In what way could Germany take the lead, in a way that is also leaving something in it for Gretchen the waitress, Anna the journalist, Heinz the plumber and Helmut the hotel owner (read as taxpayers and voters)? Bottomline is that these four, together with their fellow Germans, for many years now have picked up the bill, The bill in the shape of lower wages than they could have had, higher taxes than they probably would have had elsewise and/or even better social welfare than they do have, higher retirement age, lower pensions, less holiday than what they could have afforded themselves, longer working hours than necessary, etc. If we still are not there where a political “earthquake” in Germany is about to happen, I worry that their trust in politicians and the EU will fade away like it already have in i.e. Greece. And what first might seem just like a gentle slide towards distrust can still show hard to stop or being reversed. If Gretchen, Anna, Heinz and Helmut should lose their confidence in that their current politicians are there for them, that they do their very best for those who have voted for them, the incentives to behave as “good citizens” might just go down the drain. If their patience runs out and they don’t want to pick up the “restaurant bill” any more, what happens then? Yes they can throw their politicians by electing others, but to get such politicians in place, I’m afraid that they will have to go to such extremes that the cooperation between the EU and Germany will suffer hardship anyway. Or at least, I see the danger for something like this happening. Another solution is that they could become more Greek and start to work in mysterious ways that does not benefit the country and EU (Black market, avoiding taxes, etc...), but I don’t see that as something arising soon. Fortunately; they have, unlike some of the rest, had politicians that were shown to be trustworthy, so they can’t be said to have lost every illusion in their “rulers” yet. My point here is to try think like Gretchen, Anna, Heinz and Helmut might be thinking (I’m not saying that they are thinking this this way, just that they could be). That have slavery really been abandoned if there is somebody else who can claim their right to values created by themselves? For a time this might be accepted if there are a “greater good” that is valued by them greater than the cost, (in this case the reunion of East- and West Germany could be seen as such), but I do not believe that this is something they want to pay for until eternity. So my guess is that the best, and I believe only true, solution for everybody is if Germany (and maybe some other countries) leave the EURO, and does it while they still can stand each other’s faces. Gretchen, Anna, Heinz and Helmut might think that this is could be a good idea, at least for the foreseeable future, and rightfully go to their elections with the future of their own carried in mind. While the rest of the EU must rally together in an effort to find solutions to their challenges. It will without doubt still be big and steady enough to play an important role in the world, and without the biggest contributor(s) to the EURO’s strength they might have an easier task. The other solution seems to me like a castle built in sand unless there is something, like already mentioned, in it for our friends Gretchen, Anna, Heinz and Helmut.
Why Germany Should Lead or Leave
In what way could Germany take the lead, in a way that is also leaving something in it for Gretchen the waitress, Anna the journalist, Heinz the plumber and Helmut the hotel owner (read as taxpayers and voters)? Bottomline is that these four, together with their fellow Germans, for many years now have picked up the bill, The bill in the shape of lower wages than they could have had, higher taxes than they probably would have had elsewise and/or even better social welfare than they do have, higher retirement age, lower pensions, less holiday than what they could have afforded themselves, longer working hours than necessary, etc. If we still are not there where a political “earthquake” in Germany is about to happen, I worry that their trust in politicians and the EU will fade away like it already have in i.e. Greece. And what first might seem just like a gentle slide towards distrust can still show hard to stop or being reversed.
If Gretchen, Anna, Heinz and Helmut should lose their confidence in that their current politicians are there for them, that they do their very best for those who have voted for them, the incentives to behave as “good citizens” might just go down the drain. If their patience runs out and they don’t want to pick up the “restaurant bill” any more, what happens then? Yes they can throw their politicians by electing others, but to get such politicians in place, I’m afraid that they will have to go to such extremes that the cooperation between the EU and Germany will suffer hardship anyway. Or at least, I see the danger for something like this happening.
Another solution is that they could become more Greek and start to work in mysterious ways that does not benefit the country and EU (Black market, avoiding taxes, etc...), but I don’t see that as something arising soon. Fortunately; they have, unlike some of the rest, had politicians that were shown to be trustworthy, so they can’t be said to have lost every illusion in their “rulers” yet.
My point here is to try think like Gretchen, Anna, Heinz and Helmut might be thinking (I’m not saying that they are thinking this this way, just that they could be). That have slavery really been abandoned if there is somebody else who can claim their right to values created by themselves? For a time this might be accepted if there are a “greater good” that is valued by them greater than the cost, (in this case the reunion of East- and West Germany could be seen as such), but I do not believe that this is something they want to pay for until eternity.
So my guess is that the best, and I believe only true, solution for everybody is if Germany (and maybe some other countries) leave the EURO, and does it while they still can stand each other’s faces. Gretchen, Anna, Heinz and Helmut might think that this is could be a good idea, at least for the foreseeable future, and rightfully go to their elections with the future of their own carried in mind. While the rest of the EU must rally together in an effort to find solutions to their challenges. It will without doubt still be big and steady enough to play an important role in the world, and without the biggest contributor(s) to the EURO’s strength they might have an easier task. The other solution seems to me like a castle built in sand unless there is something, like already mentioned, in it for our friends Gretchen, Anna, Heinz and Helmut.