Although Germans are accused of being socialists just because they pay 19% sales tax nationwide, 67.578% income tax, church tax, and the East Germany gets the good roads tax, as well as having to pay extra every single month for owning a TV, radio, car radio, and/or computer monitor, Germans are actually better capitalists than Americans. Yes, Germans pay something like $10 in tax per gallon of gasoline to drive to work, but German businesses have latched onto capitalism much better than American corporations.
One of the principles of capitalism is that resources that aren’t directly paid for by individuals are wasted. For example, when you go grocery shopping in the United States, you are generally given about 25 extra plastic bags, because the cashiers bag each item separately, but you don’t argue with them, because the bags are free. The cashier gives every customer extra bags to avoid the one odd customer who might complain that her eggs will break if bagged with the bread or something. Since neither the cashier nor the customer bears the cost of the plastic bags, they are wasted.
Not in Germany. In Germany you have to pay a few coins for a bag, so you either bring one with you when you shop or try to stuff one week’s worth of groceries into one bag. (Be careful not lose any coins in Europe. American coins are pretty much worthless, but Euro coins can actually buy you stuff, or at least let you get a grocery cart.)
In Germany nothing is free. Everything costs a little, whether that’s using a restroom or getting a little extra mayonnaise for your french fries. Although it is pretty annoying to be nickled and dimed every time you turn around, overall it is a more efficient allocation of resources.
Well done Germany. Except seriously, Soda costs next to nothing. Stop charging €4 for a tiny 0.2L cup of Coke with no ice and no free refills!
deutsche Übersetzung für Astrid ein/ausblenden
Hallihallohallöle, Astrid,
hier die Übersetzung:
Noch wenig bekannt: Deutsche sind bessere Kapitalisten als Amerikaner
Auch wenn den Deutschen vorgeworfen wird, dass Sie Sozialisten sind, nur weil Sie 19% Mehrwertsteuer, 67,578% Einkommensteuer, Kirchensteuer und Solidäritätszuschlag zahlen, sowie jeden Monat extra dafür gezahlt werden muss, wenn sie einen Fernseher, ein Radio, Autoradio oder Computermonitor besitzen, sind Deutsche dennoch bessere Kapitalisten als Amerikaner. Ja, Deutsche bezahlen ungefähr $10 pro Gallone Sprit für Steuern um zur Arbeit zu fahren, aber deutsche Firmen haben den Kapitalismus besser umgesetzt als amerikanische Unternehmen.
Einer der Grundsätze des Kapitalismus ist, dass Ressourcen, für die nicht direkt von einer Einzelperson bezahlt wird, verschwendet werden. Wenn Sie zum Beispiel in den USA in einen Supermarkt gehen, erhalten Sie grundsätzlich mindestens 25 Plastiktüten, weil die Kassierer jeden Artikel einzeln einpacken, aber Sie diskutieren nicht darüber, weil die Tüten ja kostenfrei sind. Der Kassierer gibt jedem Kunden also extra Tüten, um den einen Kunden zu vermeiden, der sich beschwert weil die Eier zusammen in der Tüte mit dem Brot sind und kaputt gehen. Da weder der Kassierer noch der Kunde die Kosten für die Plastiktüten tragen, sind diese verschwendet.
Nicht so in Deutschland. In Deutschland müssen Sie ein paar Cents für die Tüten bezahlen, also bringen sie eine eigene Tüte mit oder versuchen, die Einkäufe für die ganze Woche in eine einzige Tüte zu kriegen (Passen Sie auf, dass Sie in Europa keine Münzen verlieren. Amerikanische Münzen sind relativ wertlos, aber für eine Euromünze kann man tatsächlich Dinge kaufen oder zumindest einen Einkaufswagen benutzen).
In Deutschland ist nichts umsonst. Alles kostet ein bisschen, ob es nun um die Benutzung der Toilette geht oder das bisschen extra Mayonnaise für Ihre Pommes. Auch wenn es ziemlich nervig ist, überall wo man geht und steht für etwas zur Kasse gebeten zu werden, ist es allgemein eine effizientere Verteilung der Ressourcen.
Gut gemacht, Deutschland! Ausser, jetzt mal ernsthaft, Cola kostet so gut wie gar nichts. Hören Sie auf €4 für ein winziges 0.2 l Glas zu berechnen ohne Eis oder kostenfreies Auffüllen!
Sei gegruschelt,
John
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May 6th, 2008 at 7:38 pm
paying for each bag a little fee is not a sign of kapitalism…
It comes from the idea that the people should thing about if they really need each bag.
That is a part of “pollution control”.
