The Fourth Reich

[scooterscot]

Why do the words 'straws' and 'grasping' come to mind while reading your posts scoot?

I know it's mind blowing stuff I should be PM or something.

Scooter, telling it like it is.

[darrenb]

What happens when they hit their demographic time-bomb in a few years?
They'll just have to get in loads of immigrants to wipe their old arses,

Immigration is the key issue really. It is very difficult for Germany to attract immigrants because

• the German language is not taught worldwide, and practically impossible to learn as an adult
• nobody in India and China has heard of Germany, only the US and the UK thanks to movies
• Germans don't really like people from races that differ too much from their own, hence it's difficult to hold on to migrant workers

This is all a blessing in disguise for Germany. The captains of industry here in Germany complain that the economy is hamstrung because they cannot exercise labour arbitrage and there are great "shortages," etc, etc. By this logic, the US and UK should be be doing ten times as well as Germany: they can exploit a much larger labour force worldwide. And yet, somehow Germany is coming out on top. Why? It's because they are forced to tend to their own garden, educate their own people, preserve their own middle class. They are not systematically destroying their own skills base in the same way as the US and the UK. Trying, yes. Succeeding, no.

The value of an economy ultimately amounts to the value of the people in it. The statistics that banks churn out are just statistics. What really matters is the people. That's especially true in a field like IT, which is highly quality-sensitive. In many situations it doesn't matter how many bodies or money you throw at a problem: unless you can get the right people to take an interest in your problem, the problem isn't going to get solved.

If a company or country manages to hang on to the highly skilled, productive people it will succeed. If it drives them away, it will fail. Simple as that.

[russell]

Immigration is the key issue really. It is very difficult for Germany to attract immigrants because

• the German language is not taught worldwide, and practically impossible to learn as an adult
• nobody in India and China has heard of Germany, only the US and the UK thanks to movies
• Germans don't really like people from races that differ too much from their own, hence it's difficult to hold on to migrant workers - you could say the same about the UK

I didn't bother reading the rest as your your initial points are patently false.

[gingerjedi]

I didn't bother reading the rest as your your initial points are patently false.

The 3rd one was spot on: "Germans don't really like people from races that differ too much from their own".

You don't say...

[scooterscot]

The 3rd one was spot on: "Germans don't really like people from races that differ too much from their own".

You don't say...

Indeed, I've never known a part of Yorkshire where this rule does not apply.

[scooterscot]

What really matters is the people. In many situations it doesn't matter how many bodies or money you throw at a problem: unless you can get the right people to take an interest in your problem, the problem isn't going to get solved.

If a company or country manages to hang on to the highly skilled, productive people it will succeed. If it drives them away, it will fail. Simple as that.

genau (exactly)

As a young family, it feels like the Deutsch state rewards us for our efforts and hard work, I like that. I'm not just taking about money but little things that you don't care to mention but only notice when you return home.

[OwlHoot]

Immigration is the key issue really. It is very difficult for Germany to attract immigrants because

• the German language is not taught worldwide, and practically impossible to learn as an adult
• nobody in India and China has heard of Germany, only the US and the UK thanks to movies
• Germans don't really like people from races that differ too much from their own, hence it's difficult to hold on to migrant workers

This is all a blessing in disguise for Germany. ...

The gist of that sounds about right, although I thought Germany never had much trouble attracting millions of Turkish immigrants among others.

[OwlHoot]

3. Does no one wonder that 2 European democratic leaders, however incompetent, have been overturned and replaced by "technocrats"?

Orwell would have had something to say about that I'm sure. The Greek people have been denied their referendum and the Italians their election.

Good point, and I'm sure that will come back to bite the EU in some way.

[gingerjedi]

Indeed, I've never known a part of Yorkshire where this rule does not apply.

Did you do history at skool?

[sasguru]

Did you do history at skool?

He probably did but it passed him by as Lord Haw Haw is not really top-of-class material.