Reply to: Now it emerges that the World Wars were fought in vain ....

[AtW]

I bought a "German" car.

It was made in Spain and I did 105k in it.

The German car, built in Germany was a grade A piece of crap & didn't do 10k.

YMMV

What cars exactly were those?

[Gym beast]

We have to remember that the Germans had undergone an 'Inglorious Fifteen' years, and right up to about 2009 their economy was considered 'The Sick Man of Europe'. At one point in 2007-08 I think we were just a few percentage points away from finally matching their per-capita GDP, which we hadn't done since the 60's. Just because their economic model weathered the recession a bit better than ours did means little. They have come NOWHERE near making good the ground they lost in those 15 years since then.

Just having a reputation for fast growth throughout the 50's/60's/70's is now dim history. They have even less basis for strong future growth than we do. Eastern Germany, with it's still-ingrained communist lethargy, is still as heavy as load on their economy as it was in the mid-90's.

There will be no great Renaissance of the German economy. It will just fumble along, in a race of the European turtles over the next few years. And "Race" is a kind word. Think of a flock of sheep without a shepherd.

[Mich the Tester]

, no not quite. I'll leave that one for you.

[shaunbhoy]

Thing is outside of a handful of cities, Germany is fooking dull as ditchwater. i know from experience.

You being as dull as ditchwater on a daily basis.

[suityou01]

I have had a French car, several Italian cars, a couple of German cars and one British car. The French car is a mistake I'd rather forget. The German cars were very good and Lady Tester still drives one and it sort of fits her Germanic looks and style. The Italian cars were great fun, beautiful to look at but crap. The British car is actually the best I've owned up to now.

[Mich the Tester]

I bought a "German" car.

It was made in Spain and I did 105k in it.

The German car, built in Germany was a grade A piece of crap & didn't do 10k.

YMMV

I have had a French car, several Italian cars, a couple of German cars and one British car. The French car is a mistake I'd rather forget. The German cars were very good and Lady Tester still drives one and it sort of fits her Germanic looks and style. The Italian cars were great fun, beautiful to look at but crap. The British car is actually the best I've owned up to now.

[sasguru]

Outside of a handful of cities and a few bits of spectacular scenery, most of the world can be a bit dull. But Koblenz, Köln and Hamburg are pretty good places really. Berlin's exciting, but very brash and a bit rough, Frankfurt is full of bankers, OK if your like that kind of thing, München's a bit touristy, Stuttgart's not bad at all. I'd choose Koblenz, probably for the climate and the vineyards.

Not one is a patch on London. That's why all the rich people come here.
Berlin is the city I know the best but it feels provincial. Cologne is OK.
Problem is Germans are dull really, if you are used to a more cosmopolitan milieu.
Stereotypes get created for a reason, the dull but worthy, unspontaneous German is a truism.

[Mich the Tester]

I am planning to buy a German car, that'll show 'em!!!

Is that your girlfriend in the back?

[Mich the Tester]

I don't think most of Europe is going to be fighting over them anytime soon, what are Greece and Portugal going to do with highly-trained grads when they have depression level economies - caused by German policy?
I don't suppose the Meds enjoy being in dull areas of rural Germany, but needs must.
Thing is outside of a handful of cities, Germany is fooking dull as ditchwater. i know from experience.

Outside of a handful of cities and a few bits of spectacular scenery, most of the world can be a bit dull. But Koblenz, Köln and Hamburg are pretty good places really. Berlin's exciting, but very brash and a bit rough, Frankfurt is full of bankers, OK if your like that kind of thing, München's a bit touristy, Stuttgart's not bad at all. I'd choose Koblenz, probably for the climate and the vineyards.

[AtW]

I am planning to buy a German car, that'll show 'em!!!

[sasguru]

There already is quite a lot of immigration getting started from Italy, Greece and Spain, particularly young, trained or educated people who can't find jobs back home. Precisely the kind of people that most of Europe's going to be fighting over before long, but that most of Europe hasn't realised it's going to need. Remember that Germany has absorbed a lot of people from those countries relatively succesfully in the past and can probably do so again.

I don't think most of Europe is going to be fighting over them anytime soon, what are Greece and Portugal going to do with highly-trained grads when they have depression level economies - caused by German policy?
I don't suppose the Meds enjoy being in dull areas of rural Germany, but needs must.
Thing is outside of a handful of cities, Germany is fooking dull as ditchwater. i know from experience.

[Mich the Tester]

There is about to be a neccessarily huge influx of immigration into Germany* as the population declines precipitously - this will make immigration to the UK under Labour look like a drop in the ocean.
Time will tell what effect this has on the Germany economy and society.


*or German companies will move to where there is labour, or both.

There already is quite a lot of immigration getting started from Italy, Greece and Spain, particularly young, trained or educated people who can't find jobs back home. Precisely the kind of people that most of Europe's going to be fighting over before long, but that most of Europe hasn't realised it's going to need. Remember that Germany has absorbed a lot of people from those countries relatively succesfully in the past and can probably do so again.

[sasguru]

Yep, there are issues with immigration and low level employment in Germany, but at least they have the economic means to deal with their problems.

There is about to be a neccessarily huge influx of immigration into Germany* as the population declines precipitously - this will make immigration to the UK under Labour look like a drop in the ocean.
Time will tell what effect this has on the German economy and society.


*or German companies will move to where there is labour, or both. In the end companies will not respect national borders, even German ones.

[Mich the Tester]

Feck me, in all your years, did you not learn to speak English?
No chance with German, then, you'll always be a 2nd class despised auslander.

I think a lot of auslanders are actually doing quite well in Germany. Your German contractormobile was probably built by Turks, designed by Italians, engineered by Germans, transported by Czechs and marketed to you by Brits. Except I thought you drove a 2nd hand Datsun

Yep, there are issues with immigration and low level employment in Germany, but at least they have the economic means to deal with their problems.

[sasguru]

10-4, the feckless need not apply. Probably why there is not an emigration problem in Germany similar to the levels recently in the UK. Makes you wonder, dat, why they all choose to congregate in and around the London area.

Feck me, in all your years, did you not learn to speak English?
No chance with German, then, you'll always be a 2nd class despised auslander.