COUNTRIES MAY BE BROKEN BUT NOT BANKS

Who does the euro? trGgl

vía LaVanguardia.com

With the euro-peseta recover the sovereignty of economic policy and adjust monetary and financial reality to the real economy

Manuel Castells

It is no doubt about the undemocratic spirit of the EU. Papandreou's proposal to ask their citizens if they agreed to live in Spartan austerity in euros to pay off a financial and political storm between threats and insults of Merkozy and Cameron led the Greek government crisis put the country upside down.

 

What is wrong with people decide on their health, education and employment? Are issues too complex for the populace? Do not exaggerate, that some have more education than brass. I agree with some colleagues to explain citizens clarito what will the euro and its crisis and hurt and who benefits and what are the various options, including the repatriation of the euro to Brussels. A natural condition to have the same information as financial reserves and rulers.

 The problem is not complexity but of democracy. To which politicians fear most is now occupying them, to rob them delegate this power maintained through a controlled mechanism of choices between options enclosed within legitimate limits systemic and medially. A referendum, although not a perfect way to popular decision opens the range of possibilities, provided it is clean. We had to see Europe's political advisers advising that if the referendum to be done with an intelligent question, that is biased towards what should be. There is a deep revulsion elitist arrogance and the popular will, even disguising. For though the people were wrong, you are entitled to do so. It is past time that we saved because we knew what we were doing.

 

Not really about saving the people, but to save the euro, as if it were equivalent. Why so much interest? And from whom? For ten of the twenty-seven members of the EU and euro live without some of their economies (UK, Sweden, Poland) are much stronger than the average EU. Defending the euro until the last Greek is the first line of defense in a currency that is condemned because it expresses divergent economies and has a state behind it. With Portugal and Ireland in the ICU, Spain on a tightrope and a permanent political crisis in Italy and in debt up to the ears of his histrionic former leader, the Franco-Germanic defense of the euro has other explanations than the horror story we tell about the financial catastrophe that would imply a devastating impact on our daily lives as if life depended on the bag. The first reason is obvious: save the banks, especially German and French, unsecured loans to Greece and other PIGS by manipulating accounts, at least in the case of Greece, made the consulting Goldman Sachs (By the way should be simple coincidence that Draghi, the flamboyant new president of the ECB also was employed by Goldman Sachs). Input and have to forget 50% of Greece's debt, although it is unclear who will end up paying for it. But the other 50% they have to take blood, sweat and tears of the Greeks, giving them our money, so the default does not go unpunished. If Greece denounced the debt, as did Iceland who would go so richly, a drachma devalued by 60% would the rest of unpayable debt. Moreover, the contagion effects in financial markets would lead to default on much of the sovereign debt, bankrupting banks that took advantage of the euro to pay without credit.

 

So, it's about saving a few individual banks and, more broadly, to avoid a new crisis in the financial system. Countries not break banks fail. But why do it? At the end of the day, the Merkozy not bank employees. They have their political interests and personal country.

 Germany is the one that really needs the euro is the European currency and its partners can not devalue. Because the German growth model is actually the Chinese: to grow through exports helped by an undervalued currency and reduce wages (down 2% in real terms over the last five years). If there is a strong framework euro, Germany would lose markets in Europe and export competitiveness compared to Spanish or Italian. But there is another politico-personal: both Merkel and Sarkozy need to establish its European leadership both for reasons of domestic politics as per project of national greatness that Europe has to disguise as not to awaken old ghosts. What about the other European political elites? Something similar happens, your country and personal importance is enhanced tail of the lion being European because of its scope ratonez them comes close. European sense, in a world in transit from America to Asia, gives the impression of being more than just products party apparatus villagers despise both.

 

And we in all this? Certainly the financial mess that will cause (no time errata verb) the advent of the euro-peseta cause transitional problems in the economy and in our pockets, under conditions that depend on how the transition occurs. But recover the sovereignty of economic policy, would adjust monetary and financial reality of the real economy, increase competitiveness, gaining external and internal markets, would be an explosion of tourism that would be at bargain prices. It could revive the economy by issuing currency. And so would increase employment. Because it is essential to grow, not flagellate. Clear: there would be inflation. But it is the best recipe to reduce debt, including your mortgage.

 

And the European dream? Well let's do it with people, loving each other, rather than see who pays the bill. When I think euro, think scam. When thinking about Europe, think friends.