For part 1, please click here.
For the reasons why I decided to do these research posts, click here.
Note: For these posts, the site I'm most relying on, at this point, is The Holocaust Explained which is run by the Wiener Holocaust Library in London
I left off at the American Stock Market crash.
Just like today, the economies of countries were linked. One country has a disaster; then many other countries suffer financially as well.
I think the United States played the role as the first domino in 2008 as well...with the housing bubble thing.
With this current one, I'm not sure. I think it's mostly the pandemic causing the issue...and the Russian war.
Back to Germany, though.
The Holocaust Explained says that since the United States was suffering financially in 1929, they called in their loans. This is not a phrase I'm familar with but judging from the context, I'm guessing it means they asked to be be paid back.
Germany returned to suffering financial hardship.
* * *
Next on the Holocaust Explained is a description of what went well in the Weimar Republic and what didn't go well.
Good stuff: Lots of individual rights. Freedom of speech, religious rights, economic stability (before the crash), and a fair voting system.
Problematic stuff: Governments had to form coalitions to rule. And the different parties within the coalition often disagreed, so it was hard to get things done.
In the United States, only two parties have the power. And they are so in opposite of each other, it's almost impossible to get anything done.
Another problematic thing in the Weimar Republic is the president could rule by decree if the Reichstag (I think their version of Congress/Parliament) wasn't able to agree on a solution during an emergency.
The problem was that "Emergency" was loosely defined. So a leader could declare there was an emergency even if there really wasn't.
It was a power grab.
I'm thinking it might be a bit like executive orders in the United States.
What happens here (often?) is the President signs an Executive Order; then a few days later, we hear that some judge blocked the order.
I don't think, though, that there has to be a declared emergency for the president to be allowed to sign an Executive Order.
BUT...I think Trump declared an emergency at some point...I think to get funding for his giant magical border wall?
Here we go.
It happened in February 2019. Trump declared a national emergency at the southern border, because he wanted billions of dollars that Congress refused to give him.
Anyway...back to Germany.
The Holocaust Explained says that this decree thing is what eventually helped Hitler LEGALLY take power.
Last but not least, there was something with the conservative elite. When Germany went from being a monarchy to a democracy, there were people in positions of power...such as in the military...who remained in their positions. It was supposed to help with stability, but it seems that kind of backfired.
* * *
Switching gears now a bit.
Or really...going back in time.
I was picturing a more linear adventure on this Holocaust website.
But now I've been sent back to 1919.
A man named Anton Drexler started a club called The German Worker's Party.
Spoiler alert: This eventually gets rebranded as the National Socialist German Workers Party...which is the Nazi Party.
I wonder if there are misguided people who would actually like Socialism, but they're afraid of it, because it's part of the Nazi name.
I find it confusing myself, to be honest.
This not-yet--Nazi party was into antisemitism, hating The Treaty of Versailles, nationalism, and worrying about Germany's morals and societal changes.
Sounds familar?
I do think that, at least for now, antisemitism isn't a huge part in MAGA. There are antisemitic people in the bunch. Yeah. But I don't think it's the central theme. I think MAGA's main target, in terms of bigotry is transgender people...followed closely by other LGBTQ people, Black people, brown people, etc.
The nationalism, though. That's part of MAGA. And MAGA is definitely into trying to stop society from progressing. They don't want a Woke America. They want a Christian America. They want recorded announcements at theme parks to say, Ladies and Gentleman, Boys and Girls, and they want stores to sell My Pillows.
* * *
Well, it's the next day.
Last night I thought a bit about the differences between transphobia and antisemitism. I was thinking that in some ways, Jews can be more OTHER. What I mean is that they can be from a different community. In Germany, they might have been your teacher, your professor, your doctor, the guy who delivers your milk, your neighbor, your classmate. But it's unlikely you would suddenly learn your daughter is Jewish or that your spouse is Jewish...or that your mom is Jewish.
There is probably a fair bit of outright hatred towards trans people from the right. But I think while with antisemitism, the Jews were seen as vermin themselves...an infestation in the community that needed to be eradicated. With transgender, I think it's more often the idea that they are infected...not with a pathogen but...more brainwashed. Converted. The idea that the left along with Woke Disney and other companies are grooming...corrupting children.
It's like JK Rowling doesn't hate trans people. But she thinks there's some kind of conspiracy to exploit and corrupt autistic girls...turning them trans. She and her minions don't see themselves as being hateful or bigoted. Instead they see themselves as crusaders.
Note: I'm not 100% sure I'm correct about the above. I take glimpses of the Twitter drama here and there. I've read a few threads. It's all hard for me to stomach, because JK Rowling, at one time, was my favorite celebrity. I'm not into worshipping. But if I came close to worshipping anyone, it would have been her.
