THINGS PEOPLE DISLIKE ABOUT GERMANY (but I do not)

⤹Everything you want to know is here!⤵︎
My FlexiSpot desk - bit.ly/3J2cW4S ✨ More amazing Flexispot offers - bit.ly/3qzBSKp
Complaining is the national sport of Germany and many people are not afraid to express their dislikes about the country. There is however a difference between complaining and actually disliking a particular piece of a society/country. In today's video I go over a few complaints that have turned into legitimate dislikes people have regarding Germany.
More content: zez.am/hayleyalexis
Support my channel here: bit.ly/3GsoAoO
KZbin membership: / @hayleyalexis
Subscribe: bit.ly/2q10I3o
Sources:
Risks paper: bit.ly/3CTBg5C
Rundfunkbeitrag: bit.ly/3CQgvaT
Rundfunkbeitrag 2.0: www.rundfunkbeitrag.de
Subway bread: bit.ly/3O2XAQF
00:00 Introduction & no I don't have any new information about leaving Germany
01:30 Flexispot collaboration
04:20 Strikes
06:41 Cashiers
08:08 Avoiding risks
11:37 Rules
13:36 Rundfunkbeitrag - google the English translation - I am lazy
17:07 Thank you for watching and don't forget to subscribe
THIS VIDEO IS SPONSORED
How old are you?
As old as the days are long
Where are you from?
Florida
Where do you live?
Germany
love yall
Everything listed underneath Affiliate Links or marked with an (*) can result in me earning a very small commission from your purchase with that link. Most items I list under my affiliate tab are items I use daily or from brands I genuinely like. Thank you so much to everyone that has ever used an affiliate link of mine!!
#FlexiSpotDE

[@HayleyAlexis]

Complaining is the national sport of Germany and many people are not afraid to express their dislikes about the country. There is however a difference between complaining and actually disliking a particular piece of a society/country. In today's video I go over a few complaints that have turned into legitimate dislikes people have regarding Germany

[@gustavmeyrink_2.0]

8:20 How about German linguistic (when it comes to technical terms) pedantry? 'Double-edged sword' is basically nonsensical in German because to be a Schwert a bladed weapon has to be double-edged. If it is not double-edged it is technically either a Messer or Säbel but not a sword. The sole exception to this rule (Ausnahmen bestätigen die Regel after all) is the Japanese katana which was after long, long thought by the experts accepted to be a Schwert even though it has a curved, single-edge blade and therefore should really be considered a knife or sabre.

[@berlinbeachkat4878]

Yes, agree to your first sentence, Hayley. But once it’s out, we roll up the sleeves and go to work. 😉

[@gustavmeyrink_2.0]

If you don't complain nothing will improve.

[@berlinbeachkat4878]

@@gustavmeyrink_2.0 What I am saying! ;)

[@wallerwolf6930]

@@gustavmeyrink_2.0 But that's really petty to get hung up on it. Everyone understands what it means!

[@StripLV]

You forgot to mention there are LESS commercial breaks in the public TV channels. AND starting 8pm there are NO commercials at all until 12pm!

[@seanthiar]

There shouldn't be any commercials if it's public TV or radio. If I pay a fee I expect no adverts. There is nothing in the Rundfunkstaatsvertrag that says that adverts are part of it.

[@leDespicable]

@@seanthiar This! We have the perk of living close to the Austrian border, so we always used to watch long movies on ORF when they were on, since Austria actually understands what a public broadcaster is. We even recorded Titanic from there once, 3 hours and not a single ad break.

[@MyvIsLove2]

I see my fellow Germans constantly crying over the fact that no one goes onto the streets to protest stuff but then when strikes from unions happening, they get mad. like what the fuck do you want? I work for DB and I have been working under one of the lowest contracts there and let me tell you, the chaos these days happening is necessary and I am glad, SO glad our union finally stands strong. I am literally praying rn that unlimited strikes will start and Germany will stand still and I don't give a damn about the Ppl having to go to work complaining because THAT'S WHAT STRIKES DO!! we deserve proper payment and I am so done with media and our oh so mighty CEO for painting us as villains when there are thousands of workers not even reaching minimum wage. it is our given right to strike and if people don't understand why we do it, they are just selfish

[@sadhbh4652]

Yes!!! Support the strikers!

[@manub.3847]

Union affinity and thus also the number of people to push through wage increases etc. through strikes are scarce in my commercial area. But the colleagues whine when the union does not get more salary out and do not understand that they themselves refuse to become part (not a member through payment of contributions) of the negotiation process.

[@MsSpike2005]

Ich muss dir mal auf Deutsch antworten. Dass für höhere Löhne und bessere Bedingungen gestreikt wird, ist vollkommen in Ordnung. Aber dein Satz, und ich zitiere: "Ich bete im Moment buchstäblich dafür, dass unbegrenzte Streiks beginnen und Deutschland stillsteht, und ich gebe einen Dreck auf die Leute, die zur Arbeit gehen und sich beschweren, denn DAS ist es, was Streiks bewirken!" Dieser Satz geht gar nicht. Ein sehr großer Teil z. B. im Dienstleistungsgewerbe haben keine Gewerkschaften hinter sich. Dort arbeiten die Leute für den Mindestlohn und ich finde es von einem Mitarbeiter der DB nicht gut, pauschal all0e Bahnfahrer über einen Kamm zu scheeren und eine solche Einstellung zu den Leuten zu haben, welche dafür sorgen, dass DU überhaupt arbeit hast. Würden alle Leute auf die Bahn scheißen, dürftest du zum Amt rennen und für ein höheres Bürgergeld streiken. Vielleicht solltet ihr mal parallel dafür sorgen, dass die Bahnen zur Abwechslung mal pünktlich kommen. Und wenn man am Bahnhof steht wäre es auch mal total toll, wenn nicht immer einmal am Tag mindestens eine Durchsage kommt, "Der RE... ursprüngliche Abfahrtszeit ... Uhr enfällt leider heute. Wir bitten um Entschuldigung." Vielleicht mal mit pauschalen Anschuldigungen entwas zurückhaltender sein.

