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I think the reason this is downvoted is that the situation in Germany is relatively unchanged since before the Euro was introduced. Saying German success is mos

by pluma 9y ago

I think the reason this is downvoted is that the situation in Germany is relatively unchanged since before the Euro was introduced. Saying German success is mostly based on the Euro is a great narrative but completely ignores the reality that Germany's economy was already strong and getting stronger in the decades before that. That's not saying Germany doesn't benefit from the Euro today or that it wouldn't be profoundly stupid for Germany to abandon the Eurozone but it's not an explanation, just a contributing factor.

crdoconnor 9y ago
"Saying German success is mostly based on the Euro is a great narrative but completely ignores the reality that Germany's economy was already strong and getting stronger in the decades before that." Which part of "it wasn't just the Euro, reunification had the same effect" was I unclear about?
- lispm 9y ago
  > Which part of "it wasn't just the Euro, reunification had the same effect" was I unclear about? West Germany was before the Euro and before the reunification economically strong. It was the world's largest exporter in 1986, 1987, 1988 and 1990. Around 1960 Germany was already second largest exporter in the world. Reunification was in October 1990.
  - crdoconnor 9y ago
    As far as I was aware it happened in the early-mid 90s: http://savingusmanufacturing.com/blog/general/how-did-germany-keep-position-as-the-world%E2%80%99s-top-exporter-for-so-long/ http://savingusmanufacturing.com/blog/general/how-did-german... "Germany surpassed the United States to become the world’s leading exporter in 1992, around the time that Germany joined the European Union as a founding member."
    - lispm 9y ago
      As I said Germany was already the world's second largest exporter in 1960. Behind the US, which has 4 times the population. Germany then became the largest exporter in 86, 87, 88, 90, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008. In 2016 Germany is the third largest exporter after China and the US. The account surplus (goods, services and investments) was the largest, next is China.
      - crdoconnor 9y ago
        Where is this data?
        lispm 9y ago
        For example: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exportweltmeister https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exportweltmeister https://unstats.un.org/unsd/trade/imts/Historical%20data%201900-1960.pdf https://unstats.un.org/unsd/trade/imts/Historical%20data%201... Percentage of world exports in 1960: United States 16% West Germany 9% UK 7.8% France 5.4% https://www.wto.org/english/res_e/booksp_e/wtr13-2b_e.pdf https://www.wto.org/english/res_e/booksp_e/wtr13-2b_e.pdf Percentage of world merchandize exports in 1980: USA 11% West Germany 9.5% Japan 6.4% China 0.9% Thus the claim that Germany is a leading exporter because of Euro currency manipulation fails to explain why Germany was one of the leading exporters in the 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s, 2000s and 2010s. In all those years it was in the top three.

by pluma 9y ago

crdoconnor 9y ago

"Saying German success is mostly based on the Euro is a great narrative but completely ignores the reality that Germany's economy was already strong and getting stronger in the decades before that." Which part of "it wasn't just the Euro, reunification had the same effect" was I unclear about?

lispm 9y ago
> Which part of "it wasn't just the Euro, reunification had the same effect" was I unclear about? West Germany was before the Euro and before the reunification economically strong. It was the world's largest exporter in 1986, 1987, 1988 and 1990. Around 1960 Germany was already second largest exporter in the world. Reunification was in October 1990.
- crdoconnor 9y ago
  As far as I was aware it happened in the early-mid 90s: http://savingusmanufacturing.com/blog/general/how-did-germany-keep-position-as-the-world%E2%80%99s-top-exporter-for-so-long/ http://savingusmanufacturing.com/blog/general/how-did-german... "Germany surpassed the United States to become the world’s leading exporter in 1992, around the time that Germany joined the European Union as a founding member."
  - lispm 9y ago
    As I said Germany was already the world's second largest exporter in 1960. Behind the US, which has 4 times the population. Germany then became the largest exporter in 86, 87, 88, 90, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008. In 2016 Germany is the third largest exporter after China and the US. The account surplus (goods, services and investments) was the largest, next is China.
    - crdoconnor 9y ago
      Where is this data?
      - lispm 9y ago
        For example: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exportweltmeister https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exportweltmeister https://unstats.un.org/unsd/trade/imts/Historical%20data%201900-1960.pdf https://unstats.un.org/unsd/trade/imts/Historical%20data%201... Percentage of world exports in 1960: United States 16% West Germany 9% UK 7.8% France 5.4% https://www.wto.org/english/res_e/booksp_e/wtr13-2b_e.pdf https://www.wto.org/english/res_e/booksp_e/wtr13-2b_e.pdf Percentage of world merchandize exports in 1980: USA 11% West Germany 9.5% Japan 6.4% China 0.9% Thus the claim that Germany is a leading exporter because of Euro currency manipulation fails to explain why Germany was one of the leading exporters in the 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s, 2000s and 2010s. In all those years it was in the top three.