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Europe's Controlled Demolition
Submitted by Raul Ilargi Meijer via The Automatic Earth blog,
I have plenty to say on the topic of this essay. But the most important thing I think is that I know the EU is blowing up itself by trying to exert far too much influence on the very member nations that made its existence possible. Brussels is a blind city. To see it blowing itself to smithereens makes me very happy.
The flipside is that it will take a lot of pain, and probably even the very wars the EU was originally founded to prevent, to figuratively burn it to the ground. But that, if you’ll allow me, is for another day:
Loads of good words published today on EC President Jean-Claude Juncker and the Greeks, and the crop gets creamier, there’s fake Nobles winners and all joining in, but this is not a new issue, guys, and the lot of you are quite late to the game.
Moreover, y’all Krugmans and Stiglitzes fully missed something that happened while Juncker was ‘speaking’ yesterday: Jean-Claude changed the entire game in one brilliant move. The Greeks I was with, including in Syntagma Square, didn’t notice it either.
What changed is that after Juncker’s speech, the discussion is no longer about data or numbers or facts anymore (but who understands that?), because he never mentioned them.
It’s instead now about fear and fight and flight and various other base instincts, you name them. And that’s not a coincidence. The reason he, and the EU as a whole, resort to this ‘message’ (and no, these guys’ spin teams are not stupid) is to a substantial extent that it’s simply all they have left.
Whatever they had to present in the way of numbers, data etc. has already been rejected by the Greek government 100 times. Since their data have since the start been diametrically opposed to what Syriza stands for and was elected on, which they knew, that should be no surprise, and indeed never was for the Troika.
If you saw Juncker yesterday, and it doesn’t even matter whether he was inebriated or not (does he perhaps wake up drunk, like Yeltsin?), accusing Tsipras of lying -for which he offered no proof- while telling big fat obvious lies himself (“we never asked for pension cuts”) -for which ample proof to the contrary is available-, y’all should realize that a bit more scrutiny of the man is obviously warranted.
I’ve written this story a hundred different times before already: the EU is an organization led by people with, let’s define this subtly and carefully, sociopathic traits (Antisocial Personality Disorder), simply because the EU structure self-selects for such people. As do all other supra-national organizations, and quite a few national ones too, but let’s stick with Brussels for now.
That such people are selected is due in great part to the less than transparent democratic acts and procedures in Brussels. Which allow for ever larger numbers of the same ‘sort’ of people to accumulate. No coincidence there either.
Many of you will say that you can’t say that kind of thing, you can’t call Juncker a sociopath. But the fact is, I can. Who can not say it are Tsipras and Varoufakis, not in public. But I wouldn’t even want to guess at the number of times they’ve done so in private. And it’s high time we lift the veil on this. We are being governed by sociopaths, and that’s by no means just a European thing.
And besides, in general it’s not something that we should refrain from talking about. The reason we do is, I bet you, is because we don’t know how to recognize the traits and characteristics. But in fact, that’s not hard. Just plucked this off the interwebs in 2 seconds flat:
Profile of the Sociopath
• Glibness and Superficial Charm.
• Manipulative and Conning.
• Never recognize rights of others, see their self-serving behaviors as permissible. …
• Grandiose Sense of Self. …
• Pathological Lying. …
• Lack of Remorse, Shame or Guilt. …
• Shallow Emotions. …
• Incapacity for Love, Compassion
• Need for Stimulation.
Anyone want to tell me that does not describe Juncker? Still, the big problem with sociopaths -and do note how I subtly steer away from the term psychopath- is that you can not have an effective negotiation with them. Because once you’ve reached a conclusion -which’ll be hard fought and take forever-, they’ll just renege on it and come back with additional conditions. And then claim you are the one who did that.
Check Juncker. Check the 5 month history of Greece negotiations with the Troika. And note that that’s exactly what they accuse Syriza of. They claim Tsipras suffers from the very disorder they do. That too is typical. It’s a pattern, an MO, it’s how these minds function.
The main one for me is the lack on empathy, compassion. That got 1000s killed in Ukraine, and in the Mediterranean, and now in Greece. All deathly dramas Brussels could have prevented, and chose not to. In Brussels and Berlin, it’s more important that countries toe the line than that their citizens actually survive.
Europe has moved, at a very rapid clip, from a union of 28 different sovereign states, each with their own governments and political views and directions, to one where a top heavy bureaucratic structure, hand-puppeted on by a mere handful member states and systemic banks, dictate what each member state, both its politicians and its citizens, may do or not do. Or think. Electing a left wing government, for instance, equals asking for trouble.
There is no democracy left in Europe, people have no direct say anymore, there’s just a two-pronged dictatorship: there’s Merkel and Hollande, who in the Greek crisis have proven themselves to be mere tools to vested interests, and I’m being extremely kind now, and there’s Juncker and Tusk and Dieselflower, who are really just inconsequential sociopathic wankers that could at any moment be replaced by other hammers and screwdrivers.
In that light, it can only be a fitting irony that it was Juncker in his speech yesterday who said:
“Playing off one democracy against 18 others is not an attitude which is fitting for the great Greek nation.”.
He could have easily followed up with:
Because that’s what we in Brussels have a monopoly on.”
The EU is a club led by people with mental disorders, that panders to special interests. It’s not a union of sovereign nations that hold meetings on how to find common ground. That common ground is now supposedly a given, and no matter what any nation thinks about that matters one bit anymore. Unless it’s Germany or France, and even then. The EU has superseded the nations that formed it. And that can never have been the idea of the people of these nations. As I started writing a few hours earlier today:
It won’t be a surprise anymore that I am not a fan of the European Union. That is to say, I like the idea but not the execution of it, and certainly not the clowns who execute it. However, what happened yesterday is something that even I couldn’t foresee. The Troika volunteered to self-immolate, though the three-headed beast is undoubtedly too full of hubris to understand what it did. Good.
Still, I’m looking at this, thinking: really guys? You really think deliberately sparking chaos in an EU member state on the eve of a democratic referendum is something that will help your case in the long term? Have you thought this through at all? I’m guessing the overriding notion is that threatening and bullying as a model has worked for Brussels so far; but I’m also guessing that the approach has its limits.
