02-03 Germany

There are ten times the number of breweries and bakeries in Germany as in the UK and the US on a per capita basis. In the German bakery photo, the apprentice must work for at least five years before getting a master’s ticket. He or she learns a craft and how to run a business at the same time.
And because of the powerful German apprenticeship system, small craft-based companies, like the bakery, have a low failure rate like franchises in North America.
In Germany it is all about efficiency, organization, skills training, self discipline and reliability. Listening to Germans at international small business conferences during the 1970s, 80s and 90s, it is easy to see the differences in culture between Germany and the Anglo-Saxon societies.
In the US, for example, the focus is on the consumer. In Germany it is on the producer and the worker. There is an employer-employee bond in German culture that you do not see in Britain, the US, Canada, Australia or New Zealand.
And unlike so much of Europe and North America, Germany has kept a strong manufacturing base. And surprise, surprise, there is a stronger small business sector in Germany compared to what they like to call “free-enterprise” America.
This bit of German history helps us appreciate Germany during the pandemic. First we have the German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, with a PhD in Chemistry. Her leadership has been steady and science-based.
And like Canada, there has been no divisions between the German federal government and the fractious German states.
But the low level of Coronavirus deaths compared to Britain and the US is attributed to the superior German testing system. This pulls out sick people early and ensures they are properly isolated. And while most of the world has closed its factories, Germany’s have stayed open.
And the strong German health system ensures adequate numbers of well equipped hospitals.
We have a superb example of how to run a federal state. Clear, focused leadership at the top and well managed functioning states getting the job done.
There are lots of questions about the future of the European Union, which I like to refer to as the German Empire. And why call it the German empire? Well, not only is Germany the economic power house, but the only nation that pays its bills.
So, in a time of crisis, it is Germany with the ability to produce medical equipment, Germany with the lending power, and Germany with the ability to help its neighbours. Yes, the Empire is intact.
And believe it or not, it is Germany providing the global leadership that we use to get from the United States.