Quote from: RE on Dec 28, 2024, 10:26 AMAlso not surprising the East Germans have gone right wing.  They lived undder Ruskie control during the worst years of the cold war, and memories don't fade that fast.  It also makes for very divisive politics.

The other contentious issue is since the reunification of Germany a lot of money has been sent from West to East Germany to bridge the economic gap. Naturally the West says the East received too much money while the East says the West didn't support them enough. With the rise of immigrants this has only exacerbated the situation and so the East Germans have readily accepted the populist parties as there is a strong sentiment they are being left behind.

The dynamic is not all too similar to the Rust Belt in the US or the North/South divide in the UK. Let's remember the North of England were very pro Brexit, Rust Belt states are very pro Trump and now we are getting more the same with the East Germans voting populist. It will be hard for the more mainstream parties in Germany to completely ignore the pledges of the far right as it will only underscore the East Germans misgiving that their thoughts are being dismissed/ignored.

As for traveling, I will be around the Dortmund area as my German mate lives in that region. I have been to Berlin but quite sometime ago. More gritty and less affluent than New York but had a more artistic vibe. You won't see as many pigs in Berlin as you would in New York or even Bavaria. I believe the fat catz reside more in Bavaria.

Quote from: RE on Dec 28, 2024, 10:26 AMCheck in more often!

Will try to come more often. New(ish) job is more busy than the last one but will make a bigger effort.