[@vklaus8702]

Haha, the cashier thing is funny. I as a German always challenge myself, buying groceries once a week for our family which tends to be a huge amount of things to pack, to finish packing the same moment the cashier is done scanning it. Sometimes I even have to wait for the cashier to scan bc I am so quick at packing. That always makes my day, haha!!

[@OliverTacke]

Same here 😂

[@christianeedel5160]

The UK also has something like the Rundfunkgebühr (TV licence fee), that fund the BBC. The arguments for and against that are pretty much the same here I would say. Personally I support a publicly funded broadcaster.

[@martinlutz5446]

The German system was actually intentionally modelled on the BBC by the allies

[@Ophomox]

I‘m German and I take risks: Nearly every day I left my house and walk to the bakery for Teilchen. 🤪

[@HayleyAlexis]

Don't forget to bring your weapons for protection :P

[@Ophomox]

@@HayleyAlexis Too dangerous. Do you know what happens if I take the knife at the wrong end… And is such an accident in my insurences?

[@ramblingmillennial1560]

lmaoo

[@anna2731]

I'm glad that you defended the strikers.

[@bobe.thomas]

As an American 15 years in Germany, I would not say that Germans avoid risks, rather I'd say that Germans are cautious and tend to be success-oriented. Further, especially when driving, I like that Germans are cautious. Many Germans seem very aware that to act impulsively or to take non-calculated risks can often lead to unnecessary complications and costs / losses. re: caution and driving -- In Boston, where I lived for 30 years, it seemed like a large proportion of drivers were 1) impulsive 2) impatient and 3) relying on other drivers to take the necessary measure to avoid having an accident with them.

[@val-schaeffer1117]

"As an American 15 years in Germany, I would not say that Germans avoid risks" - why should it NOT be for individuals to decide that? Like in Switzerland. German salaries are among the worst in OECD for the productivity demand for a specific job. Add to that sky high tax and social security contribution. E.g. a technical architect working for Oracle in Houston would get salaries in range of 200,000 USD p.a., whereas his equivalent with a tertiary degree in CS from major German Technische Universitäten, would command 62,000 EUR before tax, transpirng into a paltry 3000 Euro per month after all deductions, that too in an expensive city like Munich or Hamburg. From Europe, only Switzerland can match urban US skilled job salaries (even London and Luxembourg would be far behind). PS: German median wealth ownership is worse than Malta and Slovenia, and at par with Greece and Portugal.

[@christianscholer2760]

Hey Haley! Thank you for your Video! 😊 Addressing the „Rundfunkgebühren“… As a student, I always complained about these mandatory fees, in which I never saw a sense in. But NOW I see the democratic relevance of it! Due to its (mostly) independent crowdfunded financial base, the press can keep its independent mind and can address and criticize companies or even the government. Compared with the US, the influence of big companies' money is less, and we don’t have a „Staatsfersehen“ like in autocratic states like Russia. There might be a tendency to a more left political mind within the independent media, but it is not due to a financial dependence on any political party or the government. I think this is a big and important thing for our society. A free and financially independent press is the fourth force of a democracy.

[@wallerwolf6930]

Absolutely the right attitude and perspective!

[@anna2731]

I also appreciate the Rundfunk. In the past I did not use it, but two years ago I thought, to myself, I'm paying for thus I might as well use it. Now I mostly listen to the rundfunk radio and I think the content they make is really good. And radio is also a bit more diverse with the viewpoints then tv.

[@straycat3476]

Can we please appreciate the camera work during the add of the desk?

[@gabriellemoore4044]

Hayley, all the best on your new journey! We will certainly miss you on this side of the Big Pond. Will you continue vlogging from Florida?

[@HayleyAlexis]

That's the plan! I am just doing a lot right now that requires a lot of energy/time. I will be vlogging before during and after I leave Germany... I just need to get my life organized at the moment!

[@berlinbeachkat4878]

@@HayleyAlexisStill in shock that you are leaving.

[@shahlabadel8628]

Please do keep vlogging!your videos are always interesting, no matter where you are.

[@HayleyAlexis]

@@berlinbeachkat4878 me too!

[@berlinbeachkat4878]

@@HayleyAlexis I wish you all the best for the move and your studies. Will be still following you. It’s just crazy what is happening in the States. I am in the Pensacola area. The deep red sea.

[@rolandscherer1574]

People who complain about the frequency of strikes in Germany have never been to France, the UK or Italy. The mistake people make when they think cashiers are moving too fast is that they want to bag things, not just put them in the cart and take it to the car and bag them there. In Germany there are rules on how to change the rules, in some countries it just happens by accident. I gladly pay the broadcasting fee, because the public broadcasters are obliged to tell the truth, and if they do not comply, you can take action against them. Furthermore, they do not interrupt their programs every 5 minutes for advertising.

