16 Things I HATE about Living in GERMANY

Summary

The video script candidly critiques various aspects of life in Germany, from the high taxes and outdated education system to the poor internet coverage and over-regulation. It also touches on the difficulties of entrepreneurship, the lack of equipped kitchens in apartments, and the challenges with the healthcare system. Despite its drawbacks, the speaker acknowledges Germany's decent quality of life for employees but laments the country's shift towards mediocrity and lack of innovation.

Takeaways

• 😋 The speaker initially praises Germany for its amazing bread and beer.
• 😤 However, they express dissatisfaction with high taxes and the feeling of getting little in return for their work.
• 🏫 The German school system is criticized for being outdated and lacking updates for decades, leading to poor performance in international studies like PISA.
• 🌐 The speaker laments the poor internet coverage in Germany, especially outside of cities and on trains.
• 📚 Germany is described as being over-regulated, with many rules and licenses required for various activities, which can be a deterrent for entrepreneurship.
• 🚽 The script highlights dissatisfaction with traditional toilets in Germany, contrasting them with more modern and hygienic systems found in Asia.
• 🕊️ The speaker criticizes the German Security Agency (BND) for new laws that allow mass surveillance, similar to the NSA's practices revealed by Snowden.
• 🚂 The train system in Germany is criticized for being expensive, unreliable, and having a poor booking system.
• 🏥 There is a shortage of doctors in Germany, leading to long waiting times for appointments, especially for specialists.
• 🏆 Germany is described as a country of mediocrity, with a lack of innovative political parties and slow progress in areas like digitalization.
• 💼 The script notes that while Germany offers strong employee protection and benefits, it is not as supportive for entrepreneurs and freelancers due to bureaucracy.

Q & A

What is the speaker's initial impression of Germany's food and taxes?

The speaker initially praises Germany's bread and beer but expresses dissatisfaction with the high taxes, feeling that after working all year, the amount they get to keep is minimal.

What does the speaker criticize about Germany's education system?

The speaker criticizes the German education system for being outdated, with teaching methods that have not been significantly updated in decades, leading to poor performance in international studies like the PISA rankings.

How does the speaker describe the internet coverage in Germany compared to third-world countries?

The speaker describes Germany's internet coverage as worse than that of third-world countries, even referring to it as 'fourth-world,' with connectivity issues especially outside of cities.

What is the main issue with Germany's school system according to the speaker?

The main issue with Germany's school system, as stated by the speaker, is that it is regulated by federal states, making it difficult for the central government to implement changes, which results in an inconsistent and outdated education system.

Why does the speaker say it is difficult for teachers to move and teach in different federal states in Germany?

The speaker explains that due to different regulations and rules in each federal state, it is almost impossible for teachers to move and teach in a different state without facing significant challenges.

What is the speaker's view on Germany's bureaucracy?

The speaker views Germany's bureaucracy as excessive and burdensome, with too many rules and regulations affecting almost every aspect of life, from building houses to starting businesses.

Why does the speaker dislike Germany's toilets?

The speaker dislikes Germany's toilets because they are not equipped with modern cleaning systems like those found in Asia or Japan, and still rely on toilet paper, which the speaker considers unhygienic and outdated.

What is the speaker's opinion on the German Security Agency BND's new surveillance law?

The speaker is critical of the new surveillance law, which allows the BND to legally hack internet providers and eavesdrop on citizens, comparing it to the NSA's mass surveillance revealed by Edward Snowden.

How does the speaker describe the train system in Germany?

The speaker describes the German train system as having poor handling, with an expensive and inefficient booking system, frequent delays, and a general decline in service quality over the years.

What is the issue with accessing specialist doctors in Germany according to the speaker?

The speaker points out that accessing specialist doctors in Germany is difficult for those with normal health insurance, with wait times of three to six months for appointments, indicating a shortage of doctors.

What is the speaker's view on Germany's political landscape?

The speaker views Germany's political landscape as lacking innovation and vision, with many conservative parties that are similar in their approaches and focus on maintaining the status quo rather than driving change.

Why does the speaker believe Germany is becoming a country of mediocrity?

The speaker believes Germany is becoming a country of mediocrity due to excessive regulations and bureaucracy that stifle innovation and ambition, leading to a decline in areas such as Nobel Prize wins and a general sense of dissatisfaction among the population.

