[Rummenigge]

ummm

- crap economy ?

- states costs too high - running either a deficit or too high taxes ?

- low birth rates of the upper classes ?


isn't that more a typical US problem ?

>> Of course all of this is lost if you believe that "the government" pays for this or that.>>

Is that what you believe ? I'd not have thought you are that stupid.

[Jaysun]

If Germany were a US State its economy would rank last behind all other 50. America doesn't have a birth problem, we're making babies and just passed the 300 million mark. And America's taxes are far less than that of Germany. On fuel alone a gallon of gas in America is cheaper than the taxes that Germany charges on that same gallon.

Germany has some of the best minds in the world. You guys are super at engineering and design. I just wish your government would step aside at let you grow to your full potential.

Your economy isn't that bad - yet. But it's coming. You have to get rid of some of the social spending before it eats you alive.

I think of it like this:
A farmer plants some corn and waits for it to grow. Once it does he eats some and saves the rest to plant again. If he eats 30% of his corn he'll still have a lot more to plant than he did the first time. However, if he eats 50% of his corn he can't grow nearly as much and the size of his farm will be much less than it would have been. The same for government. The more they use the less you can grow. The government in Germany uses way too much.