Okay. End of that tangent.
* * *
I think I want to take a further detour from The Holocaust Explained.
I want to know...what exactly does it mean to be right-wing. Is it always synonymous with conservative? I can't imagine someone being a right-wing progressive...unless we're not talking about social progress. Someone might be progressive in terms of technology. But then I'm not sure progressive is the term we'd use.
I've taken The Political Compass test a zillion times. I know there are four quadrants—Left, Right, Libertarian, and Authoritarian. I know libertarian means you lean towards giving people the freedom to make their own choices while authoritarian means you lean towards not wanting people to make their own decisions.
I think left and right has something to do with taxation. The right wants lower taxes and therefore less government support for society. The left wants higher taxes and more support. BUT....
Where do social issues lie in that? Abortion? LGBTQ rights? Prayer in school?
The political Compass tests have questions about these issues...which I guess land you more left or right. But has it always been that certain viewpoints connect with the left vs right.
Looking at a website Diffen. You can compare different concepts such as left vs right.
They say:
Left-wing beliefs are liberal in that they believe society is best served with an expanded role for the government. People on the right believe that the best outcome for society is achieved when individual rights and civil liberties are paramount and the role — and especially the power — of the government is minimized.
So...it already doesn't make any sense. At least not in the United States. The right-wing government is taking a HUGE role in women's lives. The right-wing wants to stop women from having abortions and some want to go as far as preventing birth control, interstate travel, etc.
The next part makes more sense. They talk about the left wanting more support programs such as social security, public education, and universal healthcare while the right wants the market to take care of things.
So...in that way, right vs left would be more socialism vs capitalism. Though...it seems in the United States that both the left and the right want government intervention. But while the left wants the government to help families, the right wants the government to help companies and corporations.
I'm not completely sure about that, though. I know the left complains about the government coming to the rescue of companies. But I'm not sure if the right is in full support of that. Is it something they regularly push? I'm going to leave that as a rhetorical question for now. Well, at least in terms of my research. If anyone has an answer they want to share, please comment.
* * *
Now I'm looking at a chart on the website.
The left wants more income equality—more taxes on the wealthy. The right wants lower taxes and less regulation on businesses. But, in the United States they want LOTS of regulation on women and other people capable of pregnancy.
The website talks about the left being more open to immigration while the right wants stronger border controls.
How does that fit into left and right, though? I mean is it inherent? How does the desire for lower taxes and less government regulation fit into being less welcoming towards immigrants?
The website says, Belief that illegal immigration is lowering wages for citizens and documented. immigrants.
I'm not sure how that fits into a capitalist ideology. Does it? Or is it more a matter of tradition. Like right-wing Americans tend to drive pick up trucks and left-wing people eat avocado toast?
For education, they talk about the left wanting public education. The right wants vouchers for private schools and homeschooling. That makes sense. Though, for the record, we were left-wing homeschoolers. It DOES happen.
Anyway, the education bit makes sense to me. I mean no, I'm not against public education and pro-vouchers. I just mean that the right-left divide here makes sense to me. The government providing a service, using tax money vs. not providing a service.
ALTHOUGH....why does the right-wing even want vouchers then? Why not just have much lower property taxes? Or is that just a sort of attempt to compromise with the left?
I'm thinking that vouchers are kind of saying the government doesn't trust you to use your money for your children's education. And it would still be taking money away from wealthier people or people who don't have kids and redistributing that money.
The environmental part fits. Sort of. The left is more about protecting people, the planet, animals...having regulations to do that. The right wants to leave it up to the free market to deal with it. I do wonder if it's less about supporting the free market and more about supporting oil and gas companies. If wind, solar, electronic cars, etc. started soaring and oil and gas were less needed, would the right-wing government stand back and let them fail?
I doubt it.
As for abortion and gay rights, I don't see how it makes sense in terms of capitalism vs socialism.
Why not have abortion doctors competing with Babies R Us and maternity stores?
How the fuck does the LGBTQ community detract from the free market ideology?
Now the chart is based on the United States only...and probably just modern history. But I'm guessing other countries tend to have similarities.
The website says the origin of left vs right comes from France during the Revolution. With seating in the French National Assembly, those seated on the left supported the Revolution. They wanted change. The people seated on the right were pro-monarchy and against change.
Okay. So that's is where we get to the social ideologies on the left vs right...where we get conservative vs. progressive.
The website also talks about demographics in the United States. The left are more likely to be young, live in cities, and be a part of a minority. While the right tend to be white men who live in rural areas.
I'm guessing that's universal...except for the white part. I mean in countries that are not predominantly white, then it's probably men of color pushing their religion on others and trying to prevent others from having equal rights and opportunities. In some countries, it's Christian beliefs and rules forced on others. In other countries, it's Islam.