Outlines

00:00

😩 Discontent with German Life and Education System

The speaker expresses initial amazement at German bread and beer but quickly turns to frustration with high taxes and the outdated German school system. They criticize the system's lack of updates and the federal states' control over education, leading to inconsistencies in teaching methods and poor performance in international studies like the Pisa rankings. The speaker also highlights the difficulty of moving between states for teachers due to differing regulations.

05:00

😤 Criticisms of German Internet, Over-regulation, and Toilets

The speaker laments the poor internet coverage in Germany, comparing it unfavorably to third-world countries and sharing personal experiences of better connectivity in developing nations. They also criticize Germany's over-regulation, affecting everything from building houses to starting companies, and the need for numerous licenses for various activities. Additionally, they express dissatisfaction with traditional German toilets, comparing them unfavorably to more modern systems in Asia.

10:01

😠 Issues with German Security, Bureaucracy, and Kitchens

The speaker discusses the German Security Agency BND's new law allowing extensive surveillance and hacking, expressing concern over privacy. They also touch on the pervasive bureaucracy in Germany, requiring extensive paperwork for simple tasks, and the lack of pre-installed kitchens in German flats, which they find inconvenient and illogical. The speaker further criticizes the German train system for its poor service, high costs, and unreliability.

15:03

😡 Challenges with Healthcare, Football, and Political Parties

The speaker complains about the long waiting times for specialist doctors in Germany and the shortage of general practitioners. They express disdain for the country's obsession with football and criticize the political landscape for its lack of innovation and similarity among parties. They also discuss the disappointment over the slow pace of legalization of marijuana and digitalization, and the perceived suppression of free speech in the media.

😔 High Taxes, Employee Protection, and Entrepreneurial Challenges

The speaker discusses the high taxes in Germany and the late Tax Freedom Day, questioning where the tax money is spent. They highlight the benefits of being an employee in Germany, such as strong protection and numerous holidays, but express frustration with the difficulties faced by entrepreneurs and freelancers due to bureaucracy. The speaker also comments on the national habit of complaining and the country's perceived mediocrity.

Keywords

💡Germany

Germany is the central subject of the video, where the speaker discusses both the positive and negative aspects of living in the country. The video's theme revolves around the dissatisfaction many Germans feel about various aspects of their country, despite its reputation as a developed nation.

💡Taxes

Taxes are a significant point of contention in the video, with the speaker expressing frustration about the high tax rates in Germany. The script mentions that many Germans feel they work all year just to pay taxes, which is a common complaint about the financial burden placed on citizens.

💡Education System

The German education system is criticized in the video for being outdated and ineffective, particularly at the primary and secondary levels. The speaker notes that the system has not been updated significantly in decades, leading to poor performance in international studies like the PISA rankings.

💡Internet Coverage

The video highlights the poor internet coverage in Germany, comparing it unfavorably to third-world countries. The speaker mentions that internet access is often lost when leaving urban areas, which is a major inconvenience for residents and travelers alike.

💡Over-regulation

Over-regulation is a recurring theme in the video, with the speaker discussing how excessive rules and regulations affect various aspects of life in Germany. This includes the need for licenses for activities like fishing and flying drones, which the speaker finds absurd.

💡Toilets

The speaker expresses dissatisfaction with the traditional toilet systems in Germany, comparing them unfavorably to more modern and hygienic systems found in Asia and Japan. This serves as a metaphor for the speaker's broader critique of Germany's outdated infrastructure and practices.

💡Surveillance

The video touches on the issue of surveillance in Germany, particularly by the German Security Agency (BND). The speaker mentions a new law that allows for extensive surveillance and hacking, which raises concerns about privacy and civil liberties.

💡Bureaucracy

Bureaucracy is a key point of criticism in the video, with the speaker describing Germany as having an excessive amount of paperwork and administrative hurdles for everyday tasks. This is seen as a major deterrent to efficiency and innovation.

💡Train System

The German train system is criticized in the video for its poor management, high costs, and frequent delays. The speaker contrasts the advanced infrastructure with the poor service, highlighting the frustration many Germans feel with this essential mode of transportation.

💡Doctors

The video discusses the challenges of accessing medical care in Germany, particularly for those with standard health insurance. The speaker mentions long waiting times for specialist appointments and a general shortage of doctors, which is a significant concern for the population.

💡Political Parties

The speaker criticizes the political landscape in Germany, suggesting that all parties are too similar and conservative. The video implies that there is a lack of innovative and forward-thinking policies, which contributes to a sense of stagnation in the country.

