Dr Alf’s Two Cents: German leadership: Overcoming the demons | The Economist

Subregions of Europe (The World Factbook)

Subregions of Europe (The World Factbook) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Europe Simulator

Europe Simulator (Photo credit: wigu)

English: The Fall of the Berlin Wall, 1989. Th...

English: The Fall of the Berlin Wall, 1989. The photo shows a part of a public photo documentation wall at Former Check Point Charlie, Berlin. The photo documentation is permanently placed in the public. Türkçe: Berlin Duvarı, 1989 sonbaharı (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Germany

Germany (Photo credit: sanctumsolitude)

This is a brilliant MUST READ article in the Economist. Check it out!

German leadership: Overcoming the demons | The Economist.

Personally, I have been an optimist as far as Germany is concerned over the last two years. To date, the German approach has been largely incremental rather than radical. I have a healthy respect for the German vision of making Europe more competitive. To date, Germany has effectively been vetoing both fiscal and monetary expansion in Europe which has been extremely painful for Southern Europe.

The Economist article looks forward to the year 2020, with two very different scenarios, one rosy and the other full of gloom. The article shrewdly paints the upside opportunities and shares the downside risks. The article looks to the changes required from the German political classes; it highlights that Germany needs to place more focus on economics rather than legalistic solutions. Ultimately, after the election, Germany must lead more effectively, taking the rest of Europe with her; this does not necessarily need to be a federal model.

In my view, the downside case remains a disaster scenario.

What do you think?

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Dr Alf’s Two Cents: Against Stupidity, The IMF Itself Contends In Vain – Paul Krugman – NYTimes.com

Europe Simulator

Europe Simulator (Photo credit: wigu)

This is an excellent MUST READ article from Paul Krugman, the Nobel Prize winning, liberal, economist, writing in his Op-Ed blog in the NYT. Check it out!

via Against Stupidity, The IMF Itself Contends In Vain – NYTimes.com.

As I read this article, a number of thoughts went through my mind. Firstly, I was saddened that President Obama did not have the strength to overrule the Republicans who were blocking using public finance to get Americans back to work.

Then my mind, raced to consider the same argument for both the UK and within the Eurozone in Europe.

In the case of the UK, David Cameron’s government does not face the same constraints that President Obama’s does in the US. The IMF recently proposed that the UK borrow an additional £10 billon this year and invest in quality infrastructure projects. This IMF proposal was quickly rejected by UK Chancellor George Osborne. However, Shadow Chancellor, Ed Balls has, this week, shrewdly adopted the proposal as a keystone to the Labour Party’s recovery program.

Moving to Continental Europe, the same argument is even more pressing. Additional public finance invested in quality infrastructure projects would kick-start economic growth in Southern Europe. Sadly, the troika of the IMF, the EC, and the IMF continue to squabble and fire-fight, going from crisis to crisis. Of course, the just like the Tea Party is blocking financing growth in the US, their soul-mates in Germany are doing the same in Europe.

Any thoughts?

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