Is Brexit actually going to happen?

[bimble]

Everyone knows it’s the economically dominant nation in the eu but what, do you think this is because they have an innate Teutonic Will To Power or something?

 

[agricola]

Everyone knows it’s the economically dominant nation in the eu but what, do you think this is because they have an innate Teutonic Will To Power or something?

Perhaps not, but its fairly clear they rate their own concerns over everyone else's; just look at whats happened with the refugee crisis to see the truth of that.

 

[Winot]

Perhaps not, but its fairly clear they rate their own concerns over everyone else's; just look at whats happened with the refugee crisis to see the truth of that.

They let in hugely more than we did, didn’t they?

 

[agricola]

They let in hugely more than we did, didn’t they?

They did - and they did it unilaterally, without any recognition of what it would do to the other EU member states that the refugees had to pass through and without supporting the refugees themselves on the journey to Germany.

If another country had done that - especially Greece or Italy - they'd have gone absolutely bananas and would probably have put borders back up.

 

[mather]

They did - and they did it unilaterally, without any recognition of what it would do to the other EU member states that the refugees had to pass through and without supporting the refugees themselves on the journey to Germany.

If another country had done that - especially Greece or Italy - they'd have gone absolutely bananas and would probably have put borders back up.

Exactly, Germany unilaterally decided to take them in and when it turned out that German voters were none to pleased the German government forced the rest of the EU members to take their 'fair share'.

Also, does anyone apart from naive liberals actually believe that Merkel's decision was a humanitarian gesture? Of course it wasn't, it was simply in keeping with the interests of the German ruling class which is to have a never ending supply of cheap labour that can be used to counter strikes/industrial action and depress wages.

 

[pocketscience]

Everyone knows it’s the economically dominant nation in the eu but what, do you think this is because they have an innate Teutonic Will To Power or something?

I'd say that yes. Combined with other unsavoury individual characteristics like selfishness and being inconsiderate that seem to be deeply ingrained into the majority of the population. I also find they're crafty and persistent at getting what they want. Not all germans mind, but IMO a disproportionately high number compared with most other countries.
On a national level it does start to paint an ugly picture and these individual characteristics seem to lend themselves particularly well to politicians, who obviously end up being the ones shaping policies reflecting these characteristics on the nation both internally and abroad.
I think you'll find most germans from center left to the outer left wing fringes would openly agree with a lot of this - particularly on the outer fringes e.g: German Antifa won't have a good word to say about the nation as a whole and it's not uncommon to meet people making it their life mission to hinder what they believe is the inevitable reoccurrence of fascism in Germany.

On a topical note: why do you think it's Germany standing alone opposing closer federal unity, and particularly a federal fiscal policy in the EU? and realistically, do you really think there's a chance that the remaining 26 nations will be able to overturn the german 'will' on that policy?

German have full hegemony in the Eu right now. I doubt they'll be letting go of that too soon.

 

[DotCommunist]

I'd say that yes. Combined with other unsavoury individual characteristics like selfishness and being inconsiderate that seem to be deeply ingrained into the majority of the population. I also find they're crafty and persistent at getting what they want. Not all germans mind, but i find it a disproportionately high number compared with a lot of other countries.

the fuck, c'mon.

 

[bimble]

I'd say that yes. Combined with other unsavoury individual characteristics like selfishness and being inconsiderate that seem to be deeply ingrained into the majority of the population. I also find they're crafty and persistent at getting what they want. .

wow. this is all quite fascinating, I had no idea this german-hating stuff went so deep. You won the war in the end remember.

 

[pocketscience]

the fuck, c'mon.

take it up with slime too (hamburg hardcore anarcho punks)

Deutschland muss sterben, damit wir leben koennen - Germany must die, so that we can live

 

[pocketscience]

wow. this is all quite fascinating, I had no idea this german-hating stuff went so deep.

I don't hate Germans as a whole. I hate it when these characteristics raise their ugly head (anywhere)

You won the war in the end remember.

OK so now you're doing exactly that what you were complaining about

 

[bimble]

You seem oblivious to the massive importance of 'never -againism' in Germany pocketscience , like Hitler just died last week or something. Vergangenheitsbewältigung they call it- the effort to come to terms with the past, particularly the nazi past. I think British could do with a bit of that tbh.

 

[planetgeli]

Look, bollocks to the national stereotypes you’re hearing from some here bimble but that doesn’t take away Germany’s ability to centre itself as the predominant partner in the EU, the leader of neo-liberalism, and all that entails. That has (or shouldn’t have) nothing/anything to do with German hating but is simply a recognition of how economic laws and favours in the EU have worked in Germany’s favour. You do need to read Varoufakis. And some here need to re-read Varoufakis without xenophobic blinkers on.

 

[pocketscience]

You seem oblivious to the massive importance of 'never -againism' in Germany pocketscience , like Hitler just died last week or something. Vergangenheitsbewältigung they call it- the effort to come to terms with the past, particularly the nazi past.

Come on, the Audi advert with the pool side towel cliche did't stem from nowhere

I think British could do with a bit of that tbh.

So you have opinions about the british? fine.
and I agree with you on that

 

[bimble]

The Audi advert with the pool side towel clique did't stem from nowhere

 

[pocketscience]

*cliche
are you german bimble?

 

[bimble]

*cliche
are you german bimble?

Nope, never even been there tbh but lets say my family history (eastern eurpoean jews) is intertwined with that of Germany. So yeah, I'm interested in what happened back then not being attributed to some peculiarly German trait, because i think that would be very stupid.

