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Why Germany is Still Divided 30 Years Later
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Three decades after the fall of the Berlin Wall and German reunification, many Germans think the country is more divided than united. So in this video, we’ll explore this persistent East-West divide, the root causes of it and whether this could change.
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1 – https://www.stern.de/politik/deutsche-einheit–die-stimmung-ist-laut-umfrage-gekippt-33858156.html
2 – https://www.thelocal.de/20230926/33-years-on-are-east-and-west-germany-growing-apart
3 – https://www.instagram.com/p/Cx7onGKgVFv/
4 – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_German_states_by_GRP_per_capita
5 – https://www.n-tv.de/politik/Lohnluecke-zwischen-Ost-und-West-wird-groesser-article24267980.html
6 – https://www.bundesbank.de/en/tasks/topics/monthly-report-wealth-in-germany-up-significantly-908262
7 – https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2019/11/06/east-germany-has-narrowed-economic-gap-with-west-germany-since-fall-of-communism-but-still-lags/
8 – https://www.demogr.mpg.de/papers/working/wp-2010-033.pdf
9 – https://www.stern.de/politik/deutsche-einheit–die-stimmung-ist-laut-umfrage-gekippt-33858156.html
10 – https://economic-research.bnpparibas.com/html/en-US/Germany-East-West-moving-closer-together-10/2/2020,39375
11 – https://www.ifz-muenchen.de/en/news/topics/the-history-of-the-treuhandanstalt
12 – https://www.ifo.de/en/press-release/2020-09-16/germany-treuhandanstalt-sold-productive-companies-mainly-west
13 – https://mondediplo.com/2019/11/06germany
14 – https://www.econstor.eu/bitstream/10419/141048/1/vjh_v63_i01_pp048-052.pdf
15 – https://www.bundesregierung.de/breg-de/themen/deutsche-einheit/celebrating-german-unity-1965190
16 – https://www.dw.com/en/33-years-later-german-unity-completed-but-not-perfect/a-66953700
17 – https://www.reuters.com/article/us-germany-berlinwall-idUSKBN1X31T6
18 – https://www.dw.com/en/how-much-did-reunification-cost/video-18749903
19 – https://www.destatis.de/EN/Themes/Society-Environment/Population/Migration/east-west-migration.html
20 – https://www.ft.com/content/f1d0e732-d523-40db-b753-ae404498dc7a
21 – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gigafactory_Berlin-Brandenburg
22 – https://www.ft.com/content/8cb93bc0-d560-45e8-8fd3-ffd9b95cbba0
23 – https://www.dw.com/en/germany-intel-sign-deal-for-chip-factory-in-magdeburg/a-65962310
24 – https://www.dw.com/en/germany-study-shows-former-east-and-west-growing-apart/a-66923914
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In this video, we’ll discuss the EU’s new plan to quietly tax US Big Tech – and whether it could work.
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Sources:
The EU’s plan to capture US Big Tech revenue
https://www.ft.com/content/ad06ed89-f600-4694-8c95-7d53b6d3315b?syn-25a6b1a6=1
https://www.reuters.com/business/retail-consumer/brussels-looks-capture-big-tech-through-tax-large-corporations-ft-reports-2026-10-07/
EU rejects France’s calls for an EU-wide digital services tax
https://www.ft.com/content/e5a76494-71df-4ee0-a85f-b28f2c94ded6?syn-25a6b1a6=1
https://www.vatcalc.com/global/eu-holds-back-on-digital-services-tax-as-us-raises-retaliation-threat/
EU’s proposed CORE mechanism
https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/europpblog/2025/08/28/the-commissions-foray-into-corporate-taxation-a-core-problem-for-the-eu-budget/
https://commission.europa.eu/strategy-and-policy/eu-budget/long-term-eu-budget/eu-budget-2028-2034_en#driving-prosperity-via-competitiveness-research-and-innovation
US exempted from Pillar 2 of OECD’s global minimum corporate tax agreement
https://youtu.be/85voZ2FJhZk?si=6jVOHTB5CBTKvigd
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/jan/06/us-exemption-oecd-global-tax-deal-multinational-companies
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2021/oct/08/oecd-deal-imposes-global-minimum-corporate-tax-of-15
G7 statement on global minimum tax
https://www.canada.ca/en/department-finance/news/2025/06/g7-statement-on-global-minimum-taxes.html
https://www.ey.com/en_gl/technical/tax-alerts/canada-g7-releases-statement-on-global-minimum-tax-pillar-two-and-canada-rescinds-digital-services-tax
European Digital Services Taxes (DSTs)
https://taxfoundation.org/data/all/eu/digital-services-taxes-europe/
https://taxfoundation.org/testimony/pillar-one-digital-services-taxes/
https://www.reuters.com/en/germany-seeks-levy-10-tax-online-platforms-like-google-2025-05-29/
Accusations of tax avoidance by Silicon Valley tech companies
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/apr/15/silicon-six-accused-of-avoiding-almost-278bn-in-us-corporation-taxes-over-10-years
https://itep.org/trump-meta-tesla-alphabet-amazon-obbba-taxes/
https://itep.org/amazon-alphabet-meta-tesla-pro-trump-tech-companies-avoided-taxes/
0:00 The EU’s Sneaky Plan to Tax US Big Tech Explained
7:36 Sponsor
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In this video, we will investigate how Russia uses bots for its influence campaigns, how the recent strikes may have affected Russian bots and what this could mean for Russia.
