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High-quality mindset, sorry, but that's BS. My parents still live there and complain all the time about shoddy products and services. That positive stereotype is a myth.
I can't say much about Japan, other than I have heard disturbing things about its society. But their products are certainly good (I mean the ones actually made in Japan, not Japanese products made in China), I would prefer a Japanese one over a German one anytime.
I think the fact that you left Germany says more about yourself than it does say about Germany. Not everyone fits into every mindset and society and I appreciate the freedom of the European Union to just move where one is happy. That you personally feel better elsewhere does not make Germany a bad country.
However, I can to some extend agree that a "high-quality" mindset is something getting less important in a society flooded my immigrants that do not share the mentality. But German products are still among the best in the world. The only problem is that hardly any "consumer product" is made in Germany, due to the price pressure. German industry, except cars and food, is highly focussed on B2B goods, so as a normal consumer you will not even know the difference. What kind of products are your parents complaining about, and which of them are actually made in Germany?
I think the fact that you left Germany says more about yourself than it does say about Germany. Not everyone fits into every mindset and society and I appreciate the freedom of the European Union to just move where one is happy. That you personally feel better elsewhere does not make Germany a bad country.
However, I can to some extend agree that a "high-quality" mindset is something getting less important in a society flooded my immigrants that do not share the mentality. But German products are still among the best in the world. The only problem is that hardly any "consumer product" is made in Germany, due to the price pressure. German industry, except cars and food, is highly focussed on B2B goods, so as a normal consumer you will not even know the difference. What kind of products are your parents complaining about, and which of them are actually made in Germany?
I am pretty sure their Siemens washing machine is made in Germany. And their VW, too, which has caused them a lot of trouble. My brother drives an Audi, which had serious quality issues as well when he first got it. Had to go back and be set up correctly first.
And services are definitely "made" in Germany.
The oh so great efficiency and productivity of Germans and Japanese is also more of a myth. Even the French rank higher on productivity rankings. Japan ranks behind Spain.
Larger projects are also a problem, be it new airports, high-speed trains etc. Lots of problems and errors...
Well, the Western system is based on making debt. Nor is there much difference to begin with. Germany is also full of debt, per capita it has more debt than the US, Spain, Portugal and Greece.
A mere announcement of a big country like Spain or Italy that it will violate EU rules would send the money markets into deep trouble, something neither France nor Germany can be interested in. So, the question where Spain would get the money from would not even arise. Also, Spain has gone broke before, repeatedly...
So? I continue to say that apart from Europeans' tiredness (people simply have no interest in wars anymore, they seem an absurd thing of the past to most modern Europeans) and mature democracies (in the past it was usually constitutional loopholes that enabled war-mongering dictators to rise to power in the first place), it is Nato that would ultimately prevent military conflicts between Europeans.
If Spain has gone broke before and no one noticed, why should people listen when it says it will break the rules today? European banks are stronger than they were in 2014. Most European countries weathered 2008 pretty well.
German public debt per capita and personal debt per household are both less than in the countries you mention. And it can service its debt, which is the real issue. Greece can't.
Most people thought war was impossible in 1914, too. Or at least unlikely. Trade had bound the nations. Civilization had advanced. Weapons were too terrible. Nothing imaginable could start a war.
Europeans were tired of war in 1939, too. That's one of the reasons another started. The democracies were unwilling to nip Hitler in the bud or to rearm to confront him. WWII was Hitler's doing but the democracies' appeasement and weakness contributed.
War can and usually does start unexpectedly. Problems fester until they are so big a small incident sets one off. A country grows suspicious or is jealous of a rival. A nation mistakes another's intentions.
NATO is not equipped for the political arena where these issues fester. It's the most successful military alliance of all time, even though never put to the test. But it's a military alliance designed to counter military threats with military action. Making NATO take on a problem it's not intended for would diminish it and not solve the problem.
I mentioned debt because you had said countries are urging Germany to spend more. That is not the case, Germany has been spending too much all along, just like virtually all other developed countries. And once you have piled up mountains of debt, you automatically get into trouble when the economy enters a weak phase. And that is what economies do. It is only a matter of time until it happens in Germany as well. It has benefited from a lucky constellation for years, but that will sooner or later end.
In the end there is a reason why German products are in demand. They may not be perfect, but they are better than what many others countries offer.
No, I am not a pessimist at all. I just don't fall for all the myths out there, maybe because I know the country well unlike most here who have never lived there.
In my view Germany is one of the most overestimated countries currently out there.
Depends on which kind of VW and which kind of washing machine. BSH Hausgeräte is producing in whole Europe. VW has plants in Eastern Europe, Southern Europe, Germany, even Brazil that are partially brought to Germany.
I have been driving Audis for many years and never had any issues.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Neuling
No, I am not a pessimist at all. I just don't fall for all the myths out there, maybe because I know the country well unlike most here who have never lived there.
In my view Germany is one of the most overestimated countries currently out there.
I think Germany is rather estimated properly. There are serious problems, yes. But the problems are smaller than in many other countries. But the country is far behind its potential, because it is wasting too much energy, time and money for useless discussion, PC, bureaucracy, and other stuffs instead of investing more in education, research and development as well as in infrastructure instead of into redistribution etc.
Look I'm as anti-russian as one can be but there's a saying in my country that russians can also understand: "kogato faktite govoriat, bogovete mulchat" - not translating it for you...becaus i can lol.
My point is:
Even Shimon Peres personally thanked Putin for "Russia saving them", it's on youtube - if you challenge me I can find said video. Russia was 100 time kinder to the jews than the Nazis and who cares about your lack of knowledge of the dannish/bulgarian/albanian involvement. Again: facts are facts.
You do realize that's not saying much, right?
The underlined: "When the facts speak, the gods are silent"?
Depends on which kind of VW and which kind of washing machine. BSH Hausgeräte is producing in whole Europe. VW has plants in Eastern Europe, Southern Europe, Germany, even Brazil that are partially brought to Germany.
I have been driving Audis for many years and never had any issues.
I think Germany is rather estimated properly. There are serious problems, yes. But the problems are smaller than in many other countries. But the country is far behind its potential, because it is wasting too much energy, time and money for useless discussion, PC, bureaucracy, and other stuffs instead of investing more in education, research and development as well as in infrastructure instead of into redistribution etc.
It's a Polo.
Speaking of VW, the emissions scandal was "interesting" as well...
Redistribution? There is way too little of that, lots of Germans can't make ends meet without government handouts. Per Aufstockung for instance. Some freelancers have to move abroad because they can't afford to work in their own country anymore. At the same time there are a lot of filthy rich people.
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