Highlights

Initial impressions of Germany include amazement at the quality of bread and beer, but disappointment with high taxes.

The German education system is criticized for being outdated, with teaching methods not updated for decades.

School system regulation by federal states hinders national educational reform and leads to disparities.

Germany's internet coverage is described as worse than third-world countries, with poor connectivity outside cities.

Over-regulation in Germany affects all aspects of life, with excessive rules and licensing requirements.

German toilets are criticized for being unhygienic and outdated compared to Asian and Japanese alternatives.

The BND is compared to the NSA in terms of mass surveillance, with new laws allowing intrusive monitoring.

NordVPN is promoted as a solution to privacy concerns, offering web protection and VPN services.

Bureaucracy in Germany is highlighted as a significant issue, with excessive paperwork and processes.

The lack of kitchen installations in German flats is noted as a common and frustrating issue for residents.

The German train system is criticized for its high costs, poor booking system, and frequent delays.

Difficulties in accessing specialist doctors in Germany due to long waiting times and a shortage of doctors.

Political stagnation in Germany is criticized, with a lack of innovative parties and a focus on maintaining the status quo.

Germany's media is accused of being influenced by the government, avoiding controversial topics and favoring certain industries.

High taxes in Germany are discussed, with the tax Freedom Day being significantly later than in other countries.

Employee protection in Germany is praised, but the difficulties of entrepreneurship and self-employment are highlighted.

A cultural tendency for Germans to complain is noted, even in the face of living in a relatively comfortable country.

Germany is described as a country of mediocrity due to its lack of vision, ambition, and leadership.

A decline in Germany's Nobel Prize winners is pointed out, suggesting a loss of innovation and excellence.

