That trial eventually fell apart on a technicality, leaving the door open for the Hamburg ruling. The Finance Ministry, meanwhile, has announced its intention, which runs counter to those in the United States and Japan, of introducing taxes on Internet-based commerce after this fall's upcoming national elections. With more than 400,000 service providers potentially affected, the economic consequences could be disastrous, and many small companies would simply have to close up shop altogether. The proposed laws originally included officially sanctioned wiretapping of journalists, medical professionals, and suspected criminals until they were watered down by public outrage. Despite the voices of protest from within even Kohl's own conservative Christian Democratic Party, laws such as the telecommunications surveillance order may be permitted to stand.
Old habits are hard to break, especially the bad ones.
Germany cannot join the global economic frenzy, much less help lead it, while retreating to its own private infosphere. Wired Digital Inc. All rights reserved.