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submitted 2 months ago by MicroWave@lemmy.world to c/world@lemmy.world

The German chancellor has called for a welfare reform, putting him on course for a possible clash with the SPD.

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[-] sadTruth@lemmy.hogru.ch 177 points 2 months ago

Creating 1500B € out of thin air to build killing machines: Whatever it takes to protect the country!

Spending 50B € to actually protect the people from poverty/malnutrition/starvation: Nooooo we can't afford that.

Humanity at it's best: Limitless effort to create suffering, 0 effort to reduce suffering.

[-] FlashMobOfOne@lemmy.world 35 points 2 months ago

I suspect there will be many, many 'I didn't think they'd do this to ME' posts coming from German people in the coming months.

[-] BakerBagel@midwest.social 15 points 2 months ago

Oh no! Did you "progressive" liberal parties take away all your entitlements to appease their corporate overlords? Don't worry, I'll make sure to blame all of the German people when AfD becomes the dominant party in Germany next election

[-] FlashMobOfOne@lemmy.world 8 points 2 months ago

It depends on the country, I suppose.

I don't know enough about German politics to be able to place blame on anyone. I just know from observing US and UK politics that there is always a percentage of people who vote fascist thinking that it won't adversely affect their own lives personally.

[-] cecilkorik@lemmy.ca 18 points 2 months ago

The problem is the fascists have figured out how to win: rig the game so all the viable choices are at least somewhat fascist. Picking the lesser of several evils will never protect you from fascism.

[-] FlashMobOfOne@lemmy.world 6 points 2 months ago

You're right.

[-] gusgalarnyk@lemmy.world 101 points 2 months ago

Merz is predictable and a traitor to the German people. He will usher in the fascist power grab through conservative policies - the AFD will grow in popularity as conservatives protect the 1%.

Die Linke's tax plan would have paid for the yearly debt of the government and then some; their secret - tax the wealthy.

We can afford all of our costs, we can improve society, we can provide a thriving economy for all Germans if we simply tax the ultra wealthy out of existence. No one should have a billion euro net worth, nor 100 million nor 50 million. No one need own 3 houses while others go without even a flat.

We have enough wealth in this country, it's just in the hands of the hoarders. Don't look towards conservatives or the right for change, look towards those that address the root problem!

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[-] NochMehrG@feddit.org 71 points 2 months ago

And this is how you further damage democracy and strengthen the far right. Because a lot of the people who don’t vote or vote for the far right are people who feel left behind who are of the impression that the system is broken and they don’t benefit from it. Social welfare is a way to directly show everyone what a democratic state is good for. Policies that benefit the poor, the working class and the middle class make a strong society. But Merz and others simply don’t seem to get it or care and stare in wonder at the ever rising numbers of people who want to see the world burn.

[-] slaacaa@lemmy.world 11 points 2 months ago

The capitalist elite has less problem with fascism than socialism. Only one of those threatens their wealth

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[-] petrjanda@gonzo.markets 7 points 2 months ago

Fully agree. The big problem is Germany industry is in the shits and can't afford to finance the welfare state anymore. Military spending is all debt.

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[-] kibiz0r@midwest.social 55 points 2 months ago
  • Print 1bn in welfare
  • Welfare ultimately gets spent into rich folks’ coffers
  • Tax that 1bn back out of the rich
  • Net cost: zero

What’s “unaffordable” here?

[-] fluxion@lemmy.world 21 points 2 months ago

It's unaffordable to greedy corporations and billionaires who would not afford the working to have a single dime in their pocket if they had it their way.

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[-] toad31@lemmy.cif.su 52 points 2 months ago

Sure it can.

Just raise taxes on the wealthy.

[-] itslilith 7 points 2 months ago

Just fucking start collecting the existing taxes on wealth

They are in the law already, they just haven't been collected in over twenty years

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[-] UpperBroccoli 49 points 2 months ago

All this while systematically crippling our tax investigation departments.

If I ever meet Merz or someone like him, I will have choice words to say.

[-] BlameTheAntifa@lemmy.world 24 points 2 months ago

Words alone have never stopped fascists.

[-] marsza@lemmy.cafe 46 points 2 months ago

Tick tock on the fascism clock.

[-] SoleInvictus 16 points 2 months ago

My partner and I almost moved to Germany last year and I am so glad we didn't. If we're going to be in a fascist country, I'd prefer to be a citizen since white fascists tend to frown extra hard on us brown immigrants.

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[-] Treczoks@lemmy.world 39 points 2 months ago

Then how about stopping welfare for millionaires?

Or stop subsiding e.g. plane fuel. Better for the environment anyway.

[-] Treczoks@lemmy.world 35 points 2 months ago

... without finally taking the upper ten percent into the taxpaying fold.

[-] phutatorius@lemmy.zip 34 points 2 months ago

Merz is a conservative. They're all like that.

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[-] Evono@lemmy.dbzer0.com 26 points 2 months ago

it could easily , just slim down the government , remove tax waste and more. a city near me just bought 32 benches at the cost of 70k€ EACH yes 70.000 why ? end of quarter they didnt want to get budget cuts the next quarter. some citizens found very similiar benches from another company ( like minimal different same material ) for 3,5k EACH 3500 each or many of the million graves of taxes , we have in my city multiple "Autobahn" which arent used but were built and need maintenance why ?

Our Government makes home owners pay for street repairs in full and more , where does our tax money go?

[-] null@piefed.au 14 points 2 months ago

where does our tax money go?

This is a pretty easy question to answer given that you're talking about a public institution.

The only difficulty is that the answer is complex and requires reading and understanding many sets of financial reports and accompanying minutes et cetera.

a city near me just bought 32 benches at the cost of 70k€ EACH

That's a pretty absurd claim, and simply not how budgets in public institutions work.

Sure there might have been some kind of fuckup so installation of one of 32 benches cost $70k, or any number of other plausible explanations, but large public institutions don't just throw $2.25m EUR at the end of a quarter as a budget stuffing exercise.

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[-] RedstoneValley@sh.itjust.works 21 points 2 months ago

Always has been. "We cannot afford x any more" has been their standard argument for dismantling social security and lining up their own pockets for decades now.

[-] Gammelfisch@lemmy.world 16 points 2 months ago

For starters, cancel the fucking F-35 order and tell Rheinmetall's lobbyists and investors to shove it.

[-] Eternal192@lemmy.dbzer0.com 11 points 2 months ago

Friedrich Merz is Germany's Kier Starmer and if you don't understand what i mean go check on UK and how well they are doing under Starmers government and you'll understand.

[-] gandalf_der_12te@discuss.tchncs.de 10 points 2 months ago

I typically abhor violence but i understand if somebody would kill Merz due to him being a danger to the general population. A politician has to help the people, not hurt them. If he doesn't fulfill this one basic task, he's unfit to be a politician. He has to understand that or step back immediately. If he doesn't, he's unreasonable and cannot be talked to logically.

[-] theacharnian@lemmy.ca 9 points 2 months ago

The passive voice in that statement is doing a LOT of heavy lifting there, Friedrich.

[-] Anahkiasen 6 points 2 months ago

You mean it is now?

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this post was submitted on 24 Aug 2025
264 points (100.0% liked)

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