Angela Merkel new German Chancellor

[ViolentPanda]

Probably not many but there were massive protests about it IIRC and I'd have thought that Isambard would know about it.

Grtho mentioned it in several posts earlier in the year, along with the protests against it.

 

[TAE]

I was really wondering about people like mears:
"Germany has put off its problems for quite some time now".
As if.

 

[Poi E]

Funny how the lil old social democracies in Europe make the US nervous.

 

[Isambard]

Hartz 4 has come in and reports from social agencies report that as a direct result poverty is increasing.

Mr Hartz goot the shove from VW (I think) cos he was sniffing the entertainment budget off a hookers titten, or something) and his pension from them is something like 50 times what Hartz 4 dole is.

I gave it some thought yesterday. Within a capitalist framework Germany doesn't offer people enough incentive to save for retirement on a tax free scheme like TESSAs and the like. There's a thing called the "Riester Rente" over there but the conditions are not attractive.

 

[DrRingDing]

Something of a historical moment. The First female Chancellor of Germany and a East German as well.

It seems her position is not very strong as Schroeder's opposition party gets half the seats in her new cabinent.
http://www.indianexpress.com/full_story.php?content_id=82491

Germany has put off its problems for quite some time now. Anemic growth, high unemployment, ( hovering around 11 or 12% ) high taxes and a pension system that will absord many more retirees in the coming future. She will need to take on the unions who fight for the status quo, those unions
who represent those lucky ones fortunate to have a job with all those snazy benefits.

The work week must be extended. German business must be able to hire and fire workers without burdensome red tape and large penalties. The days of German government mandating more than two weeks of paid vacation time must also come to an end.

You got to get the people working. Make it easier for companies to hire workers. Time to get on with it.

Good luck to her

Several good reasons why america is in such a fucking shite state of affairs!

 

[nino_savatte]

Funny how the lil old social democracies in Europe make the US nervous.

I still remember the dark mutterings of discontent from US commentators that greeted the election of Willy Brandt.

 

[mears]

Such a chip on the shoulder. When we talk about the US's problems do we reflexivly bring up Germany? Yet when I bring up problems in Germany some of you start in on my country. Some anti-American Euros just can't stomach criticism of anything else. Look in mirror boys and girls.

Always good ideas from you all. Its so impressive. Germany doesn't need to change, a teacher retires early at 50 and gets full benefits for the rest of his life because of high blood pressure, thats OK, the money will always be there. Fewer and fewer workers will be around in Germany to support the rapidly coming baby boomer's retirement but its not a problem. Nothing needs to be done. Lets talk America.

German unemployment is above 10%, but the loony lefts doesn't care. What do you expect these people to do, work at Mc Donalds?

But than I remember most of you are to stupid to even take the time to vote.

Suckers

 

[nino_savatte]

Who is this cunt talking to? ^^^

 

[greenman]

Himself.
As usual.
There's a name for it....

 

[ViolentPanda]

Who is this cunt talking to? ^^^

Himself, here's a dissection of why
:
mears said: " Always good ideas from you all. Its so impressive. Germany doesn't need to change, a teacher retires early at 50 and gets full benefits for the rest of his life because of high blood pressure, thats OK, the money will always be there"
Anyone with half an ounce of sense will be aware that early retirement pensions are funded through an agreement between the pension fund and the insurance company it uses to insure itself against taking too many hits on early retirement. Result? It doesn't happen too often, and when it does the extra cost is covered by insurance (at least that's the way it works in most of Europe).
The man hates any form of welfare, this bitchfest is an extension of his Randian loathing for an active state.

mears said: "Fewer and fewer workers will be around in Germany to support the rapidly coming baby boomer's retirement but its not a problem. Nothing needs to be done."
Which contradicts immigration patterns and the differential birthrates between the former east and west Germanies but does reiterate the moronic Spengler line of "dying Europe".
More hot air, and as little substance as usual.

mears said: "German unemployment is above 10%, but the loony lefts doesn't care. What do you expect these people to do, work at Mc Donalds?"
Showing his usual finely honed understanding of European politics and Germany's employment situation.

mears said: "But than I remember most of you are to stupid to even take the time to vote."
Thoroughly fact-free, I'd ask him what he bases this on, but I'm sure what he bases this idea on is probably a handful of anecdotes by a handful of posters on this site, not on any meaningful sample.

In sum he has nothing to say beyond a few bitter and unsupportable (by any holistic rather than partisan reading of the evidence) suppositions. He can't be addressing anyone but himself because no-one else would swallow such partisan guff.

