A great power in trouble: What's wrong with Germany? | To The Point

What's happening to the world's fourth-largest economy? In contrast to other large industrial nations, and in comparison to Europe, Germany’s economy is weakening. Companies
are complaining about poor business conditions, such as high energy prices. There is already talk of creeping de-industrialization, and some economists and politicians believe that Germany is once again, “the sick man of Europe.” At the same time, right-wing populist attitudes are on the rise, and more people are critical of democracy. Are prosperity and democracy in danger? We are discussing: “A great power in trouble: What's wrong with Germany?”
Our guests:
Valerie Höhne (Tagesspiegel),
Arne Delfs (Bloomberg News)
Katja Hoyer (Kings College London)
Chapters:
00:0 Why we need to talk about Germany
03:13 Is the change of leadership in Germany to blame?
04:00 The struggles of the German economy
06:38 The challenges of Germany’s energy transition
08:42 A coalition government without a clear course?
10:31 German bureaucracy as a hurdle
12:20 Germany’s digitalization is lagging behind
13:59 The rise of right-wing populism
16:38 The situation in Eastern Germany
19:50 How racist is Germany?
22:48 A glimpse into Germany’s future
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#tothepoint #Germany #Economy

[@bjarnehansen3812]

Germany chose to close its nuclear power plants in the middle of Europe's energy crisis. That is stupidity at an insane level.

[@antred11]

Even if that WERE true, that has literally nothing to do with Germany's current economic woes.

[@Noah_IN_WHcommunity]

Couldn't agree more

[@asdasdasddgdgdfgdg]

Germany has coal though. People always forget that Germany has the 5-6 largest coal reserves in the world lol.

[@chrisdelaplante5515]

They also lose the gas pipe line they had build with Russia, no more cheap gas.

[@missionhunt]

​@asdasdasddgdgdfgdg they also closed a lot of coal plants, for solar and wind and then realised it was a bad idea during the energy crisis and open some back up. But they will close them down permanently eventually because they want green energy.

[@fredericperrin3279]

It's a combination of factors, all of which are going against Germany at the moment: no more cheap Russian gas (self inflicted), closure of nuclear plants (self inflicted), excessively fast move towards renewables (self inflicted), challenges to the automotive industry and the transition to EV (slow response, lack of vision), reliance on mechanical engineering and lack of innovation in digital (cultural and institutional issues), poor demographics, uncontrolled immigration (not in the sense of actual numbers, but in the sense of inability to pick up productive immigrants), excessive regulation and bureaucracy. It's not looking good. The de-industrialization that has plagued the US for the last 40 years but is now over is starting in Germany (and most of Europe).

[@chitranghosal879]

Couldn't have said it better

[@divyanshtiwari3547]

Couldn't have said it better

[@zelbug9995]

Well said, but in addition the quality of German products has declined sharply especially in automobiles.

[@Kenny-yl9pc]

Yea you summarized it pretty well. It's all a major failure of policy making in Berlin. Those politicians, the elite establishment and their partners in the Atlantic organizations are very much short-sighted, terrible in decision-making, bad track record over the last decades and particularly the last few years, all those factors culminated in a disastrous economic as well as political situation in Germany. It could have been all avoided with a confident leadership that establishes and follows a long-term vision that upholds German interests without letting itself being hijacked by foreign interests and pressure. But that is just wishful thinking in Europe and particularly Germany. The truly unfortunate part is that ordinary German citizen have to bear the brunt while those elites who caused all this misery live in their guarded and well-off neighbourhoods...

[@airingcupboard]

Deindustrialisation has happened since the 70s. However, the Volkswagen emissions scandal was indictative of a company with its eye off the ball.

[@shellylofgren]

Some economists have projected that both the U.S. and parts of Europe could slip into a recession for a portion of 2023. A global recession, defined as a contraction in annual global per capita income, is more rare because China and emerging markets often grow faster than more developed economies. Essentially the world economy is considered to be in recession if economic growth falls behind population growth.

[@Jaffcardwell]

My main concern now is how can we generate more revenue during quantitative times? I can't afford to see my savings crumble to dust.

[@AbdoolLogodesign]

Very true! I've been able to scale from $50K to $189k in this red season because my Financial Advisor figured out Defensive strategies which help portfolios be less vulnerable to market downturns

[@ilyaveysman.]

@@AbdoolLogodesign that's impressive!, I could really use the expertise of this advisors , my portfolio has been down bad....who’s the person guiding you.

[@AbdoolLogodesign]

I personally have my portfolio overseen by California-based wealth advisor and fixed income strategist at that 'JULIE ANNE HOOVER well established and you'd find her professional bio on the net. However I suggest you look closer to home, sometimes to move certain amount of money I am required to be in California.

[@ilyaveysman.]

@@AbdoolLogodesign Insightful... I curiously looked up her name on the internet and I found her site, which I reviewed and went through to learn more about her credentials, academic background, and employment. She has a fiduciary duty to protect my best interests. I sent her an email outlining my objectives and also booked a session with her; thanks for sharing.

[@omnamahshivayaitaly8429]

I am German living in Italy since 35 years and I come back to visit my country every year. What I noticed since maybe 2010-2013 and especially the past years is a more and more weakening Germany : bad maintaining of infrastructure as streets, 'Autobahn', trains, I noticed a dirtier Germany in public places, I have the impression that the digitalization is behind other countries, even Northern Italy seems to function better. There is this sensation that the country lost connection to the future.... 😢

[@salmonnnnman]

This is an absolutely wild take if you are talking about a comparison to italy

[@omnamahshivayaitaly8429]

@@salmonnnnman I am referring only to Northern Italy: Trentino Alto Adige, Lombardia, Veneto, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Piemonte, Emilia Romagna and maybe Liguria....

[@aaronfitzgerald9109]

Because the Germans are getting replaced with Africans and Arabs. ..

[@swisslin]

​@@salmonnnnmani am swiss i can say that i travel both to germany and northern italy from time to time, and i feel the same. Infrastructure and public transport def work better in northern italy compared to germany atm. Also i see alot more smaller buisnesses still operating in italy compared to germany where so many storefronts are just closed up. But i hope germany can recover.

[@salmonnnnman]

@@omnamahshivayaitaly8429 this is not a sensible comparison if you specify these areas. It's like me taking you to Carlisle in northern England and concluding that the entire nation is in a state of disrepair, or going to Chelsea or Belgravia in London and concluding the opposite. I live in Bavaria, and have spent a fair amount of time in Sud Tirol and liguaria. Sud Tirol is undeniably well maintained, though absolutely not better than any part of Bavaria I have been too (and the entire state has a population 1/3 of Munich alone). Liguaria is wealthy but off the main roads you quickly see the degradation of infrastructure and having spent a fair amount of time camping here the fact that we had to worry about vehicle break ins when not at our car, something that has never crossed my mind I'm Germany, tells me that there is still serious poverty.

[@aarhusnord]

Germany is too ineffective, too controlled by fear, too little prepared to take risks, too bureaucratic, too un-digitalized (years ago, I were in a smaller town in Greenland, where broadband connections were better than in Berlin!), too afraid to invest, too afraid of change, too worn-down in its infrastructure (just look at the bridge over the Nord-Ostsee Kanal), too much living on its past. Just look at Germany still discussing if there should be Covid 19 regulations in place this autumn and winter. We are way past that in Denmark.

