With one older German guy dead, and another older guy seriously injured....you have to question what happened on the streets of Augsburg during this holiday season.
Based on a number of reportings, you can say that the two older guys (both over the age of forty) were with their wives and apparently sipping some gluhwein in the Christmas market area.
Some younger guys (in the sixteen to eighteen year old range) were nearby and being loud and obnoxious.
The one older guy asked the young guys to tone down their chatter. Things didn't go well, and in a matter of minutes....a physical altercation occurred, with one guy dead on the street. It would appear that he was pushed or stumbled onto the cobblestone street.
The young guys? At least two of them were known in some way with the police.....meaning they'd been in trouble before. Alcohol involved? No one can be sure about that, but it probably helped the situation develop.
The fact that the accused young men are all young enough to be treated via the German juvenile court system, and it's likely that while they will go off for some time in a juvenile detention deal.....both will be out within three to five years.
This reviving up the public demand to revise the juvenile system? I might go and suggest that the topic will come up and be a political topic for 2020.
UPDATE: Cops and local authorities now kinda admit that this district/neighborhood where the assault took place....is a location for high alcoholism and drug use. It's about 800 feet away from the train station.
Monday, December 9, 2019
Policeman Attack
It's a page one item in the German news this morning, which I'll reference for most info back to N-TV (commercial German news network).
Munich police report this morning (Monday) around 6:30 AM.....one of their police was in the midst of a patrol in the main train station, and some attack occurred on the policeman.
Attacker? He came up from behind and attempted to stab the policeman. Attacker is simply described as 23 years old, and without any real motive. Drug situation? Maybe, but you won't know for several days. Most major German train stations (especially in the mornings) are magnets for drug dealers.
The policeman? Ambulance came, and he appears to be hurt but not badly. What helped is that passers-by came to the aid of the policeman and held the attacker until more policemen arrived.
It's another case where you have to view your landscape while walking around, and be vigilant of 'nutcases'.
The one curious thing, if you go and view most all German cops on patrol these days.....they all wear the bulletproof vest, and I kinda doubt that the knife penetrated much of the vest unless he got up into the neck or shoulder area.
Munich police report this morning (Monday) around 6:30 AM.....one of their police was in the midst of a patrol in the main train station, and some attack occurred on the policeman.
Attacker? He came up from behind and attempted to stab the policeman. Attacker is simply described as 23 years old, and without any real motive. Drug situation? Maybe, but you won't know for several days. Most major German train stations (especially in the mornings) are magnets for drug dealers.
The policeman? Ambulance came, and he appears to be hurt but not badly. What helped is that passers-by came to the aid of the policeman and held the attacker until more policemen arrived.
It's another case where you have to view your landscape while walking around, and be vigilant of 'nutcases'.
The one curious thing, if you go and view most all German cops on patrol these days.....they all wear the bulletproof vest, and I kinda doubt that the knife penetrated much of the vest unless he got up into the neck or shoulder area.
Decaying Pools in Germany
One of the recreational things that you tend to notice about the German landscape....is the number of pools. Across the landscape, there are thousands of pools that have been built and used by Germans. Some indoor....most outdoor.
Some will say in the 1960s and 1970s....there was a 'boom-period' going on with a significant amount of state and federal money poured into pools.
So it came up via the German news yesterday, via ARD (public TV, Channel One) that there is a major problem brewing.
Since 2000 (now 20 years almost).....1,400 public pools have been closed across the country (without replacement).
Chief reason? During this 1960s/1970s boom-period....a lot of details were missed on the construction process, and these pools became problems to maintain (leakages, sanitation, etc).
The story opens up with a large number of Germans registering their frustration with the local and state folks....not funding repairs or replacement pools.
Presently, there are around 6,400 public pools existing.
The money lacking? Well, here's the thing.....most of these pools charge enough to cover operating cost, employees, and basic maintenance. Once you reach a stage where the pool is in decline and you need massive funding....it requires the community to go and find millions to construct the new pool, and tear down the old pool. That normally has to be paid out of the tax revenue bucket.
About eight miles to the north of my village....a private investment group went out around a decade ago and built a business plan for a pool, spa and fitness gym. They put the operation within 300 meters of the autobahn to get customers coming home from work. They had both an outdoor and indoor pool. They even went and put up covered parking. All packaged up.....you'd call it a five-star operation.
