It came up today, via a Focus magazine article (a German news magazine) that a major privacy issue is brewing with the diesel car mess here in Germany.
To get around driving bans, and virtually avoided in telling the general public of Germany....the German federal government intends to start some type of monitoring service (most assume it means the car tags will be viewed and data shared with various cities and states)....with this data having just about everything about the car, the owner, and if it's been retrofitted.
Most everyone in the past six months have agreed that finding the diesel cars and banning each one from entry or fining each one....would be impossible. Well....somewhere in a draft law from ten days ago.....there's a piece noted now that will open up car data files to city municipal authorities.
Naturally, this has gotten some political folks a bit peeved because it's a general violation of privacy to share this type of data.
The cameras there and operational? Marginally. You might find some autobahns with the tag-cameras up and running but in cities around Germany? Few if any have them up and running. My humble guess is that hundreds of millions of Euro will have to be spent for the sixty-odd cities moving toward diesel bans, and getting those connected to a city computer system read every single tag, then hit a diesel 'checker' to see if that car met a retrofit.
Moving next onto some entry-tax? Well....no one says that but you could easily arrange this system to tax each car entering a 50-cent fee for use of city streets for that day. Long-term, one might sense that there were various agendas tied to the diesel business....to lead you around to the cameras and the ability to sense each car entering a city.
Yes, you wake up in ten years to find that the city of Frankfurt might have a daily fee of 2-Euro if you were to enter the city for business or pleasure with your car.....forcing you more and more toward trains or buses.
Monday, November 19, 2018
The Veteran Story
It came out via the German news (Focus news magazine) this weekend that the German authorities have finally come to agree on the term 'veteran' and what it means.
I know.....it's a bit amusing but this is Germany, and you need to accept this long drawn out argument.
This meeting of.....the German Federal Ministry of Defense, the Bundeswehr (German Army) Association and the Reservists Association occurred. They came to a mutual agreement finally.
A veteran will be noted as a active soldier or one who served in the German Army and was honorably dismissed.
The years in service factor? Dumped. Your function? Dumped.
It's a curious footnote here.....roughly ten million Germans today (from the old East German and West German days).....have military service time and would be referred to as a veteran.
A big deal coming to this recognized point? I think the wording has been argued about for years, and particular groups were always labeled in poor manner.
I know.....it's a bit amusing but this is Germany, and you need to accept this long drawn out argument.
This meeting of.....the German Federal Ministry of Defense, the Bundeswehr (German Army) Association and the Reservists Association occurred. They came to a mutual agreement finally.
A veteran will be noted as a active soldier or one who served in the German Army and was honorably dismissed.
The years in service factor? Dumped. Your function? Dumped.
It's a curious footnote here.....roughly ten million Germans today (from the old East German and West German days).....have military service time and would be referred to as a veteran.
A big deal coming to this recognized point? I think the wording has been argued about for years, and particular groups were always labeled in poor manner.
Sunday, November 18, 2018
The False Readings Story
Well....Focus (the German news magazine) picked up the story today and I suspect it'll be national talk by tomorrow night. Around four months ago, in the midst of the chatter in Germany over diesel car pollution....some folks started to ask questions about the monitoring stations in all the major German cities, and if 'poor' monitoring was possible. Focus finally picked up the story.
Basically....a high number of the air measurement stations in Germany simply don't comply with EU mandated rules. You have to have a minimum distance of 25 meters from the nearest intersection.
The defense to the argument? Well....the authorities say that they placed the stations at these points....before EU regulations came out.
So an order came out by national (federal) authorities to have a station by station review. Some meet the EU regulation.....some don't.
In some cases, the authorities came back and said something has to done in some cases (movement suggested). Oddly enough, as the story is told....some Green Party folks aren't happy about the suggested movement to meet EU regulations.
Does the position issue create an unnecessary problem with the diesel crisis? No one is really saying much about that.
You would think some PhD-level study would be done and talk about placement and how a solid strategy is necessary, with stringent rules.
Will this make it into the top ten news items? I doubt it.
