Tim,

it wasn't you calling names.

The "problem" germany is facing is partly dated back to the re-unification.
Back then Mr. Kohl from the CDU (christian democratic union, the other
major political party in Germany) "promised" that we could bring the former
east to the western standard at no extra costs.
His oponent in the election year said the "truth". That we'd have to pay
alot for a very long time.
Kohl got elected, the eastern "industry" was sold to the highest/lowest
bidder and for over 10 years there is an additonal 10% income-tax to pay
for the cost of the re-unification.
All of a sudden, Germany had 20million people with a different schooling
system, none ever paid anything in the health-insurance, nothing into
unemployment, nothing into retirement but Mr. Kohl made them all eligible
for that. The worst that also happend was that the eastern money
(worthless) was converted 1:1 into western money.
That almost killed the German economy.

Just compare that all of a sudden all of Mexico or Canada was eligible to
draw welfare, health benefits and everything else from this country.
See, how much it costs to rebuild Iraq.
Soo far the former WestGermany has paid over 1 trillion EURO into the
former East. Furthermore Germany is one of the highest payers into the EU.
Try doing this.

That's why Germany is and has be struggling so badly the last couple years.
Also the people are used to the benefits and many expect the government to
take care of them.
Also alot of the managers are the same as Tracy describes them at HP.
Good technicians or engineers but not managers.

But look at the US decifit. How huge is that? What if China wants to
collect its debt.

Yeah, I agree and know that certain things have to change in Germany. But
not all are Mr. Schroeders fault and as it looks none of his opponents has
a solution either.
It's just election-time for politicians. So each one tries to tell a bigger
lie. Overthere as well as over here.

Michael
still a proud German

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