I recall a Saskatchewan event a number of years ago which involved a canoe race. The teams in the race decided to all finish the race together ... so the fastest canoe held up to let all the rest catch up, and they finished the race all in first place.
... or was it all in last place?
Such is the mentality of the new Europe:
Germany's trade surpluses built on holding down labor costs may be unsustainable for the other countries in the eurozone, France's finance minister said in an unusually blunt warning to Berlin.Christine Lagarde said Berlin should consider boosting domestic demand to help deficit countries regain competitiveness and sort out their public finances.
Her comments break a long-standing taboo between the French and German governments about macroeconomic imbalances inside the 16-country bloc which have been dramatically exposed by the Greek debt crisis.
"[Could] those with surpluses do a little something? It takes two to tango," she said in an interview with the Financial Times. "It cannot just be about enforcing deficit principles."
"Clearly Germany has done an awfully good job in the last 10 years or so, improving competitiveness, putting very high pressure on its labor costs. When you look at unit labor costs to Germany, they have done a tremendous job in that respect. I'm not sure it is a sustainable model for the long term and for the whole of the group. Clearly we need better convergence."
OMG. Did the Frogs white flag factories go out of bussiness again?To funny.The Frogs trying to tell the Squareheads how to run their country.Did she forget who they surrended to?
Why does Germany want to stay in the EU?
a world gone mad.
Well they could try shooting at each other, but this has been tried twice before. Apparently the results were less than satisfactory...
In the meantime, Sarkozy is under a little electoral pressure...hence the foreign ministry comments.
The French could attempt at improving their labour market efficiency and that would help the overall EU balance sheet. Retrenching into socialist malaise will not help them regain the economic 'joi de vivre'. Somewhere along the line you have to produce something that someone else wants. Reportedly, champagne is better with a little bubble in it...though I haven't had any for some time.
Cheers
Hans-Christian Georg Rupprecht, Commander in Chief
1st Saint Nicolaas Army
Army Group “True North"
One day the guy who always picks up the tab will just stay home...
Christine Lagarde~ "I'm not sure it is a sustainable model for the long term and for the whole of the group. Clearly we need better convergence."
I'm guessing that "better convergence" doesn't mean that other EUnich member nations are going to attempt to copy Germany's management efforts at keeping down labour costs.
That would probably lead to riots in France and Italy for starters.
The only reason the Germans are still in the E.U. is because the eruo is actually the mark in disguise.
Wait, so does this mean Ayn Rand was a prophet as well as a philosopher in need of a better editor? While I applaud the audacity of the French demanding Germany's surrender for a change, maybe they would do better to improve their own concepts of productivity.
Seems fair, Paris does a lot for new car sales.
Psst, Germany: Invading France the third time is the charm. We won't lift a finger this time to stop it.
Frances muslims are burning up 300 cars per week in protest's against france ?lol!! Anyway france has some serious issues and for them to tell everyone else to slow down so they can catch up is rediculous !
The french really are stupid !!!
Paul in calgary
(1st comment disappeared, try again ...)
No surprise that Germany exploits its EU membership for its own national interest. Also no surprise that, alas, there are some who think this is wrong.
The Germans got a big pool of labour in reunification that helped them keep labour costs down. In addition the whole East needed a big capital injenction, which they got, so lots of state of the art factories there.
The French, well they do have access to a new labour pool, problem is they are on the dole and tend to light cars on fire.
The French are whining again. I'd recommend that their "youth" go out and burn more cars, eh.
Clearly the other countries need to catch up.
That's that 'union mentality' writ large.
I've got a great shot of a Saskatchewan Harley that ALWAYS finished harvesting FIRST!! Let me know how I can send you a copy.
t
Socialism. Make us all equal...or at least equally poor.
Tango: mediaright@shaw.ca
And that is different from equalization payments ...how?
WW: The EU is not a country.
That really does sum up Europe's mentality well.
But isn't it in effect the same thing as Canada's transfer payment program between provinces?
And on the US side, Obama, chief apologist and socialist, wants the US to be just like Europe.
Sorry ww, didn't see your post before writing mine.
Ive got a great idea.
let's smash everything we own and then 'create' a 'demand' for new production to replace it all.
then do it over again and again until some sort of unknown force decides to assert itself.
grok
Actually Fance didn't surrender in WW1....
But:
Franco-Prussian War.....1880(?)
WW2.......
France biggest problem is it's lost it's main markets (military stuff) out of stupidity and just plain bad luck....Isreal and Iraq....
The stupidity was embargoing Isreal---inspiring Isreal to build it's own Jet fighters and missiles.
Bad luck because Saddam's stupidity got him knocked off the market......permanently.......
As they say in Aus, cutting down the tall poppies.
IanB, that reminded me of Rush's 'The Trees'.
PiperPaul, havn't read it but will. With thanks.
A convoy is as fast as its slowest ship.
It's only a matter of relative performance.
Germany is still bloated with taxation bureaucracy and trade union greed.
France is just an order of magnitude or more WORSE.
And yes the French ARE stupid.
Oh what a joy it is to have France's mentally challenged cousins living right here on the North American continent.
socialism is not peculiar to any one language but it definitely sounds better in french.
in order to understand what the french minister really said - it requires one to read between the lines.
she said and i quote: "GIVE US YOUR MONEY!"
no? then will you trade siemens for airbus?
no? ok, how about renault for volkswagen?
no? would you consider munich for marseille?
Actually, it was just the last 4 canoes that finished together. One of the last 4 had capsized near the finish line & the other teams stopped to assist then they decided to finish at together. The competitive teams had finished long before this happened so it actually wasn't an example of lowest common denominator syndrome.
Actually, it was the Sask Centennial canoe race on the Churchill. It was only the last 4 teams to finish that crossed at the same time. One of the 4 teams had capsized near then finish & the other 3 teams had stopped to assist. They then decided to finish together. Nothing wrong with that. The winners had been decided long before that happened .. in fact, the film crew that was covering the race had packed up and gone home thereby missing an iconic picture.