I had a great coffee from this piece of hipster heaven in my street, Weserstraße. Frequented by alternative types, the same people who frequent the Sydney suburb of Newtown. The bikes out the front were a good sign that there would be good coffee. Also the sign stating, ‘No Borders, no country’, a movement that promotes refugee rights in Europe, was obvious. I was just there for the coffee. In Berlin, you can’t escape politics it seems.
The migrant issue is the number one political issue at the moment in Europe. The situation is that without migrants, Europe’s population, and hence economic growth will plummet, when many European economies are already struggling. Although it’s ironic that the political left in Germany, like most of the people who no doubt frequent this cafe, support increased immigrant, which would help boost consumer demand in Europe, and thus overwhelmingly help capitalism. Immigration is an easy way for countries to boost demand without doing the hard work of improving productivity or competitiveness. Europe’s industry struggles to compete in the Digital Revolution (there is just one European digital company in the world top 40), and these are the businesses of the future. I think after all the political debate (Europeans politicians are masters at this) they will accept vastly increased immigration as the easiest economic option out of their serious economic situation. My prediction is that the immigration policy will eventually look very much like Australia's - a skilled migration point system, detention centres, boat turn backs in the Mediterranean, and the prosecution of people smugglers. Increased migration in an orderly way in other words to save capitalism.
Anyway, I’m off to the Tiergarten as it’s a sunny day. I will try and continue to blog as I go along rather than try and write it all up at the end of the day.
The Tiergarten is a massive park that begins at the end of the Brandenburg gate, and extends for miles. It used to be a hunting ground for Prussian aristocracy.
It provides an escape from city life for the residents, and its easy to find a part for some peace and quiet. As the park is so large you need to work out, which train station to get off at. For example if you want to go to the Berlin Zoo, you will need to get off at Zoologischer Garten, which is at the South West corner of the park.
German customer service?
If you need to see German customer service in action go to the big McDonalds located at this train station. As regular readers know I like to go to McDonalds in every country to see the local differences, and see the prices, my version of the Economist Big Mac index. Anyway the lines were too long, the sales staff obviously battling, and the self serve kiosk was only in German!! Drop the mic.
Anyway, I gave up and bought a kebab, which is incidentally, the most popular fast food in Germany. This was introduced to Germany by Turkish immigrants who dominate the trade.
At the centre of the Tiergarten is the Siegessaule (Victory Column), a monument that has an observation at the top to provide views over Berlin. This was built to commemorate the Prussian victory in the Danish-Prussian War, and built in 1873. However, Prussia by this time had also beaten Austria, and France in the Franco-Prussian War (1870-71). As you can see Berlin, as the capital of Prussia, has huge political significance, because after all, Prussia in a sense created Germany out of the various states that spoke German through, what Bismarck, the Iron Chancellor, called, 'blood and iron.'
Prussia of course no longer exists. The last Kaiser (the Prussian King in WW1) abdicated in November, 1918. Prussia, as a State no longer exists, much of which, is now part of Poland. The vast feudal estates of the Prussian aristocracy, the old Wehrmacht senior officer class, are divided up. One of the aims to end German militarism at the end of WW2, in the allies opinion, was to destroy the Prussian military officer class, which really was the key to the creation of Germany, and their success in warfare. The allies didn't mind stopping at the Elbe river, and giving Russia, East Germany as they knew they would destroy Prussia. The best of course was the brilliant Prussian general, Erich Von Manstein, who designed the operational plan for the Battle of France (what we know as Blitzkrieg that defeated France in six weeks), Operation Sea Lion, (the planned invasion of Britain), and some brilliant counter attacks in Russia that are still studied to this day. I did a major essay at university on his book, Lost Victories, which provides an interesting view of WW2. Manstein, spent some time in gaol as a war criminal like many senior officers, moved to Bavaria, where his son worked for a major German car manufacturer.
In conclusion, I don't think we have to worry about a German military resurgence in the future, the key to their success in the past was due to their excellent staff work and leadership from the Prussian aristocracy, men like Manstein, Bismarck, & Frederick the Great that we have already discussed. Prussia is gone, the military officer caste is gone, and the fun loving Bavarians have the richest economy, and the political power.
They prefer to make money than make war.
