What Makes The Germans Today's Most Effective Society In Europe?

[anotheoldgit]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2686828/The-awesome-chilling-genius-Germans-From-soccer-supermarkets-factory-floors-battlefields-European-cousins-force-reckoned-with.html

Yes I know they lost two World Wars, but one has to admit that almost everything they do or make is the 'tops'. Why?

[ummmm]

I don't know. I went to Germany as a teenager and it changed my attitude. It's clean, friendly and efficient.

[retrocop]

Whilst the 2nd WW impoverished this country and we had debts to the US i.e.lend lease.The US were helping Germany to rebuild.The Marshall Plan.

[anotheoldgit]

retrocop

Yes but it isn't just about the help they got from the US is it?

Germany were at the forefront of almost everything even before WW2.

[rockyracoon]

Everything 'does what it says on the tin'. I always buy German appliances where finances permit and two German cars later that have been no problem (I'm touching wood now) will ensure a third one will be on the cards.

[Gromit]

They are not.

They have not won the world cup for 24 years.
British supermarkets far out perform the low cost German ones.

The Daily Mail are indulging in Britain bashing to wind you up.

[retrocop]

AOG
Yes quite true.As Bob Hope quipped during the US/Russian Space race."It just goes to show that their German scientists are better than our German scientists"

[naomi24]

The Germans have always been pretty smart, which is probably why they and we (also smart) have been such rivals. Rockets, machinery, cars, and the jerry can was a marvel of design – quite brilliant. They even managed to produce Einstein.

[dustypuss]

http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee5/ahaseurus2000/Funnies/German-sexy-industry.jpg

[Gromit]

Aldi and Lidl combined have only 5.2% share of British Supermarket trade. Pathetic. If that is the best they can do, we have nothing to worry about.

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2014/02/24/article-2566542-1BC9DB7500000578-199_634x327.jpg

[Booldawg]

Aldi & Lidl are bigger on the continent. How many Tesco/Asda supermarkets do you see outside the UK?

The Germans seem to have a better work ethic than the UK.

[ummmm]

I was going to argue with that, Boold....then I remembered....we're Irish :-)

[anotheoldgit]

Gromit

I wonder what the British supermarket's share of the trade in Germany is?

[Old_Geezer]

I'd guess it is probably a culture thing. Develop a good system; everyone knows to stick with it.

[anotheoldgit]

Old_Geezer

/// I'd guess it is probably a culture thing. Develop a good system; everyone knows to stick with it. ///

A cultural thingy eh? Well we have no chance then of ever catching them up, seeing that we are now a 'multicultural country'.

[naomi24]

AOG, they are too.

[237SJ]

They`re like places in the Far East - they`re rule-driven. I had a lot of experience of their airports many years ago and they were brilliant at turning planes around etc. Until something went wrong and then they couldn`t cope because they had to think outside of the rules. Same in the Far East from what I have seen as well.

[naomi24]

237SJ, there's a lot of truth in that.

[pixie373]

"The most effective society in Europe"- a huge claim and by whose standards? The link mentions money, violence, sport. Are those everybody's aims, then?

[Gromit]

I have no idea what all this German Envy is about, or why you are believing it.

If it is so great, why don't you go and live there.

[anotheoldgit]

Gromit

/// I have no idea what all this German Envy is about, or why you are believing it. ///

Simply because like it or not it is the truth.

/// If it is so great, why don't you go and live there. ///

Oh it seems I have touched a raw nerve here. is it wrong to admire a particular county's achievements, and how long have you been donning the British patriots hat?