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LegoMaster2149
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20 Aug 2017, 1:03 pm

I really like Germany and the German language, and I also wonder how Germany is doing nowadays, after WWII, the Berlin Wall and all of that stuff. How do you think Germany is doing nowadays? Is it better? Is it not doing better? Post your opinions down below on you think the country is doing! :)

Thanks!

-LegoMaster2149 (Written on August 20, 2017)



DarthMetaKnight
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20 Aug 2017, 2:38 pm

Germany is similar to most other European countries. It is very progressive, and that's a good thing, but it still has some corporate problems that it needs to work out.

That's Europe in general. They are very progressive on social issues, and that's good, but they need more economic leftism or else their feminist paradise won't last.

The far-right is becoming powerful in some parts of Europe. This is because many people in the white working class feel abandoned.


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shlaifu
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20 Aug 2017, 6:55 pm

actually, unlike most european countries, right now it is doing really well.
while similar to the others in social regards, economically, it is very, very strong.
however, that brings a lot of problems: most of its exports are to EU countries, so it is tied to the economic success of the others countries, while at the same time competing with them - a strong germany means weak neigbouring states means less demnd means less export for germany, means a weaker german economy.
yes, that's quite the clusterf**k.
additionally, the state is involved in a lot of major industry, which makes it difficult for the state to withdraw from that industry - it would mean being responsible for potential unemployment- while at the same time being under pressure from the voting population to progress away from some industries and embrace others, like renewable energy.

plus, the EU as a whole is poorly set up and hasn't recovered from 2008, and it is questionable if it can.
However, Germany itself is -so far- in a very good position.

it is however strange that it is not making more of it, culturally. Instrad of making its own films, the german filmindustry is basically trying to snatch jobs from hollywood through tax rebates. A lot of hollywood stuff is being made in Germany, by German crew, but not under German direction.

There hasn't been much of any cultural significance coming out of Germany - it seems, it is a bit uneasy with having a "German culture" at all after ww2- it rather celebrates the very old, pre-nazi culture, or tries to get involved and partner up with other countries.
But it is not like France, Austria, Italy, even Denmark, proud of its cultural products.

and yes, many in the working class feel abandoned, like everywhere. Germany is subject to globalization after all.


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20 Aug 2017, 7:48 pm

shlaifu wrote:
it is however strange that it is not making more of it, culturally. Instrad of making its own films, the german filmindustry is basically trying to snatch jobs from hollywood through tax rebates. A lot of hollywood stuff is being made in Germany, by German crew, but not under German direction.

There hasn't been much of any cultural significance coming out of Germany - it seems, it is a bit uneasy with having a "German culture" at all after ww2- it rather celebrates the very old, pre-nazi culture, or tries to get involved and partner up with other countries.
But it is not like France, Austria, Italy, even Denmark, proud of its cultural products.

Not a fan of ''Toni Erdmann'' ? What german films have you been watching?
I considered Berlin to be the cultural capital of Europe, after the fall of the Berlin Wall its post-nazi culture was leading the way for many others.


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DarthMetaKnight
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20 Aug 2017, 9:59 pm

Spyoon wrote:
shlaifu wrote:
it is however strange that it is not making more of it, culturally. Instrad of making its own films, the german filmindustry is basically trying to snatch jobs from hollywood through tax rebates. A lot of hollywood stuff is being made in Germany, by German crew, but not under German direction.

There hasn't been much of any cultural significance coming out of Germany - it seems, it is a bit uneasy with having a "German culture" at all after ww2- it rather celebrates the very old, pre-nazi culture, or tries to get involved and partner up with other countries.
But it is not like France, Austria, Italy, even Denmark, proud of its cultural products.

Not a fan of ''Toni Erdmann'' ? What german films have you been watching?
I considered Berlin to be the cultural capital of Europe, after the fall of the Berlin Wall its post-nazi culture was leading the way for many others.


Can't we all just get along?

Why should any country be called "the culture capital of Europe"? There's culture everywhere!

"I am a citizen of the world."
- Diogenes of Sinope


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20 Aug 2017, 10:23 pm

DarthMetaKnight wrote:
Spyoon wrote:
shlaifu wrote:
it is however strange that it is not making more of it, culturally. Instrad of making its own films, the german filmindustry is basically trying to snatch jobs from hollywood through tax rebates. A lot of hollywood stuff is being made in Germany, by German crew, but not under German direction.

There hasn't been much of any cultural significance coming out of Germany - it seems, it is a bit uneasy with having a "German culture" at all after ww2- it rather celebrates the very old, pre-nazi culture, or tries to get involved and partner up with other countries.
But it is not like France, Austria, Italy, even Denmark, proud of its cultural products.

Not a fan of ''Toni Erdmann'' ? What german films have you been watching?
I considered Berlin to be the cultural capital of Europe, after the fall of the Berlin Wall its post-nazi culture was leading the way for many others.



Can't we all just get along?

Why should any country be called "the culture capital of Europe"? There's culture everywhere!

"I am a citizen of the world."
- Diogenes of Sinope

It was well intentioned praise. They don't have to be anything, but they ARE something and I am fond of it. Acknowledging a possitive influence does not mean erasing any other culture...


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The_Walrus
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21 Aug 2017, 5:48 am

Germany is doing very well. It has a strong economy which is also decentralised. It is at the heart of the EU and is a thriving multicultural paradise with several reasonable political parties.

