As the AfD heads to its party congress in Erfurt, Germany's collapsing mainstream braces for protests, panic, and a deeper political rupture.
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In the short term, it has just suffered
a humiliating defeat at the UN General Assembly, where it was punished for Berlin's brazen arrogance, political provincialism, and last but not least, steadfast support for Israel and its crimes, including genocide. At the World Cup, the German team was booted out of the tournament early and crushingly.
To make things worse, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz felt this was just the right moment to release
some X posts apparently meant to be reassuring but
stunning the nation by their cack-handed
ineptitude and sheer disconnect with reality. Why settle for a mere national depression if you can trigger a raging s**t-storm in addition?
Germany's fundamentals are also thoroughly catastrophic. According to Handelsblatt, Volkswagen, a traditional flagship of the German car industry at the core of the national economy and national pride, is stuck
"in the greatest cost and structural crisis in decades." Around
100,000 jobs are on the chopping block. And yes, that is representative of the economy as a whole. The country's birth rate -
at 1.35 children per woman - is the lowest
since the mid-1990s, which reflects the mood of anxiety and pessimism across the country.
Even Germany's public (de facto state) broadcasters, not known for unbiased reporting or serious criticism of the powers that be, are admitting that poverty is becoming entrenched. In what was once a country of economic success and optimism, according to official statistics,
every sixth German is at risk of poverty.
And all of the above is happening under a succession of textbook-centrist governments, based on coalitions of parties and politicians that share a fundamental lack of convictions (apart from the blind urge to fight Russia again), egotism, careerism, and a coldhearted indifference, if not disdain, for the worsening problems and hardships that shape the lives of ordinary Germans.
Comment: Unspoken is that probably "Washington will also eventually quietly accede" to stave off the possibility of a worldwide recession/depression for which the US will be blamed.