Many Germans regret Berlin Wall came down

[lovuian]

http://feeds.bignewsnetwork.com/?sid=89ff2fce5d7f2482

Big News Network.com Monday 28th March, 2005

More than 15 years after the Berlin Wall came down, one in four West Germans wishes it still stood, a new poll indicates.

Berlin's Free University and the Forsa polling institute queried more than 1,500 people and found 24 percent of residents of the former West Germany would rather have their country divided as before compared with 12 percent of former East Germans.

No margin of error was provided.

West Germany has invested nearly $1 trillion into modernizing the East German economy with limited success. Unemployment remains twice as high in the East as the West.

more...

The Germany has paid a big price for the division of its country!!!

[Inland]

1. That's not so bad.

Alan Keyes got 27% of the vote in the illinois senate race.

[seriousstan]

2. Money can't buy you love.

[Hardrada]

3. We have put trillions into modernizing our former Confederacy

And I still don't think they love us Northerners.

[Stuckinthebush]

5. Nope. We hate y'all - thanks for the cash!

:D

(I'm just messin' with you. We still don't like Sherman, though.)

[flordehinojos]

4. what are they basing their regrets on? I wonder.

Having previously worked as a social worker for resettled refugees of communist countries, it was interesting to see how their work ethics, as opposed to the work ethics of those of us who grew up in capitalist countries, differed. Although, their work ethics were not that much more different from those of us who live in poverty in said capitalist countries. Often times work motivation is lacking, or depressed--perhaps due to little hopes of changing one's living condition.

So, the question for me, reading this post, is: are the West Germans feeling disappointed in what they may perceive as lack of motivation on the part of East Germans to .... become ... self-sustaining, or motivated in their work ethics, or move towards a closer form of capitalist thinking which could free them from their economic dependence on West Germany?

[reorg]

9. that's easy to explain

It has nothing to do with work ethics or lack of capitalist thinking.

I guess the answer would be more like: Many Easterners come here and take our jobs away, and most of those who stay in the East: the elderly and the jobless, cash in on our taxes.

Unification was rushed through by a pro-corporate conservative government, and the Eastern assets were sold out too quickly, at rock bottom or merely symbolic prices. Most industries were simply shut down, and new businesses were most often subsidiaries from the West: banks, chain stores, all kinds of services. They created some jobs, but siphoned off most of the profits to the fat cats in the West.

Lafontaine, the social-democrat candidate for Chancellor at the time, had warned of all this, but the majority listened to Helmut Kohl and his empty promise of "blooming landscapes". Now we all have to live with the consequences: severe cuts in jobless support, crippled unions, semi-privatisation of retirement plans, reduced health benefits, and the bleak outlook for productive investment in the East continues. There is a reason why post-communists are the second largest party in our "new" states, and why the neo-Nazis get up to 10 percent votes.

[jasop]

10. EXACTLY! n/t

[Kimber Scott]

6. Heck, four out of five dentists surveyed

believe Crest is good for your teeth. Is there a poll out there that won't show 20 - 25% of the respondents on the "down" side of the issue?

[Psephos]

8. Right on the money n/t

[obxhead]

7. That's a better "majority" then we've got.

[jmcon007]

11. Mr. Putin.....PUT UP THIS WALL!