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An interesting proposition (and seemingly fiscally sound), but it misses a lot of the point of the European integration, which is long term peace in Europe. Se
by polshaw 14y ago
An interesting proposition (and seemingly fiscally sound), but it misses a lot of the point of the European integration, which is long term peace in Europe.
Separating Germany seems a particularly bad idea in that context.
- yummyfajitas 14y agoAre you suggesting that if Germany were to leave the currency union, a war would result? If not, then why bring up "long term peace in Europe"?
- arethuza 14y agoI don't think there is any immediate prospect of war. However, I can't help recalling the start of Nial Ferguson's "The War of the World": "The world at the beginning of the 20th century seemed for most of its inhabitants stable and relatively benign. Globalizing, booming economies married to technological breakthroughs seemed to promise a better world for most people." I'm sure everyone then thought that a war in Europe was impossible - even for no other reason than how closely related all of the relevant Royal Families were. And yet we all know how that turned out.
- nhaehnle 14y agoI'm not sure that he is suggesting it, but it is a reasonable worry. Not in the near term of course, say over the next 20 years or so. Within that time frame, a war within Europe is almost unthinkable. However, combine the geopolitical situation in Europe with a new generation or two for whom the disintegration of the Euro is the defining event in their perception of Europe, and mindsets will change. In the face of declining European integration, our best long-term hope against wars would be the declining size of populations combined with a relative dearth of resources. Some people are hopelessly optimistic that this is enough, but I personally wouldn't count on it.
- yummyfajitas 14y agoAny war-related worries one might have if Germany leaves the currency union or the EU should also apply to Norway [edited] and Switzerland (not in the EU at all), as well as the UK, the Czech Republic and Hungary (in the EU, but not Euro nations). So is a war between the Czech Republic and Hungary, or Finland and Sweden a reasonable worry over your 20 year timeframe? [edit: confused Finland with Norway.]
- danmaz74 14y agoFinland not in the EU? Which EU are you talking about?
- EdiX 14y ago7% of Greeks voted for a party under the slogan "so we can rid this land of filth", here is their flag: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Meandros_flag.svg http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Meandros_flag.svg I wouldn't be so optimist.
- tonyedgecombe 14y agoOne of the main drivers for closer European integration was the second world war.
- planetguy 14y agoWhich is strange, because the Germans' desire for "closer European integration" was what gave us the second world war in the first place. (Also, the first.) We could have saved a lot of lives and effort if we'd just gone along with their idea the first time around. Sure, the capital would be in Berlin instead of Brussels, but is that a big problem?
- excuse-me 14y agoFrom Yes Minister: The Napoleon prize.... It's for the statesman who's made the biggest contribution to European unity. Sir Humphrey: Since Napoleon, that is, if you don't count Hitler.
- bnegreve 14y agoI think Europe is a little bit more than an infrastructure to control Germany.
- icebraining 14y agoOn the contrary; if the conditions continue to deteriorate, I fear a violent disturbance of peace coming from the southern countries. There's a reason why Greece's far-right party Golden Dawn raised from 0.23% to almost 7%, and I can see that happening in other countries where unemployment is rampant and poverty rising.
- nickik 14y agoI would say the EU makes thread of war bigger. Peacefully trading is much better then forcing them all under the same system. We can see that happening, do you think people would say that Germany is trying it economicly instead of with war. This would not be the case without the EU.