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JackRiddler

(24,979 posts)
11. While agreeing with the gist of the posts praising the German system and culture...
Wed Feb 29, 2012, 01:39 PM
Feb 2012

It should be noted this is also thanks to the euro exposing the other EU markets directly to the German manufacturing advantage. It was incredibly reckless for the EU periphery countries to have joined the single currency and thus lost the ability to protect their markets and maintain self-sufficiency and national interest. Reckless for the peoples, but profitable for enough elites that these countries chose a self-destructive path.

It's appalling to see the Germans, who have benefitted from the euro so exorbitantly (among other things it's also kept their products cheaper for non-EU markets), and whose success is not entirely due to work virtues (size certainly makes a difference), now complaining about the costs of maintaining the system that has done so much for their prosperity, and casting aspersions on Greeks, Italians, Spaniards and Irish.

Germany produces (high-quality) manufactured goods, US companies make profits and financial products leveymg Feb 2012 #1
Germany makes high-quality goods JDPriestly Feb 2012 #3
America is just a large Third World country. leveymg Feb 2012 #4
If you really appreciated the third world, you're never say something like that. TheWraith Feb 2012 #18
The problem is, there's more and more of these Americans each passing day. 2ndAmForComputers Feb 2012 #27
"the poorest and most disadvantaged Americans" girl gone mad Feb 2012 #30
I'm increasingly hearing doubts about capitalism as we practice it. JDPriestly Mar 2012 #38
Train people well. Treat people well. That's Germany's secret. JDPriestly Feb 2012 #2
I've been impressed by Germany ParkieDem Feb 2012 #5
Fyi in the 30's and early 40's... Kwarg Feb 2012 #7
There's more to it than that. Kwarg Feb 2012 #6
Oh, I don't disagree. ParkieDem Feb 2012 #9
I've heard the argument about homogeneity, etc. ... markpkessinger Feb 2012 #36
you will find a lot of DUers are a well traveled lot -- several are living in europe, the mideast xchrom Feb 2012 #10
Yeh I love the knowledgeable posts on DU!! Kwarg Feb 2012 #14
Wow, 6.8 is their lowest in 20 years. hughee99 Feb 2012 #8
Well, the former West Germans had to integrate hifiguy Feb 2012 #12
Numbers are not directly comparable. JackRiddler Feb 2012 #13
I didn't realize they didn't use relatively the same f'd up system we do. hughee99 Feb 2012 #17
Remember our figures are the end product Kwarg Feb 2012 #15
Fucking with the unemployment numbers isn't the international norm? n/t hughee99 Feb 2012 #16
That's only normal in countries where corporatism influences all levels of government. Selatius Mar 2012 #40
While agreeing with the gist of the posts praising the German system and culture... JackRiddler Feb 2012 #11
The aspersions are universal, and just as revolting got root Feb 2012 #22
Thanks for bringing it up. girl gone mad Feb 2012 #32
EU Unemployment definition mathematic Feb 2012 #19
I think a nation's culture trumps it's form of government as the predictor of economic success. Southerner Feb 2012 #20
Emulating Germany has not *always* been a good thing to do (nt) Nye Bevan Feb 2012 #24
Which will, ironically, tear apart the Eurozone cthulu2016 Feb 2012 #21
Germany suffered mightily as East Germany was merged with West Germany. bluestate10 Feb 2012 #34
I'm not knocking Germany so much as cthulu2016 Feb 2012 #37
Looks like free trade works well for the Germans (nt) Nye Bevan Feb 2012 #23
And Germany was the neocon example of a liberal economy destroying itself back during the "W" applegrove Feb 2012 #25
Germany will pay for its productivity. Zanzoobar Feb 2012 #26
Please elaborate. 2ndAmForComputers Feb 2012 #28
Do I really need to? Zanzoobar Feb 2012 #31
My mother may be right. Avalux Feb 2012 #29
Considering modern Germany and the other choices, that my not be a bad outcome. nt bluestate10 Feb 2012 #35
That's Why I Am Studying German Yavin4 Mar 2012 #41
Shows what happens in a truly advanced society. nt bluestate10 Feb 2012 #33
Germany Has Very Strong Labor Unions and A Generous Welfare State Yavin4 Mar 2012 #39
In the 1960's Western Europe confronted a changing world head on Sen. Walter Sobchak Mar 2012 #42
Latest Discussions»General Discussion»German unemployment lowes...»Reply #11