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> Or hell, look at Germany. The biggest bully for austerity politics in the whole EU is also literally it's richest country. And you can damn sure bet they aren

> Or hell, look at Germany. The biggest bully for austerity politics in the whole EU is also literally it's richest country. And you can damn sure bet they aren't playing the same game at home. Inform yourself which reforms where enacted in Germany in 2004/2005 which lead to a nearly uninterrupted decade of economic growth and a very practically balanced-out federal budget. Maybe cutting spending and increases taxes actually leads to a sensible economic state and a more-or-less working public sector. Unless, of course, austerity always fails!

alextgordon 11y ago
Finding efficiencies and austerity are not the same thing. Germany has free university tuition, Greece has a failing healthcare system that keeps running out of medicine. Germany has not implemented austerity, yet it feels the need to lecture other countries on the need to do so. Greece is part of the single market, that means that people can leave. All the smart, qualified people left Greece a long time ago.
- claudius 11y ago
  > Finding efficiencies and austerity are not the same thing. Germany has free university tuition, Greece has a failing healthcare system that keeps running out of medicine. Germany failed to collect 2.3% of its tax receipts, Greece failed to collect 89.5% [1]. If Greek people want to continue not paying taxes, they’ll have to make cuts elsewhere, yes. > Germany has not implemented austerity, yet it feels the need to lecture other countries on the need to do so. Greece has not contributed financially to the bailout programmes, yet it feels the need to lecture other countries on the need to do so. > Greece is part of the single market, that means that people can leave. All the smart, qualified people left Greece a long time ago. So? I don’t mind Greeks moving to Germany for jobs, they’re welcome here just as any other person from the EU. What exactly are you trying to say? [1] https://img.washingtonpost.com/wp-apps/imrs.php?src=https://img.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/files/2015/07/gg-tax.jpg&w=1484 https://img.washingtonpost.com/wp-apps/imrs.php?src=https://... fromhttp://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2015/07/03/why-greece-and-germany-just-dont-get-along-in-15-charts/ http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2015/07/03/w...
jarcane 11y ago
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-07-06/piketty-germany-has-never-repaid-its-debts-it-has-no-standing-lecture-other-nations http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-07-06/piketty-germany-has... I should think after WWI, Germans of all people would see the danger in driving a European country to ruin with onerous debts, but maybe everyone there just forgot about that after the little dictator just decided he didn't want to pay them anymore?

alextgordon 11y ago

Finding efficiencies and austerity are not the same thing. Germany has free university tuition, Greece has a failing healthcare system that keeps running out of medicine. Germany has not implemented austerity, yet it feels the need to lecture other countries on the need to do so. Greece is part of the single market, that means that people can leave. All the smart, qualified people left Greece a long time ago.

claudius 11y ago
> Finding efficiencies and austerity are not the same thing. Germany has free university tuition, Greece has a failing healthcare system that keeps running out of medicine. Germany failed to collect 2.3% of its tax receipts, Greece failed to collect 89.5% [1]. If Greek people want to continue not paying taxes, they’ll have to make cuts elsewhere, yes. > Germany has not implemented austerity, yet it feels the need to lecture other countries on the need to do so. Greece has not contributed financially to the bailout programmes, yet it feels the need to lecture other countries on the need to do so. > Greece is part of the single market, that means that people can leave. All the smart, qualified people left Greece a long time ago. So? I don’t mind Greeks moving to Germany for jobs, they’re welcome here just as any other person from the EU. What exactly are you trying to say? [1] https://img.washingtonpost.com/wp-apps/imrs.php?src=https://img.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/files/2015/07/gg-tax.jpg&w=1484 https://img.washingtonpost.com/wp-apps/imrs.php?src=https://... fromhttp://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2015/07/03/why-greece-and-germany-just-dont-get-along-in-15-charts/ http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2015/07/03/w...

jarcane 11y ago

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-07-06/piketty-germany-has-never-repaid-its-debts-it-has-no-standing-lecture-other-nations http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-07-06/piketty-germany-has... I should think after WWI, Germans of all people would see the danger in driving a European country to ruin with onerous debts, but maybe everyone there just forgot about that after the little dictator just decided he didn't want to pay them anymore?