A view from another planet

摘要

National stereotypes can become outdated. Some British food today holds its own against French cuisine. Swiss trains do not always run on time. Similarly, Germany's image as the sick man of Europe, with high costs and flabby firms unable to compete in the global marketplace, is now starting to curl at the edges. German business is regaining its vigour. To make such a claim in the week when new figures showed that Germany's GDP fell by 0.2% in the fourth quarter of last year, leaving output only 0.6% up on a year ago, may seem a touch unworldly. However, coming from a different planet sometimes makes it easier to peer through the conventional wisdom. A Martian landing on Earth today and faced with a choice between investing in America or Germany might well choose the latter.