Is Germany as good as it appears?

for your input! I'm 34 (M) and English. My great-grandfather's brother served in the British Army in Germany in the 70s and spoke fondly of the country and its people. My dad was in Germany in the 90s and had nothing but good things to say. I also worked with German people in the Royal Air Force and they were wonderful. So my experience of Germany and its people has been very positive. As a German, what is your outlook? Please try to be objective and be honest if there are any issues. I don't need to tell you about the many problems we have in the UK, Brexit being the most destructive one right now. I didn't expect such a huge response - thank you for your input! It will take me a while to read through all 274 (and counting) replies, but I'll try my best to read and respond.

I really enjoy living in Germany as a foreign student. People are polite and reliable, and things generally work well here. Germans are often critical of their country, which is generally a good thing, but it can mean they don't fully appreciate how good Germany is compared to other countries. Despite the bureaucracy, Germany is a great country overall.

The landscape in Germany is beautiful, and the infrastructure is generally good. People you meet are usually friendly, and the welfare system takes care of those in need, so nobody needs to starve or suffer from disease. Crime levels are low and there are few no-go areas, though there may be more in the bigger cities. It's rare to see anyone with firearms, and only rarely do you encounter right- or left-wing extremists. One downside is that some people can be grumpy, and train stations in cities tend to smell like urine. The political system is flawed, and it often seems like those who could make a change are never elected. The conservative party has been in power for a long time and is heavily influenced by lobbies, while the former social democrats are their "bitch". The green party is mostly focused on prohibiting unnecessary things, a right-leaning party is rising, the "left-wing" party is still fighting its bad GDR/Stasi image, and other parties have little chance. Lastly, the German railway can be unreliable.

I agree that you need money to get by in Germany. Most things are expensive. Our welfare system works if you earn enough or can find a job. In my opinion, HartzIV was a mistake as it put people in poverty into a system like criminals are monitored.

Although I have a strong affinity for Germany, I understand that it has its issues. Compared to other countries suffering from famine and corruption, I feel fortunate to live in a place of relative safety. However, I am aware that democracy and wealth are precarious, and crises can hit us too, as we have seen in our history.

My dad is from England and my mom is from Germany. My sister lives near Bath, my uncle is in London, but I grew up in Germany. I feel like I'm German with a deep connection to the UK. Both countries have good and bad parts, but overall I think Europe is a great place. What I like best about Germany is our social system, including health care. As a psychologist working with cancer patients, I appreciate that they don't need to pay extra or wait long for appointments. I'm also happy that Germany is open to other countries, even though there are debates about it.

What I really love about the UK is the spirituality, the scenery, and how relaxed people are. I feel at home in both countries, so I was very sad about Brexit. When I was 15, my mom asked if I wanted dual citizenship and I said no, because I thought we were all part of Europe. Well, we'll see what happens to the UK. But if it doesn't work out, you're always welcome back. We're family.

You can ask about nearly any first world country and get similar answers. I'm German but living abroad for years now. I can say there are some things in Germany that aren't perfect, but living in another country makes me recognize the things that work better in my own. It's not about finding a perfect country where everyone is always happy; it's more about the culture and how you view it. My relatives had a great time in Germany, but likely had moments when they disagreed with how things were done or why Germans didn't do it like they do in the UK.

of choices! From toast, to dark and white, mixed grains, different shapes, buns, and rolls, we have an abundance of breads to choose from. How lucky are we!

I agree with other comments. I think the school system in Germany is not great. My experience with it was awful. Kids are forced to choose what kind of school they go to. Schools that are not "Gymnasien" don't do much to help them get a job. Immigrants with good German skills are often advised to go to "Realschule", but this means they won't be able to go to university or get a well-paying job in the 21st century. Subjects like Informatik (software development/programming) aren't up to date with modern times.

I'm a Brit who has lived in a few different places, and I agree with the other comments. In the last 10-15 years, Germany - or at least where I live in the South - has become more capitalist, and now it's facing problems like the USA and UK. This includes the rise of the extreme right, less people caring for their communities, the wide acceptance of industries that exploit the poor, weak consumer protections, privatization of government jobs and services, many jobs paying less than a living wage, a growing rich-poor divide, and unaffordable housing. Overall, I like Germany, but I see it becoming more like the UK in terms of valuing private profits over public good.

I remind my kids often that we are fortunate to pay taxes in this country, as there is no better place to raise a family in the world! 🖤❤️💛