"Many of our neighbors tell me: Why should we take part when the Germans keep appearing as moral champions and putting us under pressure."
-- Interior Minister Horst Seehofer
A great piece on the German asylum issue came up in Focus this morning, and it's worth the read.
Over the past couple of weeks, with the refugee camp fire on the isle of Lesbos, Greece....things have been in a chaotic mess. The EU can't do much except throw more money at building a new camp, and openly admitting it can't reach a policy situation.
German society? If you watch public forum shows on public TV (ZDF and ARD)....it's probably around ten hours per week, discussing the migration business, the poor condition of the Greek camps, no EU policy on refugees ever coming up, and debate folks trying to suggest morality should always win in each debate.
Who watches the public forum debate shows? That's an entirely different topic. There's no doubt that university students, intellectuals, politicians and journalists watch. Out of 83-million....I might go out and suggest that fewer than fewer than 5-million Germans watch a minimum of one-hour per week.
This debate by some over unlimited entry? It's geared to be a morale question and answer. If you ask stupid questions....about the harsh reality of affordable housing in Frankfurt, Erfurt, or Berlin....that bringing in half-a-million 'new' residents each year just makes this more of a miserable mess, you would get pushed back.
If you asked where the jobs will be....particularly in east German cities, you would get pushed back.
If you asked why the EU can't come to a conclusion on some national policy, or why Germany by itself can't have a national policy, you would get pushed back.
It's an interesting 'path' that is being pursued....all hinged on morality, and the necessity of convincing people that they need to copy your act.
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