President Hochburger's Remarks on East German Claims

The claims made by the East German authorities are inherently misleading and unrepresentative of the realities on the ground. Simply put, the East German hypothesis on "defeating America" itself stands on shaky ground. Several important comparisons can be made for both nations. 1. The U.S. continues to lead in economic and labor indices, possessing much higher fiscal discipline (89–61) as well as household income and real wages (69–64) 2. The U.S. continues to lead in civil liberties in policing (57–52) as well as popular participation (64–53) 3. The U.S. continues to lead in transparency (74–32) and anti-corruption (81–69) Most importantly, the East Germans are running a deficit worth 4.5% of their GDP. The U.S., meanwhile, runs on a 2.4% of GDP surplus. The point can thus be made that the East Germans chose expensive projects over long-term financial discipline, which is highly irresponsible and quite typical of socialist regimes. West Berlin shall remain West German!