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0:00 Has Ukraine De-Russified the Internet?
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In this video, we’re going to explain why the Trump-Putin diesel deal is probably illegal; whether it’ll get struck down; and why – either way – it’s a pretty rubbish deal anyway, even from Trump’s perspective.
📰 Too Long: https://toolong.news/
🎉 TLDR Party: https://toolong.news/pages/tldr-party
📖 Read our Manifesto: https://tldrnews.co.uk/manifesto
Our mission is to explain news and politics in an impartial, efficient, and accessible way, balancing import and interest while fostering independent thought.
TLDR is a completely independent & privately owned media company that’s not afraid to tackle the issues we think are most important. The channel is run by a small group of young people, with us hoping to pass on our enthusiasm for politics to other young people. We are primarily fan sourced with most of our funding coming from donations and ad revenue. No shady corporations, no one telling us what to say. We can’t wait to grow further and help more people get informed. Help support us by subscribing, engaging and sharing. Thanks!
Sources
Diesel prices/components
https://tradingeconomics.com/united-states/us-diesel-sales-price-$-per-gallon-w-na-fed-data.html
https://tradingeconomics.com/commodity/brent-crude-oil
https://www.ft.com/content/f117f347-e1e0-457c-83fc-ba4745581bb2?syn-25a6b1a6=1
Fuel vs Dem congressional ballot
https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2026/09/17/high-petrol-prices-could-hand-democrats-a-mighty-midterm-victory
Trump Truth Social posts
https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/117412435306815143
https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/117422699218841250
Zelenskyy comments
https://www.axios.com/2026/10/09/exclusive-zelensky-putin-trump-diesel-deal
https://thehill.com/policy/international/6141601-russia-strikes-ukraine-power-plant/
Laws
https://thehill.com/homenews/house/6140830-fitzpatrick-bill-block-russian-oil/
https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/6968
https://ofac.treasury.gov/sanctions-programs-and-country-information/countering-americas-adversaries-through-sanctions-act-related-sanctions
https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/5025
Reports that Russia lacks refining capacity
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/10/10/why-is-us-turning-to-russia-for-diesel-despite-sanctions
0:00 Why the Trump-Putin Diesel Deal is Already Falling Apart
7:11 Sponsor
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Last month, Ursula von der Leyen announced the formation of a European Security Council that would help to coordinate a response and strategy against hybrid attacks. In this video, we’re taking a look at how this could look like and the hurdles standing in the way.
Von der Leyen’s New Plan for European Independence Explained: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ec_4Un6JrAY
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Our mission is to explain news and politics in an impartial, efficient, and accessible way, balancing import and interest while fostering independent thought.
TLDR is a completely independent & privately owned media company that’s not afraid to tackle the issues we think are most important. The channel is run by a small group of young people, with us hoping to pass on our enthusiasm for politics to other young people. We are primarily fan sourced with most of our funding coming from donations and ad revenue. No shady corporations, no one telling us what to say. We can’t wait to grow further and help more people get informed. Help support us by subscribing, engaging and sharing. Thanks!
Sources:
https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/ov/SPEECH_26_1868
https://sieps.se/en/publications/2026/forging-european-strategic-unity-the-case-for-a-european-security-council/
https://www.martenscentre.eu/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/european-security-council-blueprint.pdf
https://www.politico.eu/article/donald-trump-greenland-crisis-revives-calls-for-european-security-council/
https://www.chathamhouse.org/2020/07/future-e3/origins-and-development-e3
https://www.nato.int/en/what-we-do/introduction-to-nato/the-consultation-process-and-article-4
https://www.iss.europa.eu/publications/commentary/european-security-council-between-strategic-need-and-institutional
https://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/BRIE/2024/757822/EPRS_BRI(2024)757822_EN.pdf
00:00 – Introduction
01:52 – Historic Attempts
03:49 – The Alternatives
08:01 – Planet Wild
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As protests take over the streets of dozens of Spanish cities, we explain what caused the country’s housing crisis, how it eventually toppled Sánchez’s government, and what might happen in November.
