6th of August 2025: Germany and German army: shadows of the past and the reality of the present. (I)

GERMAN BUNDESTAG, THE PARLIAMENT HOUSE OF GERMANY IN THE CAPITAL CITY, BERLIN. 

For decades, Germany's rearmament has been a taboo subject. The current security context - driven by Russia's aggression in Ukraine and Moscow's expansionist tendencies in general - has changed this state of affairs on our continent. Chancellor Friedrich Merz said bluntly, shortly after taking power, that the Bundeswehr would become the most powerful army in Europe.

In fact, his predecessor, Olaf Scholz, had paved the way for Germany's rearmament in a speech given just a few days after the start of Vladimir Putin's "special operation". His initiative remained mostly on paper for economic reasons and to limit state indebtedness. Merz came and changed the rules of the financial game. Berlin can also arm itself with debt, regardless of the state of the economy. In March, the Bundestag amended the constitutional provision on the budget deficit ceiling. Germany's security is paramount.

In the lines below, I will try to take an x-ray of the current situation - viewed from the outside and considering pros and cons - through the lens of the consequences on the continental geopolitical plane.

5th of August 2025: Secondary sanctions against buying of Russian oil are crucial.

Ukraine War

5th of August 2025:

11:24 US NATO Ambassador: Secondary Sanctions "Obvious Step" +++

US Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker has called the imposition of secondary sanctions against countries that buy Russian oil an "obvious step" to end Russia's ongoing war against Ukraine. "Secondary sanctions and tariffs against those who are paying for this war—countries like China, India, and Brazil—that buy oil produced by Russia are the obvious next step to try to end this war," Whitaker told Bloomberg. These could hurt Russia where it hurts most.

4th of August 2025: USA will punish India due to purchase of Russian petrol.

4th of August 2025:
Ukraine War Live Ticker
+++ 6:22 PM Oil Deals with Moscow: Trump Threatens India with Consequences +++
US President Donald Trump is threatening India with "significantly" higher tariffs because of its purchases of Russian oil. India is not only buying huge quantities of the oil, but is also reselling it at a huge profit on the open market, Trump writes on Truth Social. India doesn't care how many people in Ukraine are "killed by the Russian war machine." Therefore, he will "significantly increase" the tariffs India pays to the US. However, he does not specify a specific amount. A statement from the Indian government has not yet been received. Over the weekend, the news agency Reuters learned from Indian government sources that the country will continue to buy oil from Russia despite the threats.

3rd of August 2025: Finland says "stop!" to phones in schools. New law goes into effect.

FINLAND ELIMINATES SMARTPHONES FROM THE SCHOOL LESSONS

NEW CRUCIAL DECISIONS IN FINLANDS EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT.

New legislation restricting the use of mobile phones in Finnish schools came into force on Friday, a week before the start of the school year, AFP reports, quoted by Agerpres.

This Nordic country, long renowned for the quality of its education, has dropped significantly in an OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) ranking that measures the math, reading and science skills of 15-year-old students.

Finland passed a law in April banning the use of mobile phones by students aged 7 to 16 during school hours.

From now on, phones and electronic devices can only be used in class for educational purposes, as a support tool or for health reasons, with the teacher's permission.

Schools are left free to organize themselves.

In Varkaus, in the east of the country, a school with about 700 students will require them to keep their phones in their backpacks or lockers all day, including during breaks, public broadcaster Yle reported, while in Tampere (in the west of the country), students will only be allowed to use their smartphones outside the building during breaks.

The Finnish National Agency for Education had recommended stricter rules than those required by law: banning them during meals and restricting their use during breaks.

According to the most recent OECD report published in 2022, 41% of Finnish students said that exposure to screens distracted them in all or most math lessons, a figure significantly higher than the OECD average of 31%.

Breaking news: US GDP grows again!

DONALD TRUMP ANNOUNCED A GOOD ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN THE USA.

According to US PRESIDENT Donald Trump, on 30th of July 2025: US GDP grows recently up to 3,1 percent. 

US economic growth is remarkable by 3,1 percent. This is a good result of industrious work of the presidential administration of Donald Trump in Washington DC. 

