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The bank's independence has notably come under intense criticism since the election of Nicolas Sarkozy as French President. Sarkozy has sought to make the ECB more susceptible to political influence, to extend its mandate to focus on growth and job creation, and has frequently criticised the bank's policies on interest rates. Concerns have also been raised over the Lisbon Treaty which, like the European Constitution, will make the ECB a formal institution of the EU.
So as I said, the ECB is independant. Nothing has changed even if Sarkozy (who is one of the most important president among the EU) would like it.
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I don't know what you just said here. Maybe English is not your first language but I don't see how the value of a particular monetary unit has anything to do with the equalisation of interest rates over so many differing economies within Europe.
Well, it's simple to understand, you buy oil with $ more the € is high and the $ is low more the price of the oil will be low when paid in €. And it's the same in many fields... as I said it is interesting for France and Germany both represents half of the eurozone.
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Social freedom has nothing to do with economic freedom. Singapore, Hong Kong, and Australia have less social freedoms than the US but more free economies. Just like most if not all European countries have more social freedoms than the US but more restricted and "unfree" (for lack of a better word) economies.
So what was your point if finally you say european countries had more social freedoms than US ? I guess you were talking about economy, and here frankly, before or after the € it has always been the same.
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This is true. But the FBI is only concerned with the affairs of the US and Europol is concerned with the affairs of ALL its member states which is more inline with KGB.Europol is a "watered-down" version of the KGB as it does not commit any crimes against its people. What scares me as both an EU citizen and US citizen is that Europol is formally unaccountable for its actions to the European Parliament, as well as to MPs from EU member countries.
as I said, europol is like FBI, FBI can intervene anywhere for any kind of motives in the US in the same way Europol can do it in the EU...
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Yes, I currently live in the US. Despite how bad it is, there still is a constant waive of Europeans and peoples from Mexico and other 3rd world countries still trying to look for work here which tells me all I need to know about the state of the rest of the world's economy.
I guess you are talking about the east europe otherwise it sounds a bit condescending...
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If you live in Germany, Switzerland, or the Netherlands you most likely are doing fine. But all of the Eastern European countries and Italy, Spain, Portugal, and Greece are basically 3rd world countries being carried by the few.
The few and the bigger ones too : France + Germany + UK + Italy (Italy is not a third world country ) + Netherland + Belgium = USA
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So, the economy of Germany may be superior than that of the US but the whole of the EU is suffering.
Eurozone is doing pretty good in this time of crisis, germany being not the best example. Some countries have met difficulties such Spain, UK, and several eastern countries, but not so much in comparison UK and Spain are certainly more affected by the crisis than the eastern european countries as a whole.
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This is 100% true. We are printing our way out of this recession and this in term hurts the rest of the world even more. Less tourism, less trade etc. The US is an absolute economy, it has every natural resource to sustain itself but we choose to trade to acquire a less expensive comparative advantage. Less trade with the rest of the world hurts the rest of the world more than the US.
of course it hurts the rest of the world but it would be the same thing if tommorrow EU decided to stop trading with you, it would hurts you... When you say it hurts more the world than the US, this is a statment which is not true for every country. BTW you cannot sustain yourself anymore, several decades of outsourcing has put an end to this, and as for oil, the motor of your economy, you cannot sustain yourself since 1960.
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Every EU country has the tax. (...) your explanation about the VAT was very long and wrong
First the VAT you used is Italian, yes but why did you said it was the tax of the Europe ?
I didn't show you the way how it works but I gave you the principles, I thought it could be clear. So here is how the VAT works
A widget manufacturer spends $1 on raw materials and uses them to make a widget.
The widget is sold wholesale to a widget retailer for $1.20, leaving a profit of $0.20.
The widget retailer then sells the widget to a widget consumer for $1.50 + VAT, making a profit of $0.30.
What you have show is actually the cascade phenomenon, you are partially right, at every stage the VAT is applied, but the treasure give back the money to the company, at the end only the consumer has paid the VAT and at the rate apllied in the country.
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In America, every state has a different system for conducting healthcare policy. California is much like Europe with many programs to help the people in return for the highest taxes in the union next to New Jersey. Could this be why CA is going bankrupt while Texas using conservative economic policies is still doing well in these hard times?
Frankly, I don't know enough about California alone to give you the reason of the bankruptcy of this state... But the problem of managment of one state doenst make the problems of another state especially when you compare orange (california) with apples (any states in the EU)
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Secondly, that is correct. You do not need to pay for health insurance in America... it is optional. You can go straight to the doctor and pay in cash and get immediate service with the highest of quality if you have the money.