Like with many things, there may well be a gaping hole between what can be considered legally justified and what morally justified. But be that as it may, you can’t rule over 28 different sovereign nations with no morals whatsoever. That’s coming back to bite you in the face.
For the ECB to freeze ELA for Greek banks is the biggest blunder it has ever made, and arguably the biggest one it is capable of making in its present mandate. For one thing, it’s a purely political move, and the ECB has no place in politics, or politics inside the ECB.
That the Eurogroup added to the insult a refusal to grant Greece a one-week extension so preparations for the referendum could be executed in peace, tells us loud and clear what it thinks about democracy: it’s a mere afterthought.
Bullying sovereign nations gets old, fast. What you guys are at the moment doing to Greece, you won’t be able to repeat against Italy or Spain. They’ll have you for breakfast.
The EU, which is made up of 28 democratic and sovereign nations, is being run like some absolute kingdom, ostensibly led by a 24/7 drunk. How long do you think that can last?
The very minimum the ECB should have done this week is to issue an explicit guarantee for all Greek bank deposits up to and including the July 5th referendum. To make sure there would be no bank runs and line ups at ATMs leading up to the vote, which merely represents the purest form of democracy. That is hasn’t speaks volumes. And it can’t possibly have been a monetary deliberation; what happens now is far more costly for the bank, and for European taxpayers, than such a guarantee.
I love that the EU does this, and the Troika with it, because they ensure their own demise. What I don’t like is the people who will fall victim in the interim, starting with the ones here in Greece. If this is the best the EU can do on a human scale, it has no reason to exist. And everyone better get out while they can.
Europe can form a great union, peaceful and prosperous and happy. It has many many wise and smart people who can make that work. But those people are not in Brusssels, where the decisions are being taken. And there’s a reason for that.
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fuck the EU :D
with a capital F
Each nation is going to have it's own version of a shitstorm as the effects of this action rattle trough over the next couple of weeks.
Still looking forward to the US shitstorm attempt to clear larceny from the books.
Good.
Any political & economic union based on this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F9YqCP_B7EU
Deserves to & will end in this:
https://youtu.be/uq-dMbnoV4k?t=4s
Fuck the EU. The quicker this shit idea can be relegated to the dust bin of history -- the better.
bah. the whole EU org can be dismantled in exactly seven years, the lenght of the budget timeline that it's members, all sovereign armed coutries, grant it
meanwhile, the reasons for european cooperation don't go away, and most of them are not in the category of the "european solidarity" that enrages you so quickly
just recently the national regulators, headed by that of Luxembourg, all made a move regarding Greek sovereign bonds. ZH had an article about it, noting the synchronicity of it all
don't take it as an affront, it's really not meant as that, but sometimes we have too many Texans (or something similar) taking the EU as the equivalent of the USA. which is silly, imho
and strange, then actually "Red Necks" ought to recognize the similarities between what the EU is and what the Confederated States of America wanted to be. But do we have rednecks here, besides of course "Urban Redneck", that are actually capable of describing what the CSA wanted to be, without getting all bogged down in race and guns and other usual (boring) discussions?
though I mantain that the proper benchmarkes for the EU are the (American Native) Indian Confederations (many tribes, many languages, common problems) or of course the Swiss Confederation, again with many languages and many polities
in short, the EU can be done with. the common problems, though, are here to stay, so if you want to dismantle the EU you ought to already point out what would have to replace it
note that it has to include the duty of european ministers and particularly prime ministers to meet regularly. a very important point, and the biggest contribution to peace, if you think about it
you don't believe that? then reflect for a moment about Putin and how he is not being invited to meetings, or how important that it was that Obama and he had a phone call, recently. Or remember the history of the famous phone line between the White House and the Kremlin
Ghordo -
Maybe you think my problem is with the EU as a form of government. I have no problem at all with EU as a Confederation -- if it made sense.
I would be completely cool with a 100% Federation of Northern European Nations, e.g., a United States of Northern Europe. That would be completely fine with me. I'd prefer a confederation of Northern European States, but a Federation of Northern (Germany, Austria, Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Norway, with plans to integrate Hungary, Poland, and the Czech Republic over a period of 100 years or so) European nations would make me as happy as a pig in slop.
Why? Because these peoples have lots of in common, and have, at least from an economic point of view -- could achieve a much higher level of integration without the transfer union that the EUR will require to work correctly.
You look at this idea, go "egad!" but that's racist! Or something, equally silly.
You call it some kind of Latin-phobia, I look at it as pragmatism. The big Latin nations (France, Italy, Spain and Portugal) could also achieve a very high level of integration that they cannot achieve with the EUR with their northern counterparts.
See Ghordo, you live in a closed little world. Your view of the world is "all European peoples are so similar they are actually one people, and thus can share lots and lots of stuff." This is flawed, and the rise of PODEMOS, Golden Dawn, National Front, AfD, True Finns, etc., etc,. and other similar parties are merely a reaction to people who think like you coming to power.
Not only is this a flawed view, but because of this view, you eliminate solutions to problems because of these beliefs.
Open your mind, and accept, both logically, but for you more importantly -- emotionally -- that all Europeans are not "equal." Accept they are different. Accept these differences are good things. Now look at the continent and redraw the EU and EMZ so as to clump together nations that are really similar economically.
Not only will you get unions that work, and work well, but you'll cut down on the number of currencies on the continent, increase business efficiency you are always banging on about and everyone can return to profitability.
Will you have a border between German and France again? Yes. Will it be the end of the world? No.
I don't disagree maybe you are right, but i sincerely hope you would understand the immigration issues the South needs to deal with, and assuming you did what you just said you would have to deal with tens of thousands of illegal immigrants with no papers flooding into that Northern EU.
Also do not disregard how EU policy so far has ruined countries based on Agriculture (e.g. the South) while promoting countries based on other forms of industry to shine (e.g.the North)
Also on a sidenote i need to add that the US is formed out of 50+ states that have very different economies , yet they manage to keep the monetary union. Maybe what we need in the end is more unification instead of what is actually happening.
First, the US' monetary union took more than 150 years to build, and the US came from just two cultures to begin with -- Germans and British. The USD started off in a position where culturally even the states which were dramatically different -- say Georgia and New York back 200 years ago -- were more similar than Germany and say Portugal is today. Oh yeah, we also fought a civil war over money and different economies wanting to do different things. Bloodiest war in American history. But alas -- Brussel's doesn't care. They threw together the EUR in the span of a decade. As I said before it took the US from 1776 to 1913 to get the USD as we know it today.
