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Germany will change course only to preserve the Franco-German axis and it may be too late then.

My concern throughout has not been that some workable policy mix won't be find after all the wrong ones have been tried first, but the collateral damage inflicted before getting there.

The destruction of Greece is too much collateral damage for me, but of course one could argue that it's about 1% of the EU so it's not a serious loss if it stops at that. What I can't fathom is the callousness required for the Troika to formulate and execute the policy. You don't drive "one of us" to IMF riots, which indicates that Greece is not perceived as one of us in Brussels and Frankfurt and that is the real problem.

There are three stories about the euro crisis: the Republican story, the German story, and the truth. -- Paul Krugman

by Carrie (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Mon Mar 19th, 2012 at 05:13:10 AM EST
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You don't drive "one of us" to IMF riots, which indicates that Greece is not perceived as one of us in Brussels and Frankfurt and that is the real problem.

Of course. Wasn't that clear from the beginning?

There is a tiny economic area (no, with a currency union that expression doesn't make sense). Start new: there is a tiny area that managed to break away from the old arch-enemy and chose us. It hasn't much of a business idea, but who cares? It's one territory and without question the centre has to transfer funds to the parts of the periphery that are at a disadvantage. Perhaps one day it will even be the other way round, who knows? You noticed that I am talking of the Saarland, I hope.

It just depends on the  definition of us, and that means the definition of the European idea.

by Katrin on Mon Mar 19th, 2012 at 05:43:20 AM EST
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"Germany will change course only to preserve the Franco-German axis and it may be too late then."

Or will it?


Peak oil is not an energy crisis. It is a liquid fuel crisis.

by Starvid on Mon Mar 19th, 2012 at 08:19:34 AM EST
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That German-Russian scenario should make your mouth water with [Starvid's Rysskräck™ Technology] .

There are three stories about the euro crisis: the Republican story, the German story, and the truth. -- Paul Krugman
by Carrie (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Mon Mar 19th, 2012 at 08:22:03 AM EST
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Closer security relations with Poland certainly seems very reasonable from a Swedish point of view.

Peak oil is not an energy crisis. It is a liquid fuel crisis.
by Starvid on Mon Mar 19th, 2012 at 08:25:16 AM EST
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I thought after the email-leak everybody agreed that stratfor are a bunch of jokers?

German-polish relations haven't been as good as now since the siege of vienna.

by IM on Wed Mar 21st, 2012 at 07:16:53 AM EST
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And thank god for that! :)

Peak oil is not an energy crisis. It is a liquid fuel crisis.
by Starvid on Wed Mar 21st, 2012 at 01:20:24 PM EST
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