Well...now I'm wondering. I think Christian extremism and Islamic extremism is almost identical in terms of wanting to force beliefs and rules on others. But in terms of economic viewpoints, are Islamic countries more socialist or capitalist?
I just Googled...not clicking on anything at this point. But I'm getting the idea, that it's neither.
* * *
I fell into a major rabbit hole, and I might be here for quite awhile.
Probably for the rest of this post.
It's the Economic Freedom Index.
I found it when I asked Google which countries were the most capitalist.
The Economic Freedom Index is a measurement put out by the Wall Street Journal and The Heritage Foundation.
The Heritage Foundation is a conservative organization. They claim to be about freedom and prosperity and not aligned with any political party. Yet one of their goals is protecting "the unborn"
Valuing the life of a fetus over the life, freedom, and prosperity of women seems like an organization pushing their extreme religious beliefs on others.
Cue the right-wing extremists: Oh! Oh! Now you're calling them women! What? What! Did you forget all the He/him folks who are pregnant?!!!!
My answer: No. It's just old habits die hard. I guess. And though I'm all for inclusive language...there's something dehumanizing about "Person with a uterus" or pregnant people. "Women" feels more personal. And it should be personal.
But I DO know and recognize that men and people of various gender identities can also get pregnant...and in the United States be forced to carry a baby even if it greatly endangers their health.
Yikes. There are tangents in rabbit holes as well.
I'm falling down different tunnels on the Heritage Foundation.. I'm going to stop myself. Maybe I'll get to them later. I'll just say this about them now: Fuck the Heritage Foundation.
And then....
Fuck them again.
Freedom my ass.
Anyway...
I am going to look at their Economic Freedom Index. OR look at it again. I've already been looking in an unofficial way....on my phone....while my laptop was charging.
The United States is number 25 on the list...lots of countries ahead of it. It doesn't surprise me that they're not putting The United States higher. I'm guessing in their mind...if MAGA wasn't blocked by Mike Pence failing to do his job, we'd be #1. And surely, it's also the fault of Bernie Sanders and AOC.
What does surprise me is the countries higher up on the list.
Some of the countries in the top ten are ones I view as sort of a left-wing utopia: Netherlands, Finland, and Denmark.
Also higher than the United States: Sweden (11) Australia (12) Iceland (13) Norway (14) Canada (15) Germany (16) South Korea (19).
Don't all or most of those countries have single payer/government health care?!
Don't most of those countries have a better social cushion than the United States?
And Israel...that country right-wing people adore? It's listed at number 43!
The countries lowest on the list, btw, are North Korea, Venezuela, and Cuba.
The Republicans seem to often accuse Democrats of wanting to be like those three countries. Yet...when I see Democrats admiring other lands, it's usually countries like Iceland, Denmark, Canada, Australia, The Netherlands, etc.
* * *
I think I'm going to compare three different countries—using both the Economic Freedom Index and other websites.
Of course, the United States will be one of them. Then how about Germany, since this post was supposed to be about Germany in the first place. And I'm going to go with Finland.
Overall, they each have a score in the 70's. To put that in perspective, the top country (Singapore) has a score of 84.4 and North Korea has a score of 3.
All three of my chosen countries have great property rights. Finland has a perfect score. The United States and Germany have a score of 95.7%.
Germany and Finland have high scores for judicial effectiveness (90's) United States has a score in the 70's.
Okay. Good. The Heritage Foundation does provide definitions of all this stuff. I'm grateful. But I still stand by my Fuck them.
The United States gets a lower score because, The judiciary is independent and reliable, although the judicial appointments process has become increasingly politicized.
I'll give them credit for at least not saying, Because the left is into identity politics.
For Germany, they say: The judicial system is independent, and the government does not interfere in the court system.
Huh?
Is the court system run by a private company?
Finland has the highest score in terms of government integrity (96.4) Germany is in the high 80's and the United States is in the 70's.
For the United States they say, A troubling and growing tendency of federal governance by the unaccountable administrative state empowered by presidential decrees has undermined public confidence in the rule of law. Public perceptions of corruption and distrust of institutions have been rising in recent years.
That's fair. At least, it's not blaming the Democrats.
The United States has the best score in terms of tax burden...I assume meaning we pay the least taxes. Our score is 75.9. Germany's score is 59.9. Finland's score is 68.4.
Then connected to that is Government spending. The United States wins this one as well. Our score is 54.5. Finland has a score of 10.7! and Germany's score is 34.5.
It's like The Heritage Foundation is saying they're against taxes and government spending. Yet the countries they ranked higher than the United States have more taxation and more government spending.
In terms of public debt, Germany is doing very well. Their score is 90.4. The United States has a score of 0. Ouch. Finland has a score of 83.2.