 

[nino_savatte]

Himself, here's a dissection of why
:
mears said: " Always good ideas from you all. Its so impressive. Germany doesn't need to change, a teacher retires early at 50 and gets full benefits for the rest of his life because of high blood pressure, thats OK, the money will always be there"
Anyone with half an ounce of sense will be aware that early retirement pensions are funded through an agreement between the pension fund and the insurance company it uses to insure itself against taking too many hits on early retirement. Result? It doesn't happen too often, and when it does the extra cost is covered by insurance (at least that's the way it works in most of Europe).
The man hates any form of welfare, this bitchfest is an extension of his Randian loathing for an active state.

mears said: "Fewer and fewer workers will be around in Germany to support the rapidly coming baby boomer's retirement but its not a problem. Nothing needs to be done."
Which contradicts immigration patterns and the differential birthrates between the former east and west Germanies but does reiterate the moronic Spengler line of "dying Europe".
More hot air, and as little substance as usual.

mears said: "German unemployment is above 10%, but the loony lefts doesn't care. What do you expect these people to do, work at Mc Donalds?"
Showing his usual finely honed understanding of European politics and Germany's employment situation.

mears said: "But than I remember most of you are to stupid to even take the time to vote."
Thoroughly fact-free, I'd ask him what he bases this on, but I'm sure what he bases this idea on is probably a handful of anecdotes by a handful of posters on this site, not on any meaningful sample.

In sum he has nothing to say beyond a few bitter and unsupportable (by any holistic rather than partisan reading of the evidence) suppositions. He can't be addressing anyone but himself because no-one else would swallow such partisan guff.

Presumably even those persons who are severely disabled should be forced to sew mail bags or make licence plates, according to mears.

He's absolutely without morals and certainly lacking in compassion - just like his beloved Ayn Rand.

 

[Poi E]

German unemployment is above 10%, but the loony lefts doesn't care. What do you expect these people to do, work at Mc Donalds?

Well, part time McJobs is how your government brings down your unemployment figures. As for the voting accusation, more of the populace vote in European democracies than in your Presidential elections, and probably your congressional elections, too.

And hey, your right-wing economists always talk of an export-lead recovery. Well, given that Germany, a country many times smaller than the US exports more than the US, you lot should be pleased at its potential.

 

[Fuchs66]

The truth IMHO as usual lies between the two extremes here. Germany is in need of some uncomfortable reforms and I believe the priority lies in a reform of the public sector (Öffentlichedienst) for example Beamten status should be scrapped and the Federal govt. should seriously look at selling off properties that have become surplus to requirement. However these reforms should not be at the cost of the most vulnerable in society true Germany has (still) a social system that does act as a reasonable safety net (and I personally have been helped by it in the past) and this should be as far as is possible maintained.

OK it's weekend now got to battle my way for 400km through the snow all the way back home to Bonn, but I will look in on Monday. Tchüss

 

[TAE]

Yet when I bring up problems in Germany some of you start in on my country.

That might just be because in your initial post it sounded very much like you want Germany to be more like America:

The work week must be extended. German business must be able to hire and fire workers without burdensome red tape and large penalties. The days of German government mandating more than two weeks of paid vacation time must also come to an end.

You got to get the people working. Make it easier for companies to hire workers.

 

[Poi E]

mears, you should know that 2 weeks off a year is pretty poor compared to many other developed countries. You guys need to have some courage and stand up to employers a bit. Australia offers significantly more than 2 weeks and you don't criticise their handling of the economy, do you? You poor buggers.

 

[ViolentPanda]

mears, you should know that 2 weeks off a year is pretty poor compared to many other developed countries. You guys need to have some courage and stand up to employers a bit. Australia offers significantly more than 2 weeks and you don't criticise their handling of the economy, do you? You poor buggers.

Hey, freedom is slavery and all that.

Probably believes 2 weeks vacation per year is character-forming.

 

[mears]

Well, part time McJobs is how your government brings down your unemployment figures. As for the voting accusation, more of the populace vote in European democracies than in your Presidential elections, and probably your congressional elections, too.

And hey, your right-wing economists always talk of an export-lead recovery. Well, given that Germany, a country many times smaller than the US exports more than the US, you lot should be pleased at its potential.

Mc Jobs is how we bring down our unemployment figures? Proof?

The US has lower unemployment and a higher standard of living than Germany. (as measured by GDP per capita)http://www.nationmaster.com/graph-T/eco_gdp_cap

So GDP per capita is not a good measurement of standard of living you may retort. Feel free to name another

 

[nino_savatte]

Originally Posted by smears
Mc Jobs is how we bring down our unemployment figures? Proof?

You want proof? You can't handle the proof.

All one need do is look around and they will see millions of people being employed in McJobs...or if you want to be more precise: shitty service sector work that pays a pittance to its employees, where many, if not all, have to work two or more jobs to survive. Have you ever had to sling hash in a diner, mears? Have you ever had to rely on tips to make up your pitiful wages? I'll bet you haven't.

 

[TAE]

So GDP per capita is not a good measurement of standard of living you may retort. Feel free to name another

How many people, per capita, live below a certain standard of living?

 

[ViolentPanda]

How many people, per capita, live below a certain standard of living?

We've been dancing this dance with mears for a couple of years. He contends that GDP is a "great" measurement of standard of living. When he's been taxed on the fact that GDP gives an aggregate figure which does not provide a realistic reflection of the standard of living of all members of a population, but merely an "average" across different sectors of the populace he usually (as you've probably noticed he does when any hard questions are asked of him) runs away.
Add to that the reality that GDP measures only productivity, it doesn't, for example, measure the resource (mineral, environmental and human) depletion required to achieve that productivity, and only an idiot would use it to gauge anything other than the measurement it is an acronym for.

