Another German here: The trouble with getting out of the crises so well is that it relieves the need for real reforms. We still have an extremely inflexible la

Another German here: The trouble with getting out of the crises so well is that it relieves the need for real reforms. We still have an extremely inflexible labor market, extremely high taxes/social security payments, and excessive regulation. Becoming more competitive by keeping down wages works, but is also the stupidest way to do it, since, well, it means you get paid less than you could. Basically German people decided that it's OK to earn less, but cutting taxes, benefits and government interventions would be too much change. On the other hand, I just realized that complaining about a situation that other people envy you for is a very German thing to do...