Yes, to an extent we've come to believe all the ugly things that are being said about our countries in the English language press, and to repeat them ourselves, and it depresses us.

But people in Germany are also seeing that the "reforms" to date have made their situation more precarious, and that a global economy "run" entirely on marketista principles will further undermine them both individually and collectively.

What I find fascinating (in a somewhat macabre kind of way) when discussing such subjects is how many people unquestioningly accept the current economic system, as if it were a natural law and not a construct.

If we can formulate an alternative the lies will start to wither.

The fact is that what we're experiencing right now is a top-down disaster. -Paul Krugman