My buddy Bob is a wise man. And he has had an East German girl friend 'Britta' for years.
Here some relevant observations as to the German 'Wirtschaftswunder' - and it applies to most of oost WW II ole Europe.
Enjoy and learn!!
/Taro
"Germany has even bigger economic problems with their "democratic socialism".
Maybe I told you about this before, can't remember:
When I was in Berlin last Fall, I went to a dinner party at a big mansion
along KoenigsAllee, an area of wealthy Wessies I had seen before
several times.
Britta lives there.
But this particular evening I was in a foul mood
about the Germans' unwillingness to help out against the middle-east (Muslim)
terrorists.
At dinner, the Wessie sitting across from me started lecturing me (and others
sitting close by) in English about how great Germany's democratic socialism is,
and how it should serve as an example to the US as well.
I responded by saying that
the only reason Germany is able to afford such cradle-to-grave socialism is because
I (a typical US taxpayer) pay for it.
His reaction was "huh, what are you talking
about?".
I said this:
At the end of WW2, Germany was on her back. The US could have enslaved
over half the German population if we had wanted that. But instead we sent
money so you Wessies could rebuild your country, and reassemble your
government in a sensible manner.
You took the money, and used it pretty
well.
Meanwhile, the US protected you from the Russian bear, at the expense
of the US.
Then we formed NATO, telling the Bear that any attack on any
NATO member would be viewed as an attack on all, and the consequences
might not pleasing to the Bear.
Germany joined NATO of course, but contributed
little in the way of resources, since they had none.
THEN, for the next 50 years,
the US continued to pay for Germany's defense from the Bear, and we are STILL
doing so.
Meanwhile, with little need to pay for its defense, German funds
(of which there are plenty, since Germans are productive people and Germany
is now a prosperous nation) were devoted to socialism, helping to endear the
politicos to the German voters, making the politcos popular and keeping them in
power by handing out benefits to the masses.
And still today, the Bear could march
into Germany at any time he preferred were it not for American protections.
The
Bear has two weapons Germany has no answer for: nukes, and oil and natural
gas.
With those two weapons, Russia could dictate German policy at any
time they wanted, were it not for Uncle Sam.
If Germany had to pay for its
own defense, there would not be anything like enough funds for democratic
socialism.
So get realistic, Mister Wessie - your democratic socialism is
entirely artificial, and paid for by me.
And now, when the US is attacked by Muslim terrorists, you Germans have
the cheek to say you want no part in punishing those same Muslims.
Oh,
you say, we can send perhaps 300 troops, but they can't be involved in the
fighting.
They can only make sandwiches.
The argument was over quickly. Not one German wished to contradict what I
had said.
At least Germans get realistic when faced with facts.
So, taking all this into account, the German economy is going to need a whole
lot of adjustment.
Especially if BO continues his insanity, because in that
case the US economy will no longer have enough money to protect Europe
as well as itself.
I think the only solution to the birth-rate problem in countries like Japan and
Germany is to tell the people, either you produce more kids or you will find your
declining years supported less and less by your enfeebled Government.
The method of bringing in immigrants is a loser from the very beginning,
especially if those immigrants are poor and ignorant (as almost all are,
or they would be less inclined to change countries).
And even more
especially if they have a belief system that differs greatly from that of
the native population.
Those immigrants amount to nothing less than a
time bomb, of unknown content (except that it won't be pretty).
Germany and all of West Europe had better wake up to reality, and they
better do it soon.
The USA has its own problems, and the Americans will
not be able to keep sending billions over there every year in the future.
Bob
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