Friday, March 15, 2024

15 Mar 2024: Eight German News Stories

 1.  WELT wrote a piece late yesterday (Thur) over retirement pensions in Germany.  By 2070, every third German will be a retiree, and basically....the current system WILL NOT be able cover such an environment.  

I doubt if the Bundestag wants to discuss this...but it'll be a 5-star mess to evolve.

2.  WELT also wrote a piece over young Germans looking at the university path and future employment.  There's a belief within this group....that jobs (demanding and well-paid jobs)....won't be in Germany, and that a fair number of young Germans will be exiting Germany.

3.  The Fridays-For-The-Future 'kids' believe that the news media is suppressing their 'message'/brand.  

To be honest, I suspect most of the news sources in Germany have come to realize that the public doesn't want a message from teenagers or college kids.

4.  In Osnabruck, some 15-year old German kid was chased by cops....going up to speeds of 170 kph in the city.  

I doubt if he ever gets a license.

5.  The German Constitutional Court?  Well....they have a new announcement coming up....over budgets created in the Covid period, and it might go heavily against the SPD-coalition....meaning 'gifts' they designed....will be dissolved.

6.  Italian cops caught some 103-year-old Italy lady....driving....at night....without a license.  This was apparently late at night in some town....where the lady was 'lost' and the cops approached the car to ask if she needed help.  They were nice about it....just giving her a traffic ticket, and a warning about NOT driving.  Then they drove her to her residence.  Insurance and registration weren't mentioned.

7.  N-TV piece: Since 2020....6,100 German restaurants have declared bankruptcy.  In 2023.....14,000 restaurants gave up and closed their doors.

8.  Big long report in Focus this AM....describing the reasons believed for half of all young Germans failing the drivers exam on the first round. This psychology professor says there is generally a decline in performance among young Germans. A lot of this has to do with understanding theory and coming to a conclusion (quickly).

2 comments:

Daz said...

8. I know it's fashionable to do so, but I blame social media. Attention spans just aren't what they used to be, and the only way to stand out nowadays is to be capable of thinking for a long time about hard problems.

Schnitzel_Republic said...

I'll say this over the German driver's test....it is a bit more than you'd expect on a test than in Arizona or Alabama (I've taken the test in both). 1978...1st time to take the German test...I was warned by my supervisor about complex nature and one needs to prepare in a different way. I laughed. It was assembled in 2 tests....signs first, and the theory second. You fail the 20-min sign test, you come back for a 2nd try (another day).

My boss was correct...you need to see tests in a different manner. I had no problem on 2nd attempt.

I used this logical view a great deal over the years, and in 1991...back in Germany a 2nd time....I had to test again...no issues.

One thing I'll predict, unless they change (lessen) the German test...I see a large portion of German society (maybe one-third)...by 2040, who don't have a license.