[@HansJakobGrimmelshausen]

@aarhusnord you are right, but you miss one point. it is the downfall of a culture. People do not want to work any more- children are not taught rules any more. Parents are not even allowed to shout at their children, for they could be traumatised. Per capita productivity went down for the last 6 years, because the young people do not want to work. They never learned to make an effort

[@aarhusnord]

@@HansJakobGrimmelshausen Yes, but maybe that industrial culture is not very much needed anymore. And it will be even clearer with e.g. the introduction of AI. Here in Denmark, there is a lot of talk about a 3 or 4 day working week. Or a work culture, where work is not quantified anymore. When you think, your job is done, you are off-duty. Maybe human work is not as necessary as in the industrial times.

[@ChristianTompa]

Spot on!

[@maneshipocrates2264]

I like the fear, bureaucracy, un-digitization. It is true

[@zaxzaman]

Hard times create strong men, strong men create good times, good times create weak men, and weak men create hard times.

[@josepedrosantiagosilva9625]

In Europe, there's a growing sense of neglect towards the younger generation. They face lower salaries, longer work hours, and increased responsibilities while witnessing a surge in billionaires, particularly in countries like Germany. The housing market adds to their woes, as property prices soar, making it difficult to afford homes, let alone start families. To compensate, cheap labor from abroad is often favored, leading to frustration among the youth, who feel betrayed. People aren't inherently racist, but this frustration arises when governments prioritize external labor over addressing domestic issues. It's high time politicians acknowledge and tackle these pressing concerns rather than resorting to distractions. The younger generation deserves meaningful change.

[@tonyh1760]

I’m living in Germany a while and I’ve never heard the words German and long working hours in the same sentence. Their unwillingness to work more than the minimum requirement is one of the reasons they’re in crisis

[@airingcupboard]

Time to tax property and shares and lessen taxes on labour.

[@josepedrosantiagosilva9625]

In Germany, automation and optimization have reduced the workforce without reducing working hours, they should keep same horkers and less work hours, or to show appreciation for workers who have seen little gain in their free time since the industrial revolution, companies could consider giving them an extra day off, making it three days instead of two. Germany's industrial success is due to various factors, including skilled labor and efficiency, and it's crucial to acknowledge worker contributions, especially as automation transforms traditional roles. Contemporary wealth concentration can lead to societal issues @@tonyh1760

[@josepedrosantiagosilva9625]

In medieval times, influential banking families like the Medici concentrated vast wealth, impacting both the economy and politics. These disparities fueled social tensions, reflecting the stark divide between the elite and the broader society. This historical wealth concentration continues to parallel contemporary issues, with today's billionaires and mega-corporations amassing significant fortunes and wielding similar influence, sparking debates on income inequality and societal stability. When wealth is highly concentrated, money circulates less, and even the middle class faces difficulties, making it akin to a self-inflicted obstacle that hampers economic growth and family planning. @@airingcupboard

[@user-qu2pv2wp3o]

agreed 100%

[@audleymclean2168]

Why doesn't anyone talk about the destruction of the Nord Stream gas pipeline, this is one of the main reasons, is there a reason why this awful blow to the German economy is being ignored?

[@BA-mv8pp]

Cause Germanany is America's b++ch, like most of the Nato countries.

[@hendrikw7024]

Because evidence leads to Ukraine and the corrupt German government in charge does not want the truth to come out because it would look bad if the UKRAINE Attacked German infrastructure in an act of terror when Germany is the biggest supporter of the Ukraine!

[@jonathanchurch7561]

Truth is verboten in the West.

[@constantquestioning4010]

That is the question

[@user-nl5gv2jv9k]

It's because it was blown up by orders of SENILE BIDEN and CO. But you're not allowed to mention this or speak the truth

[@HrRezpatex]

I automatically translate "A great power in trouble" to "A great puppet in trouble"..

[@lucasstuart19]

The German business model is mostly based on manufacturing. In times of high energy costs, supply chain disruption, demand shock and an alarming immigration rate you have the perfect mix for a crisis

[@joaov.m.oliveira9903]

What is immigration to do with German's manufacturing problems?

[@smftrsddvjiou6443]

And we Germans need free markets, free trade lines, and not mercantilism for silly geopolitical games.

[@lucasstuart19]

@@joaov.m.oliveira9903 immigration is a highly sensitive and divisive issue in any political debate. High immigration rates in times of crisis can be a problem

[@joaov.m.oliveira9903]

Understood.@@lucasstuart19

[@EarnestWilliamsGeofferic]

High immigration rate is by design, because that keeps labour costs low and benefits manufacturing.

[@markpalm672]

I have moved to Germany some years ago and i have encountered things that i never thought could in Germany happen. Lost application documents in governmental offices, delays in train transport system, faults in my salary slip balance by company's financial department, no place for my kids in kindergartens , endless waiting lists to find a logo doctor though we pay our taxes and so on....I think Germany pushes to get more and more immigrants but at the moment lack the necessary infrastructure.

[@joem0088]

"no place for my kids in kindergartens" ? sounds like a good thing. Are Germans having babies again.

[@soeswanto1]

EU and American alliance around the world is currently living off the superior image of their past. The reality is that these countries destroyed whatever they have from the inside. Democracy is the biggest sham in these countries and these leaderships have failed their people very badly. Listen to this interview, are they mamking any sense?

[@drnoe1027]

@@joem0088 that would have been great, but unfortunately no - they just aren't building enough social infrastructure.

[@BLaCkAddor]

@joem0088 unfortunately, No Germans dont get enough babies. The ones who get the most babies are immigrants and people on governmental benefits. Because , they get everything paid from the society, instead the working population has to pay everything for themselfs and because the kindergardens are full of immigrant children and children from families on beneftis , the normal german family gets no kindergarden places anymore, nor can the even effort having children. Sad reality in Germany. If you are well educated person with a good , normal job its simply not the best decision to get children in germany.

[@missunknownunknown]

@@joem0088😂😂😂 no really more same sex no more 👶 haah

[@Scaleyback317]

I'm British and feel privileged to have been able to live in Germany for 7 years and visit for holiday purposes many times since. I am hoping this is just a minor or a temporary blip. The whole of Europe needs Germany to be punching its weight - financially, politically and militarily. When I was doing business in Germany (years ago now) German red tape was horrendous. Please turn this round quickly. Mit Freundlichen Grossen.

[@tokyomilmil]

As a Taiwanese I must say Europe really have to pick itself up. We in Taiwan have general sentiments of being kidnapped by Western nations to forcefully branch off our TSMC into U.S. & Germany (& Japan but not so much cause their Asian workforce wouldn’t make so much demand on working conditions, or causing a bunch of troubles through western nation’s almighty unions 😂) Still in Taiwan we admire much Europe’s efforts for global human rights’ improvement, Germany especially their green sustainability endeavors generate a lot of positive views in Taiwan. Personally I have very fond impression for Britain, too. That’s why I wish Europe could figure a real way out from their stalemate conditions, not always resorting to kidnapping a small island country’s industry just because Taiwan needs international support countering our big scary neighbor 😢

[@ElectronicHouseFlash]

Thank you Scaleyback for this wonderful words, you sound like a kind human being. Real germans love people like you, cause you bring us only happiness and friendship.

[@trommelbiel]

You lived in Germany 🇩🇪 for 7 years and you can't even spell one of the most common German words correctly. You are indeed British. I met a British man who had lived in Germany for over 20 years but spoke no German. Meanwhile it is " Mit Freundlichen Grüßen" .

[@ElectronicHouseFlash]

@@trommelbiel Calm down. Im born in Germany ,im living here for over 25 years, and i still do some mistakes while writing German. Thats usual. Let the British guy write as he wants!

