Goofy Public Forum Show

Last night.....via ARD (German public TV) came the public forum show....'Miosga'.

So the moderator....Miosga....was talking up the Russians and Nord Stream II with the guest.

Oddly....the guest suggests that the blowing up of Nord Stream "benefited the Russians." Therefore, it was the Russians. Because they love blowing up the pipeline to their most important customer themselves."

I sat there for a minute....dazed.

Economically and militarily....there's zero benefit for the Russians.

The German police?  They've solved most of the mystery....noting Ukrainians were being Nord Stream II blowing up

Miosga allowing that statement and not correcting it?  That dazed me a bit as well.

This getting into the head of 100,000 intellectual Germans....believing the BS?  That's the damage done.

If you really wanted some goofy BS....you might as well suggest it was the CIA, or the French secret police, or some radical environmental crazy-folks.

Why Can't The Chancellor/Coalition Resolve the Migration/Deportation Issue?

 Lets start with the 'number'....258,845 individuals as of end of June 2026.....who are on the German 'to-exit/deport' list.  

Why the number can't be resolved or greatly lessened?  There's basically 3 issues at play.  First, you might be a guy/gal from a unfriendly situation, and the German general rule is that you can't be sent back.  Second, legally....there's various ways to delay-delay-delay.  Third, it's a state-by-state task....NOT a federal task.  Some states might have a high priority....some less so.

Politically....this number is killing both the SPD and CDU-CSU voter feelings.  I'd generally say that 30-percent of the public feel this is top priority and problem number one.  Even among the other 70-percent....it ranks in the top five problems with half of them.

Why Merz as Chancellor can't do much?  Well....he'd have to have some place to send folks, in massive numbers.  Maybe if we were talking about 10,000 or 20,000 folks....you might rig up some African end-destination....where you pay x-amount per each 'guest'.  But in the 250k range?  No one would sign up for stuff like this.

AfD?  Over the past ten years....both the CDU-CSU and SPD....had chances to resolve this and got nowhere.  They are furious that the AfD has gotten up to the 30-percent level.  

What the AfD could do differently?  This is the mystery question.

Some folks think that AfD might cut off all funding for the 258k....telling them by a certain date to go elsewhere (maybe France).  The EU would probably hinder that.

The idea of fenced-off camps?  Some think this might be suggested....but go nowhere.

The 258k being good outstanding folks?  That idea probably doesn't work anymore.

Even if you had agreeable deportees....you'd require over 1,200 flights to transport them out.  

The idea that the Chancellor has given up priorities over this....thinking it is unfixable?  Well....some folks might suggest this.  It's easier to talk about pension-reform.....education reform....or even renovation-of-bridges reform.....than it is to talk over deportees.

For these odd reasons...AfD will linger around and be able to upset election results.

My Gut Feeling Over The Icelandic Vote To Join The EU

 It was basically a 3-point win for the 'NO' vote.

Curiously, about 90-percent of the districts of the isle....went 60-plus percent 'NO'.  In the capital city....it was around 44-percent 'NO'...meaning they were more supportive of the idea.

Done deal?  I suspect in five to seven years....another vote.

EU domination on rules....got caught up in the public mind?  I'd suggest this.  

The Maglev Tram Discussion Topic

Last week....the Wiesbaden city council came up and started the next tram discussion.

About four years ago....they spent a fair amount of time, and eventually discovered that no one really is hyped up in the city for having a tram (unlike Mainz).

They went to a public vote....failing.

So the topic is up again.

This time?  They want the maglev train route going from Ostfeld (area of major home building near the Army post and the south cemetery area).....over to the central train station.  More or less....a 6 km route.  If you asked about stops?  I'd say no more than 7 stops total.

Marginally worth the cost?  Yeah.

There are three problems in Wiesbaden for trams.  First, the streets aren't really built in a way to support it.  Second, if you wanted to max out....there needs to be two routes....each reaching the central station as the center point.   Feeling supportive across the city isn't there.  Finally....no one wants three or four years of renovation/construction going on. 

Two Terror Stories

 First from that Christopher Street Day event.....one dead and ten wounded....the terrorist is dead....however, this odd story of a 2nd guy involved....does not go away.

I watched a news piece, and the topic still lingers on.   They don't know who the guy is, or is involvement angle....just that someone is identified on the scene, and afterwards....he quickly walks away.

