Thursday, October 12, 2023

Five German News Stories

 1.  I sat last night and watched a news piece on the 9:45 PM ARD newscast....leading off with the topic of opening a refugee 'container-village' in some remote northeastern village.  This had been announced back around seven months ago, and a lot of negative hype started up with the locals (they didn't want it).  

So the refugee container-village opened this week.  Locally, Germans show a lot of frustration, and I would suspect that politically.....it's flipped about 50-percent or more of the locals to the AfD Party.

But, here's the thing you notice.  If you'd found some place in Bremen, Frankfurt or Berlin....the refugee-village would have been created and just existed without much negativity.  By picking a fairly rural location, without a lot of refugees already existing.....you opened up the front-door and created a mess which drew attention.  You gave the AfD 'power' and more votes.  I don't want to call the gov't guys stupid, but they've helped to draw more votes.

2.  I noticed off WELT that two economists sat and reviewed the 'true' value (cost) of the 49-Euro Bahn/railway monthly ticket (go anywhere via bus/train).  They came to a shocking conclusion....as much as you 'think' you saved on environmental costs....it's really one-sixth the savings (the other five-sixth doesn't exist).  Once you add the financial cost?  Things get worse.

3.  NDR (sub public TV network) did a survey....finding a fair amount of Arab immigrants in Germany are Hamas-supporters.  Some chatter starting up....cops may have to investigate more intensely on hate-crimes.  Oddly enough, via WELT....there suggestions in the Arab community of Germany that the police are racists.

4.  Locally (in Frankfurt), the city council has banned anti-Israel demonstrations.  Fairly large Arab community in Frankfurt, and this will be hard for the cops to enforce.

5.  For four decades, there was a Halloween event held at Frankenstein Castle (about six miles south of Darmstadt).  Renovation is coming to the castle, and so future events are suspended.  The chatter is that it will be a permanent 'end'.  

Movement?  What they say is that the Halloween 'week' of activity will move to the Konigstein Castle (about 10 miles north of Frankfurt).  

FYI, those who might have lived around Kaiserslautern....will remember that a 2nd Frankenstein castle (ruins) exists there.  It takes a fair amount of walking and it's a fairly small castle.

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