I haven’t been writing for a while. Had too much work to do, but now there is a little air and I am getting back to my blog. In the meantime I have been in Germany for a view days. Had to leave the country because my visa for Russia ran out. Also I needed to visit clients and I saw friends and family. In Munich I went to ISPO, a large international sports trade show. Met some old friends from my snowboarding times and went to some parties.

For me its always surprising how low Germany is this days. ISPO used to be a crowded and full trade show and now many halls are empty and exhibitors as dealers seem to be depressed. It seems business is further on the down-rise. Wherever you go, whoever you talk to is complaining. Nevertheless, Germany NEVER exported as much as last year (SOURCE: Spiegel Magazin) and that even with a high Euro, making our products even more expensive.

Talking about it. When I go into a typical Moscow supermarket I find plenty of European products and many of them are German. Recently we just had German weeks in the market just near our apartment. I stole two of the German flags (there were plenty) and attached them both to the front of my shopping cart, making it an all German diplomatic shopping cart. Yeah Yeah. Most of the Germans reading this may feel bad about this behavior in public in a foreign country, but believe me I know the fine line between fun, a joke and nationalism. This is our German nationality complex calling you.

Anyways, when I see Mueller Milch, Dr. Oetker, Meggle, Milka Choclate, Franziskaner Weissbier, Haribo and all kinds of German washing detergents I start wondering. I even found bread from a local bakery in Bamberg (where my Mom lives) here in a Moscow supermarket ($5 for a whole wheat bread). Than I go outside and I see Volkswagen, BMW, Audi, Porsche and plenty of Mercedes. My girlfriends phone rings and she is pulling a Siemens Exilibri out of her pocket. Just next door is a construction site of Hoch Tief Bau. Hm, what else? When I go look with open eyes I find more and more German companies, like Obi, Metro and Marktkauf. Russia is a growing market. So is the complete East. OK, we are not selling so much to the US anymore, but we sell more over here now and not only in Moscow. From Czech Republik to China.

So? Where is all the money going? Why do we have so many unemployed in Germany? Why are the government funds empty? Ah, yeah I forgot the big ones do not pay tax, because the give work to a lot of people who pay tax. Only that now they threaten to cut jobs and go with their production into foreign countries. Do you know what that move will cost them? Do you know how many problems they’ll get with foreign mentality and quality standards?

In the meantime I pay !!! 53 % income tax !!! When I recently visited an accountant trying to find a way out of tax hell, I was told by her: ” You better get used to the idea that 50% of your company belong to the German government.” I don’t think this is the case with Mercedes, Siemens and the others in the club. But my small company is a target.

What do I get for it? I am not even living in Germany. I don’t use German highways, public transportation. OK no problem I will pay for Kindergardens and hospitals, but forget about my social security. I don’t expect to get a penny form the government when I am old. Just read, that a German ministry bought office chairs for EUR 1500. From my money. When was the last time you have been in a government office (like a Finanzamt/IRS or an embassy for example). Were people nice to you? I doubt it. One should remind them, that they get paid from my money.

In any case, let the big ones go. But, let them pay tax here. Its like that in the US for a long time. They have started to convert and move a lot of jobs into the service industry. There are doorman, cab drivers, people who pack and deliver your bags in the supermarket and and and. What about customer service? I just opened an account at a large and prestigious German Bank. Trying the first time I couldn’t log into my home-banking and I have sent them an email to ask for help. Urgently! You know how long it took them to answer? 4 days and 2 emails from my side. There we can setup additional jobs. In the US I get an answer within 2-3 hours, probably faster.

Things need to change. Our youth understood that already. Now the rest of the country needs to understand it and we need to kick some people’s butt’s. Either they comply or they go. We don’t need them. Let them go to Asia or anywhere else with their production. They will be milked (like in China) and thing twice of doing that anyways. But the avarage worker also has to understand that we need to change things together. That the golden times are over. For now.

I believe they’ll come back, but until than we will need to be flexible and not suck the money from our government. We need not to lay on couches watching MTV, drinking beer and smoking joints while getting a good amount of unemployemnt, waiting for the government to present us with new jobs. We need to take the initiative. Go out. Look for work. Create something yourself. Just move your butt. It’s about time. Get moving. I am gone for years and I haven’t since received any money from our government. Although I have been poor at time, living with less than $5/day in a city like New York.

Move. Now.