Northern Industry is shining, but not within the EZ. Northern exports are doing great -- overseas. Wanna look at BMW sales in France, Spain, Italy or Greece compared to say -- 1997? (Here is a hint, these companies were doing better in the 90s in these markets than they are today.)
Immigration could be easy problem to solve. Northern European Union say free movement of persons within the Union. If you are a foreign worker you have to apply to come here. Illegeal immigrants are sent back home. Australian immigration policy would do wonders where in Rainbow land today.
TOO MUCH THINKING!!
All you have to know is the term "European Union" is an oxymoron.
Cause it's fucking Europe which had a thousand years to get its shit together after the Romans fell apart.
Which come to think (too much) of it.. Is probably the reason WHY A UNIFIED EUROPE CAN'T WORK.
BECAUSE THEY ALL HATED BEING RULED UNDER THE ROMAN EMPIRE FOR SOME 500 years.
It was the technology of man which set it all asunder.
Global Economic And Financial System On The Verge Of Total Collapse
"We’re talking about a highly controlled and perfectly timed demolition ... just as the 2008 stock market collpase was executed."
I'm still long and short executions.
If you view the LIsbon treaty as a mutual suicide pact, it all starts to make sense ... to TPTB, at least.
The Greek people get screwed ... the German people and a large number of other common folks across the EU for that matter ... but the Greek, French and German oligarchs make out like bandits.
Nice work if you can get it.
I personally neither want a unified europe nor agree that all hated the Roman Empire... during the barbarian invasions
and this is the reason why Charlemain - himself a "barbarian" Franc, was able to refound the empire for a further 1000-years spell
or why there is this tendency again, from time to time. but the result of Rome... is the whole Western Civilization
So what's your point besides what you want?
And no way did 'ol Carolus Magnus (or Chuckus to his friends) re-found the Roman Empire, but only Western Europe.
Which fell apart again anyway
Fact is. Europeans hate each other and always will.
And then there's the French who hate themselves .. And always will..
Headbanger, I was not writing about what I want. you ask for a point, here it is:
"All you have to know is the term "European Union" is an oxymoron."
yes, it is. it is the wrong term, and basically it was introduced because "community" sounded too... communist, particularly for the Brits
"Union", on the other side, was more... familiar. and became one of the reasons why some Brits are against the EU
in short, I usually fail to find any reasoning behind euroscepsis besides cheap populistic points and complete myths
including your "Fact is. Europeans hate each other and always will."
so "fell apart" after one millennia counts as a failure, for you? wow, you do have high standards
Oh please, Charlemagne formed his empire at the end of a blade, same way that Romans did their before him.
He also spread the plague of Christianity across much of the continent, again at the end of the sword.
I don't disagree maybe you are right, but i sincerely hope you would understand the immigration issues the South needs to deal with, and assuming you did what you just said you would have to deal with tens of thousands of illegal immigrants with no papers flooding into that Northern EU.
Also do not disregard how EU policy so far has ruined countries based on Agriculture (e.g. the South) while promoting countries based on other forms of industry to shine (e.g.the North)
Also on a sidenote i need to add that the US is formed out of 50+ states that have very different economies , yet they manage to keep the monetary union. Maybe what we need in the end is more unification instead of what is actually happening.
You gonna burn british bitches!
I support the split.
Oversimplifying:
The North should not steal the quality coming from the South.
The South should learn civism from the North.
imagine Varoufakis forced to work daily with Dijsselbloem...or Tsipras with Merkel. The cultural differences are astonishing, only incompetents would join them (or someone with a lot to profit..)
quality from the South?
Have you ever driving a Fiat before? Quality is not on the list of adjectives I would associate with it.
are you comparing a globalized mass-market product like a Fiat, produced by a US-Italian consortium with a BMW or a Mercedes? Try a Lambo, or a Ferrari
or walk into a German C-Suite meeting room and note clothes and shoes weared there. frankly, your "quality" ideas would have raised objections by the Wehrmacht officers studying the Italian Navy as suitable allied asset for Germany before the WWII
you have a thing about "Latins", I fear, and you give me reasons to think you brought that "thing" from elsewhere. culturally, Germans are latinized, btw. You seriously ought to study Germany and France a bit more, and note that it's a flowing difference from region to region
Sure its a flowing difference. For example, in the Saarland they are much more French that Prussian or Bavarian. I am not saying there is a border and *poof* massive differences. I am saying taken as a whole -- there are differences. These differences are good and should be cherished and fostered, as these differences are what make Europe Europe. If you want a huge country with 300 million people being all identical -- go the United States. Lets keep Europe "European" shall we? (E.g., lots of dramatically different cultures and peoples within a relativelysmall geographic region.)
The Italians make great suits, clothing, and are world renound for their food. They build excellent scooters, their helicopters are pretty good, and in the super-car market they *are* the bar.
That being said -- Italian customer service is horrible, their cars for everyday individuals are among the worst in the world, where recently Dachia placed ahead of FIAT in initial quality.
This is what I am saying though -- the Italians do some stuff great, and other stuff horribly. Back when Italy had the Llira, the FIAT could compete with the VW because it was a lot cheaper, but the VW was a better car. Now the VW is the same price as a FIAT, and FIAT got killed so badly they had to move corporate head quarters for tax purposes as they were having to cut costs slash & burn style.
I have a thing with the Latins in that I realize they are different, and materially so than the Germanic & Scandinavian countries. I can say "Hey -- the Latin countries are Materially different than the Germanic ones -- maybe they should have a legal and financial system to match."
