Why Germany Has It So Good -- and Why America Doesn't

"Germans have six weeks of federally mandated vacation, free university tuition, and nursing care. But you've heard the arguments for years about how those wussy Europeans can't compete in a global economy. You've heard that so many times, you might believe it. But like so many things, the media repeats endlessly, it's just not true.

Even as we in the United States fall more deeply into the clutches of our foreign creditors -- China foremost among them -- Germany has somehow managed to create a high-wage, unionized economy without shipping all its jobs abroad or creating a massive trade deficit, or any trade deficit at all. And even as the Germans outsell the United States, they manage to take six weeks of vacation every year. They're beating us with one hand tied behind their back."

http://www.alternet.org/economy/148501/ ... age=entire

For centuries the German DNA has been feared in almost all environs. Technology, military prowness, banking, music, art........list is massive. The German race is simply smarter..........they deserve three months off.......they also do not tolerate the social underbelly we do here in the USA (also very smart).

lol Countries ebb & flow. When West Germany started the reunification with East Germany, they repealed many of the more socialist parts of their work rules. This helped put them ahead of their main rival France.

But as someone of German heritage, it does appear the only way to keep them down is to split the country up, like the Soviets did in 1945. And even then West Germany competed hard. In fact, both France and Great Britain would have preferred that East Germany stay its own country.

That must mean the Americans are waiting in line to become German citizens....are they?

What percentage of their GDP do they spend on "Defense"?

deltamrey wrote: they also do not tolerate the social underbelly we do here in the USA.

I'm almost afraid to ask....

Exactly what do you mean by that?

A couple points to address.
Their defense budget as a percentage of GDP is very small compared to the US and refuse to participate in the NATO Libyan operation. More money for social programs.
Their society is more homogeous than most, people work together for the greater good. The non-white population, mainly Turks, work menial jobs and tend to live in ghettos together.

They also have (what we would consider) strict citizenship restrictions. For example, two Turks have a child in Germany; that child is a Turkish citizen, not German. The only way (that I know of) to gain German citizenship is for one of the parents to be a German.

Welcome Gunny. Semper Fi!!

From that information, I don't think a bunch of our Liberal neighbors are going to like Germany.

Actually that is one of the more civilized policies to adopt over here.

Gunny wrote: They also have (what we would consider) strict citizenship restrictions. For example, two Turks have a child in Germany; that child is a Turkish citizen, not German. The only way (that I know of) to gain German citizenship is for one of the parents to be a German.

No, that's not true. You can become a naturalized citizen by living there a number of years and meeting certain other requirements. Also a child born to non-citizen parents can be a German citizen if the parents have been there for at least three years. But they do require the parents have to have been living there legally. Seems reasonable to me.