20 April 2024: 4 German News Stories

 1.  Large segment on Focus...talking up Putin, strategy of Russia to take on NATO, invade Baltic states, etc.  Probably worth a read.

Just a lot of BS chatter.  Russians have lost bulk (probably 90-percent) of all hardware for the Army since 2000, in this invasion of Ukraine.  Even if you started to rebuild....it'd take 20 to 30 years to be back into a real threat to NATO.

2.  ARD (public German TV, Channel One) has their 'boss' out and doing PR to sell the general public on media-tax increase. 

No real polls existing, but I'd say it's near 50-percent of the public who want major reform of public TV, and zero tax increase. 

3.  Nuthetal (town outside of Berlin)....has put up a city-wide rule....no robotic mowers operating at night.

I'll just say that this robotic mower thing has really caught on with the general public.  So the odd thing is that it's fairly quiet, and folks even run the mowers in evening hours.  The threat here?  Small hedge hogs are active at night, and the mowers 'threaten' them in some fashion.

4.  Some political talk of a national day to recognize German military vet's.  

19 April 2024: Seven German News Stories

 1. Gelsenkirchen is the first German city to ban E-scooters.  Frankly, I've seen a ton of dangerous handling by teenagers over the past year....in walk-platz areas around where I live.  

2.  WELT piece.....of all the folks who ran off to the ISIS-war in Syria/Iraq....German authorities figure that 40-percent roughly...have returned to Germany.  What the German gov't says....all are facing investigations, possible charges, and 'deradicalization measures'.  

3.  WELT piece....Tiger mosquito is becoming a major issue in Germany.

4.  KaDeWe store in Berlin (the Macey's like store) has been on a spiral downward for the past year.  RBB has a piece saying that both the rent for the store....and the sales itself....have been the issue to bring them to near-bankruptcy.

I'll say from my one and only visit (six years ago).....it was a fantastic place to walk around....but I'd never buy anything there.

5.  Berlin (the city) is offering a 29-Euro Bahn/bus monthly ticket.  Lot of criticism over this....from the Bahn, Bavaria and federal Transport Ministry.  They say the city is using city funds to cheapen the ticket (it should be 49-Euro), and that the city gets 'extra' money because of their status as the national capital.  

Legally?  The three have a point, but I don't think there's a law broken.

6.  Just an odd statement that you have to sit and pause over.  Finance Minister Christian Lindner (FDP).....says the German economy is suffering to some degree....mostly from a deficit in the number of hours worked. 

He relates this to Italy and France, saying “significantly more work is being done."

It would have helped if he'd related this to something....like to build something in France....it'd take 350 man-hours...while in Germany, it'd take 400 man-hours.  But he didn't really say it in that manner.  

7.  Fairly intense 'mess' going on with tv rights and German soccer.

From what I can figure....there was a auction underway yesterday, and some legal forms arrive....to halt the auction with DFL.

Dispute?  Has to do with DAZN,who has the present streaming service contract.  

Interview Story

It's not really worth dragging out but it was a curious piece off the late ARD (public German TV) news last night.....on the “Tagesthemen” news segment.

The moderator news gal....had a live interview going with the Foreign Minister (Annalena Baerbock, Green Party). 

The interview....went 'south' and in a matter of eight minutes....there were at least six different moments of confusion.

The moderator would go and correct her and refocus her on the question.

All of this because of her recent trip to the Middle East?  Yeah.

Just tired and run-down?  At the end....after the segment ended....I thought this.  If you've been up for sixteen hours and been through a long hard day....you'd make mistakes like this.  Personally, the last thing on Earth I'd do.....is run some interview late at night.  

The negative today?  Well....the whole interview is hyped-up over her mistakes.  

18 April 2024: Two German News Stories

 1.  Bahn (railway) folks announced a change or two.  They are going to introduce private cabins into future train 'cars' that they buy....for 2 people.  They didn't say the pricing but I would assume it's in first class.  Curious thing....the seats would be opposite of each other...meaning the bulk of the remaining car is simply open seats and no view of that side of the car.

Another thing....in major stations, you have 'travel-centers' where a couple of agents handle reservations.  They've decided to upgrade these facilities around Germany with a ultra-modern look.  

2.  South of Munich....getting into the mountains....there's chatter of 50 centimeters of snow coming by Friday night.

Political Chatter

 I sat and watched a German public TV program last night....dealing with politics, and a particular German figure (he would be one of the top ten German politicians).  In the middle of the piece...they throw up a slide that was a poll....where they asked regular Germans about the empathy 'index' or rating they'd give the guy.  

Curiously, of a 1-to-10 rating....he got mostly between a '3' and '4'....meaning they (the public) mostly didn't see empathic 'skills' at work.  This would mean it's more difficult to sell the person to the public.

I paused over this.  Traditionally....at least from the 1970s to 1990s....Germans were looking for someone who carried himself in debates....displayed some intellect and wisdom.  