But in this bizaroo land of Eu-political correctness, such a statement is considered "anti-Latin" racist, or simply not true, where you'd have Schlutz come out swinging saying All European are one people blah blah blah
never mind political correctness, which I find even more dreadful as you
my bone of contention with you is grounded on Austrian School. your statement implies that certain countries ought to devalue just to keep in business
I see that as Neo-Keynesian kool-aid, and historically completely wrong. btw, for something like 500 years, continental Europe had no "financial system"... except for "Italian" bankers
research a bit, and you'll find remnants of it in things like "Lombard loans". in relation, for example, with the "Champagne Fairs"
I, personally, don't find your "Anti-Latin" stance racist. I just find it's a theory you can't falsify. Based on historical propaganda around the German Reich "Gründerjahre" and laced with "Anglo" race theories which, frankly, I don't see as racist but as very, very silly
Italy and France were able to amass vast quantities of gold in their national banks, for example, during the brief Gold Standard of the 19th-to-20th Century. Read a bit what national bankers in Germany were writing about that, and note that neither them nor their Bank of England counterparts thought Latins as economically inferior
the truth is that they were both in England and Germany still under the age-long impression that it was Northeners that were economically inferior, a bias that lasted two millennia
so in short, your bias is... historically very, very young. A mix of Victorian height of empire giddiness, German "Gründerjahre" "we are as good as" propaganda and some import from the US, imho
Have you ever looked at maintenance requirements for a Ferrari?
I have. Anytime you actually use one of them as they are intended it needs to get back into the shop for a $3,000 tune up. (that price is from over 10 years ago. I have no idea the cost now).
Beautiful cars and lot of flair. Reliability is not their strength.
I would not buy a French or a British car either.
not talking about cars. again, fully support division between North/South. all would win as opposed to some.
Haus, I joined this blog "community" because of it's Austrian School "slant" (and the articles exposing megabank scandals)
now, from that perspective, money is gold. meanwhile, still from that perspective, the whole idea of "transfers because of monetary union" is... bogus
take the US as an example: nobody makes "transfers" from the federal budget to States... according to monetary and economic reasonings. it's pure politics
so by getting on that rail, you are posing more "equalitarian" points then me. then I am only asking for non-discrimination, which is equality in front of the law
but that's the sorry state of Austrian School... in the US. it's not based on economic reasonings by giants like Menger or Pareto
it's goldbugs asking for the return of gold... while thinking in Neo-Keynesian terms. a statement I'd be happy to withdraw in front of (welcome) proof
meanwhile, you are asking for less Franco-German cooperation... and for europe to stand up against some of the excessive demands of Uncle Sam
wake up and Smell The Bear. it's neither a Teddy Bear nor the monster that some media try to portray. nevertheless, as China and the US.... it's there
politically, your demand is, in the current setup, simply impossible, unrealistic and frankly very strange. perhaps you ought to travel a bit more on this continent and talk a bit more with both Germans and non-Germans
Define equality.
Equality under the law is fine with me, economic equality is a no go. Any system that tries to impose economic equality on its members is a system 100% doomed to fail. Accept economic inequality, and harness it via harnessing the most productive members of your class. When you try and build a system around economic equality, you retard your best performers for the sake of the worst.
I am not asking for less Franco-German cooperation. I am asking for less Franco-German integration. The two concepts, much to your dismay are not the same . I want the Latin and Germanic countries to work "together" and not shoot at one another. Does that mean these planes need to "integrate?" Absolutely, unequivocally not.
Politically my demand is odd in the current setup for endless propaganda from all sides talking about European Unity and European Equality. Why is it so politically incorrect to admit that some European Nations are better at things than others? Why is it so bad here to admit that not all Europeans are equal in all things?
I travel extensively through Europe. Germany is filled with the largest group of brainwashed people on the whole continent. Probably because the propaganda is strongest here. I love going and talking with people in Austria, France & Finland for example. The Poles are fantastic people to talk with about this stuff, as for the first time in 200 years they are not about the get the shit kicked out of them by their neighbors, and realize the "its a small world after all" view of the world that Western Europe is imposing on itself is suicide.
Perhaps you should start talking to your opposition more than the EU fanboys I assume you surround yourself with.
The arguments against further integration are mounting, and because things won't improve over the next decade -- will become main stream.
I just did. For me, equality in front of the law is enough
you jump from economics to geo-politics and back to economics in the same sentence. I point out that we try to separate the things
you ask for Germany being able to discriminate against producers of street signs outside of Germany. citing the US with it's "made in America" laws as example. I'm against
politically, your demand is odd from both economic and geo-political points of view
European Unity is mostly a geo-political affair. if we had had more unity, Ukraine would not have gone along purely US-Russian lines
the whole matter of "integration"... well, besides the economic part, I agree, it's a whole bunch of endless propaganda
but be careful. how? either you allow the Four Freedoms or you don't. perhaps you ought to search your (political) soul about them. meanwhile, winter is coming, I mean that globalization is progressing
in the realm of that, the EU, fan-boys or not, is a regional affair of sovereign countries not wanting to go fully globalized. note the state of the so called "trade" talks like TTIP, which are about full globalization and the utter defanging of sovereignty for the full glory of the globalized economy represented by megacorps
If a jelly bean or a chocolate bar could find a way to kill a man, would you still promote it's use, i'm certain you would say yes because YOU have the solution, but if your solution is flawed and then you go into denial about your country's situtation, does that make your country stronger or weaker? Want to go to war, or be humbly reformed, war is always the answer, carnage is always the result of war, and the whole thing starts all over again.
The problem is Ghordo -- economic integration encompasses all other forms of culture. The way you look at money, and the way you are being forced to spend it affects every single part of your life. Literally.
When you give this power to a group of people that don't share your culture, beliefs and spending & saving habits -- you have given up who you are.
Lump everyone together who spend and save similarily.
Haus, I agree
ergo the EU budget has to kept... small. methinks 1% of GDP is just right
power to a group of people? got that right!
if every 'european' citizen knew the quality of life in German, or Benelux, for ex, this union wouldn't stand a chance. If the media were not controlled as they are, we wouldn't need to wish this or that - this union would not exist, at least not an economic one.
Keep your solid cars, so you can stand the daily traffic hours - just don't forget to call your southern house staff so they remember to buy those nice products that only grow where there's sun and the will to withstand it to support the family.
and stop filling the damn amusement parks everywhere!
The US is lead by the same type of greedy self interedted degenerates. All of our institutions seem to be run by them.
"Fuck the EU"....and the bus they rolled in on.
there, fixed it.
"the EU is an organization led by people with, let’s define this subtly and carefully, sociopathic traits (Antisocial Personality Disorder), simply because the EU structure self-selects for such people.
We are being governed by sociopaths, and that’s by no means just a European thing.
