Nobody can accuse us Germans of failing to focus on problems. This is evident right now: we are being bombarded with grave announcements of an ever steeper slide in the economy. Economists are outbidding each other with downbeat forecasts. As far as the economy was concerned the year was dried and dusted, and we should count ourselves lucky if things pick up again in 2010. Businesses and private households needed to be informed as it had not yet fully dawned on them that a crisis was in full swing. /Only available in German