tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36227136.post4177832490829454542..comments2024-01-16T08:40:53.682+00:00Comments on <a href="http://www.openeurope.org.uk">Open Europe</a>: Michael Wohlgemuth: Why the EU cannot bank on Germany’s economyOEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00556463374230498875noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36227136.post-68058146435062227732014-10-24T01:46:42.094+01:002014-10-24T01:46:42.094+01:00One from the Department of you could not make it u...One from the Department of you could not make it up.<br /><br />The UK economy has performed so much better than the rest of the EU in the past five years that Brussels has now demanded an extra E2.1bn from the UK towards the EU budget.<br /><br />Meanwhile France, which has been hampered by excessive austerity, will get part of the money in a E500m refund.<br /><br />On the bright side, the spokesman for the Budget commissioner said "Everyone can see the UK is growing much faster than others.”<br /><br />Well, now, we can't have that, can we?jon liveseynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36227136.post-27833814522380272042014-10-23T21:48:20.218+01:002014-10-23T21:48:20.218+01:00As the article points out, the issue here is demog...As the article points out, the issue here is demographics, not policy, As your population ages, and especially if younger cohorts shrink, certain policy choices are forced on you.<br /><br />If you don't increase benefits for retired workers, they will simply get sick earlier and more often, and you will pay the same or more through the healthcare system.<br /><br />If you don't establish a minimum wage, you won't attract the young foreign immigrants who help to make up the deficiencies in your demographics.<br /><br />Declining demographics put you into a policy "box". Your only choice is how to manage decline and which way to pay. There is no "magic" policy you can choose to defeat the fact that a higher number of economically inactive people need to be supported by a declining number of economically active workers.jon liveseynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36227136.post-14603638607549554712014-10-23T21:11:24.121+01:002014-10-23T21:11:24.121+01:00It has crossed my mind the the EU
has now become a...It has crossed my mind the the EU<br />has now become a blame game, each blaming the other for the current problems, with this in mind I am<br />sure that quite a few will be glad to see a Brexit so that they can blame the demise of the EU on the<br />UK,the Fat Controller and his<br />bureaucrats would never admit that they might be at fault.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36227136.post-83116606118146095482014-10-23T15:11:19.592+01:002014-10-23T15:11:19.592+01:00Germany certainly has made a lot of mistakes, as t...Germany certainly has made a lot of mistakes, as this article points out. But the article does not discuss the pernicious influence of the euro as one source of the loss of German capital. The ECB prints euros to prop up unsustainable welfare states in the rest of Europe. Then German industry produces goods that these welfare states buy. All Germany gets out to the deal is an increase in the Bundesbank's balance at the ECB--there is no quid pro quo; i.e., Germany does not get real goods in exchange for the real goods that it exports. This is lost on almost every politician in Europe, including Merkel. I do believe that some German politicians and the Bundesbank understand what is happening, though.Patrick Barronnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36227136.post-63256261272225714212014-10-23T14:42:15.312+01:002014-10-23T14:42:15.312+01:00So basically you are advising the Germans that the...So basically you are advising the Germans that they need to increase the population of Germany by 12 million over the next 30 years, by the mass importation of non-Germans to the extent of 0.4 million a year, "preferably young and educated", and no doubt each of those equipped with an ample supply of the elixir of youth, OVER AND ABOVE the number of Germans who give up on their own country and leave it each year.<br /><br />So that would be AT LEAST 15% of the present population of Germany replaced by non-Germans by the end of that process of social and ethnic engineering intended to get those governing Germany out of a financial hole of their making; but are you sure that would be enough, are you sure that you wouldn't want a more complete replacement?<br /><br />Pity that there's now no way to consult Brecht on whether this would really be "The Solution".Denis Coopernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36227136.post-28684743229308488272014-10-23T11:51:34.854+01:002014-10-23T11:51:34.854+01:00Well, it certainly follows classical liberal polic...Well, it certainly follows classical liberal policies. The same policies that led us into the current mess and keeps us in the current mess....<br /><br />Shortage of workers? <br />The problem now is that not enough people have paid work so the some time in the unspecified future expected shortage of workers seem like a strange thing to be worrying about now. <br />Now we need to deal with the current problem unemployment i.e. NOT making the current problem worse.<br /><br />Problems with education system?<br />The private sector used to be part of the education system and train its workers.... <br />Companies not paying tax complaining about not getting benefits? <br />If such companies were to be people then we'd label them as useless welfare living sponges...<br /><br />Complacency is an issue in most countries. <br />Longer paid vacations would put more money into consumers pockets but the ruling class consisting of workaholics can't fathom that most people only work to live and wouldn't mind getting more time off work. The result is the same failed policies - looking at this as a supply problem when it is a demand problem.Jespernoreply@blogger.com