Europe has moved, at a very rapid clip, from a union of 28 different sovereign states, each with their own governments and political views and directions, to one where a top heavy bureaucratic structure, hand-puppeted on by a mere handful member states and systemic banks, dictate what each member state, both its politicians and its citizens, may do or not do. Or think. Electing a left wing government, for instance, equals asking for trouble.
There is no democracy left in Europe, people have no direct say anymore, there’s just a two-pronged dictatorship
Europe can form a great union, peaceful and prosperous and happy. It has many many wise and smart people who can make that work. But those people are not in Brusssels, where the decisions are being taken. And there’s a reason for that."
I don't always agree with this author but he is spot on here. Many have tried to create a united Europe. Often by military means. And they failed. The EU (and its owners) try to do it through political economics but they will also fail. Cause the EU as it is is not a union by the people but by corporations, banks, lobbyists and interest groups.
Why Fight Club Matters More Than Ever:
"The figurative demolition of the buildings mirrors both the literal destruction of the Twin Towers and the figurative decimation of our financial system."
http://www.esquire.com/entertainment/movies/a30361/fight-club-15-years-l...
http://whatculture.com/comics/fight-club-2-10-things-you-need-to-know.php
Probably the best analogy. The Dark Lords learned that there is no rebuild without a demolition before.
https://youtu.be/ytjN6Qa-Igg
“The script of the play calls for Greece, the ‘birthplace of democracy,’ to flee the ‘anti-democratic’ West and join the ‘BRICS rebellion against the evil Western central bankers.’”
Taken from the Redefining Blog which has been surprising accurate so far.
The globalists want us to recoil from the old new world order of the IMF /Us of A and co (see the Eu experiment) and run headlong into the arms of the New new world order of the Shanghai club.
The plan is not all that complex really.
Perhaps its execution which perhaps depends on the extensive cooperation of mid and lower level masonary.
To witness this constant production of slurry is indeed impressive.
A Schzophrenic interaction.
When in doubt, go back to Basics in System Analysis. Follow the Money. Use CSI techniques.
To TPTB, it's still all about The Big Game: World Domination and reshaping it per their megalomaniac vision and ambition. They want to ascend to demi-god status, and rule over the masses, like Absolute Rulers of old. Except now they can leverage modern Science and Technology for their purposes.
If they can't keep the EU/Europe within their sphere of Debt-control, they would rather use Scorched Earth Politics. It would appear.
http://redefininggod.com/2015/06/globalist-agenda-watch-update-48-the-ba...
Everything would be fine if only the Greeks would accept their role as perpetual debt serfs.
The EU is an out of control Junkernaut.
Federal Europe paradox : You have dysfunctional spare parts (states), but put under the common roof they could form a flawless machinery.
Just wait, when engineers and technicians start applying the principle.
we have neither a federal europe nor are all nations dysfunctional. what we do have is some fervent federalists, like possibly Raul used to be
as a small reminder, the eurozone, i.e. the 19 countries that use the EUR, still with Greece, have together still a positive trade and financial balance
meanwhile, in the matter of balanced budgets... well, that's the very root cause of this Greek mess, Mr. Tsipras and Mr. Varoufakis don't like the thought, together with the whole radical Left and of course Mr. Nobel Laureate Dr. Krugman
Here is a fun game Ghordo -
Other than Germany -- can you name a *single* EZ country where government expenditure did not exceed government outlay this year?
Your balanced budget schtick is just that -- schtick. It doesn't exist, and if you tried to force the budgets on a nation like France you have been forcing on Greece, you'd be a in a whole world of hurt.
of course. balanced budgets proper would be a so called "black zero". but note that we european proponents of nearly balanced budgets are already pillored as heartless by people like Raul, the author of this very article we are commenting. frankly, in this game of numbers it's the long-term cumulative result that counts
the whole point of a confederation is that it should serve the members, like well fitting clothes. but that's the point: neither Raul here nor the current Greek gov want a confederation. they want a federation which would spend a huge bundle on Greece, for the "european solidarity". they want an end of "damn austerity"
So -- no then? So its not really about balanced budgets, its about kinda balanced budgets.
correct. enough balanced budget. now try to draft a treaty that says "kinda of"
in "Game of Thrones" terms, it does not matter how much you stored for winter, as long as it is... enough
the other option is to enforce them with a "Juncker Not-Phantom-Anymore Army", which, frankly, is not what I want
I'm glad we can agree about that.
If you really are a EU MP -- you need to start being louder. The reason the EFD has gotten so much larger is there are no loud middle-of-the-road EU MPs anymore.
Everyone that makes a big mess is either a full blown blithering Federalist, or wants to tear the whole thing apart. There is no one in the middle telling both extremes they are fucking retarded.
You will have been found to be on the wrong side of nature, sentenced to death, out of appeals, and running out of time, you are a group of doomed like minded people who have mistreated others for the sake of your own kind, it's been proved in the court of the laws of nature of which you are not aware, and even if you were it would throw you into denial, go ahead and fight the banksters, they are one step worse than you and in the same situtation, good luck with what little time you have left on this land.