Transcripts

I hate Germany is what you will say

after you've moved here and have to

register at the Australia when you first

come here of course you will be like

whoa the bread is amazing the beer is so

good

but then when you see your taxes you

will feel just like the rest of us I

worked all year and this is what I get

to keep this is nothing and I think most

Germans feel that way we try to love our

country but we hate it I know I've been

responsible for many of you to move here

many even said the government should pay

me for promoting this country well they

haven't paid yet so I'm making this

video it's time to talk about the

downsides of our beloved Germany okay

let's go the whole world thinks that

Germany has an amazing education system

and that may be true for higher

education like University but if you

look at a normal school system that is a

joke the German school system was

implemented like a hundred years ago the

teaching method they use are 80 years

old and nobody has updated them much

ever since and people have been

complaining about this for decades one

of the reasons for this problem is that

the school system is regulated by the

federal states that means that even if

the government wants to change something

they can't because they have to ask the

local federal states to implement those

rules and they don't have to if they

don't want to the teaching methods from

eight years ago may have been amazing 80

years ago but a lot has changed since

then and all the teaching techniques in

Germany are outdated you just have to

look at the Pisa study that judges high

schoolers and how they perform Germany

continues to rank really really bad over

there it's a very difficult situation

and that also leads to a very imbalanced

education status of different federal

states for example if you go to school

in the north of Germany the old East

Germany the schools there are much worse

than South Germany like area and this

creates another problem for example if

you're a teacher in Berlin and you want

to move to Bavaria you can just move

there and teach in a school in Bavaria

because the regulations and the rules

are so different it is almost impossible

to accomplish that and if you do it is

very very hard one would think that

Germany as a first world country would

have great internet but it is exactly

the opposite the internet coverage here

is worse than in a third world country

is their fourth world even as soon as

you sit down on the train and you leave

the city you can forget about internet

you will have to spend 6 hours 8 hours

in the train in Germany without internet

for more than 70 percent of the time I'm

not even kidding this is how bad it is

every time I'm in a developing country

I'm amazed how good their internet is a

couple of years ago I was in Myanmar I

took a 14-hour bus ride throughout the

middle of nowhere and I had perfect

internet for the whole bus ride and when

I got to the destination I was staying

on an island that isn't even on Google

Maps and I had perfect internet how can

they manage to have good internet and

Germany doesn't I don't understand and

if you're living in a village in Germany

you can be even lucky to have a DSL

connection yeah that's how bad it is

many people think that Germany is a

strict and orderly country yeah and it

is true relative to other countries at

least but there is a little problem

coming with that it's the over

regulation yeah Germany is so over

regulated in every aspect of life there

is so many rules to follow no matter

what you're doing you want to build a

house

there's a book like this with rules and

regulations you want to start a biotech

company forget it people are fleeing

Germany to start companies there is

licenses and permits for the most

ridiculous things one can think of you

want to go fishing you need a license

you want to fly a drone you need a

license you want to get a metal detector

and look for stuff in the ground you

need a license even if you want to cut

down a tree to build a house you need a

license to cut down the tree

isn't that ridiculous it's become absurd

pretty much most things in Germany are

not fun to do because you need a license

for it

so bye

toilets

I hate toilets in Germany now this issue

is not exclusive to Germany but to all

of Europe but anyone who has ever been

to Asia or Japan knows there's a

different way to use toilets than just

with toilet paper yeah Southeast Asian

countries have jet sprays Japanese

toilets have automatic systems to clean

your butt

oh

still lives in the last century but

is unhygienic it's from the last century

I feel like a caveman using this

something needs to change this is no way

to build a toilet okay

okay how much remember Snowden and how

he revealed that the NSA is doing

illegal Mass surveillance on its own

citizen well the new kid in town is the

German Security Agency BND a new law

allows them to hack internet providers

and eavesdrop on basically anyone

legally that's something to hate

wouldn't you say well good thing that

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now

bureaucracy you really want me to get

started on bureaucracy

didn't think so now I'm not even going

to talk about this you all know how bad

it is and if you don't know just let me

tell you Germany is probably the country

with the most bureaucracy there's no

other country in the world probably that

has so much paperwork needed to do

anything

one thing that annoys not only most

Germans but all foreigners are German

kitchens or rather the lack of it if you

move in a German flat chances are it

doesn't come with a kitchen in probably

like 70 of the times you will have to

bring or buy your own kitchen if you

move into a flat I don't understand and

most people coming here don't understand

why do German kitchens not come

installed in the flat it doesn't make

any sense who wants to move and bring

their own flat I have moved so many

times in my life and I have moved into a

lot of flats without a kitchen and then

you're standing there in the first month

or two until you get a kitchen without a

kitchen and then you have to eat like

just bread from the bakery which is

great but you don't want to do that for

a month right if you have the chance

look for an apartment that comes with a

kitchen it will make your life so much

easier

trains

the train system in Germany may be

amazing the infrastructure but

everything else about it how they handle

it it is horrible the booking system is

terrible it's expensive and they are

always late I don't know what's going on

but from year to year the train system

is getting worse and worse in the last

year alone I took dozens of train rides

I don't remember the last time a train

was on time and it's become so

ridiculously expensive I mean the trains

are cheap if you book them three months

in advance but if you want to book a

spontaneous train next week or tomorrow

yeah good luck with that the German

train company the Deutsche Bahn punishes

people who don't plan ahead they hate

spontaneous people last week I almost

missed my train from Heidelberg to

Berlin for which I paid 30 Euro because

I booked it in advance and I was looking

up on the same day how much will be the

ticket if I missed this train it was 160

Euro I hate this I'm not a planner I

like to take spontaneous trips you know

but Deutsche ban won't allow me to do

that okay next we are going to talk

about doctors a lot of people rich

people from the Middle East they come

here they fly to heilberg to get some

operations because Germany has

apparently some of the best doctors in

the world and that may be true but if