[@beldin2987]

Totally agree, just put the stuff in the cart, pay, go out, and then pack it in your bags and take all the time you need, because now you don't waste the time of all the people standing in the line after you.

[@not-even-german4892]

🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉 Genau

[@wallerwolf6930]

Look exactly the same! But some people don't want to admit that ;-)) These are (often) those who take to the streets, but only to cause trouble.

[@aggy1230]

Have lived and studied in GDR ( East Germany at that time), just have a lot of respect for Germans for their love( or its not a love, its a rules...maybe) for order, cleanness and common sense, thanks to Germans i am who i am!

[@martinmarheinecke7677]

Hey Hayley, in an international comparison, Germans are not very keen to go on strike. The annual average is less than 10 days of strike per 1,000 employees, in France it is about 10 times as many. (Less strikes in the USA than in Germany, much more in Canada.) In most sectors, strikes are rare and short. The railways and the airlines are exceptions, for structural reasons.

[@bavariancarenthusiast2722]

Good point - may I add on a personal experience - French employees are treated much worse then German employees in the given country. I would not have believed it before - so good on the French who go to strike, because they have to. We germans have much better legal protection. I am in court with my Ex French employer.

[@Phiyedough]

The fast checkout operators are OK as long as there is plenty of space for the checked out items. I've been to smaller supermarkets where there is just a tiny shelf, sometimes with a perspex screen that limits your access to the goods. You have to take stuff off that shelf at breakneck speed before it starts falling on the floor!

[@user-sm3xq5ob5d]

Never let you get stressed by the cashier. YOU are the customer. So, if anythinng goes wrong the store has to replace it. And it will. I have encountered serveral times a situation where a customer dropped an item which then cracked, think a carton of eggs, while still not having paid for it. In all cases the employees let the customer pick another item as replacement. Even despite the fact that it was clearly the customer who was to blame.

[@shahlabadel8628]

what happens if things fall down? you will be fined by ordnungsamt??

[@thomasp.5057]

Ich freue mich auf Dein Schlachtfeld! 😂 About Rundfunkgebühren: on major idea of that is to make the broadcasting stations more independent from different organisations, economic companies, an also the state itself. Private stations depend typically on advertising: the more peopele see your program the more money you earn. Leading to low quality, but high viewing rates. The most people want entertainment instead of culture or reliable information. On the other hand, stations driven by the state will more likely depend on the current government an possibly suppress other point of views. Our "Öffentlich Rechtlicher Rundfunk" (public-law broadcasting) is a way between this two poles: every household has to pay this broadcasting fee, PLUS the statios will also broadcast some advertising in the afternoon (making the fees cheaper) which leads to the situation that the stations get money from the citizens PLUS from industry and comerce making the stations more independent.

[@haraldreimann-trusheim2993]

Our "Öffentlicher Rundfunk" is not regulated by the state! It is regulated by the "Rundfunkrat". The members of this "Rundfunkrat" are chosen from state, church, unions and a lot of other groups. The whole of it tries to represent our society in it`s own changing mixture. The idea is to have an independent journalism which is able to reflect on everything that is happening not being dependent on big advertisers.

[@richardmangelmann4975]

Off topic but your voice and the manner in which you speak is so calming. Like ASMR

[@ramblingmillennial1560]

That elevator metaphor tho LOL. You are very right about the risk aversion tho. It's not even just risk I feel like trying something that may be a bit difficult is always met with discouragement. Like "Hey, should I try this?" "No you'd never make it" ...gee thanks.

[@carlsenat9028]

The desk looks amazing, very practical. Do they have a english version website.

[@HayleyAlexis]

I don't know how to change the language but I do know the have a US version of the website that you can change to at the bottom of the website.

[@KungFuPadawan]

I don’t think, we (the Germans) are AVOIDING risks, but I think for us there is no reason for taking risks.

[@HayleyAlexis]

I agree and disagree. Of course people are very comfortable in Germany so there is minimal reason to take risks but there are a bunch of people that want more (in different areas of life) but choose not to because of the fear of taking risks. Whether these things are good or beneficial is honestly (usually) a question of perspective.

[@gilde915]

May i shift your point a lil bit.....germans take calculated risks, to a degree, and only if the odds are in their favor.

[@KungFuPadawan]

Yes, you're right, on the one hand we don't want to leave our comfort zone, on the other hand we don't want to lose it (or risk it).

[@bavariancarenthusiast2722]

We are risk averse as a society - that's good and bad and to be discussed.

[@thomasfreygang8794]

Meint ihr Schwachköpfe in einem Mercedes sitzen zu können, wenn eure Vorfahren und Erzeuger gleichsam so behindert gewesen wären?! - Den Wettbewerb um das beste Denglish könnt ihr euch selber geben…

[@reinerbergkamen7852]

Hayley is back. Better than ever

[@pfalzgraf7527]

Schlachtfeld? I'm with you all the way: Strikes ... not too prevalent in Germany anyway, in other countries they are worse. Cashiers ... well, sometimes annoying but overall - yeah, it is a quick shopping ... Avoiding risks - you are not obliged to take a risk. It's cultural. And it seems to work. Rules: well, look, I rarely ever feel a bad impact. And where they have it, I look at other countries and I see that there are stupid rules in other places, too! I love watching TV and listening to radio and using certain Mediatheken without adverts.

