Thank you so much – I have hardly recovered from the dotcom bubble burst! Why can’t there be a new kinda gold rush or green revolution that brings in a lot of money.
Thank you very much America and your unregulated financial institutions!
But Europe really has had a bad economy for some time – and not much growth anyway. So even the slightest wobbles make the EU nation quake in their economic boots.
Britain and Spain have been hit hard by the housing crises. But only British banks crumbled like mad, Spain had much better regulation and oversight. The Spanish bank Santander is currently picking up former competitors all over Europe.
The current financial crises sparks the most ridicules situations: under the Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Act of 2001 the British Government has seized Icelandic assets in the UK.
You can call the lovely people from Iceland many things, but terrorists?
The Icelanders are not amused (see article above).
It once again proves that governments are only to willing to twist any law and regulation to suit their agenda.
But McCain hardly represents his whole party in this. He certainly formed his ties with many European Leaders in the past. But not many Americans have been in Europe as often as McCain.
Wow, the Huckabee moment just demonstrates perfectly WHY European think many Americans are rather ignorant and stupid.
Huckabee demonizes those “European ideas” which are just waiting to take over America and make Americans poor slave of these “ideas”.
We talk here about old European Communism and Socialism - and we also talk about modern “old” Europe.
Europeans overall enjoy better social systems, better health, better justice system (we don’t kill criminals here and our prisons are far more humane) and actually more civil liberties than Americans - and not just since Darth Cheney and his Chimp killed the last bits of the progressive side of America.
Europe also offers a higher social mobility and better pay. Most people here can afford a good life without working two or three jobs. Europe is certainly NOT perfect, but overall the middle class and the poor are better off here than in the US of A.
We have “the gays” serving in several European armies and we also allow them to marry like everybody else also in almost all European nations. So far God hasn’t killed or punished Europe with a Hurricane.
Now to the ignorant part: especially poor and uneducated Americans have been voting against those evil ideas like a universal health care system by letting the Republicans run the country. Indeed they have often voted in a rather dumb patriotic spirit against their own interests and better lifes.
After WWII we Europeans looked at progressive America to replace the old imperialistic and nationalistic Europe with a more united and progressive version. We learnt a lot from our American friends.
But it is extremely frustrating how a country holds itself back or perverts the very ideas we all admired: liberty, justice, democracy and compassion.
It’s time for America to renew itself - and maybe learn from others …
China likes to boast of it’s long lasting culture and like to claim that they have been at the front of civilization for thousands of years (nice timeline here) (although India has actually the oldest records of culture and cities).
Anyone remotely interested in history and technology knows that the old Chinese seem to have invented almost everything way ahead of Europe or were never far behind: paper, printing, movable type, crossbows, gunpowder, rockets, compass, blast furnace and cast iron - to name just the most important ones.
China with it’s man- and brainpower seemed to be destined to take over the world, but they didn’t. Instead tiny Britain conquered the Chinese giant with ease …
Sarko’s start has been … not so good. But France is currently holding the EU presidency and Sarko has developed a lot of hyper-activity he is well know for. France is in dire needs of reform - and his fight against the mighty French Unions is going surprisingly well.
Will we see a new and stronger France in ten years? Will Sarko get his new military and a bigger Mediterranean Alliance he dreams of? Will the French people agree to change? It’s currently a pretty trendy political word … even in Europe …
When you visit Europe’s old feudal palaces and houses one is overwhelmed by the lushness and pomp of their interior designs. The Baroque epoch was certainly the most playful period in that respect - and there were certainly "quieter periods" in European history. Especially northern European protestants dimmed all that crazy ornaments seriously down.
But overall there was never such a thing as "feudal minimalism" in European interior design before movements like Futurism, Modernism and Bauhaus arrived.
I think such a place as the one pictured above would drive any Feng Shui or Zen master mad.
The problem is an old one: how many "strangers" can a society digest? Especially in Europe with it’s internal open borders concept immigration is still a problem - and especially Britain - with it’s colonial history - has currently a hard time dealing with all the immigrants.
Britain has seen in recent years a huge influx of Polish workers - and the Asian communities (read mostly Pakistanis - like the London Bombers) have been exploding as well.
Still Europe is struggling to decide what to with all the African boat people and recent wave or Iraqi illegal immigrants crossing it’s many borders.
And there is still the Muslim question: many Europeans feel that it’s immigrated and homegrown Muslims don’t appreciate the humanistic, secular and democratic ideas on which Europe is built.
My hometown and birthplace München just celebrated it’s 850th birthday last weekend. It is certainly not the oldest city in Europe - more like a middle aged one.
Getting a Swiss passport is very hard - especially since the Swiss are very xenophobic and love their harsh and stupid rules to keep those evil foreigners outside.
It’s such a shame for such a rich country to be so ignorant. They Swiss always love to brag about their neutrality and "good deeds" - but overall they seem more like people who only like to get involved on their own terms and when it suits them. Otherwise they don’t care about the outside world and outsiders.
That spirit that rejected Jews at their borders during WWII is still very much alive. So far Switzerland has rejected any referendum to join the EU (and open it’s borders) - and right wing parties still get many votes each election.
Dear people of Switzerland - it’s time for a reformation of your attitude.