no, Raul, nobody ever suspected you to be a fan of the EU, and if there were any doubts this article is for sure dispelling them
but your article gives me the feeling you are suffering from some kind of disorder, too
first, you ride a bit too strongly on the "Juncker lied" horse. The thing with lying is that there are many shades of that, a huge spectrum from telling a girl she is pretty - even though she isn't - up to testify in court against someone you know is innocent, for base motives, up to a death sentence that get's enacted
and Juncker's lies, the very thing he acknowledges, are more of the political kind. those who don't even belong in court (i.e. not criminal), just in the political process
second, since we are already about Juncker: you know he is a recallable commissioned officer of the EU org. both the EU Council and the EU Parliament could give him anytime the boot. and I don't see them kicking him out. Sure, the British PM Cameron would, and he was the only one opposed against Juncker in the Council. But Cameron himself was the man that took the British Tory party out of the european Conservatives' biggest caucus, the EPP (which set Juncker as their "lead candidate"), and I wonder if you ever thought about that
third, you make me slightly angry about this bullshit: "That got 1000s killed in Ukraine, and in the Mediterranean, and now in Greece. All deathly dramas Brussels could have prevented, and chose not to." Fine, you claim that many orgs, national and international, are populated by sociopaths. But putting all those deaths on the steps of Brussels? Come on stop that bullshit. "All those deaths" are the result of decisions taken by nations with armies, navies and airforces. All the theater about a EU association of Ukraine, for example, does not change even one meter of gas pipelines, or the ethnicity and political views of people in the new republics huggin Russia, or the question of Crimea, Sevastopol's military base and Russian force projection, as well as it does not change... Victoria Nuland's work. And your case regarding the tragedies in the Med have no legs to stand on
fourth, your "there is no democracy left in Europe" is another disingenuos thing. no, we are not a federation. at most, something resembling a confederation (for specific matters only), meaning that every polity in the bunch is still the master of it's political will. so yes, a democratic decision in Greece does not bind Spain or Poland or Ireland. and frankly, it should not. and no, in order to get a decision in Brussels you need first a majority of the EU govs in the Council and then a majority in the elected EU Parliament, and that is democracy fit for a confederational setup, just not the one kind you seem to wish for
the only debatable thing about your article is the decision of the ECB to cap the ELA support for the Greek banking system
and for that, perhaps you should mention that again we are talking about appointed national governors that voted on it. meaning that a majority of the collegues of the Greek National Bank governor had a look in his face and told him that they would not go further then the nearly 90 billions he already got, and voted on it in the ECB Council
perhaps it is a blunder. on the other side, 90 billions, devided by 10 million Greeks, is something in the tune of freaking € 90'000 per Greek. but that is the problem. for your side, math is completely irrelevant. and that's the reason why you failed to mention up to which level you think the ECB ought to go further with ELA for the Greek banking system. I dare you to spell out a number
math, Raul. morals ought to be important, but morals without any math, or logic, or any link to reality... well, that actually describes your side in those affairs
First,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P4fEJIluuR0&feature=youtu.be&t=28s
Second,
Are sou seriously defending the EU'S "democratic accountability" again? Seriously? Ghordo, you are preaching to the wrong choir. You might think you are supremely informed, but until the Parliament has the power to draft legislation, not just say "no" (and whose no is completely override able by the Commission, making the Parliament nothing but a figurehead institution) there is no democracy within the EU.
Third,
Had the EU told the US to fuck off re; Ukraine, I am sure these deaths would not have happened. Do these decisions require more players than just 1? Sure. Are these situations 100% the fault of Brussels, no. Without Brussel's assistance, would these situations have happened -- no. I encourage you to research the "but for" test in English negligence cases.
Fourth,
The EU is more than a confederation, when EU law is supreme to national law in all areas save exclusively domestic ones. The EU cannot enforce speed limits in Germany and Austria, however they can make it illegal for nations to demand speed limit signs be produced domestically. Something that is ok in the United States.
Math Ghordo -- Greece cannot pay back its debt without pain society is not willing to suffer for the next 50 years. Morals, is it moral to hold together the EU and EZ when it causes so much strife and pain in the Med? Its horrible you talk about morals and math as if the EU side of the argument has the better argument. The fact of the matter is -- the EZ lacks both in large sums.
But do keep lecturing us on the theoretical purpose of the EU and the EZ.
first, reread the part about lies. did Juncker push for war while lying about weapons of mass destruction, like PM Blair did?
second, thanks, but no, thanks. it is perfectly fitting for a confederational setup that first the sovereign countries have to have a majority in the EU Council and then the EU Parliament can vote on it
the equivalent of that in the US setup would be that for any federal legislation you would have to have a majority among the States legislatures, and then Congress might vote on it
third, the EU has nothing to say about NATO matters, remember? military alliances are not part of the "EU sphere of competence". what you are asking is for France to exit NATO again and the others to follow it. Is that what you are asking for? Or are you asking for a Russian military Hegemony over Europe? For the latter case, try to talk about such things in Poland or in any country that did experience the Warsaw Pact
"Without Brussel's assistance..." yeah, what assistance? did it include... weapons, for example?
Fourth, "supreme law"... yeah. name one. I can name... four of the principles: the Four Freedoms of the EU
Freedom of movement of People, Capital, Goods and Services. In short: "You can't discriminate against..."
so yes, it is forbidden to discriminate in Germany against Ghordius producing street signs in let's say France. if this is ok in the US, fine for me, but no, I don't see why it ought to be so here
note that the EU still discriminates against the Rest of The World, particularly if the EU is discriminated against there, as in the very case of street signs
just recently Cameron made against noises about discrimination of Polish workers in the UK. think about that, in the upcoming discussions around the BreXit referendum
(cutting out the whole discussion about debt/Greece, then I sincerely have not the time, at the moment. another time, perhaps)
I know you don'T have the time to deal with Greece at the moment. You are in the ECB's war room at the moment, figuring out WTF to do in the next couple weeks.
First - So Blair is a liar as well. Awesome. That suprises me not. Your impliciatino that somehow EU politicians don't lie, and even if they do its okay because other politicians lie is sad.
Second, No. You have a EU Parliament with the power of the Soviet Duma. It literally does nothing within the law making process save give the sheeple (bahhh bahhh) a means to feel like they actually have a say in what goes on. If the Commission wants something to be done, and the Parliament doesn't, then the Commission can steamroll right over the Parliament. Could Parliament nuke the Commission. Sure. However, this is a horrible means of democracy, where the only way the Parliament can stop a law is to dissolve the executive is just nuts. Voting -- how does it work?
Third, Brussels assistance was sending over a bunch of idiot MPs, having heads of various states comment about how Ukraine could become a member of the EU, NATO and egged the whole thing on with funds. You going to tell me next the EU hasn't spent money in the Ukraine to get this set off. Are you really going to lay that exclusivly at the feet of the US? Please Ghordo, don't insult me or yourself with such a ridiculous statement.
Fourth, there was something to do with the length of cuecumbers, and then olive oil on the table, but then again, anything that is handed down by the Commission is required by treaty to be passed into law at a national level. Sounds pretty supreme to me.