 

[pocketscience]

Nope, never even been there tbh but lets say my family history (eastern eurpoean jews) is intertwined with that of Germany. So yeah, I'm interested in what happened back then not being attributed to some peculiarly German trait, because i think that would be very stupid.

OK. I would have been surprised if a German of your political persuasion (based on the posts I've read here) would strongly disagree with what I wrote.
I'd say accepting and understanding these characteristics are an important part of the Vergangenheitsbewältigungsprozess.
Anyone who's been on a demo in gemany will have heard the unanimous nie wider deuschland. A lot of the left would prefer to have the whole nation nullified and dispersed. That course starts to get interesting when you have the Bundesregierung actively resisting a federal union in the Eu.

 

[pocketscience]

Look, bollocks to the national stereotypes you’re hearing from some here bimble but that doesn’t take away Germany’s ability to centre itself as the predominant partner in the EU, the leader of neo-liberalism, and all that entails. That has (or shouldn’t have) nothing/anything to do with German hating but is simply a recognition of how economic laws and favours in the EU have worked in Germany’s favour. You do need to read Varoufakis. And some here need to re-read Varoufakis without xenophobic blinkers on.

of course. It's not like anyone has partaken in national stereotyping of the british in this thread...

 

[bimble]

I'd say accepting and understanding these characteristics are an important part of the Vergangenheitsbewältigungsprozess..

What do you mean? That all German schoolchildren should be taught to acknowledge that they have a special tendency to be 'selfish inconsiderate crafty & persistant' more than they would had they been born elsewhere?

 

[Winot]

Look, bollocks to the national stereotypes you’re hearing from some here bimble but that doesn’t take away Germany’s ability to centre itself as the predominant partner in the EU, the leader of neo-liberalism, and all that entails. That has (or shouldn’t have) nothing/anything to do with German hating but is simply a recognition of how economic laws and favours in the EU have worked in Germany’s favour. You do need to read Varoufakis. And some here need to re-read Varoufakis without xenophobic blinkers on.

National stereotypes and xenophobia? Straight out racism if you ask me. I’ve reported your post pocketscience. Suggest you apologise and edit.

 

[Pickman's model]

What do you mean? That all German schoolchildren should be taught to acknowledge that they have a special tendency to be 'selfish inconsiderate crafty & persistant' more than they would had they been born elsewhere?

Many of them will have been born elsewhere

 

[pocketscience]

National stereotypes and xenophobia? Straight out racism if you ask me. I’ve reported your post pocketscience. Suggest you apologise and edit.

If you knew my personal circumstances you'd realise just how ridiculous that is. Many a time in Germany I've been in a kneipe and had germans generalising to me about their opinions of the british characteristics (or other nationalities). It never occurred to me that they were being racist or that I should ask the barman to sling them out.
Do you spend much time in Germany?
Here's a recent comedy on the German national broadcaster. Maybe bimble would care to translate it to you.

What do you mean? That all German schoolchildren should be taught to acknowledge that they have a special tendency to be 'selfish inconsiderate crafty & persistant' more than they would had they been born elsewhere?

No. But I do think that teachers should be aware of such characteristics and try to encourage more civil, altruistic and socially aware behavior wherever needed. and certainly not just in germany for that matter.

 

[paolo]

From what I’ve learnt about German local law - in terms of tenants rights and employment law, at least - I’d say the U.K. is faaaaar more neoliberal and has been for a very long time.

 

[teuchter]

I'd say that yes. Combined with other unsavoury individual characteristics like selfishness and being inconsiderate that seem to be deeply ingrained into the majority of the population. I also find they're crafty and persistent at getting what they want. Not all germans mind, but IMO a disproportionately high number compared with most other countries.

What a lot of utter racist nonsense.

 

[pocketscience]

What a lot of utter racist nonsense.

Why do you think that's racist? If I said that I generally find Russians to be a bit cold and chary while Jamaicans tend to be warm and hearty, would that be racist?
These are observations. I've heard far worse from Germans about themselves and indeed it was Germans that first opened my eyes to how the underlying issues in their society possibly make up the national psyche that underlay some of their historical misdemeanours. There are other characteristics the Germans have that I highly respect.
I was following on from bimble 's question on whether their is a collective German 'will to power'. Do you think the Germans have a will to power? Does the very question incur racism for you?

 

[B.I.G]

Why do you think that's racist? If I said that I generally find Russians to be a bit cold and chary while Jamaicans tend to be warm and hearty, would that be racist?
These are observations. I've heard far worse from Germans about themselves and indeed it was Germans that first opened my eyes to how the underlying issues in their society possibly make up the national psyche that underlay some of their historical misdemeanours. There are other characteristics the Germans have that I highly respect.
I was following on from bimble 's question on whether their is a collective German 'will to power'. Do you think the Germans have a will to power? Does the very question incur racism for you?

Generalisations about groups of people based on stereotypes, cant't imagine how that might stray close to the racism line.

 

[pocketscience]

bloody wingeing poms

 

[pocketscience]

Generalisations about groups of people based on stereotypes, cant't imagine how that might stray close to the racism line.

like I said before, people don't hold back about the british on here. Must be the low self-esteem the british have of themselves. Funny characteristic that one.
And then there's the welsh, irish & scots in the football forum when england play. like a klan meeting it is.

 

[TheHoodedClaw]

like I said before, people don't hold back about the british on here. Must be the low self-esteem the british have of themselves. Funny characteristic that one.
And then there's the welsh, irish & scots in the football forum when england play. like a klan meeting it is.

Go to bed, you're drunk. (That's the most charitable interpretation I can manage)

 

[Wookey]

bloody wingeing poms

Oh, you're Australian!!

That explains everything!!