[@justin-g-360]

The UK (Television license which also covers BBC radio) and Italy (included for some reason in the electric bill for public TV and radio) also are versions of Rundfunkbeitrag ([public] broadcasting fee). US doesn't have it but many countries do. Generally I favor it, even if the content isn't as neutral as I'd prefer (especially lately the UK).

[@peterdonecker6924]

Hi Hayley, again an amazing video of yours. I agree, that Germans are really risk-averse. They are alway afraid of loosing something. Thats the main reason why Germans do not invest into the stock-market, they keep it on their savings account and watch it melting down slowly. One main reason for that was tthe T-Mobile/Telecom share, that was hyped in the early 2000s. A lot of people invested there and then it crashed in the course of the dotcom-bubble bursting. A lot of people lost almost all their savings. And again this happened just a few years ago with Wirecard. They are afraid of becoming self-employed, because their business may not prosper, and if they go bankrupt with their business, they feel ashame. We do not have a culture of fail and try it again with another better idea.

[@sashimster3243]

The hair with the earrings is gorgeous and you're positively glowing. Meanwhile I went swimming at the lake the day before yesterday and now my nose is peeling and my trunk still looks like cheese curds. Sigh

[@danny80867]

Never seen such a fascinting&attractive desk presentation 🤩🤩😅😊

[@lonespokesperson7254]

Yes, why do you compare the 2 cultures? I mean, sure, if I stay 6 months in one country, and 6 months in the other country, actively taking part in both countries is possible, but only to a certain point. As far as the "Rundfunkgebühren" are concerned, it is MANDATORY if you exceed a certain amount of money that you earn on a monthly basis. Even if you don't even OWN a TV, you still have to pay the fee. Having observed this system since 1971, German public TV has indeed changed. ARD and ZDF once upon a time aired a great amount of American TV shows, however, not all the episodes, because they thought it might not be good for you. The 3rd TV channels used to air U.S. movies from the 30's and 40's, even in the English language version with German subtitles. Later on, the dropped that entirely. In the 70's and 80's in some regions TV did not even start broadcasting before around 4 pm. If you lived in Bavaria before the 80's, you had the choice of 3 TV channels and that was it. If you were lucky enough to get the signal of AFTV, you could watch TV for the troops.But you needed a special TV for that. If you lived near the East German border, you could watch East German TV - but - in black and white, because the GDR had secam color. And there were 2 Germanys, 3 if you count West Berlin. You could only watch the 3rd Bavarian TV channel in addition to ARD and ZDF. Period. Again, if you lived near the East German border or in West Berlin, you could watch their TV and listen to their radio stations. If you lived in MUNICH, of course, you couldn't receive East German radio and TV, so you had to always TRUST ARD, ZDF and the respective 3rd channel (DRITTES PROGRAMM) And the news coverage (the Tagesschau has been around since 1952, I believe) was more objective than it is today. East Germany, on the other hand, was almost entirely blanketed by ARD, ZDF and the respective 3rd channel. As a matter of fact, it was very much frowned upon for East Germans to watch "enemy TV", one could get in to real trouble. In the 80's, you had more people watching West German TV than EVER. An example of what they did, is, that the turned Star Trek - TOS - in to a kid's program, some episodes were not even AIRED. It was called "Raumschiff Enterprise" The so called "NAZI EPISODE" was not aired until many years later, The series was aired at 5:45 pm on Saturdays. Point being, there aren't any more U.S. crime dramas, sitcoms and the like on ARD and ZDF anymore. Final point being, the "Rundfunkgebühren" are mandatory. That means, I have to pay whether the TV people are meeting my standards or not. And if I pay the GEZ money every 3 months, I am paying for extremely biased Germany TV. - and German dubbed. Furthermore, this isn't exactly motivation for the TV employees at ARD and ZDF, I always get paid, whether I do a good job or not. One has to take into consideration that there was no internet back in the days, and STAR TREK TOS was not aired until 1972. You didn't really know what you were missing, unless you got on a plane and took a trip i.e. to FLORIDA, in your case. Finally, today, you have loads of GERMAN public TV stations to choose from. If I dub English language movies and TV shows into German, well, I don't really learn English this way, now do I ? To my knowledge, FRANCE got rid of the GEZ not too long ago. PBS, on the other hand, do these pledge drives, and since the programs are of a different quality than the NETWORKS, people usually donate. You are sorta on the right track - public German TV is always available, regardless of whether you pay or not. Back in the days, there were vans that would track your TV signal. They would look in the catalog and find that Mr.or Mrs. X wasn't paying, getting "free TV". Then you would have to pay your outstanding "backtaxes" if you will (Rundfunkgebühren). Back in the days, the German news was a lot less BIASED then it is today. People receiving benefits such as BÜRGERGELD - formerly Hartz 4 - are always exempt from the GEZ. However, you have to fill out a form and let them know and forward the confirmation from the job center that you are receiving unemployment benefits.

[@sarumanork-orphanage5612]

3:12 "Mike is a tic taller than me" 😂😂😂 Ha! That was German, I caught that! "ein Tick" for English speakers is "a tad", she did in fact mean he's just "a tad taller", but not specifically by the size of a "tic" (German: "Zecke") What a nice and genuine little mixup, very subtle, I'm a bit happy I caught that, just because it was so pure!

