and dull themselves to non-existence.

I'd dread to think the British public ever got into that mindset.

[Skybird]

Germany vanishes in economic mediocrity, as latest numbers by the World Bank show. We are busy to ever increase social spendings and finajcing the fiscal mismanagerment of othe rnations, that there is no time and effort l3eft for Germa n eficviency and "made in Germany". The most obvious example probbaly are the immensely grown incompetences to realistically plan and realise big projects like airport Berlin BER, Stuttgart 21 rail central station and deep water ports like Wilhelmshaven. But Germany is the countrry with the highest taxes wordwide (togather with Belgium), and electricity costs nowhere in Europe as much as in germany: more than twice the average mean price in the EU. The prognosis for economic growth has once again been reduced for the reapeated time in a row. Germany balances on the brink of a recession, I say. But inflation has grown, and they celebrate it. As if that is a reason to celebrate. Stupid ruthless basterds, they should get struck by streaks of lightning.



https://translate.google.de/translat...tml&edit-text=


And the trend points downwards.



-----------



The SPD today mentioned her latest plan for the party's suicide: they want to form new taxes for gasoline and heating oil. The 5% hurdle is in range for the SPD. Of course it then will be the guilt of "the rich" and the AfD.



The Greens are on their way to number two in the German party structure. By current trend, they could even become number one in the mid-ranged future, I think.



In the CDU, Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer indeed leads the race for party chair. She is far left-leaning but hides it with as one would call it nowadays some populist consevative opportunistic slogans. If you think things will get better with Merkel going out, you better think twice. Like Merkel, her biography shows a certain nearness to protestant clergy. Dear God please save us. These morally superior world-improvers are ruining us - and always are full of themselves while succeeding in that, replacing laws and reason with sentimental emotion. Or as Neal has put it some days ago: from accountability to empathy.

[STEED]

Merkel applauded and booed after calling for 'real, true' European army

https://news.sky.com/video/merkel-ca...peech-11553467

Is she trying it on?