The war in Ukraine and its repercussions, compounded by structural problems such as an ageing population and a lack of investment, spell the end of the boom

The change in the geopolitical order, disrupted by the invasion of Ukraine, has exposed the weaknesses of the German economic model. The German model, points out Wolfgang Münchau in one of his analyses for Eurointelligence, hinges on three ingredients: cost competitiveness, technological leadership in its industry and geopolitical stability, and ‘all of them are gone,’ he adds. On the one hand, the cut-off of Russian gas — which accounted for more than 50% of the gas consumed in Germany — has impacted the electro-intensive industry, forcing businesses like the chemical company Lanxess to restructure their business and close plants.

  • @TomHardy@lemmy.ml
    9•1 year ago

    not because of any grand economical failure, but because the Germans as a people are idiots

    What no material analysis does to a mf. I like how in every capitalist economy, the rise of a crisis is always explained by anything but the fact that Germany is a corrupt, bourgeois dictatorship. It’s always the mindset, the attitude, the rejection of some progress by some people or politicians appear to be dumb. Dude, it’s not that some politicians or people do not understand some basic things, or they didn’t expect that to happen. The government is driven by politicians that are puppets of top 1%. There are no really parties who represent the majority, the only difference between them is that they have stocks in different branches at different corporations. Stuff like coal is favored is not that “somehow” they value coal workers more, it’s that the coal lobby pushed its influence.

    And finally we see what such an economic systems does to even successful countries, there are no safety mechanisms that prevent dismantling the industry and lowering life qualities of the majority after all.

    • AggressivelyPassive
      4•1 year ago

      And who believes their lies? Who votes those guys into power?

      This country is still a democracy, not a dictatorship. But if the demos is stupid, villains get the kratos.

      • @TomHardy@lemmy.ml
        0•1 year ago

        And who believes their lies? Who votes those guys into power? This country is still a democracy, not a dictatorship.

        That’s the point that voting the “correct” guys who “don’t lie this time” will never work, hence it’s a dictatorship of capitalists. I agree that if anything, the people are too stupid to realize that in a bourgeois dictatorship such as Germany they do not have any mechanisms on the decisions made by the government. So even if they don’t believe the lies, who do they vote for then? The only parties who get attention by the one’s who have most media representation, means a lot of budget to promote themselves, that’s the Mr. moneybags.

        But if the demos is stupid, villains get the kratos.

        Yes but is this really the point you made in your first comment? More like “if the demos is stupid it can’t get it right”. I mean that’s coming from the economic system from a country such as Germany’s. If you meant this before, I agree. My point was that arguments such as this

        Literally every change, whatsoever, will find at least 50 people arguing against it,

        Annegret thinks computers are a fad

        “we’re not an immigration country”

        is exactly because the corruption in a capitalist country like Germany. They will evaluate problems based on who of the richies gets how much money out of which outcome, and not because they are having some ideological “views” typical to Germans on it that is stalling the process.

        Edit: I think we talk about two different types of stupidity: the first, where unpopular policies are passed in capitalist countries are explained by “the politician is too stupid or lacks knowledge therefore it was made” and the second is about the people, who stupidly believe in that, hoping the next government is not stupid. I meant the first one, it is a popular justification in Germany, that hides the fact that unpopular decisions are made because of the inherent corruption in a capitalist country.