My point throughout these discussions has always been an examination of the
myths (the contexts) that guide the perceptions of each individual. In
opera we call it "convention" or "style" while in history it is called
separate "cultures".
1. I posted the "myth of European creative invincibility" in America
when I spoke about the breaking up of the European Union.
2. Chris followed doing his own thing about the good Swiss and the bad
Zionists.
3. Keith speaks again the same myth of European creative invincibility"
and what it has done for Europeans in America.
4. Ed brings in a fourth point that a lot of traditional folks here are
praying for, although not me, and that's a return of the Europeans here to
Europe. I'll take Ed at his word but I can't believe that it is a
serious exit.
We could get into a food fight about who did what for whom but I would
suggest that we just all admit that we are Individual cultures and lifeways
(a circle of national identities) but interconnected in this continent and
on the internet
I meant no insult to Europeans with my post. However, given the past and
the Falklands, I think a Europe with a combined GDP that out distances our
GDP by far could very well become a problem. America is fractious,
petulant and as a Democracy is subject to the whims of a mass population
that changes with every new group coming in. We also have the largest
nuclear arsenal in the world. The winds blow very fast here and reverse
quickly over a matter of decades. When 9/11 happened I was not afraid for
America but for what the American dragon might do when aroused from his
languor. People do not understand the extent of the American Military,
the possibility of an American conservative dictator that would have
thousands of CBR weapons available that could very well bring in the next
species, probably from the deep mineral world, after a couple of million
years of recovery.
I don't believe the standard war options [that are a part of European
History] is a viable alternative for American action and I'm convinced that
the Republicans or the right wing here does not agree with me. I'm sure
George Bush disagreed with me as does my cousin the conservative Senator
from Oklahoma. I think that should be a legitimate area of concern for
each of you since the planet is small. America is very different from
the settled liberal Democracies of each European state.
American egos are also very different as shown by the fact that George Bush
Jr. never contacted Sr. when he went to war with Iraq as a good European son
would have done. But this is not because America is defective.
American and Canadian societies have done amazingly considering the cultural
upheaval with each new group of immigrants. It's not a lake but severe
rapids and waterfalls and Americans are good with "kayaks" and "mountain
bikes."
However, immigration American and Canadian style has almost skewed England,
Holland and France over the last forty years and the integration of the East
German cousins into the West German state was also a huge psycho-economic
trauma as well, (although I'm impressed with the Germans willingness to do
it just as I'm impressed with the Israelis for the same reason with their
"Law of Return." If Israel was Europe they would have long ago imploded
from the multiplicity of cultures under the umbrella of the religion. )
America is today accepting relatively peacefully a huge Spanish population
that will become the dominant single group in the not to distant future.
How has Spain dealt with the Basques? Such a thing in most European
countries would be far more traumatic then here if my reading of European
newspapers about the Islamic immigrants in England, France, Germany, and the
Surinamese in Holland, are correct. Some European countries brag about
their mountains and their four populations under one flag. I have more
than four populations in my apartment house. And more than four of them
are naturalized American citizens.
Europeans seem to have the same opinion about their immigrants as the First
Nations peoples here had 200 years ago. That model is not a happy one for
Europe. However the American model of immigration for a United Europe
could represent a completely new entity in the world. An entity that has
the infantile reactions of America along with the volatility of the Middle
East as Europe encounters its version of the mixed Jewish population and the
modern country of Israel.
What is wrong with being up front and honest about this discussion?
What do you think Keith, Ed?
From: Keith Hudson [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Tuesday, November 23, 2010 2:46 PM
To: RE-DESIGNING WORK, INCOME DISTRIBUTION, , EDUCATION; Ray Harrell
Subject: RE: [Futurework] The beginning of the end of the Euro
Western Europe has always been fractured because of its geology (diversity
of cultures) and very high coastline/land ratio (receptivity to new ideas).
And that's why we are highly creative and the original supplier of the cream
of ideas and products to America throughout most of the latter's existence.
Until recently, that is, when the burden is now being shared by Asian-born
scientists. If I were an American I'd seriously begin to worry whether
America is going to hold itself together in the coming years.
KSH
At 20:06 22/11/2010 -0500, Ray wrote:
Good, we Americans dont need a united Europe to compete with. Youre just
fine broken up and deconstructed. There was too much potential for you
guys to become an answer to China and the Chinese model with better living
standards, more humane individuality and a sensible environmental policy.
Now you will go back to squabbling and the occasional war just like you
always have with the Swiss sitting in the middle armed to the teeth and
gloating. Enter Chris.
REH
From: [email protected]
[mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Keith Hudson
Sent: Monday, November 22, 2010 2:11 PM
To: RE-DESIGNING WORK, INCOME DISTRIBUTION, , EDUCATION
Subject: [Futurework] The beginning of the end of the Euro
It looks to me as though the European Monetary Union (EMU) is at the
beginning of its death throes now. When the EU President, Herman Van Rompuy,
said last week that the European Union was in a "survival crisis" even he
was expecting the IMF team to have finished its inspection of Ireland's
accounts on Tuesday morning last as expected.
But it dragged on all through last week and over the week-end, and still the
details haven't emerged. Rumours have it, though, that the IMF and EU teams
haven't been able to force Ireland into giving up its highly preferential
12.5% corporate tax rate (with which it has been able to attract several
large American corporations). They haven't been able to for the simple
political fact that Irish people are almost up in arms about the whole mess
that membership of the EU has led them into. The opposition party will sweep
into power early next year in Ireland's General Election and might then
decide -- even if the 12.5% rate is retained -- that Ireland should default
from its debts altogether, Latin American style, and thus leave the EMU,
with resignation from the EU likely to follow .
Only this would give Ireland a sporting chance of re-establishing itself as
a going concern. Almost anything could happen then. Portugal, the next on
the chopping block, could follow suit and then likely to be followed by
Greece -- once again! -- which, despite its recent bail-out, is nowhere near
on target in meeting EMU objectives -- and then there's Spain and Italy,
also, both in irredeemable financial trouble. And then there's Germany. It,
too, could secede from the EMU.
Germany, with its superb engineering exports, would be well able to manage
on its own. There are only two issues which have held Germany on a knife
edge from seceding from the EMU already in the past year. One is that it is
still suffering from the guilt of WWII, particularly of the Holocaust, and
feels it must act towards Europe in a super-responsible way in order to
expatiate itself. The other is that, with a weak Euro currency, its exports
are prospering. With a new Deutschesmark, bond investors would soon mark it
up and thus knock Germany's exports back somewhat -- at least initially. It
wouldn't be able to maintain its present low level of unemployment (relative
to the rest of the Western world).
It's in the lap of the Gods -- that is, bond investors -- as to whether the
EMU and the EU survives or not in the next few months. Politicians don't
have to be brave to try and keep the show alive, but bond investors, who
have to put their money where their mouth is, would certainly have to be.
And if the IMF succeeds in bailing-out the EMU for the time being (that is,
putting on a convincing show with large emotive financial numbers), just
where is its money coming from? Because many of its main funding nations are
themselves in debt, then any "money" from the IMF can only be yet another
form of money printing.
Keith
Keith Hudson, Saltford, England
Keith Hudson, Saltford, England
_______________________________________________
Futurework mailing list
[email protected]
https://lists.uwaterloo.ca/mailman/listinfo/futurework