France - like Germany - is in dire need of reforms. Sarko started his campaign for his Presidency with the promise of change (sounds familiar). Many French people liked his busy and aggressive style - and had high hopes for some positive change.
But with his ugly divorce and stupid handling of his own affairs he has lost a lot of political capital. In recent local elections Sarko’s party has lost many votes.
France still is in need of reforms, but they new leader has busted a lot of his power for silly personal affairs. Too bad, because I won’t help him and his still necessary task.
Sarko admires the British economy and it’s success in recent years. Tony Blair inherited many necessary - but painful - changes made under Thatcher and built his success on it. France is not in such a bad shape as Britain in the late 1970’s, but still there is a lot to be done.
Sarko is especially fascinated by London’s vitality, something Paris lacks (his won words). In terms of international importance, stock market and political influence London easily beats Paris. Only the number of high ranked restaurants is higher in the French capitol.
So no surprise that this visit to Britain is so important to Sarko, he needs some serious political action to restore his credibility and some backing for his ideas for change. Maybe some serious glamor from the British Crown will rub off and the dry Mr Gordon Brown can add some intellectual spice as well …
Currently a huge storms blows Europe to bits, stuff got destroyed and people killed. It’s like typical April weather on steroids: storms, sunshine, rain, sunshine, snow and sun again.
Still February was way to warm and March seems to heading the same way. I am wondering if we have another record summer ahead?
Hurray! The American STS-122 has successfully delivered the European Columbus module to the International Space Station. Another piece in the puzzle to our way to the conquest of outer space.
This is a long-term science module supposed to explore the effects of weightlessness for the next ten years. It is installed by ESA astronauts Léopold Eyharts (France) and Hans Schlegel (a secret Teutonic Overlord) plus five Yankees.
Isn’t it great to live in the 21st century? Remember the few and fuzzy images from the Moon landings? Now we have almost direct access / transmission from these space adventures.
Most of the (continental) old Europe was either killed in Word War II or demolished to make way for modern car-based cities.
Even big cities like Paris, Warsaw, Hamburg, Amsterdam and Berlin had many almost medieval city centers and places. Only a few survived - most of those old building are recreations.
But maybe it’s a good thing - if you travel to Switzerland (a country so neutral it doesn’t know what war means - apart from ripping off fugitives) - everything there feels like Disney Land, because most of it’s old buildings are still there. Renewal often means destruction - and destruction of means war or a mad emperor burning down your city.
Since 1st January of 2002 the Euro is the official currency for most members of the European Union. After a lot of protests and grumbling it is now widely established, loved and a very stable currency. A true competition for the American Dollar.
I think it’s still a great idea to have different backsides for each coin and country. There are many great designs out there - and some new ones will be coming some day (I am talking to you - you lousy and hesitant Brits and Swedes):
Click image to get a MUCH larger collection.
Did the Euro hurt Europe and it’s economies? So far nobody has a definitive answers. Germany is slowly recovering - but not from the Euro, but the cost of reunification. Italy is down, but because of Berlusconi’s bad economic policies. France is picking up speed, Spain is doing well, so are Austria, Holland and Belgium.
The strong Euro helps European to cope with high oil prices and cheapens import. But it doesn’t help exports much. Still Europe is doing well …
Happy Euro-Day everyone! Collect as much Euros as you can - there is is only a limited supply … good thing European don’t get their money from a private institutions like Americans and their privately held Federal Reserve Bank.
Almost all countries have their dark spots in history: America’s decimation of native Indians, Belgium’s brutal rule in the Congo and Turkey’s slaughter of Armenians.
Some countries like Germany went through a long and painful process of understanding it’s own history and apologizing for it. Some countries like Japan or Turkey seem to be in eternal denial.
Especially the Turkish macho attitude to national pride and identity are more a curse than a blessing. Yes, you can go to jail for any crime or insult against ‘Turkishness’ (whatever that means).
How dare the US to speak truth to Turkishness?!
Back when it all happened it was the US who condemned and reprimanded Turkey for it’s bloody deeds. Until this day the US congress and many American and of course Armenian NCO’s kept the memory alive. Turkey hasn’t moved an inch since the first Armenian was killed.
Nationalism is always in the way of truth. Being a modern country means also to accept your own dark spots and simply asking for forgiveness for things that went wrong.
Denial in the age of information looks rather stupid and backward, no matter how much pride a nation can muster.
What did people expect to happen? The ever growing American trade deficit, the costs of the War on Terror and simply bad fiscal policy will weaken the Dollar more and more:
The dollar has been weakening for some time.
The fundamental problem is the growing US trade deficit, now more than $700bn, as the US economy has imported far more goods than it has exported.
This has long been seen as unsustainable, and in the long-run some kind of currency adjustment has been seen as both inevitable and desirable.
But the recent change in policy by the US central bank has accelerated the decline, because people who put their money in dollars no longer get such a high rate of return.
So it will be only a matter of time until some oil nation will trade only in Euros instead of Dollars. China won’t be so stupid and ruin it’s big market and put pressure on the Dollar as well, but I am sure they will diversify their cash reserves as well.
If there is going to be another recession of black Monday or something the reason will be most likely bad American monetary policy.
