To elect a PM with such a huge mandate only for them to turn around and embrace the rank racism and transphobia of the very worst was such a slap in the face. Starmer had some very good progressive politics, but his desire to keep trying to appease to the deplorables, to socially throw vulnerable people under the bus, was such gross misgovernance. Completely threw away the massive win he had to pander low, just such a deflation of the role and hope that had been vested in him.

Democracy is having really rough days with finding candidates that are willing to represent their constituents.

Are you saying that 52% of British people are retired?

Ah yes I remember in 2001 reading on Slashdot how only old Christians voted for Republicans/Bush, and they will soon die and George W Bush will not get re-elected.

It was even said on HN/Twitter during Covid 2021, how Trump supporters were dying in great numbers from refusing face masks and it was again Game OVER for Republicans, only for him to get elected again in 2024.

Nigerian Prince scam 101. Just send another payment to cover disbursement costs and the money will be with you real soon now.

Germany is an interesting one.

One factor I think is the early EU days German growth was artificially high, juiced by cheap credit from German banks to peripheral countries which was then cycled into purchasing German industrial goods.

Previously peripheral countries had more indigenous industries protected by FX rate as well as some trade barriers.

The GFC broke this cycle, though it couldn't have gone on forever with or without the GFC.

Then Germany also kneecapped themselves in terms of energy policy, shutting down cheap nuclear power supplies and becoming dependent on Russian energy exports.

I've generally heard it as manufacturing woes due to competition with China. in particular germany used to sell a significant number of cars to china, and now is being outcompeted (both in china and many other locations) by chinese cards. plausibly true in other manufacturing areas, I don't know.

I'm not sure what's happening to Germany, but I suspect fax machines are involved.