[@kind_of_willow3193]

The problem with taking risks in germany is, as i mentioned in a similar video from you to the same subject, that we have such a complicated system of official orders, that it's often not worth to build a business, even a small one. The possibilities in the US are (still) better, although even there things are getting more complicated and official regulated. Believe me, we would, if we could. But sometimes i think, that, first of all, small businesses are not wanted, perhaps because of the load of bureaucratic work, that it makes for the institutions. Or, malicious thought, to prevent espacially women to be self-employed, who often could (only) built tiny businesses, if there would be a better system to support that.

[@yxnsoong735]

Hi Hayley, in regards to taking risks - if you have a small one-person company and it goes belly up and you end up filing for personal bankruptcy, it will take 10 years before you are cleared of bankruptcy. 10 years! One reason why risks are not taken that much.

[@rexman9002]

Hey Haley. Will you be doing a video collaboration with TreyDaze before you leave Germany?

[@merrymata2547]

A lot of regulations in the USA are actually to benefit the handful of those who own everything, not the average person.

[@FHB71]

I am German and I am totally in favor of Rundfunkgebühren. I basically do not watch any private television because the advertisements annoy me to a max and the standards there are very low.

[@BrokenCurtain]

I barely watch any television at all - but when I do and zap through the repulsive "reality TV" bullshit of VOX, RTL2 etc., I'm glad that there's Arte, 3sat, Phoenix and so on.

[@seanthiar]

I'm German and I'm against them - 1st they are to high and 2nd they waste money. First starting with how do they get the money - other countries use already existing governmental structures to get the money like their local IRS - Germany created a money gobbling business that cost extra money to do the same. 2nd there are to many local offices, for example just check the 3rd programs like WDR, MDR etc. Why is there more than one TV frequency in cable in use. I understand the history. There was for example a difference between the programs in Cologne, Siegen, Dortmund etc. in NRW but for over an decade by now there isn't. There is for example just no need for 11 different studios and TV frequencies in cable in NRW. If the programs does not differ you can reduce it to one frequency. And for not regional parts - like classical radio. Classic radio in NRW, Bavaria etc. often share the program - why don't they reduce to one or two classical radios in Germany instead of 15 or more. It's the same for other programs. And some of them are just superfluous like the extra sender that only repeats the Tagesschau for 24h. 21 TV programs and 69 radio programs are just to much and to expensive for just fulfilling the interstate agreement for media business. And it's not that those programs are free of adverts - what they should. About the fee's - They are about 18€ a month and they want about 20€/month. Germans pay the 3rd highest fees - only Switzerland and Austria pay more. And that the German ARD/ZDF want more happens at a time when their profit is at a record height. For that money/month I get better entertainment and better information at other places. The high fees are no guarantee for high quality. Best example is BBC - they produce world class series and new world stars one after the other with less of half the budget ARD/ZDF (GEZ) has. To much money leads to wasting money and bad quality. Best German example is Tatort that is by now only a shadow of the quality of the past. They need a hefty budget cut and need to get rid of that bloated bureaucracy. There is no needed change.

[@robert48719]

What pisses me off the most is that you have to pay (I don't even own a TV) but they seem to support only one opinion. And they do it over and over. Now don't get me wrong im totally unpolitical, but having them praise dangerous climate Protests and far left Views, and only that, is not the way i'd like to spend my money. Especially when it feels like they want to set you right and teaching you who's the good and the bad ones

[@val-schaeffer1117]

You do not watch private channels, is your CHOICE. Why do you deny that same choice for others who do not want to watch German propaganda driven public TV?

[@FHB71]

@@val-schaeffer1117 either you are trolling or you have a huge misconception. I prefer public television because there are many control mechanisms in place for the content while private TV is privately controlled and can follow whatever agenda a private entity wants.

[@lynnsintention5722]

Yeah the TV tax sucks..I don't even watch TV

[@bavariancarenthusiast2722]

GEZ und ÖRR sind ein heisses, weil polarisierendes Thema. Es ist super wenn man den Vergleich mit den USA. Ich nutze vor allem die Nachrichten bei den ÖRR; das ist journalistisch gut gemacht.

[@Why-D]

Der Rundfunkbeitrag / contribution (it has been a fee before 2013) is dedicated to fund the public broadcasting in Germany. There are more than 20 TV Stations and around 40 Radio stations in Germany and some even together with the neighbours, like arte together with the French oder 3 Sat together with Switzerland and Austria als well as the DW for the whole world and some channels in the internet as well, like the quarks science cops. The basic for this is the "Rundfunkstattsvertrag". The task for the public Broadcasting is to inform, entertain and educate and beeing non-partisan. So no matter if it is a chancelor or a minister or a politician from the opposition, you get though questions. This was made after the second world war to get sure, the broadcast will not help just the leading party and influence the people in a certain way. It is a contribution, like in an insurance, as everyone could participate and has a benefit from indipendent journalism and from education programms like Telekolleg, wiso, Quarks and others. And when you watch "Die Anstalt", "Extra 3" and other programms these are harsh satire against all politicians and decisions. We see in Germany that some media are strictly for one party, like the Springer-Press always is pro FPD or conservativs. Like Fox News in the USA. Or other governmental run channels do never critizise, like Russia. Mostly those, that do not like independent information, as the far right and sometimes even the conservatives are against the public broadcast and claim that costs too much, as they cannot say, we do not like them, as they show the people the truth or options. While other nations have a public broadcast paid by taxes, they have choosen in Germany to have this contribution to clearly show, how much it costs and there is an independent commission the KEF that lays down the amount to pay.

