All right. We are live with Alexander Mercuris and once again joining us on the Duran. We have the fantastic Jeffrey Sachs. How are you doing, Professor Sachs?

Well, like we all are. We're trying to get day to day, but happy to be with you guys. It's great to have you with us. I have the links where you can follow Professor Sacks, including his excellent websites, where he posts all of his articles and interviews. Alexander, Jeffrey, Professor Sacks, let's get started. Before we get started, just a quick hello to everyone that is watching us on Rockfin, Rumble, Odyssey, YouTube, and our community on locals at durand.com.

And a big shout out and thank you to our moderators.

Thank you very much for all that you do.

Gentlemen, let's start off with Germany and then we've got a lot of other things that we can discuss.

Obviously, so Alexander, Professor Sacks, let's get started.

Yes, let's indeed talk about Germany because there's a lot of news coming from there.

There's also a lot of economic news, which is of course what provides the background to the political news.

And today I understand the big story in Germany

is not the elections in the Inn, in Syringia and Saxony, it's the problems of Volkswagen,

which is now talking about closing its factories and it's apparently economic problems and

there's lots of other things going on

economically in Germany. The German economy, especially if you read the British newspapers,

which are never very kind about Germany, it must be said. But anyway, I think it's probably true

that the German economy is in some difficulties. And nobody talks, at least nobody outside Germany, wants to talk,

I think about the proximate cause, which is that Germany has been manoeuvred into a conflict

with Russia, with which it had a good and stable economic relationship.

And not just Russia, but it's been pressured to take steps against other countries like China,

which were also important trade partners for Germany.

And I should say I have strong connections with Germany. My wife is

half German. I travel there regularly. I was there a few weeks ago before these elections. I was in

Western Germany. I don't know the east of Germany at all, apart from Berlin, but I was very, very surprised about the mood

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