What happened to Europe?

[GoodSarmatian]

A culture of corruption is endemic to the whole of Europe. Where did those loans come from? German, Dutch and British banks. Why did Greece take them and those banks granted these loans? Because Greek politicians and financial executives stood to gain here.

True, but it's a different corruption. There is little outright stealing and bribing over here. Our corruption is more subtle with revolving doors and political donations and even our conservatives rarely defecate where they eat.

 

[Lexicus]

True, but it's a different corruption. There is little outright stealing and bribing over here. Our corruption is more subtle with revolving doors and political donations and even our conservatives rarely defecate where they eat.

Exactly. The 'core' is corrupt, but in a much more sophisticated way than the periphery tends to be.

 

[classical_hero]

Another thing I can think off is that the EU is in many respects more conservative than the US: The US has gay marriage across the country, the EU allows several member states to constitutionally limit marriage to two people of the opposite sex. Some individual EU states are relatively progressive, though most are significantly more conservative than the Reddest Red states, especially in Eastern Europe.

The only reason that is the case for the US is via the Supreme court, not via the people. Considering in an earlier verdict the Supreme court ruled that the DOMA was invalid since the constitution speaks nothing of marriage, then they ruled that it actually did. Quite the stunning reversal.

 

[Lohrenswald]

Europeans used to make Americans look dumb.

Also keep in mind that Donald Trump is a presidential candidate in america now

 

[BvBPL]

Whereas berlusconi was actually a head of state, rather than merely being a candidate who will fall to a past president's wife.

 

[Lohrenswald]

Berlusconi has been prime minister on and off since 1994 so that only discredits the premise further

 

[Oerdin]

Their biggest problem remains economic and demographic.

 

[Zkribbler]

Then why countries with high economic liberty do well and their citizens have better life than those living under leftist regimes like North Korea and Cuba?

You don't put up any specific names, but if you had, the leftist Scandinavian nations would whip their butts. And of course, under leftist Barack Obama, the U.S. has been in recovery for seven years now.

 

[Zkribbler]

Considering in an earlier verdict the Supreme court ruled that the DOMA was invalid since the constitution speaks nothing of marriage, then they ruled that it actually did. Quite the stunning reversal.

Actually, the Supreme Court held that Americans have equal protection under the law.

 

[Ironsided]

What ever happened, I'd rather be European.



edit: lil'Tim it OK.

 

[Timsup2nothin]

What ever happened, I'd rather be European.

Don't let the door hit you in the butt.

 

[innonimatu]

Its the effects of "shock therapy". Short term pain for long term economic growth. Austerity measures are paying off and European economies are more competitive now.

Keep repeating that lie and someone might fall for it... temporarily!

The "eurozone" is giving up on austerity, but doing so by stealth, because of the sheer amount of propaganda made for austerity. You know they screwed up when even the staff of the bloody IMF is rebelling against the austeritarians so as to avoid being associated with the catastrophe.

 

[Lexicus]

What ever happened, I'd rather be European.



edit: lil'Tim it OK.

Don't worry, most of us gringos are European. Relatively few of us have significant non-European ancestry.

 

[Akka]

Whereas berlusconi was actually a head of state, rather than merely being a candidate who will fall to a past president's wife.

Hopefully for Italy, USA elected Bush twice, so it kinda cancels out.

 

[GoodSarmatian]

Hopefully for Italy, USA elected Bush twice, so it kinda cancels out.

Berlusconi is what happens if Donald Trump has Mafia ties and owns Fox and CNN. Who's more embarassing is a question without an answer since there are just too many factors that everybody might evaluate differently.
At least a the damage a single European leader can do on the world stage is pretty limited in the 21st century. The biggest recent mistake was regime change in Lybia, and that was a team effort and still didn't cause quite as much damage as regime change in Iraq.

 

[Angst]

Whereas berlusconi was actually a head of state, rather than merely being a candidate who will fall to a past president's wife.

Berlusconi wouldn't make it outside Italy though. Literally everyone else hates him. EDIT: Not taking into consideration the millions of Italians that hate him.

 

[Kyriakos]

EU won't be around for much longer, for many reasons. I did use to support it, as most people here, yet it is insane to support your own demise. First it was the way the debt issue was dealth with, as a means of perpetual slavery. Then the manifestation of how roughly half of the EU states have nazi-like sentiments with racist govs in place. It seems to be most popular in ex Austria-Hungary countries, Hungary, Austria, Slovakia at least- and the baltic states+Finland.

Really, this union has stopped being a union in any way since some time now. At least prior to the 2004 massive expansion signed in Athens, the countries in the EU were liberal. Not so now.

And despite (currently) Germany not being in the side of the uber-racist countries, it should not be forgotten how Germany (their gov and parts of the population/low media) started this whole mess with their beyond just terrible handling of the debt situation. Allowing a rise in inflation of the order of 1% looks a bit better than their own plan which led to today.

 

[FriendlyFire]

their beyond just terrible handling of the debt situation. Allowing a rise in inflation of the order of 1% looks a bit better than their own plan which led to today.

Greece is getting 35 Billion Euros in new Stimulus money as part of the Bailout 3 agreements. This is after more then 6 Month DELAY on the first review which was contingent on Greece fullfilling its bailout conditions, after it lied yet again about its budget being in surplus when it was in fact in deficit.

The alternative which was suggest by Germany last year, Grexit with full debt repayment suspension until / If Greece wants to re-apply for the EuroZone again.
For Greece is might be easy to consider burning up 1% GDP as stimulus, Thats because the Drachmas had 15% inflation rate and you spent half of your time in Default, You want German Stable Euro but not German Rules ?

Congratulations you managed to get another 35 Billion from EZ.

 

[christos200]

Even if Germany had agreed to a haircut of the debt, without structural reforms the Greek economy would continue to be non-competitive and the public sector corrupt. Greece needed those reforms, even if the crisis was not going on. So there is no reason to blame the EU. In fact we should thank them for forcing those reforms, which Greek politicians should have done from the 1990s.

 

[MilitantSecular]

Europeans used to make Americans look dumb.

that was before nations like Sweden started to implode


Link to video.

Sweden's Immigration Crisis and Political Correctness Problem