[@mylena3086]

I agree very much 😁 Thank you Hayley 💚

[@HayleyAlexis]

You're so welcome!

[@janpracht6662]

@@HayleyAlexis Rundfunkgebühr: In a ZDF audience-contest my father won a car (SUV Nissan Quashquai) in 2016. So he got far more money back from this public channel than he paid for Rundfunkgebühr in his whole life... ☺

[@jha6783]

I watched people from the usa to talk about your video and they realy liked it. because you were talking about things that are never talked about in the usa. So you will take a lot of thinking and empathie with you if you leave us.😪

[@jha6783]

I realy agree with your fear about private jornalism. It is OK that there has to be a journalism without beeing paid from a person, a company or a government. But those people have to be paid too. The problem is: Are they impartial?

[@manbok2035]

The avoiding risk bit, is so annoying. That is also exactly the reason why it is so hard to get a job in Germany. No company takes a risk, taking employees.

[@lazyperfectionist1]

3:13 I mean this desk _looks_ handy, but where do you keep your files? _Everyone_ has to keep files. You're not organized _without_ them.

[@AV-we6wo]

Yes, of course you need all your official documents and important letters etc. in physical form. Storing papers in a filing cabinet is much safer than having data on a computer 😀.

[@GlenHunt]

And you're coming back to FL where half of our population is the "get off my lawn!" type.

[@lars-hendrikschilling3531]

Rundfunkgebühr pays for the Sendung mit der Maus. Who could be against that?

[@HayleyAlexis]

Oh my... I did not know.... well... I really can't complain after receiving this information

[@GlenHunt]

Laura Kampf is on that show and is a KZbinr as well! She's quality people!

[@jessicaely2521]

My mother in law hates it because she doesn't use TV, radio, or internet. My husband bought her a TV thinking she would watch TV. Nope. The TV has been sitting for 15 years. She told me any kind of TV rots your brain (she doesn't understand what moderation is). She refuses to hear TV shows like Sesame Street (Sesamstraße) educational. She refuses to believe the US made the show for underprivileged children. Underprivileged children were children who didn't go to preschool. She thinks you only need the newspaper in your life.

[@Miristzuheiss]

I love the content of GEZ. Without TV since 15 years, bought a great eletric "Kamin"? Chimini? Instead. All other TV Shows i see on KZbin and i go to cinemas here at Düsseldorf, 8 Euro every Hollywood Film in original. Easy low cost living

[@jennyh4025]

I came here to write that!

[@Wolfspaule]

guter Tisch!

[@nadine8742]

Why didn't KZbin Show me this Video came out?😮

[@HayleyAlexis]

Good question 🥴

[@Christian-il4fe]

Danke!

[@HayleyAlexis]

Danke Christian

[@pixelbartus]

The only point i disagree with you is the one with the cashiers. Not only because it can be annoying for the custumer, but because it's stressfull for the workers. In some supermarkets the speed of the cashiers is monitored and the goal is not to handle the customer fast, but to avoid paying one or two more cashiers for the same average customers waiting time in a less stressfull environment

[@amvds1275]

I agree. I often cross the border to buy some groceries in Germany. Sometimes I have to stand in line for 10-15 minutes. And the cashiers have to work while facing those lines of people. That must be very stressful. And it is not customer friendy towards older people. There are some supermarkets though that have more space for the groceries that have been scanned, so you can take your time to pack them

[@camiro66]

Battlefield is prepared😂

[@ESCLuciaSlovakia]

Maybe the people who want to take risks have already done it and left to the USA, so now there are less risk-takers in Europe and more in the USA. Just a speculation. 😆

[@mylena3086]

'Mike is a tic(k) taller' Heehee I love a good (un)intentional pun 😁

[@juliaq.5968]

I agree with most or actually all of your points. people ask you why you compare usa to Germany is weird. I mean, it's not that you keep telling us that you spend a couple of years im Japan, then moved to New Zealand and finally explore the life in Argentin, not to mention the years in Georgian. 😂😂😂😂. It's normal if you make experiences in different places that you start to compare. I think it's interesting. And it's not that all german like everything about Germany, definitely not.😊. There are good and bad in all places. ❤

[@jennyh4025]

You will be missed in Germany, but maybe you can return once you have finished your program! I know the USA need people like you, but I am afraid you are and will be appreciated more in Germany than your country of birth.

[@FabiWe91]

I so agree with Germans (and the same applies to Austrians too) taking not enough risk. I am German and I developed an innovative mindset because of the course I studied. Now at work at an Austrian company I feel impatience and low key desperation regularly because people don't dare to change anything about their ways of working, producing and the products they offer. Even if all signs point toward certain risks being actually rather safe.

[@HayleyAlexis]

My FlexiSpot desk - bit.ly/3J2cW4S ✨ More amazing Flexispot offers - bit.ly/3qzBSKp

[@lazyperfectionist1]

8:25 Ah. Look a little further down that article. You _can't_ have an attitude of seeking _risk_ in a land of truly "unlimited" opportunities. If the opportunities of a given land are _truly_ "unlimited," then there's no _risk._ That would be a _contradiction._ But then, I suspect, Europeans in general tend to _understand_ this better than we do in the US. The US economy is so much more prone to _recessions._ It has periods of _explosive growth,_ interspersed with periods of _collapse,_ when it becomes apparent that the explosive growth was actually a _speculative_ bubble.

