It's Tea Time

Link.

I don't even know where to begin on this one. If you read this article without the ability to use brain cells effectively, you could easily be duped into thinking that there are no poor people in Germany. It's happy land all the time! Yippeeeeeeeee!

“If we were in Detroit, we could worry every minute,” said Sarah Fuerstenberger, 37. “But here, we’re safe because of the system."

While economic forecasts are just as dire on this continent as in the United States, Germany’s citizens — and, indeed, most across western Europe — can count on a broad government safety net that includes generous unemployment checks, universal healthcare and inexpensive university education to tide them over.

“The German government is really good about taking care of people; we know we won’t be starving one way or another," she added.

I guess she didn't speak to her husbands grandparents too often. Maybe because his grandfather ate a bullet during WWII, who knows. The quotes they choose are just great, "If we were in Detroit"...STFU! Oh and did I neglect to mention, this is MSNBC's LEAD STORY. More wonderful gems:

“I think if we were in the States, we may not have … and it sounds terrible … had the opportunity to have a fourth child that quickly or be sure we could afford it,” Sarah said.

Oh NO! You wouldn't have been able to have your fourth child that quickly or be sure you could afford it! WAHHHHHH! THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN HORRIBLE!

Lady, "it sounds terrible", but I hope you and your family lose the ability to reproduce beyond this current generation, or just die in an earthquake.

This shit pisses me off to no end. Germany is not the end all be all of countries in this world. You want to bring up some positives in Germany? Fine, do that. What about the negatives though? What about the fact that in Berlin 30% of the children are on welfare?

However, people like the woman in this article have no time for facts and figures. The simple truth that, like the housing market or social security, a system like the one she resides within is impossible to sustain. Of course Germany is out to increase their population, they need the next entrants in the pyramid scheme. Make babies make babies!

If I take in $50K a year, and use $45K of that for various reasons throughout the year, I obviously am in a sustainable position. Now if my pay drops to $35K a year, I cannot afford to sustain my $45K a year lifestyle any longer. I may be able to do it for a short period of time, if I was wise and put some of the surplus amount off to the side for a rainy day over the years, but eventually that will run out and I will have to adjust my life style. The notion that this woman and her families lifestyle is forever safe from harm because she lives in the utopia that is Germany is sickening. She is in far more danger of disaster due to her belief in the illusion that her government will always take care of her. I am sure I could find plenty of people in Germany who might take issue with her statement.

What is happening in the US right now is painful but necessary. The difference between us and a country like Germany is our people are closer to the reality that is the world right now. This is extremely important. It allows for adjustment in lifestyle, in behavior. This is what will lead to a resurgence of success and financial stability. The same old same old can not apply, but if you don't feel the pinch, why change? Why improve? And to illustrate that point, one last quote from the aforementioned article:

“I hadn’t even thought of the word ‘recession,’” said Sarah, a Detroit native who has lived in Germany on and off since college.

Oh don't worry Sarah, you will.