What do you know about germany and where did you learn it?

[Upside Down Eagle]

Seriously. Just because bad things happen in Europe does not mean that you get killed here instantly.

Never_falter asked if media affects the way we perceive countries. If anyone from outside Europe (without personally residing in Europe) really thinks that "there be dragons", I´d say the media has given you an incomplete picture.

Bad things happen in the States too, and I for one don´t think that all Americans are doomed. That would be the most simplistic conclusion I could draw based on the media alone. For me to have a realistic idea of what the States are like, I would have to have lived there. And even then I wouldn´t get the full picture. Germany is a big country.

 

[Effie]

No. I don't want to get killed.

Why would you get killed simply by going to Germany? You don't have a realistic perspective of Germany. I'll be stopping in Germany in May on a trip. I'm not the least bit worried.

 

[LuckiLee]

German potato salad! Love it! :)

 

[PointlessExistence]

Of course the chances are rare that I'd get killed. But compare those chances to ten, or even five, years ago. Why take the chance. If I want to visit a typical German town, I'll just go to Istanbul.

 

[Justmehere]

The murder rate is significantly higher (at least double) in the US than in Germany.

If I want to visit a typical German town, I'll just go to Istanbul.

Lumping together Turkey and Germany shows how much your understanding about cultures abroad is severely lacking.

 

[Upside Down Eagle]

The thing is, you are thinking about a large, probably mostly Muslim population. Those don´t just exist in Germany. Those exist all over Europe. Can you have a debate about the validity of multiculturalism? Of course you can. Can you debate whether the whole "melting pot" thing really works? Of course you can.

I think most people can and will tell you that it does not always work, and there are downsides to it. The question to ask is: why is this? Is it just on "the foreigners"? Is it on governments, who don´t know how to manage the integration process? The answer is, both. In several countries the strategy for cultural integration has been severely flawed. Including the US.

Europe consists of nations that have mixed cultures. However, whether this works or not depends on a large amount of factors and circumstances. In all European countries there are cities with a larger amount of foreign nationals and cities with almost no foreign nationals. You cannot judge a whole nation based on news items.

 

[watundah]

^^^^what they said.

 

[PointlessExistence]

Lumping together Turkey and Germany shows how much your understanding about cultures abroad is severely lacking.

Can you not discern when someone is talking tongue-in-cheek? You're a moderator? For real? smh

 

[Neverthesame]

Back on topic...

I learned that German lawnmowers from the early 60's are surprisingly dangerous.
This was from my uncle who lost an eye to one, when it picked up a pebble and sent it flying across the street where it hit the poor guy.

Fortunately, however. German glass eyes are of exceptional quality. Which my Grandmother discovered when her 5 year old son, would (repeatedly) throw his glass eye out of his bedroom window. Which she would then have to chase down the street. Despite this, it never broke.

This took place while the family lived in base housing while grandad was stationed in Germany.

 

[Effie]

Can you not discern when someone is talking tongue-in-cheek? You're a moderator? For real? s...

I discerned that you sound like a dick. Hope it's not your schtick.

 

[PointlessExistence]

I discerned that you sound like a dick. Hope it's not your schtick.

Wow, name calling. How cultured. Good for you.

 

[EveHarrington]

Don’t bite the troll bait.