4 ms·
What you have to know or realize: ALL finacial sectors in Germany are net savers. Private households, companies and now also the government. When there are savi
by Phil_Latio 8y ago
What you have to know or realize: ALL finacial sectors in Germany are net savers. Private households, companies and now also the government. When there are savings, someone else has to have debt. It's a zero sum game, meaning all savings have a debt counterpart. Now where is the debt counterpart for Germany? Look at this picture: http://www.flassbeck-economics.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Deflation-3.png http://www.flassbeck-economics.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/0...
On top, private households. Below, companies. Below that, the government. And finally, THE REST OF THE WORLD.
As you can see, from the start of the Euro, the debter position in Germany shifted from being the government or the companies, to foreign countries. Every year Germany needs 280€ billion or so new debt IN OTHER COUNTRIES to have these savings. Other eurozone countries continuously lose market share against Germany: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/03/Balance_of_trade_in_goods_and_services_%28Eurozone_countries%29.gif https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/03/Balance_...
But it affects non-eurozone countries as well of course. For example the US basically critized Germany (long before Trump) as a currency manipulator, Trump just speaks it out loud. Because again, without the Euro, Germanys own currency would value up and the massive exports would be impossible.
So I think you can't deny that some dramatic change happend when the Euro was introduced and that it's still happening today.
Now if you assume Germany did not do wage dumping and the Euro wasn't introduced, could Germany be in the same position as it is now? No. Look at the graphic again and pin the red line (foreign countries) to the zero position. That in turn means, you now have to pull another line down! Because remember, all lines have to sum up to zero. Which line would you pull down? Ask private households to stop saving and spend much more money? Or increase company tax (while every other country is decreasing it)? The only solution left would be for the government to make deficits.
Currently, other countries make deficits for Germany. This is not sustainable.