Euro stuff
>Rodder, Are you out on day release? Your rantings and >raving suggest your going thru' some sort of er, >withdrawal symptons?
No actually, I lecture in Economics - specifically I lecture in Macro economics. I presaume you have heard of the subject?
The difference between us is that I would like to deal with facts rather than opinions.... You tend to find that people take you more seriously when you can back assertions up.
>Once again I ask you to critise the four points that I >made earlier. Maybe you can't though because you >don't have any valid points. Is that it?
No I can actually make some comments pleasesee below - You dont back up anything you say - experience tells me when somebody does this they don't want to bother really thinking about the issue. As a dinner party comment opinion that might be acceptable but it only takes you so far ok? While you're at it you might as well blame single mothers for all the good it would do you.
>Here’s why I think the Euro is going to fail and fail >miserable it will.
1. Interest rates.
>No country in the Eurozone has complete control of >their interest rates. This is bad for inflation, >competitiveness and hence job creation. What will the >outcome be if the ECB starts hiking up the interest >rates? Surely this would not benefit all countries.
I think the major point here is that the control of interest rates is done on an economic basis rather than a political one - this has to be a good thing. However, I would accept that some countires might suffer from what is called asymmetric shocks ie Ireland MAY have something occur to the economy that is unique to us and the current monetary policy may not be best suited to us at that time. However, this POTENTIAL problem should drop in all likelihood as the Euro zone economies move closer together.
>2. Socialism.
>The powers to be in the Eurozone (France and >Germany) are socialist states with power hungry >unions, inflated costs of living and suffocating red tape >and bureaucracy.
Yeah, I really feel for these oppressed peoples (who are much better off then we are (and don't even get my started about the States in terms of living standards!)
Stuff like worker rights (joining those pesky unions etc)
I reall feel their pain, really
>The French and German’s have already broken their >promises before (with deficits) and they’ll do it again. >The French are extremely hell bent on their own >interests and no one else’s unless of course it benefits >them. For instance, the French anti-war stance had >nothing to do with ‘saving’ Iraqi people but maintaining >the status quote when it came to their oil, business >and arms contracts with Sadam.
Oh and the US were there to bring democracy mom and apple pie to the Iraqi's?? Don't get me wrong I'm gald to see Saddam out - but it should have been done through the UN rather than securing yeat more oil for the US and keep Mr Cheney's pension sweet!
>If the Euro begins to
>flounder they’ll twist the rules to suit themselves. For >example, when Ireland was voting the second time >around for the nice treated the Germans and French ?>were drawing up final drafts to chuck us out if we had >refused the second time. Another example would be >eastern European states supporting the US in the Iraqi >war. They were told, publicly and in no uncertain >terms, that their support for the US was a bad thing >and could see them excluded from membership. If >that’s not bullying I don’t know what is. This sort of >behaviour will lead to a ‘four legs good, two legs bad’ >syndrome (Animal farm George Orwell?).
How can I say this delicately? Well ok one point I would agree with you on is that once the rules are set they apply to everybody and if the rules are broken a country should face the appropriate sanction.
As for being fired out of the EU - Please stop willya? It's dross like that the no campaign used at the time!
But just to clarify this for you - you're WRONG OK???
How were they going to kick us out - invade????
As for your claim re: bullying Eastern European counties being bullied - DATA???
Yes, I can see that the candidates countries we SO bullied they aren't coming in. Oh no, I'm wrong 10 are joining in May!!
One other thing, since you appear to be of a right of centre presuasion. I would argue that social democratic (ok you call them socialists!) actually manage the macroeconomies better than their right wing counterparts (Remember the boom-bust years of Mrs T and our own dear Charlie and Mary duet of 1997 on??)
>3. We are not that important!
>Contrary to popular opinion us Irish are, …er, not that >important. We are a small country with a population >tipping 4 million. Look, I am proud to be Irish and we >have achieved some great things but I think it’s gone >to our heads. We are how in the presidency of the EU. >Providing we do what the big boys tell us to do we’ll be >fine. Step out of line and feel the crack of the whip. >This government knows it can’t make any real >changes/decisons unless bureaucrats, ‘officials’ and >vested interests give the go ahead. This means that >the presidency is nothing but a puppet. Those in real >control are unaccountable which will lead to mistakes ?>being made and rampant corruption – needless to say >not good for business.
We're small yes - (can't change the laws of physics Jim)being currently 1% of the EU market. However we punch well above our weight in the EU as a whole and 2 countries will never have complete ownership of the EU as an institution - I think the UK, Italy Spain and Poland might have a thing or two to say about that.
The last bit is a rant, what more can I say? Where are your facts please?
4. Economy:
>Our economy is more in tune with the British and >American economies and not the Europeans.
Hmmm.... While the UK and the US is important to us in terms of being trading partners, I don't think you can make the jump you did (Remember France and Germany are pretty important to us too!) I would also think that over relience on 2 economies is a bad thing for us - Also it should be worth pointing out that Ireland has the lowest level of trade with the new guys coming in in May - You don't think we should do something about that?
In relation to some points made by other posters:
‘Surely you might just as well say is the concept of a single currency for all 50 states of the US a flawed concept?’
-America has a common history and culture much more intwined than EU states. Their currency has worked the jury is still out on ours.
We're currently working out a common history with the rest of Europe - it's called the EU. So when the US formed it a good thing but not for us yeah?
I think you're forgetting that one of the founding reasons for the EU is to make sure that no more wars are fought on our continent.
I also think (in Ireland at least) that we have very strong historical links with parts of Europe (UK France and Spain)
Finally, I'm sure learned commentators said the same about the emergence of the US dollar at the time! Relevance to the argument?
>By the way I am always happy.
I'm very glad to hear it!
>Have a nice day and God Bless America!
You too. However, while I have no problem with wishing a (actually any) country well, you'll forgive me if I don't invoke a deity I don't believe in. Just doesn't seem right to me somehow.
Finally, 0 if you 're reading, apologies! I'll try to be more direct next time I weigh in on the commentary. I hope I have made up somewhat with this posting.
Regards all around,
Rodders.