Please allow me to say that this isn't a perfect land and that "hate speech" is indeed abused to silence the masses (especially regarding fake refugees). However can guarantee you that it is no police state, especially when compared to the UK where everything is controlled and monitored heavily (nanny state).
As for conquering Europe, in the end its all about business. You're blaming other countries when they understand the game and score well on it.
Also agree with this, they really need to get back the better parts of their tradition. They had Mill, and now they hardly go a year without somebody suggesting universal key escrow or something worse. That said, becoming more continental is not going to help with their nanny state problem.
It's lovely that Germany is not a police state yet.
> As for conquering Europe, in the end its all about business. You're blaming other countries when they understand the game and score well on it.
I agree, which is why I don't think it's in Britons' best interest to give the German establishment what they want.
I wouldn't live in the UK for exactly the reasons you describe, I just don't think more continentalism is going to help alleviate the problems they do have.
I was living in London exactly when Brexit happened, so I understand the reasons and respect them. You're right, an exit might be the best for preserving independence and (hopefully) bring economical growth.
Its just that I was born under the EU and grew up with a positive image of what is being built, later growing up and seeing in more detail the good or bad things.
My own country (Portugal) has been affected heavily by Germany and France. However, a thing that I've learned while living in Germany is that their internal politics are even MORE aggressive. Incompetence and failure are fatal in anyones' career around here, so the government officials rising to top don't play around. If one even tries to be corrupt, that person won't last as there exists little complacency. In overall this makes their machine very efficient. Just compare to the UK and the endless NHS discussions.
When Germans seat at a negotiation table, they crush our own politicians from Portugal, making them look like amateurs. I don't fault Germany for having success with EU, I look at our own people so that we can learn and match this game.
As opposed to brexit representing a "will to shoot your own foot"?
> The EU is unrepresentative, unproductive, and unaccountable. Nobody needs any more reverence for it. The EU is the worst French idea the Germans ever took to.
I think you fell for brexit propaganda... The EU bodies are either elected directly or sent by the member state gouvernments, not some unaccountable hereditary monarch.
> Germany is today a country where foreign journalists are chased through the street by communist activists, and where you need a license to post a video on YouTube.
You're nitpicking. Or would it be fair for me to say that GB is not safe for young girls (rotherham...)?
> Britons could stand to learn from Germany's mistakes and be more honest with themselves before it's too late for anyone to be honest with anyone.
I agree completely. How about a little less mass surveillance for a start?
This is a strawman - not being a medieval monarchy doesn't mean it isn't representative or accountable by modern standards. I'd also add "transparent".
> a little less mass surveillance for a start
surveillance isn't bad (in public), it's what it's used for.
Source?
The claim that Germany is a country where foreign journalists in general have be afraid of being chased is unfounded. This was an incident involving so called right and left wing "activists."
Personally I think the German establishment is just trying to conquer Europe again, as much respect as I have für die Deutschen und ihre Sprache. Today, Britain needs no additional sympathy for Germany, they need sympathy for themselves, a will to live. The EU is unrepresentative, unproductive, and unaccountable. Nobody needs any more reverence for it. The EU is the worst French idea the Germans ever took to.
Germany is today a country where foreign journalists are chased through the street by communist activists, and where you need a license to post a video on YouTube. If your teacher's beloved Germany ever returned, it is surely leaving yet again. I talk to Germans who are fleeing to Austria, because they feel something wicked coming, and I don't blame them.
Britons could stand to learn from Germany's mistakes and be more honest with themselves before it's too late for anyone to be honest with anyone.