Definition of empathy?  Well....the skill to display some emotion (real or fake) gives the audience/voters an understanding of what other people feel.  If a regular person sees a recession....then even if you disagree and try to sell people into believing it's not a recession.....you at least give them some 'feeling' for their point of view.  Yeah, you are in their shoes....so to speak.

In a German integration class....this empathy stuff was heavily discussed.  At a break in the class....a Syrian with English skills engaged me on the topic.  He simply said....in Syria.....this empathy stuff would be regarded as BS, and you would disregard the whole conversation.  I paused over this talk and responded.....Germans want you to pretend you agree with them....even if you don't.  Then I added...it's best to just nod your head and as much as they fake you out.....you need to fake them out.

This mention of the poll?  Well....the network folks are mostly telling you that empathy matters....whether true or faked-up.  All of this....left over from the Merkel era?  You have to remember.....everything on the Merkel agenda...was always 'center-center'.  There was no left-of-center or right-of-center. I suspect if you asked most German journalists....this is pretty important.

This 2025 election top topics?  Well....I would offer the humble feeling that it's mostly over five topics: the economy, cost of energy, the war in Ukraine (either you are for Ukraine, or Russia), migration and social welfare (either to get more unemployed people working, or to improve the lifestyles of the welfare class).  

Frankfurt Chatter

 I watched my regional public TV station this AM (HR network).....covering a piece on Frankfurt.

For those who didn't notice it....the Brit paper....the 'SUN'....carried a recent article and described Frankfurt's train station neighborhood...as the "largest slum in Germany" and "zombie land".  

Cause?  Well...literally two to three thousand drug addicts  in an area of 2 kilometers by 3 kilometers.  Aggressive policing within the station keeps crime to a minimum, but once you step outside of the front or sides of the station....you feel a bit unsafe (my own words).

Early 1978....I rode the train into Frankfurt for the first time, and walked out of the front....to feel 100-percent safe.  Even throughout the 1980s and 1990s....I felt safe.  

In the past dozen years?  I'd advise you to step out the door and walk as quickly as possible for at least 15 minutes....to get beyond the addict zone.  I'd also tell you after dark....don't walk the area.

So the reason why the Brits brought this up?  Well....the European Football Championship in June and July...five games to be played in Frankfurt (actually well outside of the addict-zone.

This discussion has peeved the mayor, and they seem intent on getting rid of the reputation.  

This resolution phase?  Well....if you bring it up to Frankfurt residents....they've been waiting twenty years for someone to clean up the mess.  

As for the addicts going away?  Unless you took active enforcement and forced 3,000-odd people into a drug-program....I don't see this getting fixed.  

Saying it's the worst of any city in Germany?  I would suggest Hamburg in active competition....along with Berlin.  But the problem in Frankfurt is mostly because of the confined nature of the crowd....6 square kilometers.  

As for attending the soccer games there?  The stadium is around 4 km south of the river, and probably 5 km from the train station.  My advice....find a hotel on the south or west of Frankfurt, and just avoid the main station in town as much as possible.  This area around the stadium is one of the safer areas of the region....without any weird problems. 

17 Apr 2024: Five German News Stories

 1.  German police....about once or twice a year...will have a speed-week.  Meaning?  Well....they go out of their way on catching you above the speed limit.

Between yesterday (Tuesday) and Friday....it's a speed-week.

Even as they tell you this....giving 'warning'...it doesn't matter.  Just in my local area of Wiesbaden....there's probably to be at least 200 people who will be cited.

2.  ZDF (public TV, Channel 2) ran a prime-time 45-min piece on the CDU candidate for the 2025 federal election....Merz.  You can watch it here.

Next week?  The anticipated SPD candidate (NOT Scholz)....Pistorous.  I should comment ere....the SPD folks have not met to discuss things, but you won't  find that many members of the party charged-up on Scholz.

I also anticipate they will be doing a piece on Lindner (FDP) and Habeck (Green Party).

Well ahead of the election?  Well....yeah, that is a bit obvious.  I think if you polled the general public....more than three-quarters of the public want a new election to reset matters.

3.  Just odd...the mayor of Amsterdam gave a speech yesterday....advocating for a free/open market for cocaine.  The comment went with the theme....the 'drug-war' has failed.  In the simplicity of it....he is suggesting a regulated market.

4.  Odd term being used and thrown around in German politics....'Merkelians'.  These are conservatives who follow Merkel's views of center-center politics (not really left or right).  They will claim CDU Party status.  How many?  Unknown.

5.   Newest political trend poll....shows Green Party at 12-percent (lowest in six years).

New German Book

 Hyped-up talk this week....over a new book coming out in about ten days....entitled "Black Box Uni", by Franca Bauernfeind....a 25-year old German.

I haven't read the book yet....but I've been gazing over interviews and commentary.

It's a 260-odd page book....talking over the leftish trends in German universities.....written from a student's prospectives.

Bauernfeind....a CDU (right-of-center) person?  Yes. 

Based on chatter....she's written comments that would be similar in nature to what you saw in the US already in the 2010-to-2015 era.....where the bulk of professors are 'selling' a left point of view.

What I'll predict is that this starts more forums along the discussion of politics.