mainly macro: Eurozone delusions-Simon Wren Lewis

map of Europe; blue: Eurozone, green: monetary...

map of Europe; blue: Eurozone, green: monetary agreement with the Union, purple: Euro as currency (outside of Eurozone), orange: ERM II, lightgreen: currency pegged to Euro, red: members of Union outside of Eurozone or ERM II; language: Hungarian (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

This is an outstanding, must-read article from top Oxford economist, Simon-Wren Lewis (SRL). Check it out!

via mainly macro: Eurozone delusions.

Wren-Lewis argues that the Eurozone is in major crisis because of ineffective monetary policy not because of Southern European economies, like Greece. SRL blames Germany, who is destabilizing Europe – either through naivety or deliberate greed on Germany’s part.

The solution is suspending the Stability and Growth Pact (SGP), and preferably by a coordinated fiscal stimulus. Consensions to France is not likely to be enough.

Whilst SWL blames Germany for causing the crisis, he equally rounds on Europe’s leaders for not standing up to Germany.

Thoughts?

How a narrow Oxbridge elite still dominates UK public life: More than 75% of senior judges and half the cabinet attended university  | Mail Online

Keble College Chapel as viewed across the quad...

Keble College Chapel as viewed across the quadrangle in Oxford, England. Taken by myself with a Canon 5D and 17-40mm f/4L lens. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

This is a must read article from the Mail. Check it out!

via How a narrow Oxbridge elite still dominates UK public life: More than 75% of senior judges and half the cabinet attended university  | Mail Online.

Privilege and nepotism are alive and well.

Under David Cameron, the wealthy have made enormous gains but the middle and working classes have struggled.

This is against the background of the UK being Europe’s biggest importer of teachers, doctors, nurses, physios and dentists.

Let me turn this to an open question:

Surely, a large part of the problem is the poor standard of the UK state-education and the strangle-hold of the teaching profession?

Any thoughts?