Basically....a high number of the air measurement stations in Germany simply don't comply with EU mandated rules. You have to have a minimum distance of 25 meters from the nearest intersection.
The defense to the argument? Well....the authorities say that they placed the stations at these points....before EU regulations came out.
So an order came out by national (federal) authorities to have a station by station review. Some meet the EU regulation.....some don't.
In some cases, the authorities came back and said something has to done in some cases (movement suggested). Oddly enough, as the story is told....some Green Party folks aren't happy about the suggested movement to meet EU regulations.
Does the position issue create an unnecessary problem with the diesel crisis? No one is really saying much about that.
You would think some PhD-level study would be done and talk about placement and how a solid strategy is necessary, with stringent rules.
Will this make it into the top ten news items? I doubt it.
The Lack of 'Glue'
If you went out and asked a group of working-class Germans....is Germany truly unified, or is there a lack of cohesiveness existing in Germany today? Most (my humble guess is near 80-percent) would suggest that Germany is very much a divided nation today.
Tonight, via ARD (public TV in Germany, Channel One)....with the Anne Will public forum TV show (9:45 PM), there's going to be a full hour with political figures and journalists chatting over the issue.
Would this issue have come up in the 1980s, with West Germany? No....I suggest that most people would have found some 'glue' existing which patched society, regions, and the political landscape into one single nation.
It's an interesting discussion topic and I will offer four observations:
1. Something 'clicked' in the early 1990s as East and West Germany unified, and a difference of opinion became more noticeable. Part of it is East German 'thinking', but another part is the economic differences between communities in east and west.
2. Hartz IV (upon arriving around 2003) did resolve some particular welfare issues in Germany, but it also created a tidal wave of a lesser society existing. You can readily now find a ghetto landscapes in the creation and a good ten-to-fifteen percent of society living in a challenging environment.
3. Out of the 82-million residents of Germany....it's figured (at least by 2016 numbers) that ten-million residents are originally not of German origin. Since 2016? I'd take a guess that another half-million have arrived and layered into the system. It's difficult to see this group participating as a German resident would.
4. Finally, politically speaking....the two dominant parties (the CDU and SPD, left of center and right of center) are in a free-fall situation. Twenty to thirty years ago....they had 75 to 85 percent of the national vote. This past election (2017), they marginally were able (together) to get just over 50-percent of the vote. We are fairly near the point where half the voting public won't vote with the two previously noted dominate parties.
Is this a good thing....the lack of 'glue' as a society? It means more debate....more arguments....more experimentation.....more stress on the general public.
I expect this debate to talk about changes....more political experimentation....and an audience sitting in some form of disbelief or lack of trust.
Tonight, via ARD (public TV in Germany, Channel One)....with the Anne Will public forum TV show (9:45 PM), there's going to be a full hour with political figures and journalists chatting over the issue.
Would this issue have come up in the 1980s, with West Germany? No....I suggest that most people would have found some 'glue' existing which patched society, regions, and the political landscape into one single nation.
It's an interesting discussion topic and I will offer four observations:
1. Something 'clicked' in the early 1990s as East and West Germany unified, and a difference of opinion became more noticeable. Part of it is East German 'thinking', but another part is the economic differences between communities in east and west.
2. Hartz IV (upon arriving around 2003) did resolve some particular welfare issues in Germany, but it also created a tidal wave of a lesser society existing. You can readily now find a ghetto landscapes in the creation and a good ten-to-fifteen percent of society living in a challenging environment.
3. Out of the 82-million residents of Germany....it's figured (at least by 2016 numbers) that ten-million residents are originally not of German origin. Since 2016? I'd take a guess that another half-million have arrived and layered into the system. It's difficult to see this group participating as a German resident would.
4. Finally, politically speaking....the two dominant parties (the CDU and SPD, left of center and right of center) are in a free-fall situation. Twenty to thirty years ago....they had 75 to 85 percent of the national vote. This past election (2017), they marginally were able (together) to get just over 50-percent of the vote. We are fairly near the point where half the voting public won't vote with the two previously noted dominate parties.