you're a normal person with a normal

health insurance and you want to go to a

specialist doctor you better be prepared

to wait for three to six months to get

an appointment if you want to go to a

specialist there is no way unless it's

like a super emergency and you have to

go to the hospital anyway you will not

be able to get a specialist doctor

appointment in the near future so by the

time you have the appointment you're

probably healthy again and even if you

just want to go to a normal generalist

doctor chances are they're at full

capacity because Germany has such a big

doctor's shortage there's not enough

doctors for people it's really a

dreadful situation I don't know whose

fault this is but it's something to hate

football

so many people in Germany are crazy

about football it's always in the news

so many people don't know what else to

talk about and I find it boring

and I hate it

Germany has a lot of political parties

to choose from which is better than the

USA for example where you have only two

options but unfortunately all those

parties are kind of similar and very

conservative the political environment

is a joke to be honest they all talk

about the same conservative things and

they disagree in very small details it's

been decades since there was an

Innovative party who wanted to change

something in the country for the better

or had a vision for the future now what

the parties are trying to do is just not

break the country but they're not trying

to make it better change is bad

everything stays as it is totally yeah

what he said wait what did he say it

really doesn't matter which party you

vote for you can be sure nothing in this

country will change and that is in part

because of all the bureaucracy and the

regulations even if a party wants to

change something significant they can't

it takes forever to implement new laws

nothing cool is gonna come out of that

everybody was looking forward to the

legalization of wheat in Germany they

promised it and now they gave us a plan

on how this will look and everybody is

disappointed because it's not what they

promised we can be sure to wait another

10 years for the results another bad

example is the digitalization for 20

years they promised to make things more

digitalization

foreign

that you can do more things online and

it's happening slowly but if you look at

other countries we're basically living

in a stone age here Germany comes across

as a country that cares about Free

Speech a lot but it's newspapers are a

joke they all seem influenced by the

government and told to not cover any two

controversial topics or publish anything

that goes against German government

interests Tesla is being the best

example here they have been ridiculed in

the German media for years they were

made fun out of for so many different

stupid things you wouldn't even believe

it because they were a threat to the

German automotive industry of course

only when they started building this

gigafactory here in Berlin that changed

a little bit and if something bad

happens like the gang rep two months ago

here in Berlin you can be sure that the

newspapers will not publish who the

offenders were and of course who told

them not to it's those guys over there

because they fear an uprising in the

population

taxes Germany has some of the highest

taxes in the world

Pro you earn you can be sure not to even

keep the tax Freedom Day in Germany is

in mid July in the USA it is in May for

example two months earlier and if you

don't know what the tax Freedom Day is

that day points to that moment in the

year until you have worked only to pay

your taxes by the official government

calculation this day is in mid-july but

they are missing a few variables there

that we have to pay like the run from or

the vat on food and clothes and normal

Goods if you take those into account

this day would actually be in September

meaning that we have to pay 70 taxes

only and apart from that we have taxes

for the most ridiculous things we have a

dog tags you have to pay taxes for your

dog and another ridiculous one is the

church tax yeah the government is

collecting taxes for the church and

where's all this taxpayer money going

we Germans have no idea it's not going

into digitalization it's not going into

the school system the military is a joke

where does all the money end up I would

like to know next did you know that

Germany is a country of employees if you

are an employee you're in heaven here

employee Heaven that is employee

protection is insane here if you have a

job it's very hard to get kicked out of

that yes you pay a lot of taxes but you

enjoy a lot of benefits as well if

you're interested more in why it is so

great to be an employee here you should

watch this video right here but on the

other hand what sucks big time is if you

want to be an entrepreneur a freelancer

someone with no employee contract yeah

if you want to live a life like that the

government has a lot of rules for you oh

yeah and a lot of bureaucracy to fill

out so yeah if you want to start a

business in Germany I would not

recommend that because it's a pain in

the ass I don't know why the German

government hates people who want to be

self-employed and want to start a

startup and yeah it has become a bit

easier in the last few years but it's

still just the bureaucracy of it it's a

nightmare if you enjoy being an employee

Germany is an amazing country you have

great employee protection you have a lot

of holidays you have maternity leave

parental leave you name it but I don't

want to be an employee so I hate it here

you know what the national sports here

in Germany is no it's not football it's

complaining we Germans we love to

complain and I'm the first one in line a

German will always find something to

complain about even if he has the

perfect life he will find something to

complain about yeah we Germans are

living in a great country relative to

all the other countries but we still

think it sucks here if you talk to

random German you can be sure that 50 of

what he is saying he is complaining

about something whether it may be work

his family or the government if

complaining would be in the Olympics we

would win every single year just look at

the Statue yeah if a German looks at it

yeah he will not say oh wow this is

amazing it's so great he will look at it

and say Is that real gold are they

wasting it on this statue it's too shiny

anyway that way and why is it in the

middle of the road it's blocking the way

for all the people on the bikes here and

why is the city wasting all the money to

build this they could spend this money

much better yeah and I hate my life

and existence itself

many people dream of Germany they dream

of coming here to live here to work here

but the truth is Germany is a country of

mediocrity yeah you heard me right

Germany has become because of all the

regulations and the bureaucracy a

country of mediocrity the country has no

vision no ambition no leadership Germany

used to be a country of great poets

scientists musicians what is it now it

is a country full of people complaining

and being negative just look at the

statistics of people who won the Nobel

Prize in Germany before 1950 Germany was

the country who won regularly the most

Nobel prizes in the world and ever since

it's just going down and Germany is

being left behind it's sad really makes

me sad alright despite all that Germany

is still a very decent place to live at

least if you like bread and sausages if

you don't probably not and if you have

more things that you hate about Germany

please let the others know in the

comments below

see you in the next video