But there are many other examples that the Germans are much better in exploiting themselves in the kapitalism system…
May 22nd, 2008 at 4:04 am
Germans pay VAT.
May 22nd, 2008 at 8:16 pm
you are so right!!! i want refill and ice for my country!!!!!
October 10th, 2008 at 11:57 pm
i completely agree with you! i want vending machines with cheap, ice-cold sodas in front of every single store. and i want free refills (they actually advertised “free refills!!!” at one mcdonalds in munich. well. you only got one refill, so was sort of useless, but it was a start…). and i want to have ice in my coke without having to order it… *sigh* i really don’t get why i’m supposed to pay 2.50€ for 0.2l coke when i can buy just as much coke for a quarter in america
October 15th, 2008 at 2:44 pm
You complain about paying for mayonnaise!
Some weeks ago in the US.
My rental cars tyre left some air.
At the gas station they charged me 75Ct!!!!!! to refill the tire :-D.
December 9th, 2008 at 3:08 am
we pay for printers and scanner too, not only TVs. And did I mention CD blanks ?
January 2nd, 2009 at 10:56 pm
in my american university, i have to bring my own paper to the library if i want to use the printer. as if my tuition can’t pay for those 10 sheets i print a semester.
and just the fact that i am paying so much for higher education would cause riots in german colleges.
both countries have capitalism figured out.
ps: i do like the paying for air at the gas station comment. i was in shock the first time i had to pay for air.
January 18th, 2009 at 7:29 pm
If US-grocers give every customer 20 free plastic bags, the supermarket is paying for these bags. so the market has to raise the prices - and in the end the customers are paying for the bags.
BTW: you can get free refills in germany, but only at IKEA
February 15th, 2009 at 4:11 am
I missed free refills when I was in Europe, but I accepted it because I am from Atlanta, Georgia, the home of Coca-Cola. I expect coke to be cheap here- but not all the way over in Europe. What I really wanted was some good old free tap water served in restaurants!
November 26th, 2009 at 11:46 pm
The opposite is true, drinks are extremely expensive in restaurants, too expensive. Free refills in germany exist only in IKEA cantina
December 10th, 2009 at 11:19 pm
The idea of paying for grocery sacks isn’t necessarily capitalist, so much as a method to keep the supermarkets “greener”. They realize that the extra resources used in producing so many cheap plastic bags could easily be cut down and allocated somewhere else.
The refills are a different story. Because sodas are so expensive at restaurants, most places really don’t mind if you bring your own bottles. During my time spent there I would bring my backpack and a GIANT bottle of water along with me for the day, wherever I went. Most rational Germans realize the absurdity of paying for water, and are more than willing to accommodate. I was even allowed to bring my dog with me to most eating establishments and grocery stores, where food was laying out in the open and she could clearly cause sanitation problems. Most american markets and restaurants put their foot down on these two issues. Alas, not only are the german people notoriously fond of dogs, but they’re also quite rational.
My recommendation? Stop off at a grocery store before you go out for the day, buy two of the giant - and I mean GIANT - bottles of water, because the supermarkets are the only places where you can expect to get anything but mineral or sparkling water in most dining situations. Although going to IKEA and getting free refills for the first time in a month was pretty damn cool.
January 23rd, 2010 at 3:40 pm
Gregor, stop trolling. It is most certainly not okay to bring your own bottles when you dine out.
February 21st, 2010 at 1:07 am
These americans…
I never drink coke because for me it’s one of the greatest swindle on the planet. Paying expensive for a sickly sweet soda drink…and even I have to pay for frozen water ;-))) It’s altough the reason why a lot of americans are so fat. They pay attention on “fat free” but they don’t stop drinking a lot of sweet coke ;-)))
February 22nd, 2010 at 8:47 pm
KFC and Subway offer free refills here, Pizza Hut too. In Munich. So it’s not just McDoof - a local nickname for the chain; it could even ironically be called “der Schotte” vel sim. (my favourite is “das kleine schottische Spezialitätenrestaurant” - I still remember a slogan “das etwas andere Restaurant”, which might be parodied here), analogous to “der Chinese” for a Chinese restaurant -, and it’s even more than one refill at least at KFC and Pizza Hut. I find it hilarious how even multinational junk food chains have all those national variations and have to respect local quirks. Though the fact that most Germans have no idea that US American McDs, BKs, offer multiple free refills makes it easy for their German counterparts to deny that convenience to their German customers without having to fear complaints.
February 23rd, 2010 at 7:00 pm
“I find it hilarious how even multinational junk food chains have all those national variations and have to respect local quirks.”
I wonder if McDonalds does something like “Hüttengaudi” in America too?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jwq9bClVBY8&feature=related