A couple of days ago I happened to catch a publicity video on television, prime time hour, by and for the European Union. Viewers are reminded of where to personallly visit the local delegation of the European Union and invited to come and find answers to any questions they may have.
If I should go, I am sure I would find an attentive person, probably not too busy, showing me the range of free publications on what the EU did, does and wants to continue within and beyond its borders.
I am afraid I would not know where to start.
I feel I have no clue on which programmes exist, let alone how much they would cost to execute. Apparently less than 10 % of the EU's budget goes to maintaining its institutions and I am not sure if I want to find out how many digits the other 90 % correspond to.
I see populations revolting - by less or more violent methods - against their national governments because the distance between what governments do or can do and what a population wants seems larger than ever. I hear individuals and businesses in less or more organized forms putting informed questions on the destination of tax contributions within a national society and economy. Would a supranational governance in the capital of Belgium secure better results ?
Despite or rather more likely due to the current economic downfall and austerity I see busy people committed to the communities they live and /or work in, encountering manners I thought a while ago had gone forever. Not a bad angle especially at Christmas time, I would think. Spend a little less (money), give a little more (thought and attention). Why on earth would less funding of centrally coordinated programmes, in today's economic situation, be a threat to people's sense of unity ?
2012-11-23
2012-11-15
Shaken or stirred ?
The variety and tone of opinions, beliefs, plain gossip, press declarations speculating on the true intention(s) of Angela Merkel's visits to Greece, Spain and Portugal make an explosive cocktail for any person to measure and mix.
Favouring the German electorate, pushing for further southern austerity and/or reform, seeking cheap brown and green field acquisitions, 5l% joint venturing in emerging continents, looking for a personal retirement home ...... I think the only conspiracy theoratical observation that has not been made through media is that maybe Merkel's quick visits serve to test each of these countries' military readiness in the event necessary.
A lot has changed since the times when Ian Fleming, John le Carré, and the like, sneaked into neutral Lisbon as a prime stage of international espionage and intrige in the midst of the last century. Or hasn't it ? In today's internet age, nations need not physically place intelligence officers in a long term stand off against other nations or intermediaries inside street café's or midnight casinos and information can easily be released, re-routed or intercepted from any distance.
Possibly the best modern manner to get an executive feel of a foreign and sovereign country's (social, economic and military) ability is to come in over the red carpet in perfect daylight and look its leaders in the eye.
Germany is not Angela Merkel, Germany is not a young nation, Germany is not new to programming the financing and integration of foreign territory and their populations in despair, Germany does not typically operate on impulses.
The facts are that Mrs M.'s stirring into what once were sovereign matters have shaken up entire populations in the EU's outmost corners into a reflection and internal debate on their do's and don't's for the next 5 or so years, long enough to commence causing some permanent behaviourial changes whilst gradually setting their domestic politicians aside.
Many people in southern Europe proudly use and rely upon quite a league of Germany designed and generally also manufactured goods, quite a few are employed direclty or indirectly by a German enterprise, some will have their children in German schools or in apprenticeships according to German models, an increasing number is studying the German language and will go on more or less finite assignments in Germany.
It would seem that the only aspect these countries are missing is a similar level of secured quality in public governance, but then again, southern Europeans are not famous for their patience.
A brilliant plan, I would have to admit, and wonder by when visits on similar terms to Italy, France and the UK have been scheduled. How does "Geschüttelt ... nicht gerührt", sound ?
Favouring the German electorate, pushing for further southern austerity and/or reform, seeking cheap brown and green field acquisitions, 5l% joint venturing in emerging continents, looking for a personal retirement home ...... I think the only conspiracy theoratical observation that has not been made through media is that maybe Merkel's quick visits serve to test each of these countries' military readiness in the event necessary.
A lot has changed since the times when Ian Fleming, John le Carré, and the like, sneaked into neutral Lisbon as a prime stage of international espionage and intrige in the midst of the last century. Or hasn't it ? In today's internet age, nations need not physically place intelligence officers in a long term stand off against other nations or intermediaries inside street café's or midnight casinos and information can easily be released, re-routed or intercepted from any distance.
Possibly the best modern manner to get an executive feel of a foreign and sovereign country's (social, economic and military) ability is to come in over the red carpet in perfect daylight and look its leaders in the eye.
Germany is not Angela Merkel, Germany is not a young nation, Germany is not new to programming the financing and integration of foreign territory and their populations in despair, Germany does not typically operate on impulses.
