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How Germany is able to run the world’s second largest export economy

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Re: How Germany is able to run the world’s second largest export economy

#71

Post by dzonga »

nothis wrote: post #64
zwieback wrote: post #31

Not a word about the fact that Germany simply produces desirable products? Somehow that has to factor in. Financial policy and the education system favors a conservative manufacturing sector that incrementally improves upon what Germany has done for decades. While I got my ME degree in Germany my dad, who is a solid state physicist, spent all his energy trying to accelerate the development of a German electronics sec…

Economics in a nutshell: "There must be a single number that explains all of this!" It can't possibly be that Germany actually built its exports based on quality. That can't be replicated by tweaking some tax laws.

Japan produces quality products. That even the revered companies here in the states e.g Apple via Jobs had to emulate them ? so yeah it ain't all about quality. Currency games have a strong role to play.

Re: How Germany is able to run the world’s second largest export economy

#72

Post by casefields »

Kaiyou wrote: post #36
Schlaefer wrote: post #12

It was a fancy read until > an efficient & strong military Now I doubt everything.

Isn't it always like this. Things written tend to make sense until they contradict your prior knowledge.

"Briefly stated, the Gell-Mann Amnesia effect is as follows. You open the newspaper to an article on some subject you know well. In Murray's case, physics. In mine, show business. You read the article and see the journalist has absolutely no understanding of either the facts or the issues. Often, the article is so wrong it actually presents the story backward—reversing cause and effect. I call these the "wet streets cause rain" stories. Paper's full of them. In any case, you read with exasperation or amusement the multiple errors in a story, and then turn the page to national or international affairs, and read as if the rest of the newspaper was somehow more accurate about Palestine than the baloney you just read. You turn the page, and forget what you know.”

Why Speculate - Michael Crichton: http://docdro.id/4wgVecr

Re: How Germany is able to run the world’s second largest export economy

#74

Post by wolfgke »

ChuckNorris89 wrote: post #60
geff82 wrote: post #43

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Someone with a regular job can not afford a house close to a major city any more and for sure can not afford any desirable German car. People dress cheaply, buy used cars and many live in frugal appartments, buy in stores that many American or Canadians would consider third world (never ever go buy stuff in an Aldi when you are used to Canadian standards...).

Indeed, expats are lured here thinking Germany is the Promised Land but realize too late that they can't afford to buy a family worthy home on your average white collar wage and due to how German corporate politics work, most of the non-natives are locked out of the lucrative careers even when speaking the language. Like someone said, Germany is a rich country of poor people.

> Indeed, expats are lured here thinking Germany is the Promised Land

Hardly any German person would claim to (or even lure) expats that Germany is the Promised land. The only reason I can think of any expat thinking about Germany as the Promised Land is self-delusion.

Re: How Germany is able to run the world’s second largest export economy

#76

Post by usrusr »

ginko wrote: post #3

I wonder how that plot would look like if they separated individual US states and also considered trade between them. I'd guess the big three (California, Texas, New York) would dominate quite a bit there as well.

California, Texas, New York, unless Delaware is taken into account.

Re: How Germany is able to run the world’s second largest export economy

#77

Post by iagovar »

nothis wrote: post #64
zwieback wrote: post #31

Not a word about the fact that Germany simply produces desirable products? Somehow that has to factor in. Financial policy and the education system favors a conservative manufacturing sector that incrementally improves upon what Germany has done for decades. While I got my ME degree in Germany my dad, who is a solid state physicist, spent all his energy trying to accelerate the development of a German electronics sec…

Economics in a nutshell: "There must be a single number that explains all of this!" It can't possibly be that Germany actually built its exports based on quality. That can't be replicated by tweaking some tax laws.

Many other euro companies export based on quality. I know this at least in Spain.

In Spain many companies just export with generic names, as it's believed that people associates spanish products with low quality, and this has been apparently confirmed with by Real Instituto Elcano surveys.

I did a reddit thread about this: https://www.reddit.com/r/AskEurope/comments/ejgwy7/apparentl...

This also happened with specialized and niche products, where you'd expect your customers, specially b2b, to be more rational in their decisions.

Re: How Germany is able to run the world’s second largest export economy

#78

Post by owenversteeg »

geff82 wrote: post #43
durnygbur wrote: post #34

The most un-understandable thing is that none of this export wealth reaches an individual, especially a guest worker, a foreigner. It's quite shocking to discover by a foreigner specialist lured to the country by the multitude of positive economic news. Cost-cutting and exorbitant charges and contributions everywhere. The entire export wealth is captured by the oligarch families and the highest level executive caste.

Someone with a regular job can not afford a house close to a major city any more and for sure can not afford any desirable German car. People dress cheaply, buy used cars and many live in frugal appartments, buy in stores that many American or Canadians would consider third world (never ever go buy stuff in an Aldi when you are used to Canadian standards...).

The Aldi is "third world"? What on earth?

I personally shop in Lidl, not Aldi, but Lidl is often compared to Aldi, about as popular and occupies the same price segment. And I eat like a king from there! Excellent protected origin cheeses, meats, wines, organic products... Half the time I leave the Lidl I go with a shopping cart that would make an American foodie drool. My most recent purchase there included Manchego cheese from Spain (fantastic stuff!), French wine, Kalamata olives, Belgian beer, Belgian chocolate...

The Americans I've taken to the Lidl have all been impressed; they certainly did not say anything to the effect of it being 3rd world. Canadian supermarkets, on the other hand, I remember as having shockingly high prices (even after converting prices from Canadian peso) and far fewer fresh items than I was used to.

Furthermore, people with "regular jobs" in Germany generally live much richer lives than their American counterparts. Fancy/organic foods are far lower priced in Europe, 30€ with a low-cost airline will take you everywhere from the south of France to Spain or Italy, museums, music and events are cheaper, top universities are in reach for your children... And yes (gasp!) in many places you don't even need a car! I commute around 240km a day by train + a few minutes' bike :)

Re: How Germany is able to run the world’s second largest export economy

#80

Post by jhoechtl »

Despegar wrote: post #48

I've said it before in another comment [1]: >There's nothing I enjoy more than the plight of the German Saver, who's obsession with "fiscal responsibility" has led to shitty austerity politics all across the EU (to be fair some other northern European countries like Netherlands also share the same view) and depressed growth for the poorer southern European countries. Germany has benefited most of all from the unfinis…

Thank you for taking the time and contributing a well-explained and argued line of argumentation.

Yes, Germany is wealth because others (the southern countries) have to compete because of the union currency. I always thought people of the southern countries (i know people from spain and greece) would rage more vigrously against that. Interestingly rage is only mildly and not a big thing. Maybe it's the selction bias bubble I am living in, I don't know.

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