[noir]

Nuclear weapon on the hand of Muslims, can never be good thing. It's not like Soviet-American balance of power nuclear deterrence. Here we talk about primitive hate filled maniacs who can't be trusted.

[noir]

[Dr Cosmo]

[noir]

A new sympathetic biography of Angela Merkel hits the bookshelf in Israel. Never trust what Jews think they know about Germany and Germans.

http://www.focus.de/regional/karlsruhe/ ... 93183.html

[noir]

At a bookstore, someone puts a note over her biography. "The Amazing Angela Merkel !". A feminist icon.

[Dr Cosmo]

Awesome noir.

World famous cat from Berlin….

[youtube]fUey78XnLas[/youtube]

[Senter]

Dr. Cosmo, Killim, or any other resident of Germany, ...... question .......

The whole world seems to be swinging right. Britain, France, USA .... all are either toying with or have entered into right wing politicians and politics. Marine Le Pen comes from a family of Nazis. Trump is his own right wing nut and a dangerous emotionally disturbed neo fascist.

What is happening in Germany? Is Germany swinging to the right too?

[Dr Cosmo]

@Senter:
The new German right wing party AfD, founded in 2013 is now represented in 11 out 16 state (regional) parliaments with a percentage share from about 8-15%. In Eastern Germany except Berlin the share is highest. Politically this party and the agenda they represent is closest to Trump (not his party), Le Pen or UKIP.

It is expected that this far-right of center movement will gain about 10% in the upcoming general election. So yes, there is a new party with more anti-liberal statements, but it is rather marginal. Some of the personnel (or voters) comes from the conservative party CDU or CSU. The AfD has almost no options to form Government coalitions.

There is a palpable unease about geopolitical shifts and illiberal movements of longterm partners in the society. The German media landscape is worried about the loss of former European allies like the UK. The Trump inauguration has magnified this sentiment.

Nevertheless, all in all, Germany and the 16 German states seem to be still pretty centered, pro pluralistic, pro liberal, pro free press, pro EU. Pro ....No Nonsense.

[Rugoz]

If you ask me the AfD just dismantled itself. It will now remain a 5-10% party at best.

[Senter]

@Senter:
The new German right wing party AfD, founded in 2013 is now represented in 11 out 16 state (regional) parliaments .......
.......
Nevertheless, all in all, Germany and the 16 German states seem to be still pretty centered, pro pluralistic, pro liberal, pro free press, pro EU. Pro ....No Nonsense.

Thanks!

I had heard that schools in Germany teach all grades about the history of Hitler and fascism in order to prevent it from ever happening again. Do you know if it is true?

[Dr Cosmo]

I had heard that schools in Germany teach all grades about the history of Hitler and fascism in order to prevent it from ever happening again. Do you know if it is true?

Schools in Germany emphasize the long democratic tradition of the country and the so called Western values.
In the current era the question is not so much about how can a Hitler-like figure can be prevented in Germany.
The question today is more about, how was it possible that the US was falling into Trumps demagogue trap.

[noir]

The face of the future

[Dr Cosmo]

Germany has become the world’s indispensable nation,
but how long can it hold the line alone?

[The Sabbaticus]

Germany has become the world’s indispensable nation,
but how long can it hold the line alone?

Germany has cornered the market in television guides. And it fails even in that.

[Dr Cosmo]

Trust in Germany

In Germany, the Center Holds
New York Times

And yet Sunday was also a great day for Germany. It was a demonstration of the stability and health of the country’s postwar democracy. It was proof that its system is resilient in a crisis. It was a demonstration of Germany’s serenity and maturity.

[Vanasalus]

Germany the beloved superpower....

I........can.........not........resist:

Neither Holy, nor Roman, nor an Empire... Just a bunch of Germans.

[Dr Cosmo]

Just a bunch of Germans.

Of course !

[youtube]LJ-OfWC9J5U[/youtube]

[Dr Cosmo]

The Brand Finance Nation Brands report provides a comprehensive report on the world’s leading nation brands and the impact that a country’s reputation and image has on governments, investors, and consumers.

[Dr Cosmo]

How Berlin Became the World’s Coolest Capital City

the German capital has leveraged its legendary climate of cultural experimentation, DIY creativity, and free-wheeling spirit born from repression to become one of the most achingly hip places on the planet. Even as it’s catapulted to the center of European power and faced growing gentrification woes, Berlin remains a dynamic cultural trendsetter—a place whose live-and-let-live ethos has lured artists, activists, and visitors since Berliners swarmed the Wall with sledgehammers in 1989.

[m21]

The face of the future

It's kinda important to put this event in its' context. It happened during a spontaneous protest that evolved out of a protest rally that protested the bombing of Gaza.