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It's been striking how little discussion there is of this in /r/europe and /r/germany. (The latter has pinned a megathread for the topic, the classic way of kil
by TMWNN 4y ago
It's been striking how little discussion there is of this in /r/europe and /r/germany. (The latter has pinned a megathread for the topic, the classic way of killing discussion.) /r/de is slightly better, if only because of the absence of the constant "I don't know German but want to move to Germany and get a job" posts.
I don't mean to say that there's been nothing, along the lines of the 100% censorship that happened at /r/news the day of the 2016 Orlando mass shooter. There has been some. But there is far, far, far less. Just last moth we had
* a German minister stating that becoming dependent on Russian gas was a "grievous mistake", and that his country is begging for turbines from Canada "with a heavy heart"
* His government stating that entire industries might "collapse"
* Rationing of gas announced
* Local municipalities planning warm buildings that those without heat in their homes can visit during the winter
This is the greatest German catastrophe in 80 years. It is an existential threat to the German (and, thus, European) economy and nation. Any other topic half as serious would occupy far more of these subreddits' front pages. And it is entirely self-inflicted.
- Ekaros 4y agoI would guess that there is one worse catastrophe in past 80 years for Germany...
- tomjen3 4y ago80 years? That seems an extreme statement for what will essentially be a recession and having to wear more clothing indoors. Do you have some basis that this will be worse than 2008?
- HPsquared 4y agoThat was only a recession.
- the_mitsuhiko 4y agoEnergy is all over the news since April in Germany. Everything that could be discussed was discussed. At one point a topic has been fully explored. What else is there to discuss?
- TMWNN 4y agoLook at how many others here are saying that it will be "just a recession" in which Germans can "just wear a sweater", as opposed to people facing home heating bills rising 5-10X and complete shutdown of many factories from the lack of both power and feedstock.
- the_mitsuhiko 4y agoGermany will be fine but it will be really expensive.
- davidktr 4y ago> This is the greatest German catastrophe in 80 years Detected the West German. Ever considered what happened in the East in the 1990s? 25 percent unemployment? Try that for a crisis, than we can talk again.
- d_e_solomon 4y ago> This is the greatest German catastrophe in 80 years. It is an existential threat to the German (and, thus, European) economy and nation. Any other topic half as serious would occupy far more of these subreddits' front pages. And it is entirely self-inflicted. Um... Berlin wall?
- 88840-8855 4y agoI fully agree. The worst thing is that people seem not to realize the long-term effect. Everyone is talking about the winter. Cheap energy is NOT coming back though. It is over. The window of opportunity for NS2 is also closing. Germany has the choice to either do what Putin wants and survive or hold on to its values and lose its competitive advantage.
- rasz 4y agoSPD tried very hard doing what Putin wants. "On February 27th, the German arms industry gave Chancellor Olaf Scholz a 48 page list of military equipment that they could send to Ukraine. Scholz waited until today to forward it to the Ukrainians but his office only sent the Ukrainians half the document)" "While Ukraine was offered Marder IFV, Boxer APC and even Leopard-2 MBT as well as Panzerhaubitze 2000 by German companies, it is not allowed to buy any of these systems in Germany" 1) At the end of February Germany's defense industry sends Scholz a long list of all available weapons. 2) Scholz doesn't share the list with Ukraine. 3) Scholz says that there are no more weapons left in Germany to give to Ukraine. 4) Germany's defense industry leaks the list to Ukraine's ambassador. 5) Scholz says that the weapons on the list don't work. 6) The defense industry denies this and leaks the list to the press. 7) Scholz states Ukrainians can't master the weapons in the available time. 8) German defense experts tell the German press that Ukrainians can master the weapons in 2-3 weeks. 9) Scholz says the weapons are needed by NATO and NATO must approve their transfer. 10) NATO officials and German generals deny this. 11) Scholz says no other NATO/EU ally is delivering heavy weapons to Ukraine. 12) The US, UK, Australia, Poland, Czechia, Slovakia, Romania, Turkey, Italy, Finland, Denmark, Romania, Netherlands, etc. publish the lists of heavy weapon they deliver to Ukraine. 13) Under pressure Scholz announces €2 billion for Ukraine's military. 14) German parliamentarians find out that it's really just €1 billion, which won't be available for another 2-3 months, and then Scholz can veto or delay indefinitely every item Ukraine wants to buy. 15) The US, France, Poland, Romania, Japan, the UK and Italy, plus the heads of EU and NATO spend an afternoon trying to talk sense into Scholz. 16) Scholz makes a statement and says Ukraine can have the €1 billion now and order whatever it wants from the list. 17) Ukraine's ambassador says that Scholz removed all the items Ukraine actually wants from the list before giving it to Ukraine and what remains on the list is just a fraction of the €1 billion. 18) Scholz claims that there is no ammunition anymore for the Leopard tanks and Marder infantry fighting vehicles. 19) Spain, Italy, Greece, Turkey, Egypt, the US, Japan, South Korea, Israel, Taiwan, Egypt respectively France are saying the produce these ammo types. 20) Scholz says countries delivering armored vehicles to Ukraine will be attacked by russia with nuclear weapons. 21) The US, UK, Australia, France, Poland, Spain, Italy, Romania, Slovakia, Czechia, Netherlands, Denmark all report they were not hit by nuclear weapons.
- woweoe 4y agoThere seems to be a trend of covering up and looking the other way on many major political issues right now in the US. I presume it is a different story in Germany itself.