Chaos in Germany

[Fox3WheresMyBanana]

I thought it was just McD's 'shakes for Diane?

[Rwy in Sight]

An other non terrorist attack obviously:

[OFSO]

An amusing and curiously charming cartoon in today's paper, reflecting the inefficency of the once-great German post office.
A Faultier is a sloth.

[Capetonian]

You think that's bad?
I posted a small item from CPT to Maun, tracked.
It took 11 days to get from CPT to JNB, and a further 9 days to get ... nowhere!
Unfortunately SA Post is completely unreliable.

[OFSO]

Looks like German governing coalition may collapse leading to general election next year. Implications for the EU of course, leaving only France with a stable government as a major player. Well, if you ask Macron, of course.

[barkingmad]

Looks like German governing coalition may collapse leading to general election next year. Implications for the EU of course, leaving only France with a stable government as a major player. Well, if you ask Macron, of course.

Will that mean a referendum for Krautexit in Germany? I think we should be told!

[Capetonian]

France
stable?
major?

[Rwy in Sight]

It is a major because France has the power to force her position as such.

[BenThere]

I'm surprised the EU has lasted this long. Its premise, that a United Europe could reach the cohesion of the US, and rival its power, prestige and economic vitality, creating a new world reserve currency along the way, has not played out on its execution. The EU today is the 'sick man of Europe'. Its downfall was overreaching its remit, trying to impose a leftist agenda on traditionally sovereign states.

The conveniences, a common currency and easy border crossings, have been outweighed by sclerotic economic performance, heavy-handed dictates, and lack of citizen participation and voice in determination of matters important to the locals.

[Slasher]

It is a major because France has the power to force her position as such.

And this is a long standing reason to hate the fFrench. They only go into something as long as they will have the final say.

I’m for anything that sticks it up ‘em.

[TheGreenGoblin]

German mathematics makes mincemeat of American chaos. If it wasn't for the Germans, the Americans wouldn't have the atom bomb or have made the moon or so many other things..

Personally I am glad only because without the Germans we wouldn't have the ..,

[BenThere]

Thing is though, Goblin, that America is made up of those Germans and such, and somehow amalgamated them into an economic and technological juggernaut that did the moon, atom bomb and has been the dominant economic and military power for the last 70 years or so. It has often been said that our strength is our diversity, and I don't argue with that. But I would add that our strength is our Constitution which allows us to vote, adapt, and change.

[Rwy in Sight]

German mathematics makes mincemeat of American chaos. If it wasn't for the Germans, the Americans wouldn't have the atom bomb or have made the moon or so many other things..

Personally I am glad only because without the Germans we wouldn't have the ..,

On the other hand one must not forget the original JEEP which along 2CV and the Mini and some Lada model are the milestones of the automotive history of the previous century.

Nicely said BenThere

[OFSO]

How are the mighty fallen !

This month saw 9,500 redundancies at Audi; 10,000 at Daimler; German industrial output 5.3% down on a year ago; Deutsche Bank shares down from €112 per share in 2007 to €33 in 2014 and €6.40 now, and poverty amongst pensioners rated at 18.5% compared (perhaps unfairly) to France at 7.2%. Domestic demand is faltering as Germans worry about a Merkel-less future, but with Trump threatening more and more tarifs on exports to the USA that's not going to be the answer. And to revert to the political situation, as the Greens get an increasing number of seats, more and more (idiotic) policies will be enforced. Having shut down the nuclear generating stations, Germany is relying on dirty coal-powered stations. The Greens appear not to have noticed that yet.....

The once-powerful motor driving the EU's finances looks like stuttering to a stop, and who will the Alternativ für Deutschland blame for this ?

(Source: Daily Telegraph business news, last and this Saturday)

[Capetonian]

They will look even sicker when they can't export any more of their cars to the UK.

[OFSO]

Won't need to, with lower taxes they'll be building them there.

[barkingmad]

OFSO, I reckon the German problems have to be 100% due to Brexit and nothing else!
It's a great excuse for the last 3.5 years for anyone who's f*cked up their act to shift the blame sideways away from the obvious target to those damned Brits?

[Fox3WheresMyBanana]

The Chinese aren't buying as many cars, with sales dropping on average for the last 3 years. Germany is the World's largest car exporter, shipping a higher dollar value than the next two (Japan and USA) put together.
Simples!

https://wolfstreet.com/2019/07/11/china ... ncentives/

[BenThere]

I was in the market for a new vehicle in late 2017. I had my eye on a tricked out Ford F-150 Lariat or Platinum. They go for upwards of $70,000USD. They are nice and I would have been very happy with one. But my wife, the only one of us still working, wanted a Mercedes SUV, arguing that it was safer, would hold its value better, was more prestigious, etc.

So we looked at the Mercedes offerings as the 2018 models were coming into the showroom. I had already test-driven the F-150 when I test-drove the 2017 GLE 350 we ended up buying. They were about the same price as the Ford, but the ride, the embedded technology, the nice real wood dark cypress trim, the heated and air-conditioned seats, the driver assists for lane keeping, blind spot alerts, auto braking when a collision is sensed, and more, convinced me the Mercedes was a better buy.

Now I've had the thing for 2 years. There's no maintenance cost - I got five years of maintenance with the purchase. I'm reliant on MBrace, which may be a US only service, which loads GPS directions, makes restaurant reservations, and provides emergency services like sensing if the airbags have deployed and call an ambulance, knowing your location. I like that. I love this car, and if Germans keep setting the bar, I'll buy their cars. We also have an 18 year old Mercedes 230 SLK that only comes out in summer, but it has been rock-solid reliable and still is, and it's still a lot of fun to drive.

I think the German talent for making great cars like Mercedes, BMW, Audi and VW isn't going away any time soon. But they are only the most visible evidence of the excellence of German engineering and manufacturing. Germany might even be able to survive the EU.

For my Mexico car I bought a 2019 Honda BRV, a model only sold in Mexico and a few other countries. It's a small SUV but seats 7, and if you fold down the two back seats, has copious cargo space. It's not plush, but is a perfect Mexico car, and gets 15km/litre fuel economy. It cost $18,000 USD out the door with a year of insurance, license plates included.

[Fox3WheresMyBanana]

The Chinese are buying less of them because they haven't got the money, not because they are bad cars. And that isn't going to change anytime soon. China's pork prices have spiked 110% yoy, due to African Swine Fever leading to massive culling of herds. The problem is indirect. Chinese government auto and loan subsidies increase inflation, which would affect pork prices disproportionately more, so they can't increase those auto boosts. The knock-on effect is going global - beef prices have spiked 10% due to the Chinese buying up supplies to replace the pork. There was an article in our local paper explaining this, as we now supply China with beef.