Current positive economical development of the United States of America will deliver more safe jobs for the American citizens and help to reduce the inflation. Additionally are expected more foreign investments in the US. American Dollar will regain its economical value again. This will have a good impact for the consolidation of all state financial issues, of FED reserves and of US budget. 

A strong US dollar will give an optimistic credibility on the Wall Street, in context of a global economic competition and in the wallets of American consumers too. A vacation abroad could be cheaper again - a good remuneration of the tirelessly work during the year. 

 

20.01.2021: Die neue Ära in der Weltpolitik. Joe Bidens Amtsübernahme: der 46. amerikanische Präsident bringt die erhoffte Wende in den USA und weltweit. 

Der neue amerikanische Präsident unterzeichnet an seinem ersten Arbeitstag zahlreiche Dekrete und vollzieht eine große Zäsur. Die Rückkehr der USA in die Weltgesundheitsorganisation, Rückkehr zum Pariser Klimaabkommen, durch den Baustopp der Mauer zu Mexiko etc. bringt er die erste Supermacht der Welt auf die Weltbühne zurück. Eine Aufbruchstimmung macht sich breit. Auf seiner obersten Agenda stehen nun die Telefonate mit den Staatschefs von Kanada und Europa. Es ist die höchste Zeit für die Wiederbelebung der transatlantischen Beziehungen. Alle Welt schaut auf Joe Biden. 

Berlin - die deutsche Bundeshauptstadt.

 Die Geschichte einer Stadt. 

Das mittelalterliche Bild von Berlin-Cölln aus dem XIII. Jahrhundert - eine Ortschaft, die in dem heutigen Berliner Nikolai-Viertel zu lokalisieren ist. Rechts auf dem Bild - die Nikolaikirche. 

Berlin liegt in der Mitte Europas. Berlins Geschichte geht auf das Jahr 1237 zurück. Denn in diesem Jahr wurde Berlin-Cölln zum ersten Mal schriftlich in den historischen Quellen erwähnt. Anfänglich war Berlin-Cölln ein kleines Dorf. Diese mittelalterliche deutsche Siedlung entstand an den Ufern der Spree, ein Fluss, der auch heutzutage durch die deutsche Hauptstadt fließt. Das kleine Dorf befand sich auf dem Gebiet des heutigen Berliner Nikolai-Viertels. Die beiden Marktorte entstanden am Ufer der Spree als Folge der askanischen Expansionspolitik der Markgrafen von Brandenburg und der Gründungen neuer Siedlungen im Osten ihres Herrschaftsgebiets. Ihre territoriale Expansion dehnte sich in die östliche Richtung aus im Rahmen der mittelalterlichen Ostsiedlung. Die damaligen Ost-West-Handelswege verliefen nördlich der Spree - ein Fluss, der die beiden kleinen Orte - Berlin und Cölln zu einem Verkehrsknotenpunkt und zu einem Siedlungsgebiet vereint hatte. Dank dem florierenden Handel entwickelte sich Berlin-Cölln zu einem bedeutenden Ort im Mittelalter. 

Historisch gesehen spielte eine wichtige und große Persönlichkeit bei der Gründung von Berlin eine signifikante Rolle - der Albrecht der Bär. Albrecht der Bär (ca. 1100-1170), Markgraf von Brandenburg aus dem Hause der Askanier gilt als der Gründer der Mark Brandenburg, also des brandenburgischen Staates. Der deutsche König und römisch-deutsche Kaiser Lothar III. belehnte im Jahr 1134 Albrecht den Bären mit der Nordmark. Im selben Jahr, als Markgraf der Nordmark (Altmark), machte Albrecht der Bär Eroberungen im Havelland und an der Prignitz. Infolgedessen verfestigte er seine Macht im brandenburgischen Lande. Kurz vor dem Tod des Kaisers Lothar III. erhielt Albrecht der Bär 1138 das Herzogtum Sachsen. Er rief unter Gewährung günstiger Siedlerrechte Rheinländer, Holländer und Flamen ins Land, deren Nachkommen unter andrem Berlin gründeten.