Yep; I think that's the problem in US.... the end of the sentence; if you have the money...
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It is actually much cheaper this way so long as you don't become terminally ill with cancer or heart disease than paying insurance premiums, deductibles, and co-pays. You probably don't know what I am talking about because you obviously don't know anything about the US to be criticising it.
On the contrary I know very well the US, and I know exactly what you are talking about, you explained why so many people go to bankruptcy when they are ill and why so many people don't have any kind of coverage for their healthcare
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Yes we consume more and many people over leverage themselves. The consequence is bankruptcy and the inability to buy further with damaged credit. I don't think I can ever explain to a fellow European about the US model. My father was a socialist for the longest time until after he came to America and became a die-hard capitalist. Europeans have no idea because most of them are just sitting around a coffee table regurgitating left wing media propaganda about how bad it is in America and what a horrible quality of life we have while they are waiting for their next welfare check.
Frankly, when I read this I just wonder if I have to laugh, cry, respond or let you thinking what you want....
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That is fine but the problem with Europe is when you are born poor, you stay poor until you die. The US is the only country where a poor person can become rich and a rich person can become poor. Europe is class based and always will be. The rich stay rich and the poor stay poor.
There was a US study about this issue, and actually it appears the american are the most class based, when you born poor you died poor (the chances are bigger) the opposite is true, and it's getting worst if you are non-white.
I am not advocating the system as being better or worse than Europe. It is different. I honestly believe that if you are already wealthy... Europe is way better to live. But if you are dirt poor and if you have ambitions, then it is not. Secondly, most Americans don't advocate capitalism for Europe and the rest of the world, why is it that Europeans want Americans to become socialist?
I don't expect anything from the US, you live like you want it, I don't care, but don't come to lecture the european about their taxes when it is obvious you know nothing about it...
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I don't know what you are trying to say here? That the dollar is less important than it used to be? That is true. The point I was making is that the world still has more than double of its cash reserves in US dollar over Euro.
You was using an argument I debunked, read it again, you will understand.
[quote]My skills come from my education, success, and net worth. The older a currency becomes, it is only natural that debt increases. This doesn't necessarily mean that the oldest currency has the most debt but rather it typically has more debt than new currencies. For example, if the US formed an American Union with Canada and Mexico and named it the "Amero" which people have talked about doing... the Amero would be valued higher than the Euro because the US debt would be expunged.[/quote]
the value maybe, but the debt expunged ? you dream.... why do you think the debt will be expunged ? please explain !
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Comparing 27 grouped economies to the one US is silly. The US effectively controls a larger amount of gold than the Eurozone since the IMF cannot sell its gold without United States Congressional approval.
US is not the only one to have this kind of control on the IMF. And again, no US doesn't control more gold than the eurozone
Eurozone : 11 tons
USA : 8 tons. Gold reserves
The last figures I found were from 2005 but they are quiete closed to the reality.
Wake up, the 80's are over....
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As I was analysing the market, I noticed that as soon as the recession became apparent, oil prices just all of a sudden dropped in half to spurr US economic growth recovery. You think that was a coincidence? Or maybe we have more control over OPEC than you might think.
When the economy collapse, all the markets collapse as you said Econ 101 and same goes for oil... it has little to do with the control of the OPEC by US
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Secondly, contrary to popular belief. The US doesn't buy most of its oil from the middle east. 60% of the oil we buy is from Canada and Mexico alone which are not OPEC countries.
And ???? who cares ? because you think you control Canada ?
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Final note, if you are going to source all of your arguments through Wikipedia, at least paste the other half which I did for you here.
NO ONE is going to say anything about the fact that Europe consists of 49 COUNTRIES, out of which ONLY (and I mean only) 16 out of these countries use the Euro?
16 out of 49 - does that sound like the whole of Europe? What about the rest of us, all 33 of us that don't use the Euro?
What about say Sweden's krona, which is weak compared to the USD and the Euro?
Take it from someone who has kept a track of both the Euro and the USD every week for the last 5 years - the Euro is incredibly stable compared to the USD. If one of them is going to collapse, it's the USD.
The last 5 years, the USD has gone up and down many Swedish kronor (from 1 USD = 9 SEK week 1, to 1 USD = 6,5 SEK week 2).
In the same period of time, the Euro has moved little to nothing. 6 weeks in a row last year, it didn't move more than 10 öre (öre = cents) up and down. Other times, it has moved pretty much nothing (From 1 Euro = 11 SEK week 1, to 1 Euro = 10,89 SEK or even 11,34 SEK).
