[Archived] Have The Germans Weakened The Euro?

[thenodrog]

The Greek debt has largely come about through tax avoidance, national budget mismanagement and Government corruption, not the lifestyle of the people themselves. That's a fairly old and inaccurate stereotype.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-31803814

http://www.newstatesman.com/blogs/world-affairs/2012/05/exploding-myth-feckless-lazy-greeks

A couple of links if you fancy a read.

Germany at the bottom and Greece at the top of the 'hours worked' table rather bears out the old adage... 'don't work harder, work smarter'.

[DE.]

Bottom line is the Greeks have ultimately been failed by their Governments, not through being lazy.

I honestly don't see a way out of it for them, inside or outside the Eurozone their country is going to be an absolute mess for a long time to come and there is nothing their citizens can do other than leave or deal with it.

[yoda]

Bottom line is the Greeks have ultimately been failed by their Governments, not through being lazy.

I honestly don't see a way out of it for them, inside or outside the Eurozone their country is going to be an absolute mess for a long time to come and there is nothing their citizens can do other than leave or deal with it.

Obviously the EU is not about equality for all, French and Germans are more equal

[thenodrog]

Obviously the EU is not about equality for all, French and Germans are more equal

Animal Farm?

The germans I can cope with (just) but not the bloody French!!

[DE.]

Obviously the EU is not about equality for all, French and Germans are more equal

This is the problem when you create a fake super-state. The only way for this Eurozone concept to work is to have a central Government that sets the necessary budgets and rules to keep the Euro stable. The inevitable scenario otherwise is that some states will fare worse than others, and when the time comes to prop them up the stronger countries will feel resentful over it and the leaders of these countries will look to strengthen their own position as a result.

[Paul]

Anybody know the answer to the above?

I see from the BBC News site that many militants in Europe are proposing a boycott of German goods due to the painful and impossible conditions that woman has imposed on the Greeks.

Something thenodrog posted a few days ago sent me looking for info on the war reparations.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_I_reparations

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_reparations_for_World_War_II

[yoda]

Animal Farm?

The germans I can cope with (just) but not the bloody French!!

The French do what the Germans tell them to do, othervise it's xxxx

This is the problem when you create a fake super-state. The only way for this Eurozone concept to work is to have a central Government that sets the necessary budgets and rules to keep the Euro stable. The inevitable scenario otherwise is that some states will fare worse than others, and when the time comes to prop them up the stronger countries will feel resentful over it and the leaders of these countries will look to strengthen their own position as a result.

Don't it make you glad we are not in the club

[yoda]

Something thenodrog posted a few days ago sent me looking for info on the war reparations.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_I_reparations

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_reparations_for_World_War_II

Reading those it would be wise for the Germans to reconsider their position re Greece

[Baz]

Something thenodrog posted a few days ago sent me looking for info on the war reparations. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_I_reparationshttps://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_reparations_for_World_War_II

Some very interesting stuff in there Paul.

I actually think it's quite relevant to the debate at present. To keep bailing Greece out is short sighted. Sort the real underlying problem, are they capable of maintaining their economy within the euro? I'm no expert, but the answer looks like a 80:20 for no to me.

[Al]

Question we got in the pub quiz last week...........

Greece signed off half (?) the German debt in 53.

http://greece.greekreporter.com/2015/07/09/germany-can-write-off-greek-debt-like-greece-did-for-germany-in-1953/

Bit of a cheek by the Krauts to be so harsh on Greece when they have not repaid their debt to them and appear to have no intention of doing so. Who else do Germany owe money to from the war?

Animal Farm?

The germans I can cope with (just) but not the bloody French!!

Can't stand either of them. The scourge of Europe between them. The rest I can put up with.

[yoda]

Germans considering an extension to Greek debt, The French want a Euro Government

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-33587330

Cameron is well on course for the UK to leave the common market

[yoda]

Geermans!

unbelievable

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-33845836

[Steve Kean's Hypnotoad]

Am I the only person who still believes in the age old addage of taking responsibility for your actions? Greece got itself into an absolutely staggering amount of debt, staggering. At some point in this decade (minimum) of sponging did any Greek government think "hang on, I don't think we'll we able to pay this back". Of course they did and the decision reached was "let's just carry on, they'll let us off when it comes to the crunch". Frankly I consider our own past governments to be insanely reckless, selfish and immature in getting us to the point where every household carries tens of thousands of pounds of national debt, but at least the tories intend to pay it back. I imagine labour live in the same blissfully moronic, absolving themselves of all responsibility world as the Greek government. And Germany are the villains it seems, well they'll have to remember to stop charitably trying to lever nations on the fringes of Europe into the first world if this is the thanks they get.

[jim mk2]

Am I the only person who still believes in the age old addage of taking responsibility for your actions? Greece got itself into an absolutely staggering amount of debt, staggering. At some point in this decade (minimum) of sponging did any Greek government think "hang on, I don't think we'll we able to pay this back". Of course they did and the decision reached was "let's just carry on, they'll let us off when it comes to the crunch". Frankly I consider our own past governments to be insanely reckless, selfish and immature in getting us to the point where every household carries tens of thousands of pounds of national debt, but at least the tories intend to pay it back. I imagine labour live in the same blissfully moronic, absolving themselves of all responsibility world as the Greek government. And Germany are the villains it seems, well they'll have to remember to stop charitably trying to lever nations on the fringes of Europe into the first world if this is the thanks they get.

Silly post.

Osborne has borrowed more in 5 years than Labour did in 13.

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