> Germany seems like a great country to be an employee as long as you're happy with making a fraction of what you'd make in any other country and have no designs of doing anything more with your professional life

Are you trying to just incite reactions? This is a very unfair take. German salaries are among the highest in Europe, sixth highest according to Wikipedia, and for many Europeans and non-Europeans it still is a land of opportunity. Certainly a better place to be a professional than almost "any other country", as you put it.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_European_countries_by_...