Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Hartz IV to Basisgeld?

Various newspapers are reporting in Germany today that the term "Hartz IV" will be transformed.

The welfare program term has become derogatory since invented in 2002. This reinvented welfare program from the 2005-period is used daily by the news media throughout Germany and usually represents a negative story (against the government).

Everyone felt by the late 1990s that welfare was becoming an actual occupation and people were getting a substantial amount of money live a fairly good lifestyle. No one felt the system could sustain itself in the long run. So it had to be changed. Hartz IV become this chopping block where you got the basic necessities of life and that was the end of the deal.

The new name? They are bouncing this name of "Basisgeld" (basic money). This isn't final yet and still has to pass via a vote. I'm pretty sure it'll be a 100 percent vote...well...except for the Greens.

In five years...Basisgeld will also have a mean or ugly feeling to it, and it'll change again. That's the tendency of these events.

No comments: