According to NGO-online, the former German president Herzog and a social researcher called Meinhard Miegel have called for the fight against senior citizens in Germany. They have apparently been described as 'neo-liberal ambassadors'. Sounds like it. In the UK people could not dare to do this, what with the socio-economic status of pensioners.
Neither Herzog (*1934) nor Miegel (*1939) are spring chickens themselves, of course. But perhaps they have half-decent pensions what with one thing or another, like being a former President.
They are worried that pensioners are gaining too great an influence in Germany, leading, as recently, to inappropriately increased pensions. Note that in Germany pensions are not automatically uprated, and in fact have been cut in recent years - though this is all from a fairly decent starting point. Unlike the UK. Herzog admits that while the pensions increase was probably acceptable, what with inflation, the fact that this takes money away from the younger generation may be against the constitution. Is he serious? Social solidarity? He'll be thinking individual pensions accounts, stock market reliance, each organises his or her own pension, that sort of thing. The last few months have made us all feel warm and lovely inside, as far as the stockmarket is concerned....
Sorry to share this with you, gents, but pensioners everywhere, where they are alive, have a great political influence. Ask Mr Putin whose pensioners regularly step out on the street. Ask Mr Brown whose pensioners are possibly the most committed democratic participants. May have something to do with the older pensioners having been in the war, and the next generation having been on the barricades.
There's one place, though, where I would limit pensioner power in Germany. It seems that there is no mandatory check of pensioners who drive cars. Knowing two, one of whom is losing his eyesight to a degree that he cannot recognise a person across the room, and another who has difficulties with certain aspects of driving, but both continue to do so, I wonder what the effect would be if every driver over 75 were to be put through a driving/eyesight/reactions test in Germany....
Neither Herzog (*1934) nor Miegel (*1939) are spring chickens themselves, of course. But perhaps they have half-decent pensions what with one thing or another, like being a former President.
They are worried that pensioners are gaining too great an influence in Germany, leading, as recently, to inappropriately increased pensions. Note that in Germany pensions are not automatically uprated, and in fact have been cut in recent years - though this is all from a fairly decent starting point. Unlike the UK. Herzog admits that while the pensions increase was probably acceptable, what with inflation, the fact that this takes money away from the younger generation may be against the constitution. Is he serious? Social solidarity? He'll be thinking individual pensions accounts, stock market reliance, each organises his or her own pension, that sort of thing. The last few months have made us all feel warm and lovely inside, as far as the stockmarket is concerned....
Sorry to share this with you, gents, but pensioners everywhere, where they are alive, have a great political influence. Ask Mr Putin whose pensioners regularly step out on the street. Ask Mr Brown whose pensioners are possibly the most committed democratic participants. May have something to do with the older pensioners having been in the war, and the next generation having been on the barricades.
There's one place, though, where I would limit pensioner power in Germany. It seems that there is no mandatory check of pensioners who drive cars. Knowing two, one of whom is losing his eyesight to a degree that he cannot recognise a person across the room, and another who has difficulties with certain aspects of driving, but both continue to do so, I wonder what the effect would be if every driver over 75 were to be put through a driving/eyesight/reactions test in Germany....
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