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📖 Read our Manifesto: https://tldrnews.co.uk/manifesto
Our mission is to explain news and politics in an impartial, efficient, and accessible way, balancing import and interest while fostering independent thought.
TLDR is a completely independent & privately owned media company that’s not afraid to tackle the issues we think are most important. The channel is run by a small group of young people, with us hoping to pass on our enthusiasm for politics to other young people. We are primarily fan sourced with most of our funding coming from donations and ad revenue. No shady corporations, no one telling us what to say. We can’t wait to grow further and help more people get informed. Help support us by subscribing, engaging and sharing. Thanks!
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Tech EU News3 years agoeuronews U talk – Education: Balancing costs and benefits of the Bologna process
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Sports EU2 years ago
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@quanghuynguyenang8455
February 15, 2024 at 8:08 pm
Hehe, we are still here the same: South Vietnam still run on capitalism system today is what I have just discovered here
@chillxxx241
February 15, 2024 at 8:08 pm
They should build factories in the East to build weapons to replenish German stocks and for Ukraine.
@dreamingflurry2729
February 15, 2024 at 8:08 pm
Easy! Because of mistakes made by the Treuhand (the organization that destroyed most of former East-Germany's companies, because most of them had no future really – but they went about it in a bad way), because German governmets ever since have pampered the former East-Germany (everybody had to pay the Soli – solidarity-payment – to "pave the roads with gold" over there (yes: I am exagerating – still, they have good roads, good schools etc. while over here a lot of things are falling apart or have crappy equipment, especially schools!))
It was simply a botched, rushed job this re-unification! We should have kept the border closed, till the problems were fixed!
@Unfamed
February 15, 2024 at 8:08 pm
Wow this video is really something. Apparently capitalism is the reason the communist state failed to feed and clothe their people. Amazing stuff lads.
@rudolfkraffzick642
February 15, 2024 at 8:08 pm
The main divison in Germany is mentally. After 1945, the east didn't enjoy or suffer US political education nor the west German idea to overcome radically the traditional European Nations by a federal European Union. East Germany kept the Reichsbahn (Imperial Railways) and much of the Prussian cultural style of serving the state in a humble way.
Roughly the Elbe and Saale rivers have always been a mental divide west-east.
@matthewcao2279
February 15, 2024 at 8:08 pm
its the equivalent as breaking your arm and having it completely healed. your arm that got your cast off would still feel significantly sore and weaker
@lorenzociliberto9564
February 15, 2024 at 8:08 pm
Well, East Germany is less US-propaganda victim. The can think of theirselves.
@hulagukhan123223
February 15, 2024 at 8:08 pm
And EU wants a broke and corrupt country like Ukraine. They will only get pain
@harryschubert2490
February 15, 2024 at 8:08 pm
If they had had Skillshare in the GDR socialism would have worked!
@DeanFWilson
February 15, 2024 at 8:08 pm
While there is still a divide, the fact that they were able to reunite so quickly and successfully is something to be commended.
@lolexplosions4214
February 15, 2024 at 8:08 pm
german has been around sense 1866 from Prussia.
@flawyerlawyertv7454
February 15, 2024 at 8:08 pm
Sad. :/
@danielkelso1524
February 15, 2024 at 8:08 pm
East Germany is, however, way cooler than West Germany. Just a fact. Leipzig, Dresden, Berlin und Potsdam sind alle geile Städte
@TheLooking4sunset
February 15, 2024 at 8:08 pm
Imagine what the soviets did to Warsaw pact countries such as East Germany, Poland or Hungary, that surely explains some of cultural developments. Also in East Germany women were much more empowered than in the rich West germany so getting reduced to a hausfrau in a “golden cage”didn’t go down as well for women migrants to West Germany..
@shronklescrimblo69
February 15, 2024 at 8:08 pm
Lol communism never works
@gordonpi8674
February 15, 2024 at 8:08 pm
Because the East is Slavic, and the West is Germanic.
@BoboSLO1
February 15, 2024 at 8:08 pm
East germany can have at least 15 mio ppl more . And Poland would have 65 mio ppl at least 😉 ukraine 110 mio ppl amd Russia 400 mio ppl from.which 170mio ppl east of ural
@bb2866
February 15, 2024 at 8:08 pm
so what? Northern and Southern England have even deeper differences
@bb2866
February 15, 2024 at 8:08 pm
so what?