 

[kasheem]

I still remember the dark mutterings of discontent from US commentators that greeted the election of Willy Brandt.

How old are you?

Presumably even those persons who are severely disabled should be forced to sew mail bags or make licence plates, according to mears.

He's absolutely without morals and certainly lacking in compassion - just like his beloved Ayn Rand.

Yes, and if they refuse to work we put them in prison.. And when they die in prison we use their hair to make brushes and pay off their debts.

Small step by small step..

Mc Jobs is how we bring down our unemployment figures? Proof?

Yes it is but basing an economic revival on McJobs is stupid policy. You get out of economic depressions by boosting production. How many burgers you flip is not physical production.

What you need is simply government action for investment, not changes to the law or attacks on standards of living.

 

[mears]

How old are you?



Yes, and if they refuse to work we put them in prison.. And when they die in prison we use their hair to make brushes and pay off their debts.

Small step by small step..



Yes it is but basing an economic revival on McJobs is stupid policy. You get out of economic depressions by boosting production. How many burgers you flip is not physical production.

What you need is simply government action for investment, not changes to the law or attacks on standards of living.

I'm for governments putting money into programs to encourage investment, like loans to small business or job training centers. But there is not an infinite amount of resources governments can call upon. At this moment, a country like Saudi Arabia may have the resources for hundreds of government job traing centers. The German government may not. The German government has many obligations to its pensioners and unemployed. As more Germans retire and fewer wokers enter the workforce, the obligations, and burden will increase.

So Angela Merkel, and the rest of Germany will have some decisions to make in the future. Sometimes you just can't sit around and do nothing.

 

[mears]

We've been dancing this dance with mears for a couple of years. He contends that GDP is a "great" measurement of standard of living. When he's been taxed on the fact that GDP gives an aggregate figure which does not provide a realistic reflection of the standard of living of all members of a population, but merely an "average" across different sectors of the populace he usually (as you've probably noticed he does when any hard questions are asked of him) runs away.
Add to that the reality that GDP measures only productivity, it doesn't, for example, measure the resource (mineral, environmental and human) depletion required to achieve that productivity, and only an idiot would use it to gauge anything other than the measurement it is an acronym for.

Again, post up something better, we can take a gander.

 

[ViolentPanda]

Again, post up something better, we can take a gander.

I've posted detailed points on this subject (and so did Bernie Gunther, Red Jezza and nino-savatte) before, why should I bother to do so once more when I know that in 6 months you'll be playing this same tune of "got something better?" yet again?

Tell you what, why don't you explain to me why GDP is such a fine indicator of the average "standard of living" within a nation state?

 

[mears]

I've posted detailed points on this subject (and so did Bernie Gunther, Red Jezza and nino-savatte) before, why should I bother to do so once more when I know that in 6 months you'll be playing this same tune of "got something better?" yet again?

Tell you what, why don't you explain to me why GDP is such a fine indicator of the average "standard of living" within a nation state?

I would say its a good indicator because it measures the value of economic production for a certain period in a certain country. GDP per capita is mean or medium of such economic production. It seems a good way to compare the economic prosperity of nation states.

 

[ViolentPanda]

I would say its a good indicator because it measures the value of economic production for a certain period in a certain country. GDP per capita is mean or medium of such economic production. It seems a good way to compare the economic prosperity of nation states.

Ah, but you claimed it was a good indicator of "standard of living", did you not?

A mean or medium of annual production divided over an entire national population may be a good way to "compare the economic prosperity of nation states", but it is not a good gauge of the "standard of living" within or between those nation-states. There are far too many factors (differentials in price, credit availability, utility costs to name but a few) that you'd have to take into account for it to ever have that function.

 

[bugsy7]

I would say its a good indicator because it measures the value of economic production for a certain period in a certain country. GDP per capita is mean or medium of such economic production. It seems a good way to compare the economic prosperity of nation states.

I agree, mears. It's a very, very good indicator!

10 burger-flippers earning £200,00 each per week = £2,000
10 footballers earning £80,000 each per week = £800,000
Average wage in our little 20-person group = £40,100 per week
See? Nobody's doing anything essentially productive, but everybody's happy.

I always knew this "eekanommiks" caper was a piece of piss!

MsG

 

[ViolentPanda]

I agree, mears. It's a very, very good indicator!

10 burger-flippers earning £200,00 each per week = £2,000
10 footballers earning £80,000 each per week = £800,000
Average wage in our little 20-person group = £40,100 per week
See? Nobody's doing anything essentially productive, but everybody's happy.

I always knew this "eekanommiks" caper was a piece of piss!

MsG

We've been over this ground with him before.

TBH I think he's one of those quasi-religious people who believes in "trickle down" and other types of economic voodoo.

 

[TAE]

So Angela Merkel, and the rest of Germany will have some decisions to make in the future. Sometimes you just can't sit around and do nothing.

You make that sound like Germany hasn't been making any reforms at all recently.

 

[nino_savatte]

How old are you?

Old enuff to be yo pappy, ya young whippasnappuh!