To fund the construction and yearly operations cost? Well, it wasn't exactly a cheap pool. They tried various ways to encourage people to use the private pool complex, and in the past year.....they finally admitted failure (bankruptcy). The interesting thing is that it's the only pool in this booming village (the old crappy pool from the early 1960s had already been torn down).
In this case, the city walked in....arranged a significant bank loan, and flipped a private pool operation into a public pool. The cost level? They were able to fund school fitness costs via tax revenue buckets, and they seem to have a business model that will keep the operation going.
But this is another 'shortfall' situation where Germany needs 'mountains' of cash to make the public happy, and the tax revenue simply doesn't exist to cover all of these public 'devices'. It's the same story with bridges, streets, and parks.....they've developed an infrastructure that requires continual maintenance and replacement....with capital that they simply don't have.
Some will say in the 1960s and 1970s....there was a 'boom-period' going on with a significant amount of state and federal money poured into pools.
So it came up via the German news yesterday, via ARD (public TV, Channel One) that there is a major problem brewing.
Since 2000 (now 20 years almost).....1,400 public pools have been closed across the country (without replacement).
Chief reason? During this 1960s/1970s boom-period....a lot of details were missed on the construction process, and these pools became problems to maintain (leakages, sanitation, etc).
The story opens up with a large number of Germans registering their frustration with the local and state folks....not funding repairs or replacement pools.
Presently, there are around 6,400 public pools existing.
The money lacking? Well, here's the thing.....most of these pools charge enough to cover operating cost, employees, and basic maintenance. Once you reach a stage where the pool is in decline and you need massive funding....it requires the community to go and find millions to construct the new pool, and tear down the old pool. That normally has to be paid out of the tax revenue bucket.
About eight miles to the north of my village....a private investment group went out around a decade ago and built a business plan for a pool, spa and fitness gym. They put the operation within 300 meters of the autobahn to get customers coming home from work. They had both an outdoor and indoor pool. They even went and put up covered parking. All packaged up.....you'd call it a five-star operation.
To fund the construction and yearly operations cost? Well, it wasn't exactly a cheap pool. They tried various ways to encourage people to use the private pool complex, and in the past year.....they finally admitted failure (bankruptcy). The interesting thing is that it's the only pool in this booming village (the old crappy pool from the early 1960s had already been torn down).
In this case, the city walked in....arranged a significant bank loan, and flipped a private pool operation into a public pool. The cost level? They were able to fund school fitness costs via tax revenue buckets, and they seem to have a business model that will keep the operation going.
But this is another 'shortfall' situation where Germany needs 'mountains' of cash to make the public happy, and the tax revenue simply doesn't exist to cover all of these public 'devices'. It's the same story with bridges, streets, and parks.....they've developed an infrastructure that requires continual maintenance and replacement....with capital that they simply don't have.
Sunday, December 8, 2019
Cops Busy After Augsburg Attack
I chatted briefly yesterday about an attack on a German fireman and associate in Augsburg (Friday night). Came as a disagreement on the street, at a Christmas market. The guy (a fireman in the local region) is dead.
Focus has an updated piece to it....cops got busy and identified six of the individuals in the attack. Currently, they are focused on two guys who led this and appears to be the central figures who did most of the attack.
Key parts to the story?
Well....so says the Ministry of Interior....this main guy is a teenager (17 years old) who has German, Lebanese, and Turkish nationality. Yep.....all three. I would assume he carries all three passports.
The second guy (same age) hold Italian citizenship.
So the charges? German law dictates that anyone under 20....is a juvenile. So this will go into a juvenile court. They might still pursue the manslaughter charge. I have my doubts that either 'kid' will spend more than four years in some youth detention center.
The kid who is 'German, Lebanese, and Turkish'? They probably will dissolve his German citizenship after he's finished with imprisonment, and expel him out of the country. For him, that might be the worst to expect besides a couple of years in youth detention.
This might push public opinion to go and revisit the laws over juveniles, and if the level of physical violence has reached a stage in the sixteen states where you need long-term prison situations.
Update: Monday morning. Well, German cops now say over the two guys who are the main part of the attack on the older guy....that they have a 'history' with the police. Usually, when this phrase is uttered....it means that they've been detained or arrested on a number of occasions....which could vary from drunken behavior to selling of drugs. So you really don't know the extent of this 'history'. Does this harm their innocence angle in court? They will still go to juvenile court, and still face manslaughter.....but under juvenile rules.
