Spaßbremse

It's Tee trinken time! Hosts Michelle (@shhellgames) and Ted (@ted_knudsen) are joined by producer Isaac (@wuermann) and friend of the pod Alice (@aalicerrose) to talk about Germans' bizarre obsession with alternative medicines such as homeopathy and anthroposophy.  The articles referenced on this episode are:  - Homeopathy doesn't work. So why do so many Germans believe in it? by Sami Emory in Bloomberg  - Ginger root and meteorite dust: The Steiner 'Covid cures' offered in Germany by Philip Oltermann in the Guardian  On this episode we also announced our new Patreon! We'll still be publishing full-length episodes twice monthly available on our main podcast feed, but Patreon supporters will also get access to a couple bonus episodes per month. It's a tough time out there so we totally understand if you don't have the capacity to support right now, but if you're able we'd really appreciate you becoming a subscriber. All the details here: www.patreon.com/spassbremse Follow Spaßbremse on Twitter (@spassbremse_pod). Music by Lee Rosevere. Art by Franziska Schneider.

What's behind Die Linke's abysmal 4.9% result in Germany's latest federal election? Michelle (@shhellgames) and Ted (@ted_knudsen) conduct their own post-mortem with Alex Brentler (@full_enjoyment) and Loren Balhorn (@fraubalhorn) from Jacobin Germany.  Sources: Alex Brentler with an election post-mortem for Die Linke Loren Balhorn on Die Linke's lack of pre-election strategy Quinn Slobodian on the "Aufstehen" movement Produced by Isaac Würmann (@wuermann). Follow Spaßbremse on Twitter (@spassbremse_pod). Music by Lee Rosevere. Art by Franziska Schneider.

After recovering from their election night hangovers, Spaßbremse hosts Michelle (@shhellgames) and Ted (@ted_knudsen) sit down with Julia (@KMarxiana), Nick (@sternburgpapi) and Ciarán (@ciarandold) from Corner Späti to hash out the results. Why did die Linke do so poorly? Will Christian Lindner finally become finance minister? Will your Deutsche Wohnen-owned apartment be socialized as soon as the Giffey cabinet takes office? You'll have to listen to find out!  Produced by Isaac Würmann (@wuermann).  Follow Spaßbremse on Twitter (@spassbremse_pod). Music by Lee Rosevere. Art by Franziska Schneider.

Hosts Michelle (@shhellgames) and Ted (@ted_knudsen) are joined by Spaßbremse producer Isaac (@wuermann) to go over the final polls and debates before tomorrow's election.  Join us tomorrow to watch the results! We'll be hanging out with our friends from the Corner Späti podcast at Donau115 in Neukölln from 17:30. Apparently there will be prizes! For more info, check out the Facebook event page. Follow Spaßbremse on Twitter (@spassbremse_pod). Music by Lee Rosevere. Art by Franziska Schneider.

Ted (@ted_knudsen) and Michelle (@shhellgames) sit down with Nick (@sternburgpapi) and Ciarán (@ciarandold) from Corner Späti (@cornerspaeti) to break down the major parties in the lead-up to the September 26 elections. Tangents include Armin Laschet's Instagram influencer son and the FDP's bisexual lighting.  Produced by Isaac Würmann (@wuermann). On election night we'll be hanging out again with the Corner Späti crew, this time for our first live show! Join us at Donau115 in Neukölln from 17:30 as we make fun of politicians and collectively groan as the results roll in. For more info, check out the Facebook event page. Follow Spaßbremse on Twitter (@spassbremse_pod). Music by Lee Rosevere. Art by Franziska Schneider.