[@Scaleyback317]

@@trommelbiel You'll have to forgive me mate (Tut mir leit) - I do not have a German keyboard. Umlaut U is not available and neither is the double S. As English is highly reliant on German for its vocabulary (now evolved with a mixture of Latin/Indian/French/Gaelic/Norse and even latterly American - God forgive us!) we can safely blame it on the Germans! I worked alongside the Bundeswehr at one stage and was told by my German comrades not to worry about German grammar and to stick with what they taught me - they called it Gasthaus Deutsche - it worked in a fashion. It got me into a lot of troube but never enough knowledge to talk myself out of it again. Wonderful memories from a wonderful era in a Wunderschoen country surrounded by, in the main friendly and tolerant people. A confirmed Germanophile.

[@marz825]

Bringing high potentials people in country is easier than keeping them and making a safe atmosphere for them to stay. The problemes I have confronted in Germany since I am here is hearth breaking. I don't know how I endure them. I came here with open eyes, now I regret. I will leave as soon as I graduate. And there are lots of students like me with same thought and experiences.

[@thorebergmann1986]

Breaks my heart to read this.. But I couldn't agree more 😢

[@Hmddmsfjjdd]

Please explain to me fellow people. Would be much appreciated

[@wrightvcx2249]

What problems?

[@raniamohamed9848]

Just racist!!

[@DenisaDancee]

Me too. And we are students who are BORN in GE. Even we will leave 😊😅

[@panyu2000]

I love the guests say relying on Russian gas was a big risk, while not dare to hint a word about the one who blew up nord stream.

[@lvnick915]

No mention on who provided the Technology or Expertise to Run Russia's oil and gas industry. By the way Germany was being extorted and Russia could have charged any amount they wanted.

[@niburu1508]

They part own the pipelines. - millions of €€€€ and years of hard work destroyed by US/ NATO must be horrific to be betrayed by an organisation you belong to. Bit like Ukrainians betraying the Russians when the decided to stop being neutral. More ‘ friends’ of Americans. 😂😂😂😂

[@alberthenriette8976]

​@@lvnick915Germany had 2 Gas pipelines from Russia. Which means there were no extortion going on. The Russians are still building and maintaining pipelines elsewhere. Which means they are independent of Gemans expertise.

[@HamedAbdollahpour]

I'm an expat, lived on different part of the world in last fifteen years. After five years in Germany I have to say bureaucracy here is killing everything! Every small move takes a decade, how can we move forward like that :(

[@lg5819]

It’s like that in GT. Britain too and that is why we are struggling to complete HS2. Excessive bureaucracy kills innovation! In the U.K. we have the Golden Triangle, which encompasses London, Cambridge and Oxford, and is one of the worlds top 25 clusters for high tech innovation. Sadly, due to excessive bureaucracy which prevent a lot of U.K. start ups accessing investment to enable them to grow and compete with foreign companies around the globe, most of these emerging technologies end up being taken over by foreign firms.

[@gg-ps1vz]

​@@lg5819 On the bright side the UK government online services are fantastic tho, makes so many gov things so easy and quick to do. Germany is still in the dark ages for digitization

[@michaelphrazelusanie3029]

The thing is that they failed to protect their national interest... America will never go against it national interest and this is what ever country must learn. Take advantage of alliances and always keep a balance with allies to protect national interest. 🎉🎉🎉

[@lindsaywhitney6305]

As a resident of Germany for the last 9 years, I bent over laughing when this woman described Germans as ever having a ´´positive excitement´´ 🤣

[@user-vo4nh5lv8l]

Your "ally" blew up the gas lines supplying you with cheap energy, just like they threatened they would .. And Germany just accepted it.

[@AnjulaGodakumbura]

Exactly!

[@mariapilarme]

Big mistake in a house you need to keep your children warm in winter no matter what.

[@user-og8ef6pf4s]

It was US blew up gas line

[@psnaris]

You mean it is not blindingly obvious. NO MORE CHEAP RUSSIAN GAS!!!

[@SeeLasSee]

Bumpkin

[@micaeloliveira2727]

True 🤣 their fault to have been so dependent on Russia . They were warned and now pay the price will be the rise of France as a big energy powerhouse in Europe.😊😊 France is the biggest green energy producer and exporter in Europe. Germany is the country with the highest rate of polluting energy production. France energy company is state owned and for the people 😊😊 Germany has a big big problem ahead unfortunately

[@psnaris]

@@SeeLasSee You're entitled to your opinion. Just wish it was an intelligent one.

[@Okiejayjay]

More to do with leftist/green policies such as building nuclear reactors and then shutting them down.

[@WendyWu-br3bo]

An important way to solve this problem is to cooperate with China. They are the world's largest producer of green energy facilities, but american daddy told Scholz : We must reject them.

[@cheese90210]

Having lived and set up a company in Germany, i can say that setting up business there is the biggest regret of my life. I only did it for "ease" of personal tax declaration but never in my wildest dreams did i expect a company to be hit for so much money for making profit. By the time you pay taxes and fees about 35% of profit is taken from you. How or why would any company want that? That is why company's will find it start there and innovate and they are left with the old "trusty" companies

[@spaceowl5957]

They take 35% from a startup?? That’s insane.

[@hristoplamenov1942]

Open it in Bulgaria, and you will have 10% flat tax

[@zigzagbeon]

When i came here for my Masters, I thought Germany to be somehow similar to US but boy was I wrong. As an IT student with background in software development with experience, I couldn't land a student job in my own field because of the German language requirement. And it's the same case with so many skilled workers who can't land the job because of not having German language skill.

[@nonamegirl9368]

Who would thought it, you need to know german in germany😂 Good luck in other European countries, who are also not anglophone

[@zigzagbeon]

Its not that I am not learning German but the thing is that my field doesn't require German. Simply rejecting applications based on German proficiency, specially for IT is ridiculous. And this is not just my own experience but the experience of majority of students. During your studies these companies should atleast give students a chance to familiarize themselves with the German work environment so they can be ready for full time roles after finishing their studies. The world is changing at a fast pace and Germany simply cannot stick to its old ways of doing things. For example, countries like India where you can digitally pay to a street vendor with your phone doesn't look futuristic because these are the problems IT was meant to solve. Also, all the refuges that come here are sent to language classes and within 7 or 8 months they make it upto level B2 or higher. Here the language courses that are offered to Masters students are simply a joke. On one side, everyone is shouting about the shortage of skilled workers and on the other hand, you're rejected left and right when you do apply for a field job. I personally know students who are really good in their respective fields and have gotten more than 500 rejections each. I dont know what to make of this.

[@chrigdichein1560]

@@zigzagbeonas a German I say, you have a point there. But I also thought that in a job environment lots has to be written understood and signed in German, it can’t be all translated into EN. As you need to be able to read and understand traffic signs to drive a car, for other integrated tasks you need to understand the language. But we desperately need good skilled migration and they should find a way. Oh I remember, they allowed half Kurdistan, Greece and Italy in in the 50th and I bet with zero language skills, many older Turkish still din’t handle German

[@felipe-vibor]

How about nordstream pipelines? Didn't it affect Germany directly?

[@anthonyvalentino2516]

YES, because they did not built TERRICOLA 1, before.

[@tonysu8860]

It's just one pipeline and one source, the second pipeline supposedly was never opened and utilized. The larger issue of Russian sourced fossil fuels is the real problem.

[@keyser021]

@@tonysu8860 Whose larger issue exactly?

[@arnodobler1096]

NS2 was never operational

[@awesome6886]

Nordstream sucks. Fracked gas rules.

[@jeffxu6871]

1. Dispose of the cheap Russian gas/oil, 2. close of the nuclear power plants, 3. unprofessional politicians, 4. de-risk with China, 5. trapped into war, 6. sanction of Russia

[@wayangpok]

Rightly put. How can Germany hope go dig itself out with all these holes it has dug for itself by being a lapdog to US geopolitical interest. With its leadership Germany should have led EU into being a 3rd power to balance up the tussle between the US and China. May be there's still time.

