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But it is part of a larger process.

Profits were increased in Germany durng the 90ies and 00ies by decreasing relative salaries through worse conditions for unemployed, this set both the stage for the persistent current account surplus and the moral play where the Germans (but not the owners) has already tightened their belts and it is time for the Greeks to do the same.

Pillaging Greece and crushing their wages will then create a pool of really cheap workers for the core (see the Amazon stories), which in turn will drive down wages there. Though not having passed yet, it is also obvious that conservative forces wants the EU to allow companies to set contracts according to the law of the land of their HQ, rather then the law of the land where the work is done. So once Greece is sufficiently crushed, companies can place a HQ there and employ cleaners in the core for Greek wages and with Greek laws (dictated by Troika). Then comes another round of cuts in the core to increase competetivness. And anger is diverted at the feckless southerners that are taking the jobs.

Run and run it goes, when it ends nobody knows.

Sweden's finest (and perhaps only) collaborative, leftist e-newspaper Synapze.se

by A swedish kind of death on Mon Feb 18th, 2013 at 03:45:27 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Your take on this is frightening.

Hey, Grandma Moses started late!
by LEP on Mon Feb 18th, 2013 at 03:58:47 AM EST
[ Parent ]
And if the euro soon breaks up, what's the good to Germany?

Hey, Grandma Moses started late!
by LEP on Mon Feb 18th, 2013 at 04:00:12 AM EST
[ Parent ]
If the euro breaks up, the efforts to keep wages down would need to return to Germany. To Germany at large it might be good as the chance for political resistance increases with visible costs, but to the political and economical elite it would be bad in particular as they loose the newly acquired powers of the ECB. So the rational thing for said elite would be to try to avoid a break-up while promoting their policies. Practically this would consist of carrots and sticks being applied in relation to election that could end with a state breaking away. Threathen a world of hurt if the wrong party wins and give support to the right parties in the form of promises, bit of better terms before the elections and if necessary direct funds to the party coffers of the right parties.

There is of course the hope that they are sufficiently blinded by their ideology to act irrational. But when your best hope is that the powers that be are nuts, it is not good.

The world is a frightening place, I just try to make sense of it. Though it grants no control, the effort gives a sense of comfort.

Sweden's finest (and perhaps only) collaborative, leftist e-newspaper Synapze.se

by A swedish kind of death on Mon Feb 18th, 2013 at 04:46:33 AM EST
[ Parent ]
seems naive at this point to believe elite german banksters-behaving-badly care a fig for a. the euro (offshore stashes)
b. the people of europe
c. the people of germany

any evidence to support an antithesis?


'The history of public debt is full of irony. It rarely follows our ideas of order and justice.' Thomas Piketty

by melo (melometa4(at)gmail.com) on Mon Feb 18th, 2013 at 05:19:42 AM EST
[ Parent ]
A breakup of the euro has to hurt Germany since the currencies of the countries in its major market will be devalued against the Deutschmark hurting Germany's exports and increasing its imports; something that Germany has been avoiding.

Hey, Grandma Moses started late!
by LEP on Mon Feb 18th, 2013 at 05:44:20 AM EST
[ Parent ]
yes it will hurt germany's people, but by then their work will be done, and she will be the most pwerful pauper.

see why they aren't allowed nukes?

/snark

'The history of public debt is full of irony. It rarely follows our ideas of order and justice.' Thomas Piketty

by melo (melometa4(at)gmail.com) on Mon Feb 18th, 2013 at 01:52:48 PM EST
[ Parent ]
After two days of having discussed the "why" of what's happening I can't find any answer that satisfies me. My mind is boggling.
Frankly it sounds as if we're in an insane assylum.

Hey, Grandma Moses started late!
by LEP on Mon Feb 18th, 2013 at 02:18:35 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Maybe this will help:

Psychosis:

Psychosis is a loss of contact with reality that usually includes:

    *  False beliefs about what is taking place or who one is (delusions)

    *  Seeing or hearing things that aren't there (hallucinations)

For me a whole bunch of stuff became clear when I stopped assuming rationality and demanded proof.

She believed in nothing; only her skepticism kept her from being an atheist. -- Jean-Paul Sartre

by ATinNM on Mon Feb 18th, 2013 at 03:06:33 PM EST
[ Parent ]

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