Is this a good thing....the lack of 'glue' as a society? It means more debate....more arguments....more experimentation.....more stress on the general public.
I expect this debate to talk about changes....more political experimentation....and an audience sitting in some form of disbelief or lack of trust.
Deportation News
Germans currently have some expectations of 'control' being established over 'problem-immigrants' (those with criminal behavior and failed visa-applications). ARD (the public TV network, Channel One) talked over some changes being suggested by the Interior Ministry today.
The big suggestion? Well....if you get on some 'problem-list'....they re talking about a registration process where you have to call and note your location, between midnight and six in the morning....if you aren't at home. If you failed on this obligation? Well....you'd just go to some control-situation (meaning a prison).
Another idea being discussed is no-name airline tickets, which the government would hold. If deportee number one cannot be found....they'd move down on the list and pick up deportee number two....delivering him to the airport, and the ticket goes to him.
This entire deportation 'game' has become a complicated issue. First, you have to ensure the guy has entry papers or a passport from the home-country. A lot of countries would prefer not to get their people back.
Then you come to the issue of health problems, and the various German medical folks who attempt to get in the process and delay the deportation.
Then you come to the appeals process where some legal paperwork has been filed and suggests that the visa-disapproval was unfair.
Then you have individuals who simply 'disappear'....attempting to show up in some other European country and pretend that they just arrived, and hand over a fake passport to restart the process again.
The big suggestion? Well....if you get on some 'problem-list'....they re talking about a registration process where you have to call and note your location, between midnight and six in the morning....if you aren't at home. If you failed on this obligation? Well....you'd just go to some control-situation (meaning a prison).
Another idea being discussed is no-name airline tickets, which the government would hold. If deportee number one cannot be found....they'd move down on the list and pick up deportee number two....delivering him to the airport, and the ticket goes to him.
This entire deportation 'game' has become a complicated issue. First, you have to ensure the guy has entry papers or a passport from the home-country. A lot of countries would prefer not to get their people back.
Then you come to the issue of health problems, and the various German medical folks who attempt to get in the process and delay the deportation.
Then you come to the appeals process where some legal paperwork has been filed and suggests that the visa-disapproval was unfair.
Then you have individuals who simply 'disappear'....attempting to show up in some other European country and pretend that they just arrived, and hand over a fake passport to restart the process again.
The Jens Story
Rarely does a 'loser' end being some highly noted figure....but somehow, this German reality TV show guy....Jens Buchner....figured out the way to accomplish this.
I started watching 'Goodbye Germany' show twelve years ago. Most of the dynamics were marginal. But along the way...maybe six to seven years ago....Buchner came along. He wanted to leave Germany.....move down into the Spanish isles and become a nightclub singer. It's safe to say.....he was a pretty less-than-average singer.
Originally, with number one, the show would touch on Jen's soap opera lifestyle....demonstrate his battle of becoming a singer....and make you quietly pull for the guy.
Then he and wife number one split up....but on good relations.
Jens then got into wife number two, and the reality show continued on.
I have to admit.....he'd become probably one of the five most recognized men in Germany. Never really a big success at whatever he did, but it was his drive to continue on that was remarkable.
In the past ten days....chaos came up with his health.....checking into a hospital. He was dying. A spot on his lungs....very weakened.
In truth, I think most folks were attached to Jens because he was just a regular guy. It's true....he couldn't sing....his life decisions were not the best in the world....and his success is mostly because of the reality TV series. But he was the 'little' guy that you admired for never giving up.
I started watching 'Goodbye Germany' show twelve years ago. Most of the dynamics were marginal. But along the way...maybe six to seven years ago....Buchner came along. He wanted to leave Germany.....move down into the Spanish isles and become a nightclub singer. It's safe to say.....he was a pretty less-than-average singer.
Originally, with number one, the show would touch on Jen's soap opera lifestyle....demonstrate his battle of becoming a singer....and make you quietly pull for the guy.