[@blardymunggas6884]

Its all a designed plan by U S A for Germany. The US knows if Germany becomes friends with Russia, Germany will become the biggest economy in the world replacing America. Now the plan has worked and Germany is now the sick man of Europe

[@alibalaabdullahi6531]

Absolutely true

[@lupolinar]

Stop it wirh the nuclear power. It matters very little if at all and is way too expensive and takes too long.

[@Interactive-gp8xf]

Your brain is foggy. Try to learn reading, then go to writing.

[@zolanhlangulela947]

I lived in Germany for 10 years…Situation here is really bad now..Restaurants are now empty..I’m leaving this year..I can’t live like this..

[@amin8202]

This was a qualitative approach towards the problem. I was expecting a more analytical approach rather than a sentimental one

[@bumpy783]

Had Germany done the complete opposite of each of their energy decisions in the last 20 years, they would be in a far better position today.

[@mabuhayproductionltd3627]

but we had no timemachine, so we didn´t know. But i agree that Germany should have cut down on Imported Russia Gas in 2008/2014, so they would not be as dependent they where in 2022.

[@TheAlchaemist]

@@mabuhayproductionltd3627 That's true, who on earth could have imagined that a KGB corrupt dictator becoming tyrant could be evil... no one saw that coming.

[@wilhelmvanbabbenburg8443]

@@mabuhayproductionltd3627yeah who would have known that energy security is a matter of national security in a highly industrialized, cold country?

[@Mr.Clownensky]

If it isnt because of Russian cheap energy, Germany will not be in this position today, rusain cheap energy what made Germany rich! Lol

[@mabuhayproductionltd3627]

Germany has had Big Profit out of Cheap Russian Gas/Oil and Big Profits to Export a lot to Sovjet/Russia. Germany didn´t starve or freeze to death. But yes they pay a bit more now, good times and cheap gas don´t last forever. Germany will have to live with the new reality. But as i said, they should have cut Imports of Gas before 2022, and said we can´t do business it you invade ex-sovjet republics, maybe putin had done diffrently@@wilhelmvanbabbenburg8443

[@vichitvideo6041]

Sometimes, the wrong team of leadership can easily cause troubles for the country.

[@surfacepro3328]

Thats 20 years of CDU for you

[@elqord.1118]

Oh really?!

[@drnoe1027]

@@surfacepro3328 It's not just CDU - it appears to me that they are all unfit to rule. Germany has been stumbling from one crisis into another since unification.

[@damn-jana]

​@drnoe1027 The biggest problem as always.., is greed. We have huge and wealthy companies with billions of profits. Sadly, all of them use loopholes to pay taxes that are as low as those for middle class companies. If these CEOs wouldn't be as greedy, probably 80% of all problems in our countries around the world would immediately become utopias. Its funny people blame stuff on the left, but people who blame governments in general are even funnier. Its not the governments at all, we live in the best systems. Its the rich that should change.

[@drnoe1027]

@@damn-jana I agree that greed is one motive driving those problems, yet I don't think only the rich should change. After all, we don't do much to change the situation, apart from ranting here (and I am no exception). If you look at France, at what happened there after the government decided to raise the retirement age or to cut social benefits - the people went to the streets. In Germany? We don't do that and it's partially because in Germany unannounced protest is considered illegal. But it's also the people's mentality. Plus, our politicians don't pay taxes (actually, why not?) They have so much money that many of them lost any feeling or perspective for what it's like to earn enough money to get by but not enough to be independent from having to work your butt off. So in conclusion, I wouldn't say it's just the rich that need to change, in my opinion it's the people who need to become the driving force again - otherwise nothing will ever change.

[@dimi00]

Well done ❤

[@tonymudau3005]

Exact same situation with South Africa. The energy transition is economically disadvantaging

[@vh3437]

Unfortunately Germany is currently in an extremely difficult position mainly due to short sight vision and naivety. Germans have always been very conservative and adverse to change. The country has been considered the Economic Powerhouse of Europe during the last decades but governments failed to push for innovation and internationalisation. As mentioned in one of the comments and i can confirm, several companies not long ago still had fax machines!!! The public sector still works almost like in the 70s sending letters to a country of over 80 million people. On the other hand, in 2023 if you try to speak english in any public institution you are simply told you must speak german or ignored. How can we attract highly skilled foreign workers like that. Neighbour countries like Belgium, Holland, Luxembourg, Austria and Switzerland are a lot more attractive to highly skilled foreigners. The other problem to attract highly skilled foreign workers are now the current house/ rental prices. In many cities people work to pay a rent. On the other hand Germany provides asylum to large numbers of people mainly non europeans which struggle to integrate and live out from social support meaning no positive contributionto the german society. All this sounds like a great formula in case you want to destroy your own country. If you then add factors like inflation, no more cheap energy, not being able to rely anymore on China as the biggest importer of german products the picture becomes pretty dark for the next years.

[@bumpy783]

Germany could easily solve this problem by having more children.

[@tusk6489]

@@bumpy783 No one wants kids these days

[@santoriniblue8413]

The Natality Winter t could have been much worse. As they reckoned then, the DDR merger provided a stopgap, providing the children lack far back then already on the tray of problems of the FBR

[@stormcry0]

not many can afford to have kids these days@@tusk6489

[@paulkristiansen3450]

This is what happens when Greta , Bauerback , WEF and other loonies run the show

[@dit4963]

Germany made a terrible mistake by closing down nuclear. And coming from East Europe it always blew my mind how bad the Internet infrastructure is. Also how reluctant people are to technology (like digital finance, GMOs, nuclear...etc.)

[@mariapilarme]

Ask Elon Musk to put a satellite to get good internet. Here in America we do absolutely everything on line, or better with our phones. I don’t ever go to the bank or get a document from somewhere, that’s from the pass. I have not open my computer in a year you do everything with the phone. I was in Spain in summer and internet it’s not the same it’s slow sometimes you lost connection etc

[@greentea8852]

Datenschutz, that's all!!!!

[@dit4963]

@@greentea8852 What? Datenschutz is all what?

[@groovethrough648]

Well they didn't at the time. Russia did a big mistake invading Ukraine and all are suffering now.

[@cheese90210]

But they did fire up the old coal plants.

[@extremeguy967]

Regarding digitalization issues such as public Wifi, I have to say that the German population & economy is significantly more distributed than in other countries such as France and the UK that have mega capitals

[@grimgy4409]

Most infuriating: for years all of our problems have been stated and criticized. But they were either ignored by the governement or discussed without ever changing anything. Take bureaucracy for example... it will never get better. Everyone talks about it but noone does anything against it.

[@pointgreece4331]

Germany has to buy expensive commodities from USA, Canada, Australia. It cannot purchase Russian gas, oil and other materials due to pressure from USA and China use this to strengthen its position as a major producer of goods. VW ID3 in China cost 16.000e and in Germany 40.000e.

[@dansan956]

Dear,no Chinese is against Germany to buy Russia gas. With respect.peace.

[@pointgreece4331]

@@dansan956 But the fact that China buys a lots of Russian commodities and energy. 200 billion of dollars is worth of Russian export to China.

[@dansan956]

@@pointgreece4331 as well as India and many other countries. Its Germany who is not buying Russia oil, not China playing any role forcefully on this.

[@andreverwoerd3540]

@@gardeningtipsandmore Yes, if they would have listened to Trump, then no money would have gone to Ukraine from the US, and the Russians would be in Poland already. And Germany would not have this problem. I agree.