(For the whole list, please ask, but expect a little delay since it's a long list)
NO ONE is going to say anything about the fact that Europe consists of 49 COUNTRIES, out of which ONLY (and I mean only) 16 out of these countries use the Euro?
16 out of 49 - does that sound like the whole of Europe? What about the rest of us, all 33 of us that don't use the Euro?
What about say Sweden's krona, which is weak compared to the USD and the Euro?
Take it from someone who has kept a track of both the Euro and the USD every week for the last 5 years - the Euro is incredibly stable compared to the USD. If one of them is going to collapse, it's the USD.
The last 5 years, the USD has gone up and down many Swedish kronor (from 1 USD = 9 SEK week 1, to 1 USD = 6,5 SEK week 2).
In the same period of time, the Euro has moved little to nothing. 6 weeks in a row last year, it didn't move more than 10 öre (öre = cents) up and down. Other times, it has moved pretty much nothing (From 1 Euro = 11 SEK week 1, to 1 Euro = 10,89 SEK or even 11,34 SEK).
(For the whole list, please ask, but expect a little delay since it's a long list)
I believe the speculators moving the price of oil drastically up and down has been the main reason for the volatile dollar don't you think?
So as I said, the ECB is independant. Nothing has changed even if Sarkozy (who is one of the most important president among the EU) would like it.
For now. Check out this link. It is where I found information about the EU resembling the Soviet Union. It is not from me; this man is a Soviet and quite a reputable source. I am not pulling any theories from thin air.
Well, it's simple to understand, you buy oil with $ more the € is high and the $ is low more the price of the oil will be low when paid in €. And it's the same in many fields... as I said it is interesting for France and Germany both represents half of the eurozone.
Price is relative to earnings. P = E/V. The GDP of the US and Europe is roughly the same in US$ when factoring in the Euro equivalent which is a smaller number.
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Originally Posted by caseras
So what was your point if finally you say european countries had more social freedoms than US ? I guess you were talking about economy, and here frankly, before or after the € it has always been the same.
Yes, the European economy has always been less free and the EU has made it worse in terms of trade regulations.
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Originally Posted by caseras
as I said, europol is like FBI, FBI can intervene anywhere for any kind of motives in the US in the same way Europol can do it in the EU...
Yes, I repeat. Only for the affairs of the US. Europol intervenes for ALL of its member states. Check out the link I posted above.
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Originally Posted by caseras
I guess you are talking about the east europe otherwise it sounds a bit condescending...
Actually, many are from France, Italy, and Spain. Although after reading the Uruguay forums... most of the Spanish are leaving Spain for Uruguay. It isn't condescending. The US welcomes all people from all parts of the world, that is what made the US.
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Originally Posted by caseras
The few and the bigger ones too : France + Germany + UK + Italy (Italy is not a third world country ) + Netherland + Belgium = USA
I am Italian and I can say that it is. When ebay sellers refuse to send packages to Italy because of the numerous lost merchandise claims, you are pretty much third world. Argentina is pretty bad but not this bad. Italy doesn't have architecture like Germany... it has ruins. Waiting in line to pay a 60 euro property tax for the year is silly and I am glad the prime minister abolished it. When garbage is piling up in Naples because the garbage collection is on strike and refuses to bury trash and it sits in piles on the streets causing a potential epidemic, it is third world. I am sorry. I love Italy for many reasons but these are pretty major flaws which push it down compared to the rest of Europe.
Eurozone is doing pretty good in this time of crisis, germany being not the best example. Some countries have met difficulties such Spain, UK, and several eastern countries, but not so much in comparison UK and Spain are certainly more affected by the crisis than the eastern european countries as a whole.
Eastern Europe is coming from a low economy... it can only get better. The US and the UK are coming from the highest economies and a mortgage crises like the one we had is enough to send it down a few percentage points.
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Originally Posted by caseras
of course it hurts the rest of the world but it would be the same thing if tommorrow EU decided to stop trading with you, it would hurts you... When you say it hurts more the world than the US, this is a statment which is not true for every country. BTW you cannot sustain yourself anymore, several decades of outsourcing has put an end to this, and as for oil, the motor of your economy, you cannot sustain yourself since 1960.
The Fed is infinite. This is why we carry the deficits that we do. Like i said before, the US is an absolute economy. Look that up so you know what it means. It doesn't mean the US is all supreme, it means something else in micro/macro economics.
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Originally Posted by caseras
First the VAT you used is Italian, yes but why did you said it was the tax of the Europe ?
Because every European country has the VAT tax. Many of the countries rates are pretty similar at ~20% for normal goods and services and 5-10% for food and clothing.