As I see it, it has three major problems:

1) It is opposed to nuclear power, instead preferring coal. This has a huge polluting effect, and causes lots of coal miners to die unnecessarily. Nuclear is the safest form of energy and needs to be promoted.
2) It doesn't have a student loan system, with tertiary education being paid for by the government. This has resulted in a low quality of tertiary education where institutions do not care about their students as much as in the US or UK.
3) Parts of East Germany are still suffering the after-effects of communism. They need to become more attractive to investors in order to see their living standards rise to match the capitalist parts.

I'm also not a fan of their more draconian free speech laws.



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22 Aug 2017, 1:10 am

Germany is doing great. They have faced up to their country's past, but have also moved on to become a world leading nation. Today, they are a leading industrialized, democratic European nation. I think we Americans can learn a great deal from them.


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22 Aug 2017, 1:12 am

The_Walrus wrote:
Germany is doing very well. It has a strong economy which is also decentralised. It is at the heart of the EU and is a thriving multicultural paradise with several reasonable political parties.

As I see it, it has three major problems:

1) It is opposed to nuclear power, instead preferring coal. This has a huge polluting effect, and causes lots of coal miners to die unnecessarily. Nuclear is the safest form of energy and needs to be promoted.
2) It doesn't have a student loan system, with tertiary education being paid for by the government. This has resulted in a low quality of tertiary education where institutions do not care about their students as much as in the US or UK.
3) Parts of East Germany are still suffering the after-effects of communism. They need to become more attractive to investors in order to see their living standards rise to match the capitalist parts.

I'm also not a fan of their more draconian free speech laws.


In all fairness, those draconian free speech laws were put in place by the allies during De-Nazification.


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shlaifu
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22 Aug 2017, 6:19 pm

Kraichgauer wrote:
The_Walrus wrote:
Germany is doing very well. It has a strong economy which is also decentralised. It is at the heart of the EU and is a thriving multicultural paradise with several reasonable political parties.

As I see it, it has three major problems:

1) It is opposed to nuclear power, instead preferring coal. This has a huge polluting effect, and causes lots of coal miners to die unnecessarily. Nuclear is the safest form of energy and needs to be promoted.
2) It doesn't have a student loan system, with tertiary education being paid for by the government. This has resulted in a low quality of tertiary education where institutions do not care about their students as much as in the US or UK.
3) Parts of East Germany are still suffering the after-effects of communism. They need to become more attractive to investors in order to see their living standards rise to match the capitalist parts.

I'm also not a fan of their more draconian free speech laws.


In all fairness, those draconian free speech laws were put in place by the allies during De-Nazification.


and they mainly relate to what in the US is called hate-speech, inciting violence and holocaust-denial.
so, they actually serve the state really well....

regarding the other points: eastern Germany has seen vast investments in infrastructure, yet particularly young women are moving to cities to get an education - which is a trend all over the world, really -

and regarding universities: yes, no student loan model, true. the universities do a mediocre job at an undergraduate level, true. However, the reason for there being no student loan system is that university is free. a mediocre undergrad, but no student debt at all.
And the post-graduate education and so on is fine, particularly in STEM fields. also, free, I might add, with access based on achievement, not money.
Don't forget: the only company that has chances of competing in high tech with Siemens may be Google.


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22 Aug 2017, 6:23 pm

And your trains are always on time.

The NYC transit system makes me wish I could drive to work.



shlaifu
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22 Aug 2017, 6:25 pm

kraftiekortie wrote:
And your trains are always on time.

The NYC transit system makes me wish I could drive to work.


I wonder where that myth comes from. It might be not as bad as the NYC transit system, though... it certainly was better than in the UK, but "always on time" is a myth.


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kraftiekortie
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22 Aug 2017, 6:33 pm

The UK, to me, is excellent when it comes to "on time" service.

So Germany must be really good, from my perception.

It would be interesting for me to go to Germany.

I'd have to make two trips, though, to two different Germanys (north and south---not east and west).



shlaifu
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23 Aug 2017, 4:57 am

kraftiekortie wrote:
The UK, to me, is excellent when it comes to "on time" service.

So Germany must be really good, from my perception.

It would be interesting for me to go to Germany.

I'd have to make two trips, though, to two different Germanys (north and south---not east and west).



more like: Bavaria and the rest.
whenever I travel across Germany, it strikes me how abruptly architectural styles change at the borders of what used to be kingdoms, a hundred years ago.


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23 Aug 2017, 10:27 am

shlaifu wrote:
kraftiekortie wrote:
And your trains are always on time.

The NYC transit system makes me wish I could drive to work.


I wonder where that myth comes from. It might be not as bad as the NYC transit system, though... it certainly was better than in the UK, but "always on time" is a myth.


A NYC TV station sent a reporter to London to see what they are doing right compared to what New York is doing wrong.


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23 Aug 2017, 10:32 am

shlaifu wrote:
kraftiekortie wrote:
The UK, to me, is excellent when it comes to "on time" service.

So Germany must be really good, from my perception.

It would be interesting for me to go to Germany.

I'd have to make two trips, though, to two different Germanys (north and south---not east and west).



more like: Bavaria and the rest.
whenever I travel across Germany, it strikes me how abruptly architectural styles change at the borders of what used to be kingdoms, a hundred years ago.


In some cases, it probably goes back even further. The Frankish style houses, which can be found mostly in areas were the numerous Franconian dialects are spoken, seem to go back to late antiquity when colonized by the Franks.


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