Then he and wife number one split up....but on good relations.
Jens then got into wife number two, and the reality show continued on.
I have to admit.....he'd become probably one of the five most recognized men in Germany. Never really a big success at whatever he did, but it was his drive to continue on that was remarkable.
In the past ten days....chaos came up with his health.....checking into a hospital. He was dying. A spot on his lungs....very weakened.
In truth, I think most folks were attached to Jens because he was just a regular guy. It's true....he couldn't sing....his life decisions were not the best in the world....and his success is mostly because of the reality TV series. But he was the 'little' guy that you admired for never giving up.
Saturday, November 17, 2018
Coup Story
It's been barely mentioned in the past two weeks, but Focus magazine went and put a fairly detailed account of the 'Day-X' episode here in Germany.
Best described?
The German Federal Police say they've got enough evidence to proceed onto a court case. At work here....a small secretive group of German elite soldiers, who had put together this plan to take down a number of German political figures and create a 'coup' (note, the cops avoid using the word).
The central figure with the story, and in the middle? A German ex-air force officer and reserve major, who laid out the basic story.
All of this would have been put into effect once an overwhelming event due to refugees.....had occurred on German soil. In essence....a "collapse of public order".
A serious effort to create a wave like a coup? This is the part that I have problems with. It's possible that you had three or four delusional folks, and a dozen others who just kinda fell into a middle of some bar-room talk (not realizing the whole episode).
The problem here is that political folks will take this serious and start a massive investigation over the German Army and dump a hundred-odd members if they think they were part of this coup-planner episode.
The fact that names of politicians are written down and their home addresses established? Well....the delusional folks obviously went though the first and second steps of putting a plan together. Another problem is that thousands of Germans will view the story and start getting funny ideas about the threat of the coup and get all hyped up over nothing.
Best described?
The German Federal Police say they've got enough evidence to proceed onto a court case. At work here....a small secretive group of German elite soldiers, who had put together this plan to take down a number of German political figures and create a 'coup' (note, the cops avoid using the word).
The central figure with the story, and in the middle? A German ex-air force officer and reserve major, who laid out the basic story.
All of this would have been put into effect once an overwhelming event due to refugees.....had occurred on German soil. In essence....a "collapse of public order".
A serious effort to create a wave like a coup? This is the part that I have problems with. It's possible that you had three or four delusional folks, and a dozen others who just kinda fell into a middle of some bar-room talk (not realizing the whole episode).
The problem here is that political folks will take this serious and start a massive investigation over the German Army and dump a hundred-odd members if they think they were part of this coup-planner episode.
The fact that names of politicians are written down and their home addresses established? Well....the delusional folks obviously went though the first and second steps of putting a plan together. Another problem is that thousands of Germans will view the story and start getting funny ideas about the threat of the coup and get all hyped up over nothing.
Merkel at Chemnitz
Typically, Chancellor Merkel does press conferences or public Q and A program....only with journalists. Yesterday, in Chemnitz....she went forward with a two-hour Q and A session, with the general public. This occurred in the middle of a work day, and I would question the folks who ended up within the structure. NTV (German commercial news) covered the event and spoke about the questions.
For those not familiar with recent events in Chemnitz (a city in the eastern region of Germany).....there was a German who was attacked by a non-German, and it's become a rough period for the political folks in the region to answer questions.
The deal led off with the question....do you know why people have taken offense to you? This led to a professor-like statement that she can understand this.
This led onto a question if the government itself needs a new communication strategy. This question was worded in some way to suggest that people (some people)....aren't that bright and "the ability of people to receive news" is in question.
I stopped for a while and thought about that statement. It's directed at working-class people (not intellectuals). But actually, after you start thinking about it....you might as well include intellectuals in the group of people having problems in receiving news as well. Dumbing down all news? Well....why not?
This suggestion led the guy asking the dumb-down piece....to suggest that the Chancellor needs to have short films produced. You know....the type where difficult-to-understand matters are done in bite-size form. You know....like those films produced in the 1930s. Oh.....well....maybe that's not a good example.
