1. Bavaria's Premier-President (Söder, CSU) suggesting the potential arrival of a 'Corona Red Army Faction'?
Well....he made a statement that the anti-Covid crowd/ “lateral thinker” group....were increasing in terms of a threat. Then he poured in the idea of conspiracy theories also influencing folks.
I would suggest that if all these mandates/regulations disappear on 20 March (voted and approved), then the anti-Covid crowd would shrink down in a matter of couple of weeks. However, if in October.....Covid comes back.....then this discussion of a threat from a Covid Red Army Faction might take root because of re-appearing mandates.
2. People in Bavaria happy with Söder's performance?
No. I noticed polls in the state are saying only about one-third of people are satisfied with his leadership, and it would be remarkable if he runs again as Premier-President of the state (my feeling).
Next state election there? October 2023.
3. Trend going for Germans being pushed onto subway tracks?
Well....the government put out the numbers for 2021, and said around 50 Germans were intentionally pushed onto tracks. There's not a lot to be done unless you install barriers and doorways to enter trains (like they have in Barcelona).
4. Did the eastward push of NATO create the current conflict with Russia?
Some people are going back to the meetings in the early 1990s....where Chancellor Helmet Kohl, and President Bush promised in the unification of Germany talks that this would not occur. If they hadn't made the promise....it's a question mark if East and West Germany would have ever unified, without Russian approval.
With the dissolving of the Warsaw Pact, it's a question mark as to why NATO at that point in time....needed to exist in the present form.
This week, the topic of this unification meeting got brought up and some folks now admit that Kohl/Bush promised no expansion of NATO.
5. Chatter starting about another German TV/media tax increase?
Well.....yeah. The current rate is 18.36 Euro per household. It would hold at this rate until the next commission meeting in 2024. Odds of another increase? I would put my expectations at 99-percent....probably going a minimum of 1-Euro up.
Among working-class Germans.....there is some frustration about the rate and the fact that there is a lessening number of younger people who utilize any public TV/radio sources. My son (age 30) would remark that he hasn't watched an hour of public TV for over 20 years. If you talk around.....a lot of younger people have asked for subscriptions to data streaming services as a Christmas or birthday present, and prefer the offerings from Netflix or Amazon.
Yes, there's been ample talk of people wanting ARD/ZDF to downsize....that there are better ways to provide public TV (lesser TV). The top board at ARD has blocked those suggestions for the most part.
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