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Originally Posted by caseras
I didn't show you the way how it works but I gave you the principles, I thought it could be clear. So here is how the VAT works
A widget manufacturer spends $1 on raw materials and uses them to make a widget.
The widget is sold wholesale to a widget retailer for $1.20, leaving a profit of $0.20.
The widget retailer then sells the widget to a widget consumer for $1.50 + VAT, making a profit of $0.30.
What you have show is actually the cascade phenomenon, you are partially right, at every stage the VAT is applied, but the treasure give back the money to the company, at the end only the consumer has paid the VAT and at the rate apllied in the country.
We agree on something
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Originally Posted by caseras
Frankly, I don't know enough about California alone to give you the reason of the bankruptcy of this state... But the problem of managment of one state doenst make the problems of another state especially when you compare orange (california) with apples (any states in the EU)
Yeah, because Europe, "unlike CA" understands that you can't give benefits to illegal immigrants because eventually you will become insolvent.
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Originally Posted by caseras
Yep; I think that's the problem in US.... the end of the sentence; if you have the money...
The US "used" to be about "survival of the fittest". That is changing. Many in the US want to adopt European laws because the baby boomers never saved a penny in their life and now our government is worried they will all be on the street. Most of the Europeans that came to this country from harder countries to make money such as my parents did well because they saved every penny and invested. Most Americans don't have that discipline and because of their hardships many think that the government owes them a living. I liked America the way it was. There really isn't much difference anymore between the US and Europe, except that Europe has better culture, monuments, and food.
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Originally Posted by caseras
On the contrary I know very well the US, and I know exactly what you are talking about, you explained why so many people go to bankruptcy when they are ill and why so many people don't have any kind of coverage for their healthcare
Yup, there was a time in America where there wasn't social security or medicare and people just died. Ever since FDR there are a lot more protections... in turn there is a lot less opportunity. The problem with Americans is they never suffered before like Europeans so they think everything is entitled to them. The new generation of Europe is the same. My grandparents and parents suffered a lot, that is why they save so much for that "rainy day" which many do not. Unfortunately we are a product of our surroundings no matter which side of the ocean we happen to live on.
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Originally Posted by caseras
Frankly, when I read this I just wonder if I have to laugh, cry, respond or let you thinking what you want....
I know this is the way it is in Italy. Can't speak for the rest of Europe. I know I just lump you guys all together now but its only because every European's sovereignty is expunged because of the Schengen Agreement.
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Originally Posted by caseras
There was a US study about this issue, and actually it appears the american are the most class based, when you born poor you died poor (the chances are bigger) the opposite is true, and it's getting worst if you are non-white.
There is a difference between "class" and "status" and many people such as yourself are using the term interchangeably. I am talking about the class problem in Europe and you are talking about the status problem in the US. In the US, respect only comes from how much money you make as opposed to Europe where you can be wealthy but disrespected and you can be poor and be extremely respected because you are the son or daughter of an important person or hold some doctorate or title. This does not exist in the US.
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Originally Posted by caseras
I don't expect anything from the US, you live like you want it, I don't care, but don't come to lecture the european about their taxes when it is obvious you know nothing about it...
I know enough. My father was born poor and stayed poor in Europe until he came to the US and turned 20$ into enough not to worry. Unfortunately, the US is becoming more like Europe in this regard and it is getting harder and harder to achieve the so called "American Dream". Now, all you see are people graduating from Harvard or Yale and going into politics, sport, or entertainment because that is the only way to get rich in America these days.
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Originally Posted by caseras
the value maybe, but the debt expunged ? you dream.... why do you think the debt will be expunged ? please explain !
This theoretically can happen but it would start WWIII and therefore is highly unlikely. If America were to form a new currency, they could just say to China that all of the treasuries that they hold are now worthless and that the new currency has replaced the old. Again, wishful thoughts.
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Originally Posted by caseras
US is not the only one to have this kind of control on the IMF. And again, no US doesn't control more gold than the eurozone
Eurozone : 11 tons
USA : 8 tons. Gold reserves
The last figures I found were from 2005 but they are quiete closed to the reality.
Wake up, the 80's are over....
As a single nation the US does. That is all I am saying.
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Originally Posted by caseras
And ???? who cares ? because you think you control Canada ?
No, I never said that. It is just because we have our free trade agreement with Canada and Mexico that we do the most business with them.
I enjoyed sparring with you. Ciao!
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as I said, europol is like FBI, FBI can intervene anywhere for any kind of motives in the US in the same way Europol can do it in the EU... 
) + Netherland + Belgium = USA
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