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If you think Munich isn't corrupt, you should ask a Münchner - hell, their airport is named after a corrupt politician. [0] But as a few Germans have put it to

If you think Munich isn't corrupt, you should ask a Münchner - hell, their airport is named after a corrupt politician. [0] But as a few Germans have put it to me - sure, there's corruption here, but at least it still gets things built unlike _Italian_ corruption. Which is an... ...interesting point of view. [0]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franz_Josef_Strauss https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franz_Josef_Strauss As for London, they built an entire industry around hiding money for oligarchs who stole it from their own countries. Maybe it's technically legal, but it's morally corrupt AF.

Semaphor 10mo ago
As a German I'll say that even acknowledging there is a corruption problem (while still being unwilling to change it and not voting for the parties that let corruption fester) puts them a good step ahead of all those thinking there's no real corruption. No studies, personal impressions, so I might well be wrong and maybe they all know but don't care. No majority that cares either way.
- EdwardDiego 10mo ago
  Yeah, I agree with that sentiment.
- mschild 10mo ago
  As another German, I think there is different kinds of corruption. There is low-level and high-level. Low-level is when you bribe individual cops, city clerks, etc so they let you go instead of writing a speeding ticket or approving your house building plan. High-level is when people like Merz receive a political donation from McDonalds, do some self-promotion in one, and then keep/lower the Mwst (VAT) for restaurants. Germany unfortunately has high-level corruption but as far as I know, very little low-level. I think thats partially why people don't care to vote to differently. Yes, it happens, but there is a large disconnect between what Merz does and how it impacts an individuals bottom line. If people would have to constantly hand out bribes to anyone then maybe its a different story.
  - Semaphor 10mo ago
    Agreed

Semaphor 10mo ago

As a German I'll say that even acknowledging there is a corruption problem (while still being unwilling to change it and not voting for the parties that let corruption fester) puts them a good step ahead of all those thinking there's no real corruption. No studies, personal impressions, so I might well be wrong and maybe they all know but don't care. No majority that cares either way.

EdwardDiego 10mo ago
Yeah, I agree with that sentiment.
mschild 10mo ago
As another German, I think there is different kinds of corruption. There is low-level and high-level. Low-level is when you bribe individual cops, city clerks, etc so they let you go instead of writing a speeding ticket or approving your house building plan. High-level is when people like Merz receive a political donation from McDonalds, do some self-promotion in one, and then keep/lower the Mwst (VAT) for restaurants. Germany unfortunately has high-level corruption but as far as I know, very little low-level. I think thats partially why people don't care to vote to differently. Yes, it happens, but there is a large disconnect between what Merz does and how it impacts an individuals bottom line. If people would have to constantly hand out bribes to anyone then maybe its a different story.
- Semaphor 10mo ago
  Agreed