Posted on 05/18/2024 8:27:06 PM PDT by RandFan
Germany's self-inflicted economic problems have been much in the news in the last couple of years. Having eschewed cheap fossil fuels for 'green' energy sources, the manufacturing powerhouse of Europe has fallen into recession, seen a slowdown in growth, a decline in exports, and a widening trade deficit.
Of course, the country's move away from fossil fuels is not the only reason for its economic problems. Other factors include a global economic slowdown affecting its exports, the Ukraine war cutting off supplies of cheap gas, trade tensions, and domestic challenges such as a decline in investment and a shortage of skilled workers.
None of the reasons for its economic woes have short-term fixes. In fact, it's possible that these issues will worsen in the short-term. It doesn't help, either, that Germany's economy is also affected by the ongoing crisis in the Eurozone. The country's large trade surplus and its role as the largest economy in the Eurozone make it vulnerable to shocks in the region...and there are a few of those going on right now.
As the largest economy in the Eurozone, Germany plays a major role in the stability of the EU. Essentially it's the "bank of last resort" for the EU, and German voters are increasingly voicing their irritation at seeing their tax money being used to bail-out lesser economies in the region.
It is no surprise that the AfD (Alternative for Germany) party has gained considerable support among German voters recently, in part thanks to its Eurosceptic views. In recent elections, the AfD has gained double-digit percentages of the vote in several states, including Baden-Württemberg, Rhineland-Palatinate, and Saxony-Anhalt.
(Excerpt) Read more at msn.com ...
“ Having eschewed cheap fossil fuels for ‘green’ energy sources, the manufacturing powerhouse of Europe has fallen into recession”
They haven’t been this snookered since the nazis even Mercedes screwed up
We have a new sick man of Europe? It used to be Turkey.
The Germans seem to have a proclivity for periodic bouts of collective insanity. At least this time it only affected their economy.
Why a shortage of skilled workers? Taylor Swift?
There. Fixed it.
As the government's spending share of the GDP increases, it's return contribution to the GDP goes up much more slowly, and the ROI worsens markedly.
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That may be the best economic argument I've ever seen to hold down the size of government.
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Here's another scary graph:
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Problem is, the last time Germany’s economy went “south” in a major way, the next thing you know, they’ve conjured up Uncle Adolf...
I flew to Germany and drove around the country for a wonderful week in 1989, a few months before the Berlin Wall came down. Prosperity everywhere, even in small villages. Then I flew to West Berlin, stayed at a great hotel, bought some beautiful clothes. Food was wonderful in restaurants and service was excellent.
Went to Checkpoint Charlie and got on the bus to see Commie East Berlin. Total disaster area, hovels replaced pretty homes, trees cut down, statues of historical leaders tossed into a guarded area, dreadful food in the restaurant we went to and only one towel in the ladies’ restroom.
Sounds like the Germans have decided that the old Communist ways are preferable. Highly intelligent people, but total idiots
Is George Soros tinkering with the economy of Germany?
Sadly, this seems to affect almost every society from time to time. Look at Wokeness in the US now or the Cultural Revolution in China, the Revolutionary Terror in France, etc etc. But yes, the Germans seem particularly prone to it. This time its Gaia Worship with them.....though importing millions of military age muslim males without even bothering to vet them ranks right up there.
The problem here is it won't just be the German economy that suffers. Germany is the economic engine of Europe. If their economy goes into the toilet - and that's unavoidable now - other countries will have to learn to live without those indirect subsidies from Germany via the EU. They'll all have to do this at the same time that they're having to start paying for more of their own defense instead of just freeloading off of America to pay for it all for them.
Its going to be a bumpy ride for Europe even more than the US.
That's completely true. The Biden administration really screwed them by blowing up the pipeline. Then again, the Germans were utterly idiotic to make themselves completely dependent on Russian gas to provide for their energy needs. I remember a certain Orange Man warning them publicly about that and this was their reaction:
So....Ist es noch lustig jungs? Lacht euch immer noch?
The gift of 16 years of Angela Merkel as Chancellor. She was Germany’s Barack Hussein Obama.
Woe betide the countries left holding the bag...
Merkel should have been frogmarched into a forest in 1990 and had a bullet in the back of her head with the rest of the Stasi.
Everything about every bit of EU funding is wrong, wrong headed, wasteful, and hurts the economies of the EU.
The EU should have never been anything more than a free trade union, period. Everything else has been used toward making the EU the “federal government” of western Europe. A big mistake.
He is.
Germany will eventually become a Turkish colony.
They are, personally, drawing their bloated salaries or pensions. The second from left, Heiko Maass aka Little Longnose, the Commie dwarf, is the worst of the bunch (spit).
Boy, do I miss the days in my youth, the Seventies and Eighties, when politicians didn’t use their power to make a fat fortune - or were at least more discreet about it.☹️
I definitiv agree. Gracious Lord, have mercy. On all of us sinners.
Amen.
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