Guilt-Chatter

 I paused this weekend....noting a odd Chancellor statement.  German Chancellor Merz said in simple talk....that Muslim immigrants who refuse to acknowledge Germany’s historical responsibility for the Holocaust....must exit Germany.

There are several problems here.

First....no one said there was such a 'rule'/understanding....when the migrants arrived.  

Second, the migrants for the most part....played no role in the 1930s/1940s effort, and getting them to say they have responsibility....is next to impossible.

Third, to be kinda honest....out of the 84-million in population....there's around 1.4-million ethnic first, second or third generation RUSSIANs that exist today.  I'd go and suggest that 99-percent of them would not acknowledge they have such feelings.

Fourth and final....even from the ethnic German-German population....especially from the youth of Germany today....probably in excess of three million Germans disagree with the Chancellor about their guilt feelings.

It is a odd landscape.....Germans walking around with Holocaust-guilt, and Muslims without any Holocaust-guilt.  The two don't mix well....if you ask me.  

Truth-Chatter

 If you look over social media commentary...over the Poland shooting in Krakow....there are at least three questions that the police or authorities can't really answer.

The chief questions?

There are at least seven rounds fired from the rifle/pistol...without a silencer....killing both parents, the sister and two cats....yet, no neighbor in the building hear the rounds fired.  This was a normal apartment building.

I paused over this.  I live in a German village which sits next to a fairly big wooded area, and at least three times a week....with the windows open, I can hear hunter-rifle fire from a mile away.  I know the sound, and generally stop for a second.  

I kinda agree....people should have heard the gunfire in the apartment...unless he used a silencer.  My belief?  There's a third gun involved, and dropped somewhere in the two-hour and twenty-minute drive.  

The second question?  After he shoots the parents, sister and cats....he is rather focused upon driving all the way to Krakaw....over two hours away.  He apparently doesn't want to shoot locally....it has to be in Krakow.

Most Poles aren't buying into this story either.  

The particular square that he shoots up?  Well...it is a tourist spot.  Maybe he wanted a message to go across.  

Finally, what some Poles are wondering....there was a very limited police presence at the square.  After the shooting has been halted (thanks to the two cops who arrived)....it's a fairly long period before the 'big' police presence arrives.  It is established....a lot of civilians walked right up....rendered aide and established control.

Where were the local cops?  Well....a fair number were in Warsaw....providing guard support over the Constitutional Court building.  Locals are a bit angry over that fact.

What'll happen now?  Some truth-commission probably gets appointed by PM Tusk.  Over the next six months....some 'truths' will be noted and then wrapped up.  

All truths to be laid out?  I seriously doubt it.

9 Nov 2026: Germany/Europe: 6 Stories

 1.  Shooter from Krawkow died last night.  

Lot of locals there wondering....what kind of psychopath was this guy...shooting both parents, the sister, and two family cats.  

Probably will be a review....how he got a permit to own guns, and if the system is not built correct.  I looked it up.  Poland has 412,000 permits to hold a weapon.....with about one-million guns in private hands.  For reference...population-wise....Germany has a population of 84-million, with 930,000 permit folks, and a collection of five-million guns.  Poland has around half the population....lot less guns.

2.  CDU/CSU members are going to actively push Merz (Chancellor) to cut electricity taxes.

3.  Just odd....a new ARD survey revealed that 70 percent of respondents in Berlin and Brandenburg....seem to be dissatisfied with how democracy functions in everyday life.  The same group then said....85-percent of them....this was apparently the best form of government.

How they wanted fix this?  No one asked.

From a outsider....I'll just say....if you had a problem as a German.....it's probably a 99-percent chance situation that you don't want a politician to fix it for you.

4.  Both the CDU-CSU and SPD folks agreed....developing a plastic tax is currently not practical.

5.  Excellent commentary piece with WELT this AM...by Harald Martenstein....he doesn't want a political agenda where he is told who he can converse with (mostly referring to ban-the-AfD efforts).