Things have a way of turning around, don't they. Germany borrowing money after World War I. In debt. Struggling. And now it's the United States that has all this debt.
All three countries are in the high 80's for business freedom.
The next thing is labor freedom. I was thinking this was about worker freedom. But judging from some of the wording and the fact that it's a conservative organization, I'm guessing it's more about companies having the freedom to exploit their labor.
Labor laws are rigid and excessive. The aging of the population and the shrinking working-age demographic threaten future economic growth.
See what I mean?
That's about Finland, by the way, which has a score of 65.1. So it's not like they prevent all exploitation.
Oh! Germany has an even worse score: 52.3. Labor laws make the hiring and dismissing of employees problematic.
The United States allows much more exploitation: 75.8. If Mike Pence had done his job, I bet we'd have an even higher score.
Next is monetary freedom. II'm not sure what that means means. It's something with inflation? But Finland has the highest score (84.9). Germany has the lowest (79.5). It doesn't seem like a huge difference.
All three countries have a trade freedom score in the 70's.
All have an investment freedom score in the 80's.
Can you tell I'm starting to get bored/disinterested?
I'm going to skip the last category all together. None of the scores looked exciting or interesting to me.
I'm going to look at other things.....
- Infant Mortality: Germany is ranked at 25 with 3.1 baby deaths per 1000. Finland is at 8 with 1.88 deaths per 1000. The United States is ranked at 50 with 5.44 deaths per 1000.
-Paid Parental Leave: This website lists both Finland and Germany as being in the top five countries.
In Finland, both parents are entitled to 164 days (23 weeks) each. But parents are allowed to give up to 69 days to the other parent.
I'm confused about pay. There's something called the Parental allowance. That's given until the child is 13 weeks. But then there's also something about parents getting 70% of their salary for 26 weeks...and then a flat rate after?
In Germany, they can request up to three years. I'm guessing by request, they mean the request has to usually be granted.
This can be both parents staying home together with the child...or one parent stays home and then the other parent takes their turn. For 12 months of the parental leave, the government pays 67% of the employees salary....but with a maximum of 1800 Euros and a minimum of 300.
That's beautiful.
In the United States, there is no paid parental leave. We get 12 weeks UNPAID if we work for a company that has 50 or more employees.
Gotta love that Heritage Flavor of Freedom.
Education: Lord Wiki says there are no college tuition fees in Finland. This applies to not only the Finnish but anyone in the European Union. Finland also has free universal daycare for ages 8 months to five years. The daycare is not mandatory, but most families use it.
Germany's universities aren't free, but the prices are reasonable. Lord Wiki says 60-500 Euros per student per semester.
The daycare (called Kindergarten) is for kids ages 2-6. It's not free but if I'm understanding Lord Wiki correctly, funding is provided when needed by the families.
The thing that I don't love is homeschooling is illegal. I do like this, though: Lord Wiki says, also parents cannot opt their kids out of sexual education classes because the state considers a child's right to information to be more important than a parent's desire to withhold it.
I was feeling hate from Germany for unschooling. But I think if Germany knew the state of American education, they'd support those of us who homeschool.
And I'm pretty sure if we lived in Germany or Finland, we would have been happy to put Jack in a school.
I don't need to consult Lord Wiki about childcare and education in The United States. It sucks! Childcare is expensive and often of very low quality. College is very expensive, and the more expensive ones tend to have the most prestige.
There are other things I could look at, but I think I'm getting tired, so I will end with this conclusion:
According to The Heritage Foundation, Finland and Germany have more economic freedom than the United States.
But they also have the freedom to pursue happiness. Unless you don't think families, education, and careers are happy things.
Oh! Wait. What's the happiest thing in the whole wide world?
Vacation!!!!
Germany gets a minimum of 24 days off a year...although they usually work 6 day weeks instead of 5. If they work only 5, the minimum days off is 20. Lord Wiki says, On top of that, they have 10 paid public holidays.
Finland gives a minimum of 25 days off, and they have 11 paid public holidays.
The United States has zero!!!!!! WTF. I knew it was bad. But not that bad.
Holy shit.
That being said, most companies do give paid time off. The average is 10 days. To get to a German or Finland level, a person usually has to have been working at the company for over 20 years.
I am so mad at the universe for sticking me in this country.
I demand that my next life be in a better country.
Please?
Anyway....what I was going to say before is that in the United States, we have freedom.
It's the freedom for Christians to force their religion on others.
The freedom to exploit others.
and the Freedom to cause suffering.
I shall get back to German history...hopefully in the next post.
(though I can't promise to not fall down more rabbit holes)
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| Here's a REAL rabbit hole in our backyard. |
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| And here's one of the rabbits |
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