Germany sinks in “self-righteousness” and raises the Teacher finger to Europe: we are right, we are successful, we work hard and we don’t spend money. What Germany does not mention in its Euro-policies is that Germany is the only winner from the strict austerity of the other European folks. German Heile Welt (Idyllic World) concept in a Euro-Europe that falls apart. ‘How can Germany demand that other follow the rules which Germany keeps breaking them?,’ asks Huffington Post Germany
“Germany in 2015 is a nation full of self-righteousness. The Greek crisis has produced in the country an unpleasant strain of chauvinism towards other nations, rooted in our belief in our own exemplarity: We work harder. We’re more successful. We’re more frugal.
You could almost believe that inside every German hides a little Edmund Stoiber, who annoyed the rest of the country for 14 years with his Bavarian valedictorian routine.”
What would happen if the Eurozone leaders realized that the root of the problem is German debt policy and the constant rule-breaking on the part of the Federal Republic? asks Huffington Post Germany.
“Since the creation of the euro, Germany has also broken the Maastricht deficit limits. Germany’s national debt currently runs above 70 percent of the GDP. The limit is 60 percent. The difference amounts to more than a hundred billion euros.
And Germany, along with France, was one of the first countries that as early as the start of the 2000s, took on new debt above the allowed limit of 3 percent of GDP.”
Huffington Post Germany presented a fictional scenario built around the current demands placed on the Greek government and people. And it asks: what would happen if Germany had to impose and implement the Measures in demands from Greece?
A very interesting comparison in Retirement, Pensions, Bureaucracy, Retail Hours, Water utilities and oh! Privatizations!
Full article here: What If Germany And Greece Switched Places?
PS there is also this awful video of Chancellor Merkel bringing into tears a Palestinian girl as she tries to explain to a teenager speaking perfect German why she cannot get asylum and she would be deported. Arrogance and big FAIL-PR.
Yucks!
Sorry KTG, not being able to agree with you
Data deserving attention:
German GDP 2012: 2.8 trilion euros (eurostat)
German liablities relative to state-funded pension: 7.6 trilion euros (Bloomberg January 11, 2012) = 270% of GDP, not included in the public dept).
Who is rightous? Who is cheating?
On the matter of what would Germany do if it were in Greece’s shoes:
Well there is significant historical evidence what could have happened, but really this sort of “what-if” scenario is pointless and does not help the current situation in any form or fashion.
On the matter of the little girl:
Not quite, in the full video the Chancellor explained to the young girl that there are laws in Germany that deal with the topic of migration and that not even the Chancellor can decree against standing law that she can stay.
She explained that there is a process that evaluates whether or not a family can stay, which in the case of the little girl’s family is very likely according to the respective Immigration Office.
On top of that the little Girl expressed her view on the encounter as well and explained that her bursting out in tears was mainly due to the fact that not even the Chancellor could give her assurance that her family could stay.
All in all the Chancellor said exactly what she should say: “there are laws and even I have to follow our rules.”
Very good. May I remind Frau Merkel and all of the German Volk that it has repeatedly been ruled in international law and national courts of most developed countries that you are NOT obliged to follow instructions from superiors or the law of the country if it would breach basic principles of human decency and human rights? Moreover, in cases of crimes against humanity and also war crimes, the defence of “I was only following orders” was rejected definitively in the Nuremberg Trials and has subsequently been rejected in all international law and most national legal systems — including that of Germany.
It seems that the Germans have failed to learn their lessons properly.
come on, putting everything in a mixer and press the button does not add anything to any discussion. and meanwhile what is going on in the blog’s comments is not discussion but the chewing of same stuff over and over again.
Yes Xenos, the idea that politicians and heads of government are bound by law is truly a leftover view of the german dark ages.
I wonder would you prefer a dictatorship(where just the politicians can do as they please) or pure anarchism without laws for anyone?
REGARDING GREMANY “we are successful”
Germany is a WELFARE NATION ONLY.
Their economy is a basket case talked up by mainstream media.
Have a look at their manufacturing & production record – a string of failed business ventures.
The Mercedies is a piece of German JUNK.
Holden Australia has put cars on the road that put German auto design & manufacturing to shame.
Loads of problems in this country, but certainly not the ones you describe.
Top 5 carmakers last year (by sales)
1. Holden Australia
2. Toyota
3. VW
4. Daimler
5. BMW
find the mistake
Sooo… Xenos, what you are saying is: politicians should not be hold accountable to standing law?
Where exactly does “I was only following orders” come into play here? The matter of the little girl was no matter of human decency, no matter of live and death where a word from the Chancellor would have saved her from some peril, she stated, correctly, that she can’t decide who can stay and who has to leave and that there is a proper process that determines that.
Quite frankly I have no idea what you are getting at here.