[@etoiledenoundi]

@@gardeningtipsandmore So because Germany did not listen to the US 7yrs ago, the US engineered the Ukraine war, bombed NS2 poisoned the cordial relationship between Germany/Europe and Russia, to keep both down. Now do you care to explain why America should be going around ordering other countries to do what it wants? Europe has never 'advised' America about how they should handle their relationship with Canada, Mexico, Brazil , Argentina etc so what exactly is your point?

[@keirenle]

Denied from cheap energy means Germany is losing its competitive edge. It s as clear as day to me.

[@ebg7644]

Fossil fuels are dead already.

[@xShariNgaN01x]

Exactly and the Germans went along with it happily by the orders of their imperial masters lol

[@epicsuper6775]

"A great power in trouble"????? Must be a joke! Instead, sissy the little, who had its gas pipeline blown up and dared not to speak up.

[@mirekslechta7161]

Correct, Germany killed it´s own future when became antagonistic toward Russia, Germany did so for the sake of USA, country which was even bombing them at the same time(Nord Stream) !!! Politicians should be held accountable for that !!!

[@bobparker4110]

@@xShariNgaN01x Germany is finally meeting its karma. They maybe will understand that theY’re not the better race.

[@AndreBox-iq2gg]

Lachnummer der Welt - live und in Farbe 🎉

[@c46236]

You can see what is wrong just from the format of this show. Everyone seems tranqualiesed or superficial. Simply people no longer care, this is the comfort and inconcience togheter right here. Europe is on the edge of a full blown war and all what politicians NGOs can be concerned is how to go green. That is also mad.

[@kevindaly9203]

When government stops acting according the will and interest of the people it is no longer democracy.

[@fritzbauer5043]

Ok

[@soumailakouyate8835]

After 50 years this is the very first time for me to see a nation like Germany to follow the American interests instead of its own. Amazing 😢😢😢 and sad to say.

[@bx70]

Well said!

[@ThisNoName]

Lucky you. We Americans follow illegal aliens' interests instead

[@tonnny7908]

No real problem is that Germany has worked too closely with China.

[@ThisNoName]

@@tonnny7908 bitching about too close to the world's biggest market? That's so capitalistic of you

[@kitnascimento0]

To have your own policy first and foremost you need to be at least politically independent to begin with, meaning you can´t accept an army from another country living inside of you territory😏After that you need a relatively smart elite that can access the international realities and adapt your policies accordingly. And then you need to have at least partial energy and resources indecency to then feed the 4th need which is an industrial sector. After all that you can then build a military capacity to protect your political and economic interests and if necessary project some force abroad. Well does germany have any of this? Not even close. that explains the "follow american interests" for the simple reason that their interest are subservient and the elite itself hates the people there and have no intention of trying to regain them.

[@FictionCautious]

Refusing truth and love makes people insane.

[@iKerby]

No one mentioning the fact that Germany is also expected to pay for the household income of all other euro governments.

[@ratnakamal1]

Interesting how the discussions avoided the Ukraine war, sanctions on Russia, and the energy costs hike.

[@khubza8999]

STUNNING ACTUALLY. Everyone is BOUGHT.

[@holymoly40]

Totally predictable!

[@09csr]

The energy issue and Russo-Ukrainian wsr is literally the first thing the first lady says in the vid, not even 5 minutes in. Watch the video, mate...

[@user-xk7vx2yt8e]

Because they are all hypocrites and liars. They know what started these problems but the liars they are they all keep quiet. Remember Germany never said anything about the bombing of the pipeline.

[@bgdabg6769]

It is not so strange if most of comments disappear systematically

[@aliancemd]

The fact that Germany can self-criticize itself and recognize deficits is already good - we believe in you, it’s going to be fine as long as you have intelligent and hardworking people in power

[@Timo-cw4ds]

That was a good one about the competent people in power😉

[@helios7212]

🎯🎯🎯🎯🎯💯💯💯 Exactly man, well said. Being self-critical is central to being reasonable and us in the West are sadly much better than that than the likes of the Kremlin or Beijjng 😔 or nutjob extremists on both sides of the political spectrum domestically, ugh

[@arnodobler1096]

​@@prasadlingamaneniYeah Bloomberg, Wall Steeet Journal sucks

[@prakashthapa2165]

😂😂

[@lifegamerpro4033]

Pakistan India Bangladesh people in power don't like criticize ... simply slap anti national labels

[@masterofpoijosh]

I came to Germany with a Jobseeker Visa to look forward a job as Chemical Engineer, "shortage of qualified personal", more than 250 job applications sent, my Diploma is recognized, i speak fluent German, Result: not single one job offer. I don't know whats wrong: me or them?

[@ideologPodcast]

It's tragic to see Germany is not doing well. I believe, current government needs to retrospect there leadership and communication skills. Some people feels that they are too easy to bend down sacrificing there own interests. To tackle far right, economic boost should be frontier in the short term and then slowly make other transition. And for economic boost, the need bring back some of the nuclear facilities and to do that they need to clearly communicate with people. Confidence building among population is crucial. People are very confused now by their politicians. There is a lack of clarity. Politicians need to speak in clear one voice in order to make people know what are they going to do to solve the crisis. In addition, they need to show the changes or positive outcomes. Problem is not people, problem is with leadership. Crisis can be tackled with good leadership and definitely not with far right, hopeless, manupulating parties.

[@oddvardmyrnes9040]

This was the weakest panel I have ever seen in DW. And that says a lot. Nobody talks about Nordstream & the biggest attack on industrial infrastructure in peacetime. Nothing about on BASF moving to Louisiana, USA due to cheap gas over there. Nothing about how Germany is buying LNG from the USA at double the prize than Russian gas. They address nothing at all that can shine light on the current situation Germany is in. It is still strange to see how intimidated the German people have become. Tragic! And that AFD is right wing is ridiculous.

[@Nidzadrugar]

No evil Russian gas + no Chinese machine market + no ending in Ukraine = German recession, going for depression.

[@youareliedtobythemedia]

Meanwhile in reality Germany is back to not being in recession, and expected to grow again in 2024

[@jcjko5504]

China had steal all technology they can steal from German companies in China. Just looking into to made in China cars as one example.

[@theDark_Knight]

@@jcjko5504 & china will export their cheap products

[@Nidzadrugar]

@@youareliedtobythemedia it was -0,1% in the last quarter, dont be a liar. Also, you are presenting expectation as a reality, you double liar you. Shame

[@urbandiscipline8858]

​​@@jcjko5504yes china "stole" the 5g technology from Germany also. BYD stole their battery technology from Germany also. Lol

[@user-iz3dq5sz3h]

I spent three weeks travelling around Germany in August 2023. I noticed out in the country and villages every house had a massive stack of logs outside. Green agenda only seems to apply to the cities and industry. Beautiful country by the way. Clean and mostly litter free.

[@jjsc4396]

"The problem was there and it was known - but nothing was done about it." That, in a nutshell, is Germany's problem. And when they "tried something" they failed - miserably.

[@n.ringheim7720]

Digitisation of Germany is not about bad WIFI, it is about that most other Nordic counties have all their government forms and contact to the public and companies made digital. You communicate all your dealings with the state or authorities through digital transactions. You never have to show up at an office or write a letter on paper.

[@nadmoi]

Good point. Could you send this as a fax to the German government? Thanks.

[@joeblue2492]

So true !! That Bloomberg guy was typical of the tge ignorant inwards looking attitude I felt there. So many people that are leaders in business are terribly incompetent. The interview was excruciating to watch. The English woman was in the ball , whilst the other 2 were dead fish . Sorry but it’s a real issue in Germany .

[@jdd5886]

Germans love paper. They don't even use credit cards that much.