Fifth, Explain to me the free movement of goods, say -- cash between Greece and Italy right now. I mean, if the Free movement of Goods is so important ---
nope, I am actually in Greece, at the moment, facing some friend's problems that are quite unrelated to this mess
lies? I repeat: "The thing with lying is that there are many shades of that, a huge spectrum from telling a girl she is pretty - even though she isn't - up to testify in court against someone you know is innocent, for base motives, up to a death sentence that get's enacted "
imho you Cousins From The Other Side Of The Pond have a bit a "thing" about lies. there are many shades of that. that ought to be "Morals 101", imho
second, you must be joking with the Soviet Duma. how does the Commission "steamroll" the EU Parliament?
third, are you asking for a law against MEPs going to foreign places? I am not talking about exclusivity, but sorry, the role of Brussels was very limited, as Victoria Nuland herself highlighted. Whatever the EU wanted in Ukraine... well, it did not count
fourth, isn't strange that whenever there is a discussion about EU regulations, at the end it's all about lenght of cucumbers? note, in this, that there are new retail stores coming up in France that specialize in vegetables that are not fit to EU norms. if that is the whole of the "oppression by the EU"...
still fourth: yes, "supreme"... but you still need the national tribunals and the national police to enforce any of it, don't you? there is plenty of "supreme EU law" that is simply not enforced... as you yourself highlighted with France and it's budget deficit escapades
fifth, yes. note, for example that the Greek government, this very moment, is discriminating against it's own citizens
I am in Greece, and my non-Greek credit card... functions. I can draw at the ATM, as I just did, without restrictions. My Greek godson is restricted by his own (damn) government
reflect for a moment on this
(and yes, I still think that the olive oil packaging law was a good idea. just recently I witnessed a few cases that were relevant. and, frankly, disgusting. but that's politics. care to talk about Florida and beer? that's a very interesting case)
1) American politicians are lying buckets of flesh & bones. You will never see me defend them. Your point is mute. Juncker is a lying piece of shit. see, that was easy. Now you try.
2) After the third rejection of a Commission proposal before the European Parliament, and the EU Commission, can at its sole discretion override the Parliaments objection. It can also issue its own regulations which are binding on member states as though it came from parliament itself. Thus the EU Parliament is a figurehead institution only. The ECJ is as worthless as the SCOTUS is. It took something BVerfG stated as ultra vires and said its cool -- no problems. Did you even read that decision. It was not based on the law, but what would happen if the agrees with the Germans.
Thus, the EU is run exclusively by the executive -- the Commission.
3) No, I am not. Tell you what Ghordo google "EU Ukraine Maidan" and do some research for yourself once and a while. The EU's involvement -- if not on the ground handing out Molotov Cocktails was certainly taking place behind the curtain with wire transfers, and definitely with Rhetoric.
4) Good for those stores. I purchased a Vacuum cleaner for the exclusive fact that it doesn't comply with EU regulation. My problem is not with cucumbers -- its that the EU can dictate what kind of cucumber or vacuum cleaner I can purchase, at the authority of the Executive. You call this freedom and democracy.
5) So why isn't the Commission dragging the Greek government to court to remove the capital controls. Why didn't they do this with Cyprus? I mean -- if Germany made a law that said "No cars manufactured in France will be allowed to be sold or driven in Germany" there would be active litigation before Lunch today. Here -- nothing.
Thanks for the respectful debate, guys.
While I live in Europe, and my father originally came from the Continent, it is interesting and useful to read your perspectives.
ok, I try.
1) Juncker says himself that he lies. nevertheless, I am not aware of him doing crimes, and neither is anybody else. he is a commissioned officer of both EU Council and EU Parliament, and both seem to think that he is doing a good job, so far
2) no. I won't go now in the details, but note that really relevant things that don't go through the EU Parliament... well, the EU Commission can't propose anything that has no majority in the EU Council. The truth is that anything that can't go through the EU Parliament... becomes a matter for a.... drum rolls.... new treaty. For which the matter has to come back to the "masters of the treaties". Which are the very entities represented in the EU Council, i.e. the sovereign members, the national countries
3) yes, words and money spent. no weapons. again, I ask: did anything in Ukraine go the way the EU wanted? or did Russian-US geopolitics trump everything?
4) a dictate is a bit more forceful then that. and no, EU "dictates" have "no executive" in it
5) yes, if we were a federation, the EU could ask/force the Greek government to stop discriminating against it's own citizens with the current capital controls. Now tell me how you would handle this if you were the EU Commission... without getting accused of trying to dictate policy, btw
again, we are at most a quasi-confederation of sovereigns, not a federation. loose-fitting. a club. all confederational setups have this kind of creases and inconsistencies. and when a member of a club is damn against following every rule of the club... again, we are talking about an armed sovereign nation, aren't we?
so what is it for you? is the EU not forceful enough or too much?
to come back to Juncker, he is "leading" it, a drunken liar that is nevertheless a skilled politician, fit to that role according to the EPP, the EU Council and the EU Parliament, without an army or nuclear weapons at his disposal, and for sure not with an FBI or a CIA or a NSA or a federal police at his disposal
the sad truth is this: from a constitutional, legal and "law of nations" point of view... Greeks are doing it to themselves. and the EU has nothing to say about that. it's not it's business. and, frankly, it should not, neither I nor many others want a damn federation that would impose such things on sovereign members
your words are still from the perspecive of someone that implicitly supports most aspects of the problems and has convenient hand wavings for things not in your scriptnotes as if automatically irrelevant by their absence. as if mere "procedure" would stop certain bodies from overriding certain other bodies, puh-lease. you seem pretty invested in the script and your defenses of EU-isms are good for nothing but eye rolling.
What just happened between the EU and Greece is nothing short of a declaration of War, now all we have to do is to wait for people to start getting killed over it.
This is because we have not given a shit about the EU for many years. I can speak for what I have seen in Italy (but I guess it happened also in other EU countries). The only candidfates to EU were monkeys or despicable persons that went to the EU with favors or someone placed them there or even worst to get a monthly salary and STOP. Today, when the EU counts something and its policy are effecting all of us we have these people to defend our rights. These people who don't even know what politic is.
The Eu was based on a great idea. Keep in mind the mess there was before the EU was establieshed. Today this is just the dark version of that dream. IT sucks!
Each single country think only about itself. No brotherwood. No collaboration. But everything is coming from the people we have chosen to go and represent us there. They are mainly outlaws, offenders, bitches, cocksuckers, servants of powerful people (or corporation)..what do we expect????
http://albainternazionale.blogspot.it/2015/07/la-nuova-alba-con-i-brics....
