Is germany a democratic country ?

Question

ok so im going to germany in a few weeks and i was wondering if its different from the states like i mean here in usa u have to be 18 to do things in germany not really (from what i heard) like i heard you can get your ears pierced under the age of 18 and with out parents premition ...oh and you can buy cigarettes and u dont even have to be 18 hahahahah. isent that kinda wrong thoe

Answer 1

Lots of things are allowed in Germany, like they have cigarette automates, so you can buy cigarettes when nobody is around. And people drink beer at an early age, again you can buy beer at automates at a train station.

The only thing the German Police does not like is when people come to visit and don't know how to spell in English. They will punish you for that. They will lock you up and throw away the key.

Answer 2

Well in Germany there are communists in the national parliament - and in many state parliaments. In Berlin they even run the city - xenophobic as they are.In many states there are n***s in parliament - in the eastern states. Sad.  

Answer 3

I am wondering how your question is related to the other problems you are describing. What relation is between democracy and the age to buy cigarettes and get piercings legally? I don't get it, sorry.

But it is true that you are allowed to buy soft alcoholic drinks (like beer or wine) from the age of 16, as well as cigarettes. It is even allowed to consume such things in public (only on a view places it is restricted). I don't know about piercings, but I guess it is right that you don't need to be 18. But you need to be 18 to get a drivers license.

And yes, Germany is a democratic country.

Answer 4

Only by looks. It's slowly getting less and less liberal with all the bannings and invasion of freedoms.

Answer 5

im an american living in germany, well they changed the tabacco law.

Now you have to be 18 to buy cigarettes.

You can buy beer if you are 16.

Everything else is over 18.

and if you are 18 you are grown by law.

Means you can buy any alcohol and go to clubs.

piercing I don´t know , but you can ask when you here.

enjoy

Answer 6

In Germany, the legal age for EVERYTHING is 18:

- Buying beer and Schnaps

- Buying cigarettes or smoking in public

- Driving a car

- Getting pierced

- Being drafted (yes, we have a draft!) to the army

No exceptions without parent's permission.

Getting your ears pierced for a common earring, however, is some sort of "traditional treat" and will not require parent's permission. Some special piercing on other parts of the ear, however, will. Unless you turn to someone who does it illegally; but then again, you could also use a piece of soap and a big needle, like our ancestors did.

They raised the legal age for buying cigarettes recently from 16 to 18, that's true. But show me ONE 16-year-old who doesn't know someone to provide him with cigarettes if he wants to smoke.

Our criminal law, however, shows some compassion for people who have just become 18: Up to the age of 21, "youth criminal law" can be applied to you, if, according to the judge, "you're not mentally developped enough to comprehend the full consequences of your crime" [rough translation from German penal code].

Isn't that a nice country? Where you can almost kill somebody and get away with 4 years instead of a lifetime sentence, just because you are young enough?

I think it is. They give young people a chance, for the good or worse. And I liked this country better (I grew up here) when there were less regulations. I made my mistakes, but you only learn by them. I would like to live in a country where they allow almost everything and forbid as little as possible. Germany was such a country. It has changed for the worse. We traded security for freedom.

Answer 7

Why don't you go and get some stats on Germany before going there? Might be that what you "heard" was not all that correct. Like others have said before, the laws have changed, and buying cigarettes (for instance) is not as "easy" as it was before. True, there are automates where you can buy them, but they have devices for checking your european drivers license or debit card to verify your age before spitting out the cigarettes. And while it is easy to get alcohol even if you are underage, the people selling the stuff aren't stupid. If you prance around giggling being excited to buy alcohol and speak English, they'll ask for your idea for sure.

As for getting your ears pierced: I have no idea. Everything else you can only get pierced if you are over 18, or with parental permission, so I guess ears are no exception. And neither are tattoos, so don't get any ideas.

As for things being "wrong" in Germany... there are things each and every one of us German users on this site could probably say was "wrong" with the US/Canada/Italy/the Mars... . We don't though, because we learned that prejudice doesn't really serve a traveler well. Some learn that the hard way. I hope you are not going to be one of them.

Welcome to Germany, and enjoy!

Answer 8

sounds like you will have some issues there..you seem a bit disrespectful since you label something as "kinda wrong" when you haven't even been there...good luck bud