Germany

[palo5]

Originally Posted by deepsepia

Yes, the German Sparkasen and Landesbanks were busily investing in crap mortgages in other places, which they'd never have issued in Germany.

The basic problem with being a saver is that you have to find a safe place to invest your savings, and the world is short of AAA credit . . . so German banks filled with the deposits of the frugal German savers went around the world buying up crap assets.

This is a problem not only in Germany

Criminal organizations (well, aren't they?) in America said that zero-income/undocumented people were as creditworthy as the US government, and they conned the world with AAA ratings

(Arrrgh, where is my bayonet?)

You don't have to be as demented as me to know that it can not possibly be true that crook-bonds are not the same as US govt debt, and there was much criminal energy involved. It is sad for German and world savers

Clearly the bankers and traders require deportation to an uncomfortable place

[Brecht]

Originally Posted by stardust2003

Germans are efficient, educated, work hard and are patriotic. They take pride in their work and constantly strive to improve themselves seeeing this a way of contributing to the wellbeing and international standing of their country. They have a very high work ethic and do not believe in living off the state, seeing it as living off the work of other Germans. Their public services are lightweight and efficient, and are not seen as a way of disguising unemployment.

They hold in very high regard engineers, scientists, professionals and research and development. They do not stifle their industry with stupid rules and regulations enforced by busybodies in the name of planning or health and safety, although they do take both into account with a far more common sense approach.

They do not see their houses as being get-rich-quick investments and are savers, not borrowers.

Somehow I get the feeling that Germany is the only thing
holding the EU together... without them it would all fall apart !

Yes, they are hard-working people, disciplined and taking everything seriously which is why they don't have sense of humor. But hey, who cares about humor, they're champions in science and technology.
But Germany still has a working welfare and regulation system, so you must've been confusing it with California. Actually, thanks to regulation, welfare and a highly advanced free educational system (being dismantled like all over Europe right now) is why they were able to prosper so fast after WW2. Having free health care and social insurence is not living off other people's work. Everybody contributes into that system, even the unemployed.

[Nobody1]

Originally Posted by Norbert84

Yes, they have are hard-working people, disciplined and taking everything seriously which is why they don't have sense of humor.

That's not funny.

Originally Posted by Norbert84

Having free health care and social insurence is not living off other people's work. Everybody contributes into that system, even the unemployed.

That's absolutely correct Norbert. It's is a perfectly ordinary insurance benefit. If i become unemployed i am not forced to deal drugs.

[rockernut]

I must say it's a total blast riding the autobahn, no speedlimits!

[Brecht]

Originally Posted by Nobody1

That's not funny.

Sorry, Kumpel. Ich konnte nicht widerstehen. Aber den Dieter Hallervorden und Loriot fand ich stets lustig.

[LusciousLarry]

Originally Posted by Norbert84

Having free health care and social insurence is not living off other people's work. Everybody contributes into that system, even the unemployed.

Just curious. How does an unemployed person with zero income contribute to the system.

[Brecht]

Originally Posted by LusciousLarry

Just curious. How does an unemployed person with zero income contribute to the system.

An unemployed person receives unemployment benefits, all part of the welfare system.

[stardust2003]

In todays world, car production is a good indicator
of the strength of a nations economy

Car production as of 2010

Germany .......5,905,985
Spain ........2,387,900
France ........ 2,227,742
UK ......... 1,393,463

Germany dwarfs Britain's car production

Britain is now a service economy we are told with the City
of London earning vast revenues worldwide for financial services.

Well its the financial sector that has been going haywire ever since
the autumn of 2008...
the collapse of Rock was just a straw in the wind.

When the financial edifice collapses we will be left with a
3rd world economy ... the car industry is all foreign owned anyway
( unlike the German motor industry that now even owns Rolls Royce ! )

[Nobody1]

Originally Posted by stardust2003

In todays world, car production is a good indicator of the strength of a nations economy

A good indicator is also the current field trial in a courageous small country called Iceland, which is currently recovering economically because of his blasphemy. Clever people.

[tamsmith]

Originally Posted by Norbert84

An unemployed person receives unemployment benefits, all part of the welfare system.

Sorry Norbert. Yes part of the system but some have never ever contributed to the system. Taken yes. More so here in Beerland.