[@hauptmannbalalaika]

This is excessive digitisation. We have so much cybercrime it's not funny, taking all the data from all kinds of databases and costing the population billions. Excessive digitisation only benefits the software vendors in the US. Writing a letter or filling in a paper form is the lesser evil compared to having your accounts drained. People only tend to look at the 20 minutes or so that it would take you to fill in an online form; they never talk about the costs and hours to set up a system or nanny your equipment, hiring experts. You cannot even prevent your account being drained when they 'port' your phone.

[@angelamilton5134]

@@nadmoi Das wird ein großer misserfolg sein weil sie ihre Papierkram lieben. I hope you get me Lol

[@d1m18]

The upward spiral was also because of the supplied Russian gas. Cheap energy builds economies and countries

[@coondog7934]

Correct. But not anymore. Now we gotta make our own energy and that is a good thing.

[@ulaachtezulaachtiran257]

Cheap Russian gas was a gift from the skies. Gift gone Germany gone.

[@blardymunggas6884]

@@coondog7934👈🏻🤡 now you should focus on building more graves. Germany is game over. That is exactly what the USA and NATO had planned all along. Russia was your only real friend but you U S paid leader has decided to betray a good friend. Now Germany has ZERO real friend. Game over buddy😂

[@slovackoinfo]

Urban legend. Energy was expensive in the past and is only getting more expensive now. Calling something 4x more expensive compared to the US cheap is ridiculous.

[@Interactive-gp8xf]

@@Jose-og909 ‘free cheese only In mousetrap’. India will get in terrible trouble with cheap ruZZki fascist gas as well👎🏼👎🏼👎🏼

[@thisismetoday]

Germany (and Europe) have to be leading on the energy transition, because there was just a report out confirming that we have almost reached the often-talked about tipping point, where climate change will even further accelerate. And there is _no one_ else who can’t currently take the leadership position. To say it is crucial (and urgent!!), is an understatement!

[@Dragana53]

What I noticed in this conversation….. they are not talking with relax , they are very .. very careful in choosing words how they going to express their opinions. I think Europe let Americans to rule them!

[@elderinmoi1571]

Democracy is in danger when politicians rule against the people. This is happening right now in Germany. Energy migration etc. lots of things to worry about and all due to our government.

[@ottobormann]

Germany needs immigrants, because Germans are not having children. So the alternative, and not necessary the best to keep a stable country with language, history and values, but really the only one available.

[@user-evil_thiefsultan]

⁠@@ottobormannGermans should have childrens and change their political problems.

[@niburu1508]

This is happening everywhere in the West - they are no longer able to hide the FACT - that democracy is mythological and fascists/ authoritarians are really in charge.

[@wicksinn]

@@ottobormann Immigrants should not be counted on as *the* standard solution of population decline because it also takes away from immigrants making own societies a success. We need encourage native population growth at home and reliance on immigrants is the sign of an unhealthy society.

[@adnewworkneh4990]

Thanks Putin. Now everyone knows where there are and who they are.

[@arnodobler1096]

Russians? Yes

[@Baker311]

Yes this is chat is filled with bots, KZbin should start to get things in control, since this is getting riddiculous.

[@Music5362]

From the outside I think Germany needs to a few things. 1. Cut low skill migration, go for high skill migration. 2 .Build loads of nuclear, greenest, safest energy known to mankind. 3. Somehow try and get that cheap Russian gas back, for the short term. 4. Build loads of houses and other infrastructure.

[@nemzi8969]

Russian cheap gas for germany is like an alcoholic saying drink beer is for short term

[@Music5362]

@@nemzi8969lol .. but they can stop at any time.

[@user-is7ip1fg1h]

Im amazed that a population that are supposed to be well educated has not reacted sooner to the stupidity and lack of political leadership. Now its to late for Germany to recover economicaly, poliyicaly and industrialy because it lots thr cheap energy sources.

[@manolexing68]

Germany​ needs​ to​ see facts as they are. "Self Damaging" is the​ main theme​ here in many aspects.

[@supadupahilton6848]

Wrong.

[@chopinmack5418]

What's wrong with the US ? 1. Deteriorating Homeless people issues 2. Serious Drugs abuse problems 3. Mass shootings / Guns violence issues 4. Massive Shoplifting problems 5. Extremely Poor Governance / Financial Controls ????? Will Biden say : These are key elements of Democracy , we are promoting these around the World ! ! ! Germany should keep distance from its US big brother !

[@weverleywagstaffe8490]

no healthcare

[@MarcoPolo-hn8or]

Nice panel ❤

[@StillGamingTM]

This isn’t Germany’s first rodeo. While these indicators are concerning, moreso since integration with partners is rather tight, Germany has shown remarkable, unprecedented (economic) recovery before

[@MrShankaPerera]

NATO mission: keep the Russians out, the Americans in, and the Germans down

[@issith7340]

Our condolences from greece 🇬🇷🇬🇷

[@tomaaron6187]

Germany’s ‘issue’ is that after over 3 generations since the end of thr War it still acts as an American vassal’ in foreign policy. Instead it should be a ‘friend’. Germany needs to forge stronger economic ties with China, Russia, MidEast countries like Iran and stage Saudis. NATO ‘unity’ means the USA decides and the rest follow.

[@peterandrea2000]

The opinions expressed in the discussion were varied, except for Katja's, which stood out as a unique perspective. Some shared concerns about issues related to racism, while others felt that the matter was being blown out of proportion. As someone who has lived in Konstanz at the German border for many years, I can attest to the fact that the community there has always been welcoming to foreigners. While I understand that there are valid concerns about the impact of migration on Europe's identity, it is important for us to approach this topic in a respectful and constructive manner that takes into account the perspectives of all those involved. Is there a concern that the integrity and values of Europe may be experiencing a decline?

[@AlexdaCunha]

In the last 10 years i had to use Fax to cancel contracts in Germany. The tax system is a mess. Lots of regular people have to use Steuerberater services🤦

[@pfefferle74]

Maybe you need to get with the times. I haven't used a Fax in Germany in 10 years. Almost all companies are fine with emails, even if you have to attach a PDF scan of a signed document.

[@nimmneun]

You'd be surprised how many small to medium sized businesses still have their stocks in Excel or even paper sheets and require fax. It's insane.

[@AlexdaCunha]

@@pfefferle74 I was requested by McFit to terminate gym membership by fax or letter. I was there personally and they would not do it. Also for SBK health insurance was the same.

[@arnodobler1096]

The last time I used a fax, whether corporate or official, was over 20 years ago.

[@sukhmaidickoff]

@@pfefferle74 In Denmark I can fully report all my personal taxes online. In Denmark I can re-register my car online to a person who buys my car. No need at all to involve the authorities. In Denmark basically all communication with the authorities takes place online. In Denmark I can register a new company online and within minutes (whereas in Germany you need to involve a "Notar" and it can take weeks or months). In Denmark we have one countrywide "centralized" login-portal with ONE app, that you can use to log in to public systems as well as private company systems (e.g. your insurance company or homebanking or the Tax authorities). Sorry to say it but Germany is probably 30 years behind Denmark when it comes to digitalization.

[@zamraaj0652]

One needs to ask a simple question to the German rulers: Russia was not a threat to Germany or any other EU country, German economy was thriving on availability of cheap Russain energy and there was prosperity all around. Then why was there a need to so eagerly jump in the anti Russia American bandwagon? Why wasn't Minks 2 agreement, negotiated by Merkal and Macron, implemented? Why Germany became party to UK and the US - the two countries that scuttled Russia- Ukrain ceasefire deal in March 2022 and prolonged the war? Germans have no one to blame but their rulers for their economic turmoil.

[@BokiXI]

Because they didn't have a choice. US made it clear by blowing up NS2 pipeline.

