*** silently wonders what sort of god gabby is thinking of *** Oh, wait she is thinking of one "that is not directly accessible to normal earthlings"...apparently.
Oh, and then a mocking of myself...quite informative...is being called 'holy' an ad hominem attack from an atheist? Ahhh, and ended on a financial note. How wonderful! :-) On Mar 30, 1:13 am, gabbydott <[email protected]> wrote: > *LOL* You make God accountable for your posts then? The God that is > not directly accessible to normal earthlings? Interpret the posts for > us then, oh holy OM, and the Euro will be rolling your way! > > On 30 Mrz., 01:49, ornamentalmind <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > “Are you saying there 'shouldn't' be accountability? Or are you just > > quoting > > your favorite fortune cookie?” – DJ > > > Neither Don. I typed what I meant and meant what I typed. And, no > > quoting, the words were spontaneous to the post. > > > On Mar 29, 8:11 am, Don Johnson <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > On Mon, Mar 29, 2010 at 10:00 AM, ornamentalmind > > > <[email protected]>wrote: > > > > > “Shoulds” imply a lack of acceptance of the nature of reality as it > > > > is. Such puffery and wishes to impose ego upon appearances is the way > > > > of suffering. > > > > Are you saying there 'shouldn't' be accountability? Or are you just > > > quoting > > > your favorite fortune cookie? > > > > dj > > > > > On Mar 29, 5:50 am, Don Johnson <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > Dropping them is my knee-jerk reaction. I'm trying to think long-term > > > > > economic health for the entire region. It's important to have a plan > > > > that > > > > > gets implemented and then stuck with. Too often concessions are given > > > > again > > > > > and again and the lesson learned is there really is no accountability. > > > > > Well, there should be. > > > > > dj > > > > > > On Mon, Mar 29, 2010 at 3:47 AM, Slip Disc <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > First you say drop Greece like a bad transmission then follow with > > > > > > wanting to see the Union remain intact. To drop Greece might set a > > > > > > precedent that only the viable members are worth keeping in the > > > > > > fold. > > > > > > The bugs need to be worked out for sure and there could be more > > > > > > unforeseen follies ahead but nary a nation has been without them, > > > > > > needless to say ours. > > > > > > > On Mar 28, 8:37 am, Don Johnson <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > > First, I have to say the gentlemen from Wurzburg has a delightful > > > > > > surname. > > > > > > > This theme song played over in my head as I re-read the interview. > > > > > > > >http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cr2_GNIF1WI > > > > > > > > There are two key quotes I took from the interview that I agree > > > > > > > with. > > > > > > The > > > > > > > first. > > > > > > > > "A community can't function when it's made up of > > > > > > > unequal partners who are supposed to behave as equals."-Starbatty > > > > > > > > This is key. Sounds pompous and maybe it is but it doesn't make > > > > > > > it > > > > any > > > > > > less > > > > > > > true. The next quote is in reply to the observation that > > > > > > > economists > > > > make > > > > > > > lousy oracles. > > > > > > > > "Many of us put too much stock in numbers. But > > > > > > > mathematical models can't depict complex > > > > > > > realities."-Starbatty(also > > > > > > > delightfully named);-) > > > > > > > > Adding to that my complete ignorance of European economics I've > > > > > > > come > > > > to > > > > > > the > > > > > > > none too startling conclusion that I have no idea what should be > > > > > > > done > > > > > > here. > > > > > > > My instincts say drop Greece like a bad transmission from the > > > > > > > Union > > > > but > > > > > > help > > > > > > > them by encouraging investment there. Perhaps something > > > > > > > in-between > > > > > > > completely booting them out and keeping them as a trusted partner. > > > > Put > > > > > > them > > > > > > > in an economic half-way house as it were. > > > > > > > > I'm afraid Starbatty may be correct and if the Union bails them > > > > > > > out > > > > now > > > > > > > other countries will be tempted to be fraudulent as well. > > > > Personally, > > > > > > I'd > > > > > > > like to see the Union remain whole if for no other reason then it > > > > helps > > > > > > keep > > > > > > > Germany in check. I much prefer the current pacifist leadership > > > > > > > over > > > > the > > > > > > > nationalist leadership from days of old. > > > > > > > > Just curious. How do the Minds Eye Brits feel about the EU? Are > > > > > > > you > > > > > > glad > > > > > > > or disappointed that the pound lives on? > > > > > > > > dj > > > > > > > > On Tue, Mar 23, 2010 at 11:37 PM, Slip Disc <[email protected]> > > > > wrote: > > > > > > > > Tell us what you think after you check out this Interview > > > > > > > > conducted > > > > by > > > > > > > > Thomas Tuma and Alexander Jung of Spiegel Online International > > > > > > > > with......... > > > > > > > > > Peter Bofinger, 55, a member of the German Council of Economic > > > > > > > > Experts, a respected panel of five economists who advise the > > > > federal > > > > > > > > government in Berlin. The economist, who lives in the Bavarian > > > > > > > > city > > > > of > > > > > > > > Würzburg, founded a pro-euro initiative in 1997. > > > > > > > > > AND > > > > > > > > > Joachim Starbatty, 69, a professor emeritus in economics at the > > > > > > > > University of Tübingen in southwestern Germany. In 1997, he and > > > > three > > > > > > > > other academics filed a lawsuit against the introduction of the > > > > euro > > > > > > > > at Germany's Constitutional Court, though it was ultimately > > > > > > > > unsuccessful. > > > > > > > > > The Interview is titled: > > > > > > > > Bringer of Prosperity or Bottomless Pit? > > > > > > > > Top German Economists Debate the Euro > > > > > > > > > SPIEGEL: Mr. Bofinger and Mr. Starbatty, do you think it was a > > > > mistake > > > > > > > > to introduce the euro? > > > > > > > > > Peter Bofinger: No, of course not. Today, we live in a currency > > > > zone > > > > > > > > that, despite everything, is significantly more stable than > > > > > > > > where > > > > the > > > > > > > > dollar or yen are used. The euro has brought growth and > > > > > > > > prosperity > > > > to > > > > > > > > Europe. > > > > > > > > > Joachim Starbatty: Actually, the euro was a mistake with > > > > particularly > > > > > > > > serious consequences. A monetary union requires its members to > > > > pursue > > > > > > > > the same policies and be similarly productive. The so-called > > > > > > > > convergence criteria were meant to ensure that this would > > > > > > > > happen. > > > > But > > > > > > > > -- as the dramatic developments in Greece are now showing -- > > > > > > > > they > > > > > > > > didn't. > > > > > > > > > SPIEGEL: Do you feel vindicated today? > > > > > > > > > Starbatty: Unfortunately, our fears have become a reality. The > > > > > > > > monetary union was launched with real self-deception. > > > > > > > > > Bofinger: Excuse me? > > > > > > > > > Starbatty: The euro was sold to us as a modernization program > > > > > > > > for > > > > > > > > Europe, and we were also told that it would push the Community > > > > toward > > > > > > > > stability. But, in reality, it has drifted apart and become a > > > > > > > > truly > > > > > > > > unstable entity. > > > > > > > > > Bofinger: Unstable? The inflation rate has been very moderate, > > > > > > > > hovering at around 2 percent since 1999, and it is significantly > > > > lower > > > > > > > > than it was when Germany used the mark. We have a lower budget > > > > deficit > > > > > > > > than the Americans, the Japanese and the British. Our debt-GDP > > > > ratio > > > > > > > > is also lower than it is in the United States and Japan. There > > > > > > > > is > > > > no > > > > > > > > reason why the euro should be coming under pressure. The > > > > > > > > decision > > > > to > > > > > > > > introduce it was smart and far-sighted. > > > > > > > > > SPIEGEL: Without any drawbacks? > > > > > > > > > Bofinger: Sure, the euro zone is currently looking a little > > > > > > > > worse > > > > for > > > > > > > > the wear. But that's to be expected, given the storm the global > > > > > > > > economy has gone through. Still, thanks to the common currency, > > > > it's > > > > > > > > no longer possible, for example, to wage speculative attacks on > > > > > > > > individual currencies. This eliminates a key disruptive factor > > > > > > > > that > > > > > > > > massively destabilized markets in the past. > > > > > > > > > Starbatty: But that's exactly the problem! In the past, exchange > > > > rates > > > > > > > > served as a valve. Individual countries could control their > > > > economies > > > > > > > > by allowing their currencies to gain or lose value. Now, this > > > > > > > > adjustment mechanism no longer works and, as a result, a > > > > > > > > completely > > > > > > > > different sort of dangerous imbalance has emerged. Today, there > > > > > > > > are > > > > > > > > two blocs within the monetary union: a strong currency bloc in > > > > > > > > the > > > > > > > > north and a weak one in the south. The robust north has joined > > > > forces > > > > > > > > with countries that have constantly devalued their currency > > > > throughout > > > > > > > > their histories. Just look at the Italian lira, for example. At > > > > > > > > the > > > > > > > > end of the 1950s, I paid 6.70 German marks for 1,000 lire. The > > > > final > > > > > > > > exchange rate was less than one mark for 1,000 lire. > > > > > > > > > SPIEGEL: What would happen if the old currencies were > > > > > > > > reintroduced > > > > in > > > > > > > > the euro zone tomorrow? > > > > > > > > > Bofinger: It would be a catastrophe. The German mark would have > > > > > > > > to > > > > > > > > appreciate significantly -- I'd say by 10 percent to 20 percent. > > > > > > > > Everything that we've worked so hard to attain in terms of > > > > > > > > competitiveness would vanish overnight. There would be wailing > > > > > > > > and > > > > the > > > > > > > > gnashing of teeth in Germany. And Europe would be making a > > > > > > > > serious > > > > > > > > mistake if it were to revert to regionalism and nationalism > > > > > > > > during > > > > > > > > this phase of advancing globalization. > > > > > > > > > Starbatty: I see things completely differently. The euro was > > > > > > > > also > > > > sold > > > > > > > > to citizens as an instrument for securing peace. I never > > > > > > > > understood > > > > > > > > that because, if that really were the case, you would have to > > > > > > > > open > > > > the > > > > > > > > monetary union to everyone. Instead, in light of its failure, we > > > > are > > > > > > > > now witnessing just how nationalism arises in the first place. > > > > > > > > EU > > > > > > > > flags have already been burned in Greece. > > > > > > > > > SPIEGEL: Would it have been better if all countries in Europe > > > > > > > > had > > > > kept > > > > > > > > their own currencies? > > > > > > > > > Starbatty: Yes. A community can't function when it's made up of > > ... > > read more »- Hide quoted text - > > - Show quoted text - -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups ""Minds Eye"" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/minds-eye?hl=en.