The Chancellor then wanted folks to know that her guy (Bundestag spokesman Steffen Seibert) already does daily 'tweets', YouTube-type videos, and she does a regular podcast (I can't say it's weekly but you see one every once in a while).
So the questions proceed on. At some point, a German lady asked about the Chancellor needing to point out the good achievements of the government.....that enough kind and glorious words aren't being sprinkled in the public. The Chancellor more or less grinned and suggested that she didn't want to go overboard bragging on all the good stuff.
Toward the end of this two-hour episode.....some guy finally asked....when are you retiring? The Chancellor is kinda direct and just says she's in for the whole four years.
One can make three observations about this public session:
1. If you feel negative about the Merkel vision (to include immigration and migration), then the session did little to persuade you to be more open. If you were super-positive about Merkel (to include immigration and migration), then the session did little to improve your super-positive feeling over the government.
2. Yes, there is a intellectual versus non-intellectual 'battle' brewing in Germany. There are truly people walking around that feel if you were 'just as smart' as them....you'd understand the whole situation. In some ways....it's opened up this big divide among the public and creating a disconnect. The sad factor in this piece of the puzzle is that the intellectuals are in the minority (maybe one out of seven at best).
3. When you look across the whole landscape in Germany....most will say that there really needs to be some change coming to the political make-up of the government....that having a fresh new Chancellor would help.
More of these Q and A episodes? If you were lucky.....you might see Merkel do one of these a year. Course that suggestion to do more of those short film 'explanations' might be a catchy thing that the public TV folks could do.
For those not familiar with recent events in Chemnitz (a city in the eastern region of Germany).....there was a German who was attacked by a non-German, and it's become a rough period for the political folks in the region to answer questions.
The deal led off with the question....do you know why people have taken offense to you? This led to a professor-like statement that she can understand this.
This led onto a question if the government itself needs a new communication strategy. This question was worded in some way to suggest that people (some people)....aren't that bright and "the ability of people to receive news" is in question.
I stopped for a while and thought about that statement. It's directed at working-class people (not intellectuals). But actually, after you start thinking about it....you might as well include intellectuals in the group of people having problems in receiving news as well. Dumbing down all news? Well....why not?
This suggestion led the guy asking the dumb-down piece....to suggest that the Chancellor needs to have short films produced. You know....the type where difficult-to-understand matters are done in bite-size form. You know....like those films produced in the 1930s. Oh.....well....maybe that's not a good example.
The Chancellor then wanted folks to know that her guy (Bundestag spokesman Steffen Seibert) already does daily 'tweets', YouTube-type videos, and she does a regular podcast (I can't say it's weekly but you see one every once in a while).
So the questions proceed on. At some point, a German lady asked about the Chancellor needing to point out the good achievements of the government.....that enough kind and glorious words aren't being sprinkled in the public. The Chancellor more or less grinned and suggested that she didn't want to go overboard bragging on all the good stuff.
Toward the end of this two-hour episode.....some guy finally asked....when are you retiring? The Chancellor is kinda direct and just says she's in for the whole four years.
One can make three observations about this public session:
1. If you feel negative about the Merkel vision (to include immigration and migration), then the session did little to persuade you to be more open. If you were super-positive about Merkel (to include immigration and migration), then the session did little to improve your super-positive feeling over the government.
2. Yes, there is a intellectual versus non-intellectual 'battle' brewing in Germany. There are truly people walking around that feel if you were 'just as smart' as them....you'd understand the whole situation. In some ways....it's opened up this big divide among the public and creating a disconnect. The sad factor in this piece of the puzzle is that the intellectuals are in the minority (maybe one out of seven at best).
3. When you look across the whole landscape in Germany....most will say that there really needs to be some change coming to the political make-up of the government....that having a fresh new Chancellor would help.
More of these Q and A episodes? If you were lucky.....you might see Merkel do one of these a year. Course that suggestion to do more of those short film 'explanations' might be a catchy thing that the public TV folks could do.
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