[@bx70]

Well said! It's all a matter of "soft"leadership. I've been asking myself the same thing. Why would they do such a thing? Did the us threatened them? Maybe 🤔

[@tempestosfugi9846]

„Russia was not a threat to […] or any other EU country”? Are you serious? I think Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Poland, Slovakia and Romania would like to have a word with you!

[@thtecc]

I have worked for 11 yrs in Germany and then moved to the US. Now I am about to retire & when I contacted Rentenversicherung they send me a bunch of paper forms to fill them up and mail them back. Same info could easily be collected online, but unfortunately they don't offer this capability online. In addition, they do not offer email communication to ask potential Qs. As far trying to contact the consulate at San Francisco, good luck to get a response. While you can apply online if you have all the info available and you are 100% clear, if you do have Qs, the only real option to resolve the Qs is to fly to Berlin where Rentenversicherung is located. Kind of "odd" experience..

[@Der-Bjoern]

I think the taxes that all Germans have to pay. are too high and are paralyzing the country and the economy. and it is shameful that a business-friendly party like the FDP would rather focus on redistribution from down to up than tackle this problem

[@briantitchener4829]

The key factor in Germany's economic downturn is high energy costs. No more cheap Russian gas. No more nuclear. A ban on fracking. Importing expensive LNG and a decline in exports of manufactured goods is bringing about recession in Germany. Relying on "green" energy too much will spell disaster. Bureaucracy is horrendous there and a national 'reluctance to change' conservatism is holding the country back in a global digitised world.

[@shawnwoodard]

Wait! What? Reliance on Russian energy was high cost? I thought since your Ukrainian War and the destruction of Nordstream and sanctions on Russian energy you were getting your energy from the West? I don’t know but I hear Europe is paying much more now for energy from the west. I do know our energy companies in the US are making record profits. 🤷‍♂️

[@tonysu8860]

I think you'll find that most global oil and gas comes from the Middle East and not from "the West" when Russia is largely out of the picture.

[@lvnick915]

America should NOT be giving its taxpayer money to fund Russian military so Germany can have free security and cheap energy.

[@arnodobler1096]

Energy prices are like before the war!

[@datawizardworld]

It is striking to me that none of the commentators on screen ever smiled. In contrast, in American TV interviews, professional commentators smile a lot more and have far more facial expressions. Is this a Germany-vs-US cultural difference?

[@thesolitude]

Never have I heard Germany described as “the sick man of Europe”…only Turkey in the times of the last Ottomans

[@weisong4402]

This is what happens when a group of politicians only care about the interests of the United States and ignore the interests of their own country.

[@user-nw7pm6uj2c]

Yes please blame the us for your problems🙄

[@RealROI]

Exactly. Germany is a militarily occupied country. Let that sink in.

[@mickvonbornemann3824]

@@user-nw7pm6uj2c no he’s blaming German polies for committing treason by letting the US dictate their foreign policy. This is 100% fault of German polies, not the US.

[@AlexCrescendo]

@@user-nw7pm6uj2cIf you would have read the comment and actually understood what it means, the US wasn‘t directly blamed.

[@michaelphillips2079]

All the more bizarre considering the the US doesn't care about itself.

[@belizarius_997]

Going through the German job adverts it’s obvious that vast majority of ads for highly skilled IT workers are in German. Nothing wrong with it, sure. But why would you deliberately close yourself off from the global workforce due to the language barrier? Like it or not, but posting job specs in English increases your hiring chances exponentially. At least in IT.

[@lvnick915]

Germany wants its country for Germans that's why.

[@wilhelmvanbabbenburg8443]

I am fluent in German at professional level and I wouldn't want to return to Germany.

[@jensf5740]

As german IT professional, I can't agree more. At my previous job I wrote out an application for an IT job and was basically told I should add "German" as a requirement. I didn't want to, but in the end we agreed to add it as "nice to have". Our team was already international at that point and communicating in english... German as requirement made no sense at all.

[@bruceliu9436]

clever after getting the passport@@wilhelmvanbabbenburg8443

[@joeblue2492]

As a non German IT professional in Germany I completely agree .. It takes 3 years to actually speak German so that a huge resource losss. It’s a perfect form of protectionism from competition. Really sad

[@wifferstess2824]

I don't think the German populace is rejecting democracy. What you're seeing is the erosion of confidence in the current administation because people feel the current policies are not working - sky high costs for energy, food, etc.

[@Saqeynjoro]

Even my phone doesn't have a password 1234😂😂

[@ayushpandey5261]

Complain a bit less - that makes so much sense. As a foreigner, my experience in Germany has been that people complain a lot here about everything.

[@narharisingh192]

And DO NOTHING.

[@JSK010]

@@narharisingh192 You don't understand, you complain so that you can feel good about not doing anything.

[@ankpms830]

And follow just what USA tell them to...

[@0xTK]

[@Rml-qn3jj]

I like this format of communication. Thank you for the work

[@arjunchatterjee875]

I am living a great life thanks to you 😊

[@trommelbiel]

What killed the German economy was their narrow mindedness and "Auslander feindlichkeit". I was a student in Germany in the late 90s when the World Wide Web 🌐 was taking off and l could see that Germany was not ready. German Universities continued with the same teachers some of who were in their late 70s or even early 80s, who have never sent an email. I noticed that American Universities immediately adjusted with young teachers and academics. The core German mentality hates change. The core German mentality is always suspicious of foreigners. It has been like that for decades and it won't change. Now it is AI and l don't think Germany is ready. I don't think they have give up the Fax machines yet. I love Germany but l don't think Germany will ever recover unless countries like China are willing to wait. And if they elect people who are willing to fight Russia 🇷🇺 in order to protect an Ukrainian criminal then German troubles will get worse.

[@ived7138]

The western world is full of hypocrites. Total emissions are not as relevant as per capita emissions in determining which countries make the most impact on the carbon footprint. India’s carbon footprint is very small on a per capita basis compared with countries like Germany and the US.

[@godzillamothra5983]

Germany enjoyed the cheap energy it got from Russia to fuel its economic engine, the booming trade with China, and the free ride on US security arrangement. It is like having three parents. When they are at odds with each other, the child that never grown up is in trouble.

[@victorvotyakov5215]

Nuclear power is the greenest of all reliable sources of energy when the station is already built. I could understand the ban on construction of new ones, but to close operational one... it's very strange decision especially now

[@krollpeter]

It is only temporary, because of all the reforms and changes that we have to facilitate now. Be patient.

[@janark4078]

German tanks are burning on the eastern front and the country is in trouble? What a surprise!

