Eurozone officially falls back into Recession

[TradewindNQ]

The EU doesn't have the power to handle the economic policy, nor is the euro's fault that we are in this crisis, it was a result of bad policies in certain member-states. Blame it on the lack of political will from the member-states to transfere more competences to the EU.

Chiefly Greece subsidizing their travel/tourism and exports industries when they went in the toilet in 2008. Thanks to...things that had absolutely nothing to do with Greece.

[Wikiy]

Northern Europe is hurting? I haven't really noticed. Massive industrial protests? Haven't heard any of those either.
They should just get rid of Spain, Greece and Italy. They're irresponsible and corrupt. Infact, let's get rid of quite a few countries out of the EU parlament as well, specificly the eastern European ones, let them take responsability on their own instead of hitching a ride.

"Hitching a ride"? And what exactly do you mean by eastern European countries? Because, you know, Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia are having huge GDP growth, the Czech and Slovak Republics are doing better than most of Eurozone and Poland is going neutrally. The only eastern European country that actually is eastern European that is in the EU is Romania, and they haven't been causing economic problems.

So i'm quite baffled by posts like yours, that call for the expulsion of some specific eastern or southern European countries from the EU when there really is no reason to do it. Also, the entire point of the EU is UNITY. Kicking a country from it would TOTALLY refute the ENTIRE purpose of what the EU represents. It's like some people around here have issues realizing the EU isn't ONLY an economic union.

---------- Post added 2012-11-17 at 12:53 AM ----------

Why would you need to be told the obvious?

Oh, yeah, sorry, it's totally obvious, seeing how Norway, Denmark and Sweden, the most socialistic democratic countries in the world, are going down the shitter right now. Oh, wait. Yeah, they're not. They're the best countries to live in, in the entire world.

[Grimbold21]

Let it fall. People are obsessed with this idea of turning Europe into a single country.

"Oh but we need it to face the rest of the world's economies". Isn't that the purpose of the european trade agreement or whatever it's called

[Shadowmelded]

The Finnish and the Dutch economies are shrinking by over 1%, and the UK economy is projected to shrink next quarter? Or are they not Northern enough for you?

The Dutch economy is kind of hard to use as a measuring staff. It's primarily import and export, most of that is with Germany but plenty of others as well. When other countries stop importing as much, Holland loses out substantially.

[conscript]

Clearly Obama's fault.

I wonder how long it is going to be before they seriously consider dissolving the EU and going back to being completely autonomous. The one continent currency and semi-country thing is all well and good, but it doesn't work in reality when some of the limbs are so weak (I absolutely support the same pruning here in the US which I really feel would function better as several smaller countries).

[Alakir the Windlord]

Let it fall. People are obsessed with this idea of turning Europe into a single country.

"Oh but we need it to face the rest of the world's economies". Isn't that the purpose of the european trade agreement or whatever it's called

A simple free trade agreement or even a customs union are not enought to compete with the larger economies, we need economic, political and monetary union.

[Shadowmelded]

Clearly Obama's fault.

I wonder how long it is going to be before they seriously consider dissolving the EU and going back to being completely autonomous. The one continent currency and semi-country thing is all well and good, but it doesn't work in reality when some of the limbs are so weak (I absolutely support the same pruning here in the US which I really feel would function better as several smaller countries).

They should create a second currency for the struggling countries but then you'd get accusations of 'The North is trying to distance itself from the south and let them collapse'

[dbd_rage]

I think their governments should simply spend more money to boost their economy....

[Methanar]

Clearly you guys just need a good dose of American capitalism and no more of that commie bullshit like obama is trying to put on us!

Calm down

[Sarella]

Either you have a united europe, or you don't. Trying to please everyone has been an unmitigated disaster - Germany thinks it's better off without Europe but wants to control it. The UK wants out but wants the benefits. Nobody is "leeching" off anyone because the rules are the same for every country.

Times are tough, and blaming the eu simply for existing is ridiculous when you fail to consider other factors.
Not that I see a benefit to it's existance however.