My suspicion?  I think some guy was not part of the CSD group....just an odd character watching things, and as soon as the action started.....he left.  

Second, oddly....the 1980 Oktoberfest attack has come up again.

It's placed in the reasoning that the German guy (failed apprentice German).....was a far-right wing or Nazi-type.  Then in the reasoning....this one attack is what drove the fest folks mount up serious security.  In this view....it's far-right idiots that have triggered the massive security BS for the fest.

Well....I've talked to Americans (not German) over the attack, security, and the BS.

Most believe that the one guy responsible....was a nutcase (not lefty or righty).  Some evidence exists that he was in a neo-Nazi group.

The police action?  The minute they had a 'story'...they ended the investigation....going no further because he was dead.

Security for 1981/1982?  Marginally improved....most of these Americans say this.

The 2025 episode?  It was mostly over a distraught guy....threatening some explosive, and the fest shut-down for a couple of hours....with added security over bags/backpacks.

Trying to mount a massive 'safe' Oktoberfest?  I'd say it's nearly impossible.  By the time you figure around 400,000 folks entering the grounds (per day)....you'd need several hundred folks to check on people.  But added to this.....once a bomb goes off....there' at least 20,000 drunk Germans who are probably not in any shape to run, escape or exit the place.  It's not something you want to plan around or hope to find a 'fix' for.  

Your 'Friend' Checking Out The House/Apartment?

 This week.....the CDU-CSU-SPD coalition brought up a surveillance discussion.

They want to 'grant' the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (their FBI) and the Federal Intelligence Service....the 'power'  to actively enter (secretly) your house, apartment garage, etc....without a lot of paperwork or judge permission.

Placing bugs?  Yeah.

It's not guaranteed that this 'power' will be approved.

Odds of counter-surveillance to start up?  I'm of the mind that some Russian guys will offer 'toys' that you can place....to surveil German gov't folks.

Asking for trouble?  Maybe this is good idea on terror suspects, Chinese secret agents, and even crazy Germans hoping to overthrow the coalition.   But a year or two will pass, and some anti-spy company will offer to 'sweep' your house....for a 30-minute scan....paying 99-Euro, and find that a hundred folks a month are willing to buy the service.

Hawaii Pizza.....Adding Corn?

 On my great adventure to Belgium.....we arrived in Ghent Sunday evening to discover about 90-percent of restaurants are NOT open on Sunday.  So we asked the desk-gal....where could a person eat-out?  

She suggested a pizza shop about ten minutes walking from the hotel.

So we go over.  My wife orders some 'wrap' (safe)

I order a Hawaii pizza.  It comes out about 12 minutes later....with about half-a-can of corn sprinkled over the topi of it....added to the ham and pineapples.

It did not make sense.  I spent about half my time....using a fork, and trying to remove the corn.

The deal?  I asked AI and 'he' says that the corn is supposed to lessen the sweet taste of pineapple.  It makes no sense, but these folks were sold on the idea.

So if you are ever in Belgium.....ordering a pizza....read the menu-selection carefully.

Saving Democracy BS

 I sat this week....watching ZDF (German public TV)....with their top-journalist....Dunja Hayali...doing a interview with the CDU parliamentary group 'boss'....Thorsten Frei.

Several state elections coming up....AfD will win two, but likely fail to form a gov't.

The chief problem?  The CDU has to take their 2nd-place finish in both, and build a coalition.....mostly with left-wing parties.  The happiness situation?  Mostly near zero.

Hayali wanted the CDU politician to hype up his thrilled-nature....that the party would save German-democracy.  Frei really wasn't going to agree to this idea much, and seem very negative.

All of this done....in the name of political framing?  Yeah.

Here's the problem....if you were in one of these states....being a conservative CDU voter....if you were told that the CDU would have to buddy-up with the Linke Party, and accept five or six things that you were totally against.....I'd say say three out of ten CDU voters would say 'NO', and vote for AfD instead.

I doubt that Hayali grasped that part of the mess.

Will the CDU accept this partnership?  Nationally.....a lot of voters who were conservative in nature....would be shaking their heads if the coalition were CDU-Greens-SPD....but it'd be a hard 'no' if you had a 4th partner being the far-left Linke Party