What Germany Got for Its $2 Trillion

nikimcbee · 05-18-09, 07:02 PM

Throwing money at a problem doesn't work?

Better not tell that to the educational establishment.

bookworm_020 · 05-18-09, 07:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nikimcbee

Throwing money at a problem doesn't work?

Better not tell that to the educational establishment.

Don't mention it here in Australia, it might get you transported!

Schroeder · 05-19-09, 06:05 AM

@Dan

Well I think the comparison between East Germany and the US is a bit out of scale here.
First of the entire economy of east Germany was wasted after the reunification. Those companies that were still running got shut down for either being not competitive in the (more or less) free market or they got shut down because they didn't fit to west Germany's safety and pollution regulations.
So we are talking here about one country (west Germany) that has to build up another country pretty much from zero (well the East Germans are doing their share too so it is not just West Germany all alone). That is like the US would take over Mexico, shut down all the factories there and rebuild the country from scratch. Now tell me would Mexico be at the same level as the US after just 20 years? I doubt it.
Such a process needs plenty of time and so far I wouldn't call the project Reunification a failure.
But you are right just throwing money at something without thinking about how to spend it properly doesn't solve any problems.

05-18-09, 07:02 PM	#1
nikimcbee Fleet Admiral Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Patroling the Slot. Posts: 17,952 Downloads: 90 Uploads: 0	Throwing money at a problem doesn't work? Better not tell that to the educational establishment. __________________

05-19-09, 06:05 AM	#3
Schroeder Navy Seal Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Banana Republic of Germany Posts: 6,170 Downloads: 62 Uploads: 0	@Dan Well I think the comparison between East Germany and the US is a bit out of scale here. First of the entire economy of east Germany was wasted after the reunification. Those companies that were still running got shut down for either being not competitive in the (more or less) free market or they got shut down because they didn't fit to west Germany's safety and pollution regulations. So we are talking here about one country (west Germany) that has to build up another country pretty much from zero (well the East Germans are doing their share too so it is not just West Germany all alone). That is like the US would take over Mexico, shut down all the factories there and rebuild the country from scratch. Now tell me would Mexico be at the same level as the US after just 20 years? I doubt it. Such a process needs plenty of time and so far I wouldn't call the project Reunification a failure. But you are right just throwing money at something without thinking about how to spend it properly doesn't solve any problems. __________________ Putting Germ back into Germany.