The juvenile court system in Germany is built along the lines of educating the 'child' rather than punishing them. Yes, even though both are 17....they are still considered 'children'. Potential that all in this youth gang group were consuming alcohol and using drugs? Maybe, but it'll have no affect on the juvenile court system.
Focus has an updated piece to it....cops got busy and identified six of the individuals in the attack. Currently, they are focused on two guys who led this and appears to be the central figures who did most of the attack.
Key parts to the story?
Well....so says the Ministry of Interior....this main guy is a teenager (17 years old) who has German, Lebanese, and Turkish nationality. Yep.....all three. I would assume he carries all three passports.
The second guy (same age) hold Italian citizenship.
So the charges? German law dictates that anyone under 20....is a juvenile. So this will go into a juvenile court. They might still pursue the manslaughter charge. I have my doubts that either 'kid' will spend more than four years in some youth detention center.
The kid who is 'German, Lebanese, and Turkish'? They probably will dissolve his German citizenship after he's finished with imprisonment, and expel him out of the country. For him, that might be the worst to expect besides a couple of years in youth detention.
This might push public opinion to go and revisit the laws over juveniles, and if the level of physical violence has reached a stage in the sixteen states where you need long-term prison situations.
Update: Monday morning. Well, German cops now say over the two guys who are the main part of the attack on the older guy....that they have a 'history' with the police. Usually, when this phrase is uttered....it means that they've been detained or arrested on a number of occasions....which could vary from drunken behavior to selling of drugs. So you really don't know the extent of this 'history'. Does this harm their innocence angle in court? They will still go to juvenile court, and still face manslaughter.....but under juvenile rules.
The juvenile court system in Germany is built along the lines of educating the 'child' rather than punishing them. Yes, even though both are 17....they are still considered 'children'. Potential that all in this youth gang group were consuming alcohol and using drugs? Maybe, but it'll have no affect on the juvenile court system.
The Kindness 'Path'
This topic got brought up today via a YouTube channel that I watch, and it's an interesting question and thought process.
It's pointed out....since 2014, and across all of Europe (to include various other countries besides Germany)....that a kindness appeal to European citizens went out over migrants, immigrants and asylum politics.
It was a political stance, a journalistic declaration, and even a religious invitation.
So the question is....if you used 'kindness' in this appeal or path....why not via everything else? You know....like taxation, or environmental issues, or welfare, or crime, or radical/extreme religious behavior?
Kindness is often described as being tactful....that you make more friends by being kind. Kindness can also be described as showing the good side of humanity.
After a long while of pondering, I've come to this conclusion....my phrase on this 'kindness' business is that it is a mess with unintended consequences. You end up with people who walk out of the 'forest'....feeling awful negative about asylum chatter or migrants with bad behavior....in a bit of shock that they were handcuffed to kindness for a long while, and now feel like an idiot. Days, weeks, and months will pass....with the violated guy or gal standing there, and determined never to be open to kindness again.
Yeah, it's kinda like eating a Mexican-food dinner, and waking up at 3 AM with serious stomach problems, greeting the toilet as a 'savior', and then vowing to never eating Mexican ever again.
As for the reason why 'kindness' was used in the first place....the journalists and strategy people probably felt that mortal minds have this 'click-on' button that is like a cat hearing a can-opening sound, and running straight to the sound....expecting a treat.
I would imagine that we all want some element of kindness in our society...it makes us feel whole, and justified in whatever we do. The problem is....when a 'fake' kindness is dished-out, we are not that capable in observing it, or reacting with push-back.
I hate to suggest always using skepticism when being given kindness, but you might want to improve your skeptical skills, and be ready for possible problems.
It's pointed out....since 2014, and across all of Europe (to include various other countries besides Germany)....that a kindness appeal to European citizens went out over migrants, immigrants and asylum politics.
It was a political stance, a journalistic declaration, and even a religious invitation.
So the question is....if you used 'kindness' in this appeal or path....why not via everything else? You know....like taxation, or environmental issues, or welfare, or crime, or radical/extreme religious behavior?
Kindness is often described as being tactful....that you make more friends by being kind. Kindness can also be described as showing the good side of humanity.