[KDSwain]

They should just get rid of Spain, Greece and Italy. They're irresponsible and corrupt. Infact, let's get rid of quite a few countries out of the EU parlament as well, specificly the eastern European ones, let them take responsability on their own instead of hitching a ride.

This sounds like the socialist dream. The rich Northern European countries wanting to provide for the poorer Southern European countries. Seems weird to have a Euro complaining about taking care of those less fortunate than themselves.

[Beavis]

Not so fast!

Don't jinx it!

---------- Post added 2012-11-17 at 02:48 AM ----------

Clearly Obama's fault.

I wonder how long it is going to be before they seriously consider dissolving the EU and going back to being completely autonomous. The one continent currency and semi-country thing is all well and good, but it doesn't work in reality when some of the limbs are so weak (I absolutely support the same pruning here in the US which I really feel would function better as several smaller countries).

Dissolving the EU is economic suicide. Just as the 17th century marked the rise of the nation-state, the 21st will be characterized by the rise of what might be called the "mega-state." China, India, and Brazil will join the US as the dominant economic powers and the comparatively tiny countries of Europe will unite or be made irrelevant.

[Syenite]

Clearly you guys just need a good dose of American capitalism and no more of that commie bullshit like obama is trying to put on us!

Calm down

Cause republicans giving away taxbreaks whilest being engaged in several wars helps your ever groning deficit how exactly...
The US is currently spending 10 percent of its tax revenue ro pay intrest alone. That nummer is expected to double within a decade. The exonomic regulation needed to bring back your public finances to a point where you are no longer facing bankrupcy within 2 decades is almost eaual to what Greece is currently gong through....

So for you guys crying about the EU being in a bad state, no country is " too Big to fáil"

[Shadowmelded]

Dissolving the EU is economic suicide. Just as the 17th century marked the rise of the nation-state, the 21st will be characterized by the rise of what might be called the "mega-state." China, India, and Brazil will join the US as the dominant economic powers and the comparatively tiny countries of Europe will unite or be made irrelevant.

Interesting to add, if Scotland becomes independent, they'll (or we'll I guess) be pretty close with Norway. I mean we already are, but considering all the Oil Norway has and all the oil an independent Scotland would have, a Northern Alliance could be pretty profitable :P

[Beavis]

Interesting to add, if Scotland becomes independent, they'll (or we'll I guess) be pretty close with Norway. I mean we already are, but considering all the Oil Norway has and all the oil an independent Scotland would have, a Northern Alliance could be pretty profitable :P

Northern European oil emirates. Love it!

[Grummgug]

For all the complaints I hear about how the US could fix its problems by spending less on the military, the EU is in far worse shape, and their military budget is much smaller.

[Fuiking]

It is not good but both are tiny markets.

Tiny? We export and import most of the goods of other countries.. don't tell me its tiny.

[Shadowmelded]

For all the complaints I hear about how the US could fix its problems by spending less on the military, the EU is in far worse shape, and their military budget is much smaller.

Uhhhh what? The reason people say the US could fix it's problems by spending less on the military is because it eats up a HUGE chunk of your budget without actually being totally necessary. Sure defence is necessary but outspending the next 26 countries and being years and years ahead of most other militaries isn't warranted.

The EU is in bad shape for other reasons, if anything austerity seems to be the main culprit.

[araine]

Wonder how many posts we'll get in before someone blames it on Socialism.

Probably wont take long, but the fun fact most of the EU zone have had conservative government that went the austerity route to solve the crisis, just seems like it didnt work very well

[Klutzington]

The EU doesn't have the power to handle the economic policy, nor is the euro's fault that we are in this crisis, it was a result of bad policies in certain member-states. Blame it on the lack of political will from the member-states to transfere more competences to the EU. Also, the EU's budget is pretty small, in 2011 the budget was € 140 billion wich is nothing compared to the sum of the member-states's budgets.

Look at the US defense spending. It's outright ridiculous.