SPD sellout complete: Merkel becomes chancellor

[Spiffor]

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui
If you look at German economic numbers, I fail to see why ANYONE would support the status quo. Some reform is needed... somewhere. This can't continue for Germany... unless it wants to go the route of Japan during the mid to late 90s.

I am not sure anybody supports the status quo. The SPD, CDU/CSU and FDP advocate liberal "reforms", while the Left-Party advocates deep changes in the economic system, so that the current level of social protection becomes viable again.

It's not like there is one side for the reforms and another for the status quo. There is the choice between two opposite directions for the reforms.

And actually, in my perspective, the SPD and CDU would only continue on the failed path Germany has taken since 15 years now. In my perspective, they incarnate the real status quo, while the Left-Party incarnates actual change.

[Ecthy]

Spiff, like Blackcat, is just afraid of German economic growth. Makes sense if you consider their geographic position

[BlackCat]

Originally posted by Ecthy

[Imran Siddiqui]

And actually, in my perspective, the SPD and CDU would only continue on the failed path Germany has taken since 15 years now. In my perspective, they incarnate the real status quo, while the Left-Party incarnates actual change.

Yes, you would think that . From my point of view, it seems that the Germany has been on a failed path of heavy welfare social democracy resulting in a lack of flexibility in the labor market. Liberal reforms are necessary for the Germans to get out of their malaise.

Leftist 'reforms' will only dig the grave that Germany will soon lay in .

[BlackCat]

Originally posted by Ecthy
Spiff, like Blackcat, is just afraid of German economic growth. Makes sense if you consider their geographic position

You are totally wrong - since you are one of our prime partners, we just hate to see you plunge into some abysmal hole as you have done until now. Please start climb up of that

[Spiffor]

Originally posted by Ecthy
Spiff, like Blackcat, is just afraid of German economic growth. Makes sense if you consider their geographic position

I've lived in Stuttgart for 3 years, and I benefited directly from the prosperity. I would certainly like to see all of Germany being in as good a situation as Stuttgart.

As for the thingy about the regulation of the labour market: I did not benefit from any minimal wage when I worked, and both parties could end the contract with one day notice. Pease tell me how we can deregulate it further?

[Ecthy]

Worked under special conditions?

All these people saying dismissal protection is too strong, are they all lying? Of course I didn't read it up in the labour laws.

[C0ckney]

when you've got 5 million on the dole, and people being better off on the dole than if they worked full time in menial jobs then something is very wrong.

[C0ckney]

i see project ecthy is coming along nicely

[Spiffor]

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui
Yes, you would think that . From my point of view, it seems that the Germany has been on a failed path of heavy welfare social democracy resulting in a lack of flexibility in the labor market. Liberal reforms are necessary for the Germans to get out of their malaise.

What frigging liberal reforms remain to be done?

- Health insurances now compete with each other.
- The unemployed get a pittance, for which they have to work slave-labour (the infamous 1€/hour "jobs"). T
- the deregulation in most markets such as telecoms is complete
- the privatization of the rail system has been long planned, but has been delayed because the attempt at making the company profitable actually ruined it completely (along with the 50,000 employees who were laid off)
- there is no minimal wage across branches
- I personally have worked under a contract that both parties could with one day notice.

Tell me, as you know Germany that good, what remains to be done for further deregulating the job market? What do you advocate concretely? What makes your assertion (that liberal reforms are needed for further flexibility in the labour market) anything more than empty ideology?

[Ecthy]

C0ckney, how much longer? HOW MUCH LONGER????

[BlackCat]

Originally posted by Spiffor

I've lived in Stuttgart for 3 years, and I benefited directly from the prosperity. I would certainly like to see all of Germany being in as good a situation as Stuttgart.

As for the thingy about the regulation of the labour market: I did not benefit from any minimal wage when I worked, and both parties could end the contract with one day notice. Pease tell me how we can deregulate it further?

One days notice is quite resonable unless of course your contract specifies others.

Oh, the firing company usually makes big efforts to find new jobs when this happens (mass firing) - succes rate usually is 80 % in three months.

[Colon™]

Originally posted by Spiffor
- The unemployed get a pittance, for which they have to work slave-labour (the infamous 1€/hour "jobs").

1€/h on top of the unemployment benefits they receive, no?

[Ecthy]

Yeah, and still they refused. Gits.

[Spiffor]

Originally posted by Ecthy
All these people saying dismissal protection is too strong, are they all lying? Of course I didn't read it up in the labour laws.

When you're saying a falsehood you're convinced of, it's not a lie.

Ideology can be a pernicious thing. It can turn smart people into parrots of some "expert" with an agenda that says it is so. That's why so many Chinese bureaucrats were convinced that the Great Leap Forward would bring great economic prosperity to the country. That's why so many politicians in France and Germany believe that the reforms will bring great prosperity, despite the repeated failure to do so for more than a decade (and actually, the only times France had a good economic growth since 1974 was when it had pragmatic left-wing governments which didn't follow the liberal ideology too blindly).

The main push behind the ideology of deregulation comes from the investors, and for a reason. Investors don't care about jobs, they care about their money. For example, a privatization of healthcare would have terrible consequences (like in the US, where the health coverage of the poor is worthy of the third world), and wouldn't bring any new jobs to the country, but the investors support it because they could make profit off a market that was closed to them before.

The investors are the one who put loads of money in think-tank, lobbies, press etc. to get their message across, regardless of what is true and false in it. A blind belief in them is like a blind belief in the local priest.

"All these people saying God exists, are they all lying?"