6.  Over the weekend.....the Chancellor (Merz) gave a talk....indicating 'guests' of Germany (meaning migrants) have to accept German 'guilt' for killing off the Jews from the 1930s/1940s.  Apparently, if you want to be a German 'guest'....you need to believe in and support the German guilt business.  No polls to say how 'guests' feel over this.  I sat in a integration class and was kinda surprised....2017-time-period...out of 20-odd folks....only about ten knew of WW II and the Jew history.  Instructor spent about 4 hours of the month-long class (4 days a week)....covering history aspects.

Odd Aspects Of The Krokow Mass Shooting (Poland)

 Someone brought up this topic....noting he lived in the parent's house....shoot both parents dead (and the sister)....then got into car and drove a minimum of 175 km (figure 110 miles)....figure a 2-hour drive.

I paused over this.  

To be that focused after rationalizing the need to shoot, and personally shooting the three folks?  Most folks would not be that clear-headed to stay intent on some 'mission' like this.

Drugs?  I'm wondering about that. 

But there is one other odd aspect.  

In this town square at this point in time....two fairly-well-known surgeons were having a coffee....chatting.  Some suggest that if you had to pick the ten top surgeons of Poland....the two guys would be in the group.

Once the smoke cleared....they went to work, with their skills and craft.  The shooter....the one surviving policeman....and a dozen-odd people survived mostly because they (the surgeons) were there.  A hour sooner, or an hour later.....neither doctor would have been there.

Odd things that stand out.

Poland News Chatter Since Yesterday Morning

 1.  It does appear that the President is giving until 11 November for PM Tusk to clean up the coup-mess.  No idea where this is leading to.

2.  NATO military exercise....from 9–22 November, Exercise Koalicja.  Will be mostly around the Nowa Deba area.  11 country participants.  Probably in the range of 5,000 to 10,000 'players'.

3.  Shooting suspect family....father, mother and sister....shot dead.

Krakow Shooter Chatter

 What we now know:

- It was a 24-year-old Polish guy.

- Location: Kraków’s Main Market Square (Rynek Główny) (Sat afternoon).

- Dead: six people.  Wounded: 16.

- Three additional bodies found at his residence (family members.

- Semi-auto rifle used.

- Wore military style clothing, with a bulletproof vest.

- Limited police action in the first three minutes....one team arrived (2 police).....one shot dead....other wounded, but shot enough to take down the shooter.

- Shooter still alive presently.

- Had a job....was a wood-work guy.

- No criminal record.  He had a permit to own weapons (under his name....owned 2).  His dad had a permit (owned dozen).

- Curious background noted....goth-lifestyle, painted black nails, into heavy metal, announced himself to be a antifascist.

- Interior Minister made a statement....suggesting shooter was fascinated by right-wing BS (trying to get public hyped-up that right-wing idiots are threats).....when the guy was a antifascist. 

- Odd factor....LGBTQ-connected, and had social media commentary that seem to be anti-Christian.

- Finally, I noted from a journalist who walked and talked to people who knew the shooter....most all described him as a 'kook' (my word)....odd character who seemed to want to shock people....wore black clothing when out, and had some weird fascination with gas-masks.

Krakow Poland Attack

 Five dead...around 11 wounded.  Attacker appears to be Polish national....had a automatic rifle.  Zero motive given.

Public TV Chatter

 Starting Monday...GEZ (the money-handler of public TV----ARD/ZDF) will start a audit to find and force Germans to pay the TV tax.

How many are avoiding it?  Around 3.6-million 'homes' is the best guess (from 2025 data).

Cost per month?  18.36 Euro.

Any idea of who the folks are?  Zero (it's like a missing chunk of reality).

My best guess?  I'd guess that a 1-to-1.5 million  'homes' are likely non-German or 'guests'....with no intention of paying for what they don't watch.

What it'd add up to....if they forced them to pay?  Per year.....660 million.

What I suspect they will find?  Three odd things.  First...at least 100,000 residences empty (long-term)....mostly from dead Germans.  Second, somewhere in the range of this....are vacation cabins/mini-homes...maybe 100,000 to 200,000.  Third and final....apartment buildings throughout Germany that are simply empty....for money-laundering purposes....in the range of 500,000 apartments.  

Avoiding the tax?  Once they re-labeled this to say if you have no TV antenna, or NO TV, or NO Radio....but you had internet....you still have to pay the tax.  I would imagine there being probably a quarter million older Germans with only radio....living way out in the boonies.