The facts are that Mrs M.'s stirring into what once were sovereign matters have shaken up entire populations in the EU's outmost corners into a reflection and internal debate on their do's and don't's for the next 5 or so years, long enough to commence causing some permanent behaviourial changes whilst gradually setting their domestic politicians aside.
Many people in southern Europe proudly use and rely upon quite a league of Germany designed and generally also manufactured goods, quite a few are employed direclty or indirectly by a German enterprise, some will have their children in German schools or in apprenticeships according to German models, an increasing number is studying the German language and will go on more or less finite assignments in Germany.
It would seem that the only aspect these countries are missing is a similar level of secured quality in public governance, but then again, southern Europeans are not famous for their patience.
A brilliant plan, I would have to admit, and wonder by when visits on similar terms to Italy, France and the UK have been scheduled. How does "Geschüttelt ... nicht gerührt", sound ?
2012-11-04
The inflated price of integration
I bet Mrs Merkel and Mr Obama meet each other over in-private video conference a lot more than either one of them do in the public appearances with other heads of state we are formally fed over official videostreams. They have a lot of SWOT points in common to analyze, including currency, domestic economy, emerging powers elsewhere in the world, social insurance, banking, and of course, re-election. Ah, I almost forgot, and forward looking responsabilities associated with a nobel prize for peace.
While the US is - necessarily - pushed to prioritise homeland issues, Germany is carefully extending its influence across sovereign borders. Merkel would be a good advisor on the pricing of putting a social insurance system first, whereas Obama would have some best practice to share on how to lead in central governance and handling swing (member) states, while managing Latino populations within bounderies.
In the 19th century the US had to pardon and pay about US$ 30 million to compensate debt burdened France, Spain and Russia in order to annex what's most of the US' midwest and Alaska today. At today's rate that would reasonably correspond to the € 500 billion the recently constituted ESM has been building up. For the US it concerned a series of property transactions valued for a price per visible square kilometer or acre to subsequently occupy. For Germany, Europe the ESM is intended to be a mere safetynet to guarantee future harmonization, albeit with a more centrally decreed harmony.
Both continents have had their share of civil and military warfare and subsequent sets of treaties on a more tempting road of civilized harmony and this is where the foundations of the political parties we must listen to nearly every day can be found.
On that road, on both continents, outspoken warnings against the threats of partisan politics and territorial expansionist movements, as well as the very constitional legitimacy of money supply monopolies are as old as the fundamentals of democracy. In Europe this means the time of Augustus and Alexander the Great and in the US back to the gentlemen that became to known as the founding fathers.
There is no doubt we are all being pointed back into history to discover our mistakes and the origins of today's crises. I wonder whether we will find what we are looking for shortly after invididuals laid down arms and uniforms in order to seek and hide in collective party driven debate, lobby, influencing, in other words when being a politician - in today's meaning - became full time (paid) jobs.
Barack Obama asks 4 more years and Angela Merkel wants a further 5. Tik tak tik tak.
While the US is - necessarily - pushed to prioritise homeland issues, Germany is carefully extending its influence across sovereign borders. Merkel would be a good advisor on the pricing of putting a social insurance system first, whereas Obama would have some best practice to share on how to lead in central governance and handling swing (member) states, while managing Latino populations within bounderies.
In the 19th century the US had to pardon and pay about US$ 30 million to compensate debt burdened France, Spain and Russia in order to annex what's most of the US' midwest and Alaska today. At today's rate that would reasonably correspond to the € 500 billion the recently constituted ESM has been building up. For the US it concerned a series of property transactions valued for a price per visible square kilometer or acre to subsequently occupy. For Germany, Europe the ESM is intended to be a mere safetynet to guarantee future harmonization, albeit with a more centrally decreed harmony.
Both continents have had their share of civil and military warfare and subsequent sets of treaties on a more tempting road of civilized harmony and this is where the foundations of the political parties we must listen to nearly every day can be found.
On that road, on both continents, outspoken warnings against the threats of partisan politics and territorial expansionist movements, as well as the very constitional legitimacy of money supply monopolies are as old as the fundamentals of democracy. In Europe this means the time of Augustus and Alexander the Great and in the US back to the gentlemen that became to known as the founding fathers.
There is no doubt we are all being pointed back into history to discover our mistakes and the origins of today's crises. I wonder whether we will find what we are looking for shortly after invididuals laid down arms and uniforms in order to seek and hide in collective party driven debate, lobby, influencing, in other words when being a politician - in today's meaning - became full time (paid) jobs.
Barack Obama asks 4 more years and Angela Merkel wants a further 5. Tik tak tik tak.
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