French-German friendship

[Skybird]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010...-angela-merkel

German news referred to this on basis of the El Pais already yesterday. the government - of course - denies that this has happened. But the signs and signals clearly tell a different story.

What it really says is: "If you Germans do not pay for our French banks losses and european credits, we let it all fall apart."

Again, Germany's Merkel makes an extremely incompetent figure, like since very long now when having seized to do her job and just manouvering to preserve her power in - so far all misled - calculations. The key voting in Northrhine-Westphalia one week ago nevertheless got lost, delivering her party a crushing defeat and the loss of control in the upper house (she tried to freeze all critical issues until after the election). We now have a classic lame duck in the Kanzleramt - for the next three and a half years. She should not have accepted the French blackmailing, but should have invited the French to leave - with Germany then having an excuse to leaveas second, but now being able to put the blame for the Euro failing on France.

I would like to have an option in elections, not to vote for somebody, but just to vote against somebody without having to elect his rival instead. There is no reason in voting against the plague if the price for this is having to accept cholera.

France since years is trying to destroy the independence of the ECB in an attempt to make it prone to wanted political manipulation to tackle French debts by raising inflation in the Eurozone (which is completely opposite to the ECB's most primary duty and in the past made it so very different to the Fed - but now no more). The French saving efforts so far have been minimal and characterised by great unwillingness, at best. It seems Sarkozy saw this opportunity as the great chance to enforce the decisive victory in the battle for the ECB.

I would have loved to see Germany tell France to take a hike.

But then again that would have served the people's interests, as opposed to the oligarchy.
I hope Germany, and all the other lands, can free themselves of these leaches.

[Admiral8Q]

It looks like you guys in Europe can't ever agree on anything. That makes sense though.

[Skybird]

Originally Posted by Admiral8Q

It looks like you guys in Europe can't ever agree on anything. That makes sense though.

It does make sense indeed. Much competition here, the historic reason why europe in the past 1000 years became the world'S leader is as good as everything, but today also the reason why it stalling again. Americans often miss that the comfortable historic starting conditions that build the fundament of North American unity despite the US being a melting pot of different ethnicities, did not exist in Europe. that is aolso the reason why I am so very much in doubt that an idea of a united states of europe like the USA would and could ever work here. Europe developed and propsered and build that eormous creativity of past centuries not becasue it was like the US, but right because it was not like that, and that worked both to european nations' advantage and disadvantage, brought them cultural dominance, scientific blossoming and prosperity, and war. One cannot compare the US, and Europe. both spheres had totally different historic starting conditions and different starting chances, different handicaps and potentials. For the US and Canada it was the much easier match.

[GoldenRivet]

personally we should have negotiated Germany out of WW2 and let them keep france.

[Catfish]

I sometimes wonder, how in a democracy people like Mr. Sarkozy, or Berlusconi, can become the head of state, with an IQ of a potato.

I mean all those narcistic impaired alpha animals, only good for their own, chauvinistic behaviour, and to give the "bella figura" to the media.

I cannot express how i despise those Mini-Napoleons, surely there must have been better men who studied in the École Nationale d'administration of France ?

I certainly also wonder how in a dynasty like the Bushs, the son of the president of the USA can possibly become the next one. Democracy, oh well.

Greetings,
Catfish

[Skybird]

Originally Posted by Catfish

I sometimes wonder, how in a democracy people like Mr. Sarkozy, or Berlusconi, can become the head of state, with an IQ of a potato.

People can vote for them, that simple. Which makes it the people having the IQ of a potato - Berlusconi and Sarkozy just stay with their own nature, making hay while the sun is still shining for them.

Democracy does not solve this basic problem that also can ruin feudalism: hat somebody is called a king does not necessarily mean he is a good character and a competent leader. And that somebody got elected in a poll does not mean he is a good character and a competent leader. the king maybe just was lucky in the birth lottery or he was an as capable intiguer has his democratically elected counterpart, and the elected leader maybe is just a gifted liar and manipulator.

It is often said the advanatge of democracies is that you can vote people out of office. But nothing speaks against decapitating a bad king either. Which is the much better solution, because in our world, candidates who got kicked out of office tend to fall the ladder upwards and appear again in some other office sooner or later. Also, the regular election circus also paralyses that little of reason and sense of reality that has survived in politcs so far these days. not that it makes a huge difference, though, but these days you become thankful for even most minimal signs of intelligent life on Earth.

Originally Posted by GoldenRivet

personally we should have negotiated Germany out of WW2 and let them keep france.

Wouldn't have saved Boeing from having to face Messerschmitt instead of Airbus.