After a long while of pondering, I've come to this conclusion....my phrase on this 'kindness' business is that it is a mess with unintended consequences. You end up with people who walk out of the 'forest'....feeling awful negative about asylum chatter or migrants with bad behavior....in a bit of shock that they were handcuffed to kindness for a long while, and now feel like an idiot. Days, weeks, and months will pass....with the violated guy or gal standing there, and determined never to be open to kindness again.
Yeah, it's kinda like eating a Mexican-food dinner, and waking up at 3 AM with serious stomach problems, greeting the toilet as a 'savior', and then vowing to never eating Mexican ever again.
As for the reason why 'kindness' was used in the first place....the journalists and strategy people probably felt that mortal minds have this 'click-on' button that is like a cat hearing a can-opening sound, and running straight to the sound....expecting a treat.
I would imagine that we all want some element of kindness in our society...it makes us feel whole, and justified in whatever we do. The problem is....when a 'fake' kindness is dished-out, we are not that capable in observing it, or reacting with push-back.
I hate to suggest always using skepticism when being given kindness, but you might want to improve your skeptical skills, and be ready for possible problems.
E-Scooter Story
I was looking over German public TV news today, and this odd statistic stood out. Up until 2019....E-scooters hadn't really been a factor on German streets. Now they are. However, cities are now reviewing data collections and some things have occurred that might surprise you.
So ARD (Channel One, public German TV) told this story.
The cops in Koln did a quarterly analysis report (ending mid-November).
104 E-scooter accidents were reported over that 90-day period. Of that group....24 were categorized as 'severe' (meaning that they were transported by ambulance). But out of that group (the 104)....88 were the drivers, and the other 16 were 'passengers'.
If you go and kinda look over the rule-book, even by the companies who manufacture the E-scooters....the majority of them strongly recommend just one person on the scooter.
But the cops also note something unique about the 104 accidents....roughly a third of them were drunken drivers.
Yep, they were capable of getting their handy out....doing the 'swipe' to authorize the E-scooter, and then taking off down the street.
The thing you'd start to worry about.....as a driver in mid-town areas (even Wiesbaden), you might be cruising along at 30 kph, and suddenly have some drunk 20-year old gal coming out of nowhere, and you end up severely injuring the dimwit drunk.
The odds of some special 'commission' existing by the end of 2020, and recommending all E-scooters being taken off German streets? I'd actually give it a 50-50 chance at this point.
So ARD (Channel One, public German TV) told this story.
The cops in Koln did a quarterly analysis report (ending mid-November).
104 E-scooter accidents were reported over that 90-day period. Of that group....24 were categorized as 'severe' (meaning that they were transported by ambulance). But out of that group (the 104)....88 were the drivers, and the other 16 were 'passengers'.
If you go and kinda look over the rule-book, even by the companies who manufacture the E-scooters....the majority of them strongly recommend just one person on the scooter.
But the cops also note something unique about the 104 accidents....roughly a third of them were drunken drivers.
Yep, they were capable of getting their handy out....doing the 'swipe' to authorize the E-scooter, and then taking off down the street.
The thing you'd start to worry about.....as a driver in mid-town areas (even Wiesbaden), you might be cruising along at 30 kph, and suddenly have some drunk 20-year old gal coming out of nowhere, and you end up severely injuring the dimwit drunk.
The odds of some special 'commission' existing by the end of 2020, and recommending all E-scooters being taken off German streets? I'd actually give it a 50-50 chance at this point.
Guy With a Hammer Story
I often discuss weird crime episodes in Germany. Yesterday (Saturday), the German cops got this call up in Wuppertal (a significant German city in the northwest, near Dortmund).
Bild covers a good extent of the story. But you can find several accounts of the event.
The guy in question was walking around the downtown area, with a hammer, and clobbering mirrors off cars. At the point when the cops had arrived....he'd gotten up to around a dozen cars that he'd damaged.
Why the hammer and the clobbering? Unknown. Maybe it was a drug reaction....maybe the guy was paranoid schizophrenic.
Cops pull up and try to establish a halt to the hammer action. The guy violently reacts, and heads toward the police with the hammer raised.
The German police did what they are trained to do....put down a threat to their personal safety.
Attacker? Dead.
It drives home the fact that folks with serious mental issues are allowed to continue on, until they cross a line, and threaten property or people. There will be some investigation out of this, and someone will note that the guy has probably been paranoid schizophrenic for years. The sad thing is that you put this German cop into some suspended category for at least six months, and he or she will regret their action for years to come.
