The next German Chancellor will be a Green

[doodab]

I'm not sure their beautuful country side will look so beautiful when it's smothered in wind generators, and solar panels.

It's also difficult to maintain a high standard of living when their local factories aren't allowed to build big luxury cars. The greens will be forcing them to make cars no-one is going to buy. But that will come when the Green Chancellor is in charge.

I suspect what will actually happen is that they will continue to lead the world in improving the efficiency of internal combustion engines and investigating alternative power sources, not to mention making ever improved fridges and washing machines and so on. The end result of this will be even more prosperity.

You seem to have an irrational fear of progress founded on the assumption that anything that requires investment and time to achieve is going to turn out worse in the long run than making do with the current state of affairs, however unsatisfactory that may be.

[Mich the Tester]

I suspect what will actually happen is that they will continue to lead the world in improving the efficiency of internal combustion engines and investigating alternative power sources, not to mention making ever improved fridges and washing machines and so on. The end result of this will be even more prosperity.

You seem to have an irrational fear of progress founded on the assumption that anything that requires investment and time to achieve is going to turn out worse in the long run than making do with the current state of affairs, however unsatisfactory that may be.

My local MB dealer has one of these on show; understanding the skepticism of people, they invited all e-class and s-class owners for a test drive, and of course I obliged. It is an astonishingly good car, and quite amazing that it has a 2,1 litre diesel engine; feels more like a big v8. They had 4 orders on the first test drive day. I want one too, but will have to wait until they're second hand.

[Sands of Time]

Arguably it's been the biggest factor in the recent electoral defeat of the CDU, but it has less to do with the Green agenda being popular per-se than the attitude of the incumbents to popular opinion.

2/3rds of the local population are against the project. They have had riots because of it, the head of DB has been given under police protection after receiving death threads and his family are in hiding for their own safety.

Kettling's too good for them!


Bing!

[Mich the Tester]

Kettling's too good for them!


Bing!

For whom? Policemen and politicians pushing through a money wasting white elephant project against mass local opposition?

That railway project involves spending at least 4.5 billion euros of taxpayers' money to possibly gain about 10 minutes on a rail trip to Budapest.

[BlasterBates]

I suspect what will actually happen is that they will continue to lead the world in improving the efficiency of internal combustion engines and investigating alternative power sources, not to mention making ever improved fridges and washing machines and so on. The end result of this will be even more prosperity.

You seem to have an irrational fear of progress founded on the assumption that anything that requires investment and time to achieve is going to turn out worse in the long run than making do with the current state of affairs, however unsatisfactory that may be.

Let me remind you of the last Red-Green government. They got in and then systematically started to bankrupt Germany as they reversed the reforms of the previous government, and then as unemployment started to ramp up to 5 million the then chancellor Schroder did a U-Turn threw out his finance minister and then proceeded with the reforms he'd previously reversed. Eventually they did a good job.

The next Green-Red government won't have any bruisers like Schroeder or Fischer who stand at party conferences and get booed and paint thrown at them, as they lecture to their party stalwarts that their policies are lunacy, they all believe in this crap.

[DimPrawn]

My local MB dealer has one of these on show; understanding the skepticism of people, they invited all e-class and s-class owners for a test drive, and of course I obliged. It is an astonishingly good car, and quite amazing that it has a 2,1 litre diesel engine; feels more like a big v8. They had 4 orders on the first test drive day. I want one too, but will have to wait until they're second hand.

If you want a powerful German diesel that is both fast and affordable, you can get one of these. Estate means you get practicality, performance and superb fuel economy.

LAWTON BROOK : D3 Saloon Switch-Tronic, Bi-Turbo

[Mich the Tester]

If you want a powerful German diesel that is both fast and affordable, you can get one of these. Estate means you get practicality, performance and superb fuel economy.

LAWTON BROOK : D3 Saloon Switch-Tronic, Bi-Turbo

Very good, but too blingy for my taste.

[DimPrawn]

Very good, but too blingy for my taste.

tulip, I was just going to say you can ditch the wheels for some 22 inch chrome spinners, nice purple flip paint and stick a giant spoiler on the back too.

[BlasterBates]

and black windows, not to forget the 12 inch speakers for the stereo.

[doodab]

Let me remind you of the last Red-Green government. They got in and then systematically started to bankrupt Germany as they reversed the reforms of the previous government, and then as unemployment started to ramp up to 5 million the then chancellor Schroder did a U-Turn threw out his finance minister and then proceeded with the reforms he'd previously reversed. Eventually they did a good job.

The next Green-Red government won't have any bruisers like Schroeder or Fischer who stand at party conferences and get booed and paint thrown at them, as they lecture to their party stalwarts that their policies are lunacy, they all believe in this crap.

And of course the greens role as a minority coalition partner had a far bigger impact on the German economy than reunification.