BRICS, Cooperations, etc ... read
The game has just begun with Greece, there is lots of play left with Portugal and Spain, both massive basket cases that will be a much harder test than Greece
Maybe they will invite the Greek duo to negotiate for them. lol
PS
Germany has enjoyed a massive advantage at the expense of the less powerful economies like Greece and Spain, who stand zero chance of growth and competitiveness with a currency way too strong.
I just wonder how wonderful the German economy would be now if they had stuck with a DM. And how much bette off Greece would be without the Euro.
This is where this shit of purposely debt-slaving Greece, Spain etc by those who gained all the advantages of a Euro.
German people feel angry at those lazy Greeks, whom they have/are been raping with the Euro?
OK we know that the entrance of Greece was a planned lie and deception with the expert aid of Goldman Sachs. Along with the training of journalists of how to lie and dupe the Greeks into accepting the 'false dream' presented.
Juncker is always drunken, as he can't stand it any longer.
Working for the EU I tell you that Brussels is not a blind city! Brussels is the city of Zombies AND the city with the highest crime in Europe. You wonder why? ;-)
It will become a hot, hot summer with continuing Fireworks!!
I've been studying in the US twenty years ago... How disgusting it was noticing hows my us fellow students could see Europe in ruins overnight...
Beware the day Germany decides that enough is enough... And give up US for Russia, China and Brics
Europe is not a videogame for fat and lazy couch potatoes
Germany cant decide that. It is ruled by USA since 1945.
Well you are only ever as strong as your weakest link, and when this chain snaps its taking all the heads with it..
It's the Germans. Still the nazi mentality is deep inside them.
It's the Germans. Still the nazi mentality is deep inside them.
You speak propaganda. Germany is ruled by USA since 1945.
Germany is run by Jewish people ironically enough. RTFP
Thats not true. EU, which is an creation by USA, is ruled by american interests, who want to destroy EU's domestic markets to get patents, technology, ressources, assets cheap and sell their own goods. USA planned the domestic market destruction, which happens from 2010 on eg. Greek debt crises initiated by Goldman Sachs. These tactics typically used in poorer countries by IWF is happening Europe itself. Through this planned crisis EU also want to get more influence in EU countries to break them. Its a planned sold out of Europe.
USA is under state capture via special interest groups. Who is benefitting from this Joke Called our Life? Not Americans but someone is and the money trail goes right to AIPAC, Big Corp, and MIC. Policy coup as well. What kind of nation would intentionally destroy their own currency? Allow banks to run ramshod through the housing sector, the backbone of the US economy prior to the first collapse.
You must be on a mission to distract attention from the real culprits (the only ones doing well in this world, Israel). Goodfellas - After the bank robbery, Jimmy goes nuts when the men involved in the caper show up with a new cadillac and fur coats in public 24 hours later.
Goldman Sachs is the Rothschilds. But nice try, Lloyd!!!
Just another centrally planned economy crashing while making millions poor. What else is new.
Check out "Illuminati Wife Tells All" in 4 parts (Download before they remove this too...it happens all the time. IF removed then others can re-upload.).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S8ly0c0_Rnk
AND
Tor Project: Anonymity Online
Tor prevents people from learning your location or browsing habits. Tor is for web browsers, instant messaging clients, and more. Tor is free and open source for Windows, Mac, Linux/Unix, and Android torproject.orgTor (anonymity network) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Tor is free software for enabling anonymous communication. The name is an acronym derived from the original software project name The Onion Router. Tor directs Internet traffic through a free, worldwide, volunteer network consisting of more than six thousand relays to conceal a user's location ... en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tor_(anonymity_network)I STARTED USING THIS EVERYDAY...except when paying bills and other things where I MUST disclose who I am.
PASS THIS AROUND before you're not able to do so.
Greened ya' for sharing, however, I dunno what to make of this gal. She seems sincere enough, and what she's been thru (if true) would'a fucked me up as well- and I'm an old hard-leg redneck.
She made some errors (nerves?) that seemed odd. I forget what she called Bilderberg, but saying Tolstoy instead of Trotsky? That's fucked up.
When she said she got a call back from Kissinger, my bullshit meter went straight to 11 and started smokin'.
I'd say just skip the first three vids, but that's where my bs meter went off scale. The last vid seems to be a re-take after the interviewer
'corrected' her.
Wow. Every one of Raul's posts on Greece is basically the same thing. In a nutshell: "The EU are jerks, therefore the debt problem is their fault."
I agree, "the EU are jerks."
and yet ... the unsustainable debt levels IS GREECE'S FAULT. No one FORCED them to take loans and live beyond their means. It was not a result of war or suppression. And yes - the economic downturn had a dramatic affect, and the pro-cyclical policies of the EU did nothing but hurt, but WTF, THEY TOOK THE MONEY TO MAINTAIN THEIR TRANSFER PAYMENTS. It's time to pay the piper.
Nah, Jim:
It's time to kill the piper. He didn't loan you anything, he just conjured currency, and now he expects to be paid, in units that only he can create?
Jesus H. fucking Christ, man! Exrtract your head from your anal orifice!
Wow. No possible syllogism could be constructed that would connect what you wrote as a logical response to what I wrote.
E.g. If I were to agree they should kill the piper, that fiat currency is bogus, etc. - IT WOULDN'T IMPINGE ON ANYTHING I WROTE! They agreed to it. And guess what - you can't print GOLD EITHER. So what?
Maybe it would help to learn how to think beyond 140 characters allowed by twitter.
Everyone keeps talking about "war" but they forget most people are major pussies these days. Not like generations past where war was constantly practiced for and considered by societies to be both inevitable and good for business too.
No, the most we'll see these days is intense negociations, then major equity write downs. I'm not seeing any developed country's civilian populations having the balls for a war these days.
There are many ways to wage war. Guns and tanks are only one way.
We are being governed by sociopaths
Very funny.
You might want to consider using the more apt term psychopaths.
If you view the LIsbon treaty as a mutual suicide pact, it all starts to make sense ... to TPTB, at least.
The Greek people get screwed ... the German people and a large number of other common folks across the EU for that matter ... but the Greek, French and German oligarchs make out like bandits.
Nice work if you can get it.