The German parliament intends to hike taxes again. This time it’s a VAT increase of a whole 3 percent to 19. They just don’t get it. The problem with Germany is that no-one spends any money, and now people will spend even less. Everyone’s scared, and the tabloid contribution to the debacle will only heighten the innate tax-fear spreading through the country. The reason behind it is Germany’s budget deficit is in so much trouble, and the EU wants to send in some kind of evil budget police force consisting of Dutch prostitutes who will systematically rob members of German’s lower house.

No, of course they won’t. Sometimes Germany’s tax policies appear to be the work of little mice, locked in a cellar protecting their last bit of Edam. Animal metaphor aside – false security is the work of the devil and will eventually take control of us all and then we'll be sorry.