If you live in Berlin or have visited the city in the past few months, you've undoubtedly seen the purple and yellow posters of the Deutsche Wohnen & Co. enteignen referendum campaign lining the streets of every Kiez. With the referendum vote coming up in less than two weeks (!!), Spaßbremse co-host Michelle (@shhellgames) sits down with campaign organizer Thomas McGath (@tamcgath) to discuss what expropriating private landlords could mean for Berlin. Ahead of the interview, Ted (@ted_knudsen) joins Michelle to give a bit of context about housing politics in Berlin.  Produced by Isaac Würmann (@wuermann).  To learn more about the campaign, check out this piece that Spaßbremse producer Isaac wrote for Slate back in May. This episode also references a report called "Who owns the city?" published by the Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung earlier this year. Thomas himself also wrote an op-ed about housing politics in Berliner Zeitung. On election night (September 26th), we'll also be doing our first live show with fellow podcasters Corner Späti! Join us at Donau115 in Neukölln. We'll be there from 17:30 making fun of politicians and collectively groaning as the results roll in. For more info, check out the Facebook event page. Follow Spaßbremse on Twitter (@spassbremse_pod). Music by Lee Rosevere. Art by Franziska Schneider.

What's with the Schuldenbremse and the Schwarze Null? Ted interviews Philippa Sigl-Glöckner (@PhilippaSigl), director of the economic policy think-tank Dezernat Zukunft, about German politicians' aversion to running deficits and how that affects people's lives in Germany and beyond. Following the interview, Ted (@ted_knudsen) and Michelle (@shhellgames) read a piece by Wolfgang Schäuble published earlier this year in the Financial Times so you don't have to. Produced by Isaac Würmann (@wuermann). To learn more about Philippa and Dezernat Zukunft, check out their website (www.dezernatzukunft.org) or follow them on Twitter (@DezernatZ).  In a few weeks, we'll also be doing our first live show with fellow podcasters Corner Späti! Join us at Donau115 in Neukölln on September 26th for election night. We'll be there from 17:30 making fun of politicians and collectively groaning as the results roll in. For more info, check out the Facebook event page.  Follow Spaßbremse on Twitter (@spassbremse_pod). Music by Lee Rosevere. Art by Franziska Schneider.

On this episode of Spaßbremse, Michelle (@shhellgames) and Ted (@ted_knudsen) dive into the myth of Angela Merkel, the so-called "leader of the free world." As we enter into the final month before the Sept. 26 election that will choose her successor, let's talk about how Merkel became such a beloved figure around the world, while at the same time forcing through an austerity agenda, dropping the ball on climate policy, and creating a more unequal Germany. Produced by Isaac Würmann (@wuermann). To read up on some of the finer details discussed in this episode, check out these links: - Has Angela Merkel Lived Up to Her 'Climate Chancellor' Aspirations? published by Deutsche Welle  - Kanzlerin Merkel, Klimaschutz und Katastrophen published by Deutsche Welle  - Sechs Mythen über Merkel published by taz - Die frühen Jahre der Angela Merkel by Richard Herzinger for Welt  - A Problem with Democracy, an extract from Wolfgang Streeck's book How Will Capitalism End? published by Verso  - Overrated—Now Fading by Wolfgang Münchau in EuroIntelligence  - The Merkel Effect, an interview with Oliver Nachtwey in Jacobin Follow Spaßbremse on Twitter (@spassbremse_pod). Music by Lee Rosevere. Art by Franziska Schneider.

In the final installment of our series of German reunification, Michelle (@shhellgames) and Ted (@ted_knudsen) discuss the ways East Germany continues to be (mis)remembered in popular and political culture. Produced by Isaac Würmann (@wuermann). To read up on some of the finer details discussed in this episode, check out these links: - A Second Life for Socialist Realism by Magdalena Moskalewicz  - Judging the Past in Unified Germany by A. James McAdams Music by Lee Rosevere. Art by Franziska Schneider.

In the third installment of this series, Michelle (@shhellgames) and Ted (@ted_knudsen) interview American journalist Victor Grossman about his experience defecting to East German in the early 1950s and living through German reunification. Produced by Isaac Würmann (@wuermann) with help this week from Tom Wills (@tomwills).  To learn more about Victor, check out his two books:  Crossing the River: A Memoir of the American Left, the Cold War, and Life in East Germany A Socialist Defector: From Harvard to Karl-Marx-Allee And check out Victor's Berlin Bulletin on theleftberlin.com.  Music by Lee Rosevere. Art by Franziska Schneider.