Bild covers a good extent of the story. But you can find several accounts of the event.
The guy in question was walking around the downtown area, with a hammer, and clobbering mirrors off cars. At the point when the cops had arrived....he'd gotten up to around a dozen cars that he'd damaged.
Why the hammer and the clobbering? Unknown. Maybe it was a drug reaction....maybe the guy was paranoid schizophrenic.
Cops pull up and try to establish a halt to the hammer action. The guy violently reacts, and heads toward the police with the hammer raised.
The German police did what they are trained to do....put down a threat to their personal safety.
Attacker? Dead.
It drives home the fact that folks with serious mental issues are allowed to continue on, until they cross a line, and threaten property or people. There will be some investigation out of this, and someone will note that the guy has probably been paranoid schizophrenic for years. The sad thing is that you put this German cop into some suspended category for at least six months, and he or she will regret their action for years to come.
Christmas Market Attack?
This past Friday night (late, around 10:30 PM).....in Augsburg (the heart of Bavaria).....two couples were mingling at the local Christmas Market. BR (Bavarian public TV) tells most of the story but dozens of news sites are covering this.
The four were on their way to the center of town, where the hub of activity was going on.
Something happens upon this trail, and they bump into seven young men. No one can be sure about the 'bump', what was said, possible insults, or if four older Germans did something to trigger an event.
When the smoke had cleared, one of the four (male) had been pushed, hit his head on street, and dies.
The guy? Forty-nine years old....professional fireman....married (his wife was one of the four).
The second guy in the four 'group' was hit a few times, and injured
The seven young guys? They exit the scene. Cops are looking for them.
Cops have been assembled (at least 20) to cover witness statements, look at video coverage, and to find the seven for charges. Odds of a dozen-odd cameras catching images of the seven from different points of the evening? It's almost a hundred-percent chance. Here's thing, you only need one single good image of one guy, and let it lead the public to identify him, and the the other six will be pointed-out in a matter of hours.
Non-Germans? No one says that, and it could easily end up being just seven teenage German youths who had too much alcohol, and did something pretty stupid.
Whoever it is....in the end, they will end up with a minimum of manslaughter charges, and potentially one to ten years in prison.
Again, as I've harped upon a number of times....you simply need to be vigilant in today's Germany and always view your landscape.
Updated: From Focus, witness says now that the four older folks were 'stationary' (probably drinking gluhwein), and the group of seven (young guys) were obviously in some drunken spree....got very loud, and then the two older guys asked them to 'tone-it-down'. The young guys then went into a higher pitch, then the two older guys came back with another request, and at that point, the seven young guys pitched in and did their violent assault on the older guys (one dead from the event).
Based on the commentary/wording, I'd take a fair guess they were local German teenagers....fairly drunk.
The four were on their way to the center of town, where the hub of activity was going on.
Something happens upon this trail, and they bump into seven young men. No one can be sure about the 'bump', what was said, possible insults, or if four older Germans did something to trigger an event.
When the smoke had cleared, one of the four (male) had been pushed, hit his head on street, and dies.
The guy? Forty-nine years old....professional fireman....married (his wife was one of the four).
The second guy in the four 'group' was hit a few times, and injured
The seven young guys? They exit the scene. Cops are looking for them.
Cops have been assembled (at least 20) to cover witness statements, look at video coverage, and to find the seven for charges. Odds of a dozen-odd cameras catching images of the seven from different points of the evening? It's almost a hundred-percent chance. Here's thing, you only need one single good image of one guy, and let it lead the public to identify him, and the the other six will be pointed-out in a matter of hours.
Non-Germans? No one says that, and it could easily end up being just seven teenage German youths who had too much alcohol, and did something pretty stupid.
Whoever it is....in the end, they will end up with a minimum of manslaughter charges, and potentially one to ten years in prison.
Again, as I've harped upon a number of times....you simply need to be vigilant in today's Germany and always view your landscape.
Updated: From Focus, witness says now that the four older folks were 'stationary' (probably drinking gluhwein), and the group of seven (young guys) were obviously in some drunken spree....got very loud, and then the two older guys asked them to 'tone-it-down'. The young guys then went into a higher pitch, then the two older guys came back with another request, and at that point, the seven young guys pitched in and did their violent assault on the older guys (one dead from the event).
Based on the commentary/wording, I'd take a fair guess they were local German teenagers....fairly drunk.
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