[@helgeschneider9069]

complete right for the rundfunkgebühr!!!!

[@lynnsintention5722]

Yeah my German friends can't understand why I would want to do anything new at my age ....Or invest any money into my hobbys, move to another apartment or anything else that causes "risk" It is very bad for inovation and there is very little entrapanurial stuff here because people think it is safer to just work a normal job for life

[@DSP16569]

If you see it from the other side (negative): Your german friends don't understood why you waste all your money for short time pleasure (Hobby), don't know what you want and change your opinion often or waste money by spontanious unplanned actions (Mentaly unstable? - Why you rent the other Appartment when it doesn'T fit your "needs" a week later? Why not sit for a moment and make a list what you really need and then search for the best fit?) - All this is very bad for your bank account and makes you a slave to banks (because you have to pay back all your depts).

[@shahlabadel8628]

exactly! American way of life, overall is greatly overestimated.

[@Thiesi]

One thing I absolutely dislike about Germany nowadays is how _Hayley-less_ it is. Gross!

[@HayleyAlexis]

I miss it even more

[@lazyperfectionist1]

14:39 "And so, what you get with this Rundfunkgebühr is the ability to access websites, platforms, TV stations, radio stations that are funded by this money, that are supposed to be, in my opinion, a higher _standard,_ a higher _journalistic_ standard, a higher... um, or just, like, _neutral_ standard than their privately funded _counterparts."_ "Privately," as in, from _sponsors?_

[@susannehailer1324]

👍😊

[@fritzmeier1717]

Back in the USA? So no Grünkohl anymore, hm? 😢

[@vaiciciaku]

In Germany they are not entering the elevator.

[@manfrednath2485]

Na ja, das Interessante ist ja die kulturelle Differenz zwischen den USA und Germany. Das Witzige ist ja gerade Mike und Hayley. Eine Amerikanerin in Amerika ist nicht so interessant.

[@heraldreichel1971]

Thanks for not being a dick. As a woman Tens of thousands of years of oppression necessarily made you turn out bad. Or should have. :-)

[@Tenajeh]

Re Strikes: No, they do not attack "the little people". Employer propaganda only twists it this way while THEY are the ones holding the public hostage to squeeze more work for less money out of their workers. Customers, like train passengers can get their money back and also not go to work because of force majeure. Re Fast cashiers: Why even care? Just put the stuff back in your cart and then pack it up at your own leisure outside. Re Risk taking: The only people who can take risks are the ones who can afford to lose everything they put into that risk. I leave it up to you to think up what kind of people can do that and why they have so much they can lose without breaking into sweat.

[@kellymcbright5456]

German language has proverb: Anderswo sind die Wiesen immer grüner (meadows are always greener elsewhere).

[@jandamskier6510]

Were you not leaving Germany???

[@lynnsintention5722]

Germans are not ambitious like americans...even in things that don't cost money

[@pedroparkros2569]

Sry das ich dass hier nach 2 min beendet hab, aber ich hab grad kein Bock auf 2sprachig zu denken 😅

[@deliapayne1162]

Avoid risks by not riding a bicycle 😅

[@user-xi6nk4xs4s]

Avoid even more risks by not riding a car!

[@Sycokay]

The checkouts in Germany have imho become worse, because for a long while now there are just a few centimeters space after the conveyor belt for your wares, and there is only place for one person behind it. I remember there being two lanes, more than a meter long, and the cashier switching between those. That is faster for the cashier, because they don't need to wait until you pack your stuff, and can instantly go over to the next customer, and it is much more chill for the customers, because they have time to bag their stuff without getting glares^^ ...imho a much better system, I don't know why they abandoned it.

[@schurlbirkenbach1995]

Those who loved to take risks, did not survive WW I and WW II. (and that was valid for both sides, Nazis and Antinazis)

[@sarumanork-orphanage5612]

try putting a solar panel on your roof in Germany, and you should have an idea why people don't take that much initiative 😂😂😂😂😂

[@hh-kv6fh]

ich schau zb seit 5 jahren kein fernsehen mehr. hab netflix und disney. bin zuletzt bei ard und zdf nur noch eingeschlafen. aber ich muss für die noch bezahlen?

[@martinfehringer6408]

Versuch es mit Arte und 3sat

[@erikweber8514]

Ja, nennt sich Grundversorgung laut Grundgesetz und ist ausgewuchert. Man könnte den ÖRR auch linken Medienkrebs nennen.

[@hh-kv6fh]

@@martinfehringer6408 haben die die Bundesliga?^^

[@martinfehringer6408]

@@hh-kv6fh Die haben auch kein Star Trek und dennoch gutes Programm 😏

[@vo.thomas1116]

Hey Hayley - come on, please stay here. You're such a nice and smart person and I'm enjoying your impressions and your comments about us germans... By the way - kind regards to your mother 🙂

[@CathyTalksMiami]

I agree with you, the only thing that I still don’t get super used too when I visit Germany is the supermarket cashier… I don’t like it super slow (Publix style) but I don’t like it superrrr fast either, sometimes you don’t even have time to breathe 😂 A “perfect balance” between Germany and the US would be ideal 😊

[@aarhusnord]