[@UpperZenith]

I live in the US, born here, and also live in Texas which is currently in a 10 year phase of upward economic expansion.... but do not let the reports out of the US commerce, labor, industrial and political branches fool you. They collectively work together to present a rosy picture but the reality is that the US has lost monumental industrial capability by offshoring far too much production capacity to China. The US uses its reserve status to mask this problem by trading currency for material gain. Our military can no longer keep up with naval plans, and wartime support of Ukraine. The US has lost a great position as a industrial powerhouse. Our real unemployment rate is near 12.5%

[@tonysu8860]

A bunch of baloney propagated by Russia and Republicans. Taking these points one by one, Plenty of manufacturing still exists in the USA, particularly advanced manufacturing. Only the low skilled manufacturing has been offshored and that's with little regret because if someone else can make things more cheaply due to low labor costs, then the American Consumer and businesses that import (like Walmart importing from China) benefit. But, you won't see military advanced stealth coatings made overseas. You won't see American spacecraft and aircraft made overseas. And although a lot of American technology is licensed to be produced overseas, important stuff is still made in America. I don't know what is supposed to be meant by "US uses its reserve status to mask this problem(offshoring manufacturing?) by trading currency for material gain." First, every country makes decisions on its currency reserves to address their own needs voluntarily. There is nothing anywhere that forces any country to use the Dollar, if anyone wants to use a different currency to store their nation's wealth or trade settlements, they're freely able to use any currency they wish... It's just that there are such big advantages to using the Dollar that about 95% of all global transactions are done using the Dollar... Again, voluntarily. Regarding USN plans, I don't know that there are any major difficulties. There is talk of modifying future procurement to deploy a greater number of smaller ships but AFAIK there hasn't been any final decisions. In the meantime good progress appears to be happening developing defensive systems that counter hypersonic weapons in recognition that those will likely become the greatest future threats to American ships. As for support for Ukraine, it's costing very little to the American Taxpayer. Military aid to Ukraine's number has been greatly inflated for political purposes but the truth of the matter is that practically everything given to Ukraine is stuff the American military either wouldn't use except in very low numbers and as a 3rd tier strategy or worse or was long scheduled to be replaced within the normal scheduled budgets that existed before the Ukraine war even started. Aside from Europe, and possibly South Korea, the US doesn't envision confronting a near peer adversary like Russia or China directly in a near or far future, the US has limited interest in getting involved in a land war anywhere around the globe after Afghanistan and Iraq. If you consider what has been given Ukraine, it's stuff like Stingers and Javelins that are either obsolete or inexpensive to replace, M777 artillery that are not self propelled, Bradleys that are on the edge of being replaced, M1A1 Abrams that are ancient but updated before being sent to Ukraine... All stuff the US is scheduled to be junked and given away, perfectly good for other countries' use but to be replaced for use by the US military. The only other significant contributions to Ukraine are expendables, primarily ammunition. Aside from the recently authorized ATACMS which will likely be in very small numbers, the cost of ammunition to Ukraine still is valued in the multiple millions, maybe hundreds of millions of dollars over time but again... At least up until now, most of the ammunition have been from existing stores with limited shelf life. The US military should actually benefit by getting rid of old ammunition that is less reliable and replacing with new. It should also be noted that nothing Ukraine has been given in the slightest way affects parts of the US military that would be used in a direct confrontation with either Russia or China. If the US had to fight Russia or China, the US would probably not utilize any land based forces except possibly in very special situations and the fighting would be conducted almost entirely by air and sea. Lastly, you'll have to define your unemployment figure to make sense. There is always going to be some number that naturally exists in a healthy economy as people transition from jobs that are less productive to businesses and jobs that are more relevant. And, a lot of countries would love to see an unemployment figure of 12.5%. Maybe the US might like to see a lower number but that's partly what makes the US economy special.

[@orangeguy3314]

False facts and many others he is trying to sell. Like the real unemployment rate being 12%. Smells like a russian or chinese troll.

[@johnnyflores5954]

Thank Ronald Reagan, and neo conservative friends for that. Funny how no one, ever brings this part of American history up.

[@bchristian85]

Once the boomers are gone, America can begin to have a real discussion on Ronald Reagan. Unfortuately, boomers view him as almost a deity. There's Reagan the myth and there's Reagan as he actually was. The more I learn about who he actually was and what happened during the '80s, the more I dislike him.@@johnnyflores5954

[@meilstone]

I'm Austrian with some German roots and I think people are fed up with the global capitalist economic system as well as the EU that has ruined a lot of traditions like high quality local farming and manufacturing that have been an important part of German identity. The diminishing "middle class" wants an alternative system. At the same time, population becomes more and more diverse through immigration, which sort of transforms the meaning of being "German". This creates insecurity and provides a breeding ground for right wing movements.

[@MLeon-ip7ii]

I am an openly gay German guy in a ten years relationship with my partner and I am a postgraduate academic. Nowadays I fear for my security in Germany - quality of living erodes fast in the country.

[@stanleytolle416]

The biggest mistake in Germany is the shutting down of their nuclear plants. This has jacked up their energy prices and thrown a monkey wrench into their economy. The other thing is Germany's failure to ensure investment in the development of electric cars. Like Germany is at risk of their whole auto industry going belly up.

[@joeblue2492]

Under EU la the price of a kw of electricity MauST be priced at the retail level at the highest cost to produce that kw. This is why sone electricity producers made obscene profits. The nuclear will help but they need a structural reform that forces a flat playing field of competition

[@stanleytolle416]

@@joeblue2492 what makes sense is supply and demand. Like consumer should be charged based on when the electricity is use based on the cost of the electricity at the time. Often electricity producers get contracts. This is often not good for utilities in that they have varying demand over the day, week, season. This is where old stile nuclear plants are having trouble. They are set up to produce unchanging base load and become uneconomic when renewables over produce. So what are needed are nuclear plants that operate at high temperatures and power can be stored as heat to be used when needed.

[@Odalovic]

without cheap energy Germany is done...Bricks is coming and that wall will not fall that easily

[@luizmonteiro_rio]

How did they accept the criminal attack on energy sovereignty on NordStream 2?

[@ivanjindra6024]

"What's happening to the world's fourth-largest economy?" Nothing, he obeys orders from the US.

[@richardderossmensah5213]

Nobody wants to talk about the elephant 🐘 in the room "ENEGRY"... When you lose your source of energy like the United States and Ukraine direct act of war on Germany by taking down the North Stream Pipeline your country will be in trouble..... Even an amateur like me saw this coming😂😂😂😂...

[@fazzmohd9388]

Without cheap Russian gas German economy is doom...Yes they can get it from other resource such as Finland and Canada but the price is would be expansive.

[@coondog7934]

You forgot the most important fact: producing energy on our own (which is even cheaper than russian gas). We won't need to import any gas from abroad in the future (well, technically not 'any gas', but only a tiny amount in comparison).

[@Baker311]

There are always substitutes, almost all countries in Europe have managed to find a way to replace Russian natural gas, and survive, even Finland which has no natural gas or oil managed to do that already, it might be doom and gloom, but in reality it is just a new system we are adapting into.

[@padurarualin7213]

This is what happed with Romania in 90's. Chemical factories closed... Large industrial factories overcome by new tehnologies... Countries that sell at a loss. We were also dependent on gas from Russia. The only way is to invest in new technologies.

[@Jameshowardadventures]

i need to get an appointment for my visa application. i have tried everyday for the last three months and everytime i get "no appointment available" - i feel like the government here is on strike. honestly, i would say the German people are great and a nice place to live mostly. But there are BIG problems culturally and politically. its always someone else's problem in Germany and no one takes accountability for the state of the nation. its falling behind in every area, not just GDP and economics. health, education, digitalization, energy, technology, just general government services are collapsing. why would a skilled worker want to come here?

[@postman11]

Finally DW is looking after its country rather then lobbying for USA

[@happymelon7129]

DW belong to Washxngton 😆

[@jimmycrackcorn99]

It's an English speaking channel so cater to your audience, right?

[@Jose-sy1je]

Lol. So true. I always wonder why they are always so worried about the US border and not their own. Look at their population density and compare it to the US.

[@justsomeguywithoutamustang6436]

rather than*

[@sparks1792]

Oh brother 😂😂

[@thomasf.9869]

Let's not forget how a protracted period of low interest rates has increased inequities, and undermined the social market economy

[@Adhrtme]

"What's wrong with Germany?" - IMHO, Listening to your program is all that is wrong with Germany.

[@carmenlajoie2719]

CGTN The Point-Hub-Heat interview with Seymour Hersh-Jefferey Sachs-Brian Berletic-Aaron Mate....George Galloway MOATS Scott Ritter-Richard Medhurst-Mike Jones-Prof Marandi-Rachel Blevins from RT International