Tuesday, November 12, 2024

13 Nov 2024: Twelve German News Stories

 1.  The story came out yesterday....the gov't pays out around 500-million Euro a year....on child-credit....that goes outside of the German nation. 

Yeah, there's going to be questions, and  I would imagine at least a quarter of this is fraud in some way.  Going to be a lot of Germans grumbling about how this could happen.

2.  23 Feb 2025 is the day of the fed election (concrete now).  This no-confidence vote?  Approximately four weeks away (16 December).

I'll just say from the public prospective.....they want the national vote NOW.  From working-class prospective....I'd say 75-percent are of this mindset....no need to wait.

3.  This report of a planned Xmas attacck?  According to investigators, the alleged attack plans of a 17-year-old Islamic kid from Elmshorn in Schleswig-Holstein.  Tip?  Apparently came from NSA (US).  I should note.....he was born in Germany....not an immigrant. Turkish background....living in a apartment with just mom.

Will be charged as a juvenile criminal....no more than 3 years in a prison for teenage 'lads'.

 4.  German Army was set to promote 900 officers....presently CAN'T....because of lacking funds that didn't come through in the budget.  Those folks are shaking their heads over how screwed-up this is.

5.  I was in a German hardware store yesterday.....old-fashion potbelly stove on sale....159 Euro. Cast in Turkey.  Interesting but the only folks who'd buy this are probably those with garden houses.  

6. Gabor Steingart wrote up a commentary or Focus....centers on Olaf Scholz probably not likely continue as Chancellor of this country....come Feb 2025.  Over the next four weeks, I think this will be talked about more and more. 

7.  Is the current German fed-budget screwed up?  Well....they haven't passed the updated budget....so it's missing 12-billion Euro from special programs for 2025.  Since SPD and the Greens don't have the votes.....the money can't be 'printed'.

8.  Butter price escalating?  People are now talking about 4 Euro, for what was 2.5 Euro just two years ago in Germany.

9.  Berlin stadium is offering several million to the NFL to host at least one game...maybe two games...in 2025.

Wouldn't shock me in 2027....if the NFL held eight games a year in Germany (between Frankfurt and Berlin).

Surprising amount of interest now...games covered on RTL on Sundays.  You can fill Frankfurt's stadium easily.  

10.  If you go  to strictly working-class Germans....I'd say 80-percent are pretty sure on Merz being the next Chancellor....but the same crowd would toss their hands up when talking about the make-up of the coalition....saying either they can't handle another SPD partner, or a Green Party partner.  No choice in the matter.

11. Ford-Germany going to short-hours.  What this means?  Typically, it's a gov't program where the employee had 38 man-hours a week before, and is now working 16 to 20 man-hours, with some compensation provided for the lost hours.  Reasoning here?  Well...the E-cars aren't selling.  

If you ask all of the German car companies....same story....by Xmas, I expect most all car companies in the country to be on short-work.  Even if you offered a gov't credit (say 5,000 Euro)....I don't think it'll change public perception on e-cars.

12.  The Russian Duma (Congress) is going to criminalize propaganda talk about going  childless.  Lot of worry over depopulation in Russia.

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