@robertjohnson6601
February 15, 2024 at 8:08 pm
It might have been smart to just allow the two cultures time to know one another. Then let them come together naturally. It was too rushed.
@marke7441
February 15, 2024 at 8:08 pm
Big
@greyghost4448
February 15, 2024 at 8:08 pm
Another interesting difference is, that in the east, with the exception of mayor cities, there is a higher ratio of male to female inhabitants, than in the west.
@MegaSavvis
February 15, 2024 at 8:08 pm
there's no link to the east/west European divide video in the description…
@ekesandras1481
February 15, 2024 at 8:08 pm
Before the Treuhand even started to function, the East German state owned companies had already completely lost their markets, by Poland effectively blocking its borders for exports to the Soviet Union, and other former socialist neighbours simply just stopped buying East German products. Exporting to the than remaining socialist countries like Ethiopia, Syria, South Yemen, Cuba or North Korea was no alternative, since those countries were all poor. And since East Germany was the overzealous sock puppet of Russia, they had historically very bad relations to Communist China, so China was no alternative either. East Germany was simply bankrupt, completely bankrupt. Their business model had totally fallen apart. Not even the most advanced East German products, like their micro-electronics, found any customers on the world market.
@JLAvey
February 15, 2024 at 8:08 pm
If West cost of living is also three times of East, then it's not do uneven. It's not just how much you make but how far it goes.
@manolokonosko2868
February 15, 2024 at 8:08 pm
The East German women are damn better looking than the fat ones from the West.
@chanlate
February 15, 2024 at 8:08 pm
Happiness does not come about only due to external circumstances; it mainly derives from inner attitudes.
@stevemcgowen
February 15, 2024 at 8:08 pm
Germany made the mistake of letting Ruzzians stay and inviting in millions more…
@random-J
February 15, 2024 at 8:08 pm
Botched unification
@edwardcrone2465
February 15, 2024 at 8:08 pm
I would love to see similar comparisons between East Germany and Russia proper.
@Flash.904
February 15, 2024 at 8:08 pm
This is pretty good. It’s worth noting the reasons behind West Germany’s higher overall wealth were in large parts due to the fact that it saw less destruction from WWII than the East did and also had access to US Marshal Plan funds, whereas East Germany’s superpower – the Soviet Union – also saw extensive damage from the war and needed to rebuild itself as well as East Germany
@sablinlover1198
February 15, 2024 at 8:08 pm
this shows that the annexation of the ddr/gdr was a humanitarian and political mistake
@petrsukenik9266
February 15, 2024 at 8:08 pm
Short answer: 40 years of communism made eastern germany less competetive and politicaly uneducated
@sig7948
February 15, 2024 at 8:08 pm
ahahaahaha someone say that recent special on east and west, and decided to make a worse version of it.
@barrysteven5964
February 15, 2024 at 8:08 pm
You said 'gotten' again. You're from England not Ohio. It sounds silly as though you're trying to sound cool. Just don't.
The report however was extremely well researched and I loved that you pointed out that when the two countries came together they didn't merge to create a new country. One side swallowed the other. I don't think the GDR ever forgave the sense of humiliation.
@divinewind6313
February 15, 2024 at 8:08 pm
I heard that because of isolation ,Korean language in DPRK is now different to that spoken in ROK.
@rolandroland4366
February 15, 2024 at 8:08 pm
😢
@rolandroland4366
February 15, 2024 at 8:08 pm
Treuhand had exploited the East German in a massive manner! 😢
@soewin9784
February 15, 2024 at 8:08 pm
Wise Civilized Germans live in West Germany.
@bettyswallocks6411
February 15, 2024 at 8:08 pm
Germany is more equal, less divided than the tory Britain (or UK). I’m British, living in Austria. I’ve travelled widely in the EU and especially the UK. Yes, there are differences ib Germany, but the Germans are actively trying to fully integrate the two parts of the country. It was never going to happen overnight, especially given the degradation of the East. Meanwhile, the tories are doing their egregious best to concentrate wealth in the South East of the UK and make the rest fight over scraps.
@christiansrensen5958
February 15, 2024 at 8:08 pm
This is a very misleading and misunderstood topic. The economic effects of the east/west divide are still noticeable. Our actual 'divide' is North/South. Linguistically and culturally we approximately use the Aldi Equator (the exception is Köln and surrounding area in NRW). Those are considered North. If you go far east/west we can still understand each other. However, I am from Hamburg. I can understand Dutch more easily than say, Schwäbisch/Swiss german or Bayrisch/Austrian German.