plschwartz
Thread Starter
- Joined
- Nov 15, 2000
- Messages
- 11,451
I build a wall to keep the world out instead I have shut myself in
proper citation welcomed.
The question is if Bush does invade Iraq without further UN support where will that leave us in the world.
The European letter of support brought high fives in the whitehouse, but was it as good as it seems?
This tidbit comes from deutsche welle a german tv network, shown in the US and fairly balanced in presentation.:
The article generated an immediate reply from European critics of Bush and his possible war plans. In Brussels, members of the European Union's parliament passed a resolution in which they warned the United States against carrying out an attack without authorization of the United Nations. The lawmakers, voting 287-209, also acknowledged that the weapons inspectors had uncovered violations of U.N. resolutions, but that these violations did not justify a military operation.
The call of support was signed by British Prime Minister Tony Blair, Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar, Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, outgoing Czech Republic President Vaclav Havel and the leaders of Portugal, Denmark, Hungary and Poland.
But this is five of 15 current members and eight of the enlarged 20 member union. Of these Havels' opinion was personal and Berlusconi might be opposed by his parliament.
http://www.eosgallupeurope.com/ENpressrelease.htm
presents a widespread poll of european opinion. Nor do we have much support in the rest of world. It is still easy to rouse anti-colonial forces in the third world. (Indeed in a sound bite on TV a German answered Rumsfield's "old europe" quip by answering: He represents old America the America of Teddy Roosevelt.
Does it matter?
Let me just speak ecomonically. With eu enlargement within the Euro zone will have a large well-educated source of cheap labor; it will import slightly less but export slightly more than the US.Against a US trade imbalance of (-$467 billion) the current EU was plus $98 billionhttp://www.economist.com/markets/in...=4a9fa57-c60a6bb3-ae2d-44ac-b753-b9aeeeb6aadb
The Euro is thus in a strong position to challange the dollar as a reserve currency. A reserve currency is that held by other nations to ensure the worth of their own currency. Significantly Putin has already announced that he is converting part of his reserve to Euros.
The lack of an alternative reference currency has been a major part of why the rest of the world has allowed us to run up our enormous trade debt. Without it we are so to speak chopped liver.
A simple minded example, probably too extreme, would be that if the world let our currency fall to where we had an even trade balance each persons loss of import ability would be over $1000.
And that is not to mention our need to repay what is already lent to us to cover past trade imbalances.... Think Argentina a model of a country who is now were we well might be if the world 86's us.
Still so sure about supporting the war??
proper citation welcomed.
The question is if Bush does invade Iraq without further UN support where will that leave us in the world.
The European letter of support brought high fives in the whitehouse, but was it as good as it seems?
This tidbit comes from deutsche welle a german tv network, shown in the US and fairly balanced in presentation.:
The article generated an immediate reply from European critics of Bush and his possible war plans. In Brussels, members of the European Union's parliament passed a resolution in which they warned the United States against carrying out an attack without authorization of the United Nations. The lawmakers, voting 287-209, also acknowledged that the weapons inspectors had uncovered violations of U.N. resolutions, but that these violations did not justify a military operation.
The call of support was signed by British Prime Minister Tony Blair, Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar, Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, outgoing Czech Republic President Vaclav Havel and the leaders of Portugal, Denmark, Hungary and Poland.
But this is five of 15 current members and eight of the enlarged 20 member union. Of these Havels' opinion was personal and Berlusconi might be opposed by his parliament.
http://www.eosgallupeurope.com/ENpressrelease.htm
presents a widespread poll of european opinion. Nor do we have much support in the rest of world. It is still easy to rouse anti-colonial forces in the third world. (Indeed in a sound bite on TV a German answered Rumsfield's "old europe" quip by answering: He represents old America the America of Teddy Roosevelt.
Does it matter?
Let me just speak ecomonically. With eu enlargement within the Euro zone will have a large well-educated source of cheap labor; it will import slightly less but export slightly more than the US.Against a US trade imbalance of (-$467 billion) the current EU was plus $98 billionhttp://www.economist.com/markets/in...=4a9fa57-c60a6bb3-ae2d-44ac-b753-b9aeeeb6aadb
The Euro is thus in a strong position to challange the dollar as a reserve currency. A reserve currency is that held by other nations to ensure the worth of their own currency. Significantly Putin has already announced that he is converting part of his reserve to Euros.
The lack of an alternative reference currency has been a major part of why the rest of the world has allowed us to run up our enormous trade debt. Without it we are so to speak chopped liver.
A simple minded example, probably too extreme, would be that if the world let our currency fall to where we had an even trade balance each persons loss of import ability would be over $1000.
And that is not to mention our need to repay what is already lent to us to cover past trade imbalances.... Think Argentina a model of a country who is now were we well might be if the world 86's us.
Still so sure about supporting the war??