Musings Brought on by Germany and the Snow.
Having written in German for the last 1 1/2 hours, I think it is time for a little bit of a break for my brain. So I am sitting here and watching the desolation of white accumulate; fully anticipating a desolation of wrecked cars to follow in good time.
I am writing on the Topic of the role of Germany in Europe, and I cannot write what I honestly believe. The role of Germany in Europe is one of growing insignificance; they can do nothing about the problems of Europe. For almost a century debt has been building, the institutions and mores which lead to excellence in western Europe have crumbled, and the problems have built energy with no real release.
Germany does not have the money to bail out Europe. Germany, France, and England do not have that much money. Germany, France, England, and the rest of the major economies of Europe do not have the money; in part because it is the major economies which are in such trouble. Portugal is a junk bond, Spain is likely to follow, and Italy is in the same category as Kazakhstan; that is to say, not a safe bet for the future. There is no money in Europe to reverse the crisis. It is not there. It is gone. It is long since spent on ambitious government programs, which failed to achieve, or even promote, their stated ends.
The mistake of bloated bureaucracy is arguably claiming its first victims since the Ottoman Empire. It is impossible to keep so many non-competitive agencies run efficiently; there is no organizational motivation for overachieving, and the direct result of streamlining the process might just be getting fired. What man throws away his own living so a business, from which he will not derive any gain, runs at lower cost? Not a wise man, or one who desires to feed his family. But that is ok, because bureaucracy cannot be replaced by anything else and has no natural opponent. It can merely appropriate the resources required to sustain itself.
Imagine, for a moment, the practices that American Banks would have if they had the power of taxation, and that they only had power to oversee and discipline themselves. Most would roll their eyes at the thought of the abuses and waste that would follow, but I would argue that this is exactly where government has gone.
The ruinous debt accrued by the members of the EU will, probably in every case, never be entirely paid off. Even the austerity measures in Greece are not enough to reverse the tide, and they are not permanent. Imagine if, a decade in the future, the UK had to implement such measures. You thought the Greeks had some crazy riots....
Germany in the midst of this problem is, indeed, the most stable figure. But they are not a Zeus in the coming of this storm; not a god who can stop the coming of this--I amuse myself--white desolation of western Europe, at best they are a vehicle well outfitted to weather the storm and help those that do not.
At their most important, I think they will be an emergency vehicle to help survivors of the crashes after the desolation has done its worst.
I am writing on the Topic of the role of Germany in Europe, and I cannot write what I honestly believe. The role of Germany in Europe is one of growing insignificance; they can do nothing about the problems of Europe. For almost a century debt has been building, the institutions and mores which lead to excellence in western Europe have crumbled, and the problems have built energy with no real release.
Germany does not have the money to bail out Europe. Germany, France, and England do not have that much money. Germany, France, England, and the rest of the major economies of Europe do not have the money; in part because it is the major economies which are in such trouble. Portugal is a junk bond, Spain is likely to follow, and Italy is in the same category as Kazakhstan; that is to say, not a safe bet for the future. There is no money in Europe to reverse the crisis. It is not there. It is gone. It is long since spent on ambitious government programs, which failed to achieve, or even promote, their stated ends.
The mistake of bloated bureaucracy is arguably claiming its first victims since the Ottoman Empire. It is impossible to keep so many non-competitive agencies run efficiently; there is no organizational motivation for overachieving, and the direct result of streamlining the process might just be getting fired. What man throws away his own living so a business, from which he will not derive any gain, runs at lower cost? Not a wise man, or one who desires to feed his family. But that is ok, because bureaucracy cannot be replaced by anything else and has no natural opponent. It can merely appropriate the resources required to sustain itself.
Imagine, for a moment, the practices that American Banks would have if they had the power of taxation, and that they only had power to oversee and discipline themselves. Most would roll their eyes at the thought of the abuses and waste that would follow, but I would argue that this is exactly where government has gone.
The ruinous debt accrued by the members of the EU will, probably in every case, never be entirely paid off. Even the austerity measures in Greece are not enough to reverse the tide, and they are not permanent. Imagine if, a decade in the future, the UK had to implement such measures. You thought the Greeks had some crazy riots....
Germany in the midst of this problem is, indeed, the most stable figure. But they are not a Zeus in the coming of this storm; not a god who can stop the coming of this--I amuse myself--white desolation of western Europe, at best they are a vehicle well outfitted to weather the storm and help those that do not.
At their most important, I think they will be an emergency vehicle to help survivors of the crashes after the desolation has done its worst.
Imagine if anyone who used money could have power of taxation. Texas schools used have the power to raise taxes (to a limit) without any voting involved. You want to guess what happened?
ReplyDeleteThe took every Sou they could get? The public got angry, and the power was taken away?
ReplyDelete