One of the problems about Germany when I compare it to my native Denmark is, that Germany is very conservative of nature and terribly underdeveloped when it comes to e.g. digital services. German mobileservices and broadband internet are like in some third world countries, their love for paper and fax machines was apparent during Covid19. I were in West Greenland 4 years ago, in a town of 2.500 inhabitants and the internet connection there was better than in Berlin. Germans also still use cash extensively, where as we in Denmark have Dankort, MobilePay, ApplePay and similar electronic payment systems. You can also use cash here, but mostly the elderly do. Going to Germany is a bit like a trip back to the eighties or early nineties. That country has been standing still for at least 16 years under Merkel, while a nation such as for example Poland appears to be much more future-oriented. Their Eastern and Central European neighbours are the future of Europe, not Germany. In general, Germany to me is a very bureaucratic and non-dynamic society. Their politicians appear naive - just look at the German dependence on Russian energy. That has been a disaster, not to put more weight on green renewable sources, like here in Denmark. Germany appeared successful until the nineties or early 2000's, even after the re-unification, but since then, Germany has become an ageing, "frightened" and backwards-looking society. Their love for Aldi says it all. Low quality, prices still too high, not very attractive. The same boring stuff year after year after year ... I guess, one of the reasons for their risk avoidance behaviour could go all the way back to "Stunde Null" in 1945. You never know when disaster hits.

[@sadhbh4652]

Yes, I have been living in Germany for 7 years and just returned to my home in Ireland. I don't have anything set up to pay in shops with my phone etc, I am bringing cash everywhere like a rube. Don't even know how things work. It's embarrassing.

[@aarhusnord]

@@sadhbh4652 Germany is a third world nation in many ways. Unfortunately, a very big third world nation in Europe.

[@rooooooby]

The only thing that bothers me in Germany from your list is „Rundfunkgebühren“. I and most people I meet in Germany despise it. In the US we also have public media ( eg. PBS and NPR) but they don't send you a bill every so often.

[@VollFOS]

So i as german have to complain about that Rundfunkgebühren. Lots of comments here are right, that funded organisations are way less commercial. But you have to pay it. Does not matter if you have a tv, or listen to radiostations ( which are pretty divers, im sure, some are good some are crap) ever. you have to pay, if you only have a phone with internet. yes , because you can use tv/radio streams over your phone, so every "household" has to pay. btw just few days ago, i got a mail that it increases again a little bit. it does not hurt me, but my only contact with the öffentlich rechtlichen jornalism/media is youtube. and there its the worst crap what people like " Funk" do. they do really bad journalism. and i complain, that i as a payer cant fire bad journalism. i still have to pay, does not matter if its bad or good . if someone does bad journalism at the private media , and it backlashes, that person gets fired.... if you are an employee, which is recievs funds by the GEZ( i know alot of journalists are freelancer, but not producers for example) is really not that easy to get fired... so they get still my money even tho i dont like what they do. sry but id rather give Hayley my time which does better content than alot of the "payed" by society ones here in germany.

[@Be-Es---___]

You'll be back right in time for Trumps America mk2 . 😅

[@HayleyAlexis]

To watch the craziness unfold in real time

[@EndloseLeere]

it's considered risky in america to leave the house at night. every country has its own risk areas.

[@PatQuakernaat]

cashiers? in most european countries you scan yourself.

[@user-xi6nk4xs4s]

It's still a choice in most countries.

[@k.schmidt2740]

I vastly prefer the safety net in Germany to the gambler mentality in the United States! This mentality shows itself in a hair-raising manner in the U.S.-American attitude toward health care insurance. Nobody should be allowed to gamble on health and illness!

[@sadhbh4652]

You can't just bring up healthcare for every single thing. For example, in the UK they had very good healthcare in the NHS and were good at taking risks. Now all wrecked due to the Tories, of course, but there is a balance that can be struck.

[@HorstEwald]

You have a very polite way of saying that most germans are too dumb to udnerstand what strikes are 😆 80% of my freinds are like this. It's as if they had never thought about the fact that employes really have no power other than striking.

[@herrlastmann1896]

Are you back to painting your eyebrows? 😉

[@HayleyAlexis]

I use no makeup on my eyebrows but thanks for being weird in my comment section

[@herrlastmann1896]

@@HayleyAlexis Well, I wasn't intentionally "being weird" but remembered you stating in one of your early videos, that you stopped applying that much makeup as you used to do, back in the US. Expressively mentioning your eyebrows and lashes. In this video it looked to me, as if the brows were being painted onto a shaved skin. Sorry, if I failed to recognize it correctly.

[@thorstenkoethe]

For people who don´t work in Germany, who are on vacation it might be inconvenient when strikes happen. For citizens of the EU it´s one of the most important rights workers fight for ( BTW: for a long time ). 🕗🕓 A cashier who doesn´t know me would never be able to put my buyings in a bag in the "right" way ( my right way! ). 👜 Accept more risk for ... - not for making more money, because that is conected with a bad behavior and cheating or defrauding people and this is never ( or nearly never ) the goal of smart people. Rules help to live together and in the EU we don´t have the same room, the space, the landscape as there is in the US. 🤠 Rundfunkbeitrag? I love it that there are TV programs for minorities and news you can reley on - most times. 😎

[@user-xi6nk4xs4s]

That's my problem with the risk taking you hear so often as well. It seems as if making money is the ultimate goal, not caring how many people you have to abuse to get there.

[@arnodobler1096]

You can see what Murdoch & Co. can do!😡😭

[@thorstenkoethe]

@@arnodobler1096 You´ll never be safe from people like Murdock, but if there are trustworthy news around already, it´s harder for them to succeed.