Angela Merkel - Fausta's Blog

October 24, 2009 By Fausta

Idle rich Germans too stupid to start their own charities

Rather than become personally involved in their communities and find ways to creatively enrich their lives through charity, these fools can’t wait for the nanny state to do it for them, so they want higher taxes:

A group of rich Germans has launched a petition calling for the government to make wealthy people pay higher taxes.

The group say they have more money than they need, and the extra revenue could fund economic and social programmes to aid Germany’s economic recovery.

Germany could raise 100bn euros (£91bn) if the richest people paid a 5% wealth tax for two years, they say.

The petition has 44 signatories so far, and will be presented to newly re-elected Chancellor Angela Merkel.

The group say the financial crisis is leading to an increase in unemployment, poverty and social inequality.

Forty-four people with too much time and money in their hands, and one one brain among them.

June 5, 2009 By Fausta

Snubbing our allies, again

The new diplomacy: Guess who’s not coming to dinner?

Barack and Michelle Obama decline dinner with the Sarkozys

The Obamas turn up in Paris this evening, but have declined a dinner invitation from the couple next door: the Sarkozys.

President Obama’s reluctance to spend more than minimum time with the French leader on his visit for the D-Day anniversary has come as an embarrassment to the Elysée Palace.

America’s First Family will not be dining with President Sarkozy and his wife, Carla Bruni, even though they are staying at the residence of the US Ambassador, yards from the Elysée apartments where the Sarkozys spend their weekends.

Mr Sarkozy’s staff were trying yesterday to arrange another private moment between the couples. Mr Obama is due to fly back to Washington tomorrow night or on Sunday.

But hey, it’s not just Sarko being snubbed. It’s Angela, too!

French worries about being snubbed were matched in Germany, where media and politicians are convinced that the brevity of Mr Obama’s trip there and a decision to avoid Berlin demonstrated his disapproval of Angela Merkel, the Chancellor.

I wonder if Angela and Sarko’s Wiis are gold-plated.

Somewhere in Georgia, Jimmy Carter is grateful.

Update
It gets worse,

The White House’s coolness has added to embarrassment at the Elysée Palace over the way they have bungled what Sarkozy wanted to be a supreme Franco-American moment in Paris and especially Normandy. The final straw for Paris was the White House’s undiplomatic public reproach this week to Sarkozy for failing to invite the British Queen to the 6th of June ceremony.

Obama is turning up in Paris on Friday evening, but spending the evening privately with Michelle and his entourage. He is not due to see Sarkozy and Carla Bruni at the Elysée. Their only tête-à-tête will be in the Normandy town of Caen on Saturday. The Americans have refused a French request for the two men to hold a joint press conference. The D-Day ceremony at the US cemetery at Colleville, by Omaha beach, has now been widened to include Britain’s Gordon Brown and Prince Charles and Stephen Harper, the Canadian Prime Minister. Then Michelle Obama is staying on in Paris on a private visit for several days.

May 1, 2009 By Fausta

Trade in your underpants!

Via Drudge,

“The country needs new undies” campaign features Angela Merkel in a billboard offering people trading in their old underwear a five-euro (seven-dollar) discount on a new pair. Hopefully the old undies will get burned somewhere.

And here I was complaining about the lack of respect for the Office of the President the other day.

Who’s next, Sarko?

Let’s hope is not Hugo.

March 29, 2009 By Fausta

Why Roger and I like Angela Merkel (and you should, too)

brown-merkel-g20preview

I linked to this last evening, but here’s the extended version:
Why I like Angela Merkel (and you should, too)

Why do I like Angela Merkel? There are many reasons. One important reason was epitomized yesterday when Gordon Brown, still (but not for long) the British Prime Minister, tried to stir up support for his $2 trillion (plus) “global New Deal.” Quoth Merkel:

“I will not let anyone tell me that we must spend more money

Merkel was not alone:

The Spanish finance minister, Pedro Solbes, also dismissed new cash being pledged at Thursday’s London summit.

“In these conditions I and the rest of my colleagues from the eurozone believe there is no room for new fiscal stimulus plans,” he said.

Obama’s in for a disappointment, too:

The assault by European Union leaders also represents a defeat for President Barack Obama, who is desperate for other big economies to copy his $800 billion stimulus plan.

We live in wondrous times: Unlike the US administration, the Germans and the Spaniards don’t want more government spending, and the Brazilian socialists want more free trade.

The president of the EU, former Czech president Mirek Topolanek, considers Obama’s stimulus plan “the road to hell:”

AC/DC fans rejoice.

While Lula’s spicy remark and Brown’s savior dreams may add material for reporters, it’s looking like the G20 may end up a dud.

And that’s a good thing.