European Union Being Held Together With Duct Tape

What's so wrong with going conservative? At least they listen to the people and want to protect our rights.

Have a look see here if youre confused why I say this: The Difference Between Neocons and Conservatives

Edit: Also The Duct Tape Club doesnt have instructions for fixing a continent...

[edit on 6/14/2009 by Tentickles]

europe is kinda lame no offense but you guys need to get on our side or get out of the way

stop being such weirdos

reply to post by AReptileFeeder

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I see that you are new to ATS friend, why not research your comments before you post please. As Europe is important.

First off, if any modern country collapses, this includes the entire EU, it will have dire consequences for the rest of the world. Not only will the region undoubtedly erupt in violence but as the entire economy is connected globally it will take a GIANT chunk out of every other countries stock market and economy. Think of things the US imports that we do not make there. I for one first think of Scotch. Mmmm scotch. The price of this will suddenly shoot up making it a prized and rare commodity. Not a good thing when everyone cant afford it already.

reply to post by AReptileFeeder

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Just a comment.. You would be a perfect leader of a country thats for sure.. Like NORTH KOREA.. You defend that only america is right! Ye, you were perfectly right when you bombed Iraq for ZERO WMD
Dont you think that Europe is right on some stuff also? There is no such thing as ABSOLUTE right!
Europe is important yes! As tentickles said, europe is part of the global economy.. But other then economics, Europe has more people than USA. Are you even human?

Seriously man.. Do you even think before you write? Grow Up!

For the issue at hand, i agree with other poster.. Things are not as bad as the article paints. That article as a lot of sensacionalism..

But i tell you this: We will see the real crisis (or not) after the holidays.. When people get back to work (mainly factories, we still produce goods.. we didnt embrace only business - maybe something to teach to the troll here.. europe is right at something...) and if their workplaces are no more.. then we are in real (snip).

If not.. then that means we are already recovering..

reply to post by Tentickles

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Youre right about the EU and it's importance to the global balance. I think about the fiasco in Germany in 1933 that caused hyperinflation.

The US and Most of Europe has never experienced this kind of diasater before.

I guess we knock on wood and hope that these Casino type economic policies work!

Duct tape is simply Amazing stuff...

Works in the event of An Anthrax attack or to seal your clothes from Fallout...

Holds the EU together

Seriously, Duct tape apparently is man kinds best invention... they need to re write hitch hikers guide to the Galaxy script out the towel and replace it with duct tape

reply to post by mopusvindictus

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Your right about duct tape. That stuff sticks and dont come off. That's why I say the US is held together with scotch tape. No inner threads for support.

Duct tape is like "The Force": it has a light side, a dark side and it holds the universe together.

If anything can hold the EU together, it's duct tape!

They didn't help you becuase you are a rogue state- you are in the wrong, why should another union assist a criminal action ?

Further more, Europe is considerably more important financially and globally than the US, along with historical, strategic, and long term significance - the US is just not that important - except of course to parochial flag waving Americans - but then again a self assessment of self worth if totally worthless -

reply to post by audas

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Yes Europe is historical, strategic, and long term significance but easy on the US! First I was sticking up for the EU and now I'm on the defensive of the US.

The concept of EU was born because of strategical geopolitical alliance between Europe's stronger voices: mainly France and Germany.

Now, with 27 countries on board, it just can't be all about France and Germany. Other voices have to be heard. A lot of them. And that's what is failing in the EU. Greece is living such a hard time, that back-tracking on the Euro and signing off from the Union isn't such a remote possibility anymore. And such wild claims are already heard in Portugal in the smaller wing parties: right wing (Neonazis from PNR), and Communists.

The EU has been a very bad piece of business for the smaller countries.

Do you really mean the concept of EU or the ECSC of the beginnings ?
There's no geostrategic alliance, it's more of an economical alliance. EU can hardly speak as one voice. EU has no army of his own, in terms of strategy and geopolitics, what can they do ? How can they bear upon the international situation ? As it is, EU cannot do much but follow others lead.

It has never been only France and Germany. First, they have opposite views on what the EU should be. Second, UK is a very important member too. It's a common view the union goes further when France and Germany settle their disagreements and find a compromise. EU is always about an awful lot of negociations, compromises, promises, etc... It takes only a handful of members to block all processes, even small sized countries. You are right that now with a very high number of members, it's increasingly difficult to find compromises that satisfy everyone. Big members use their power to gain the support of small members, small members try to take advantage by asking for more.

As far as I know, Greece speaks about getting out of the euro zone not the EU.
I think in every EU member, you will find people advocating quitting the EU.
The questions aroud the EU now are around its future role, especially in the world stage and how to project influence independantly or not of the USA.
Objectively, EU was not bad for smaller countries. Greece and Portugal are the best exemples. They developped dramatically since they joined the EEC. They benefitted economically in a major scale by receiving ECC/EU aids that helped create the good infrastructures they were lacking and weren't able to finance. Right wing reject EU for nationalism, autonomist reasons, communists because of capitalism, it's not a new trend and you will those trends in each member country.

When I read the title to this post the first thing I thought was that the Canadian Comic Red Green (Steve Smith) was now in charge of the EU's money problems. Him being the resident expert on all things Duct Tape related!!

Zindo

[edit on 6/22/2009 by ZindoDoone]

reply to post by ZindoDoone

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The EU and US must get capital to start flowing between countries, it is more and more difficult to keep track of what is being traded. Lack of transparency, different accounting rules and lack of accountability.

When the information is missing, speculation escalates and a few get extremely rich while money disappears from saving accounts, pension funds, and people lose their jobs because the company they work for can’t have access to financing.

This is an institutional Globally based failure and it’s getting more scary by the day.

Yes this sounds like a broken record. It baffles me that we the people try to fix this while Timmy Geitner sits around and Lie and Flip Flops On New World Currency. I don’t think he should be the guy in charge. I like him about as much as Gordon Brown.

reply to post by Manouche

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Yes the Eu and it's currency is new. I for one an from the US and it appeared the Euro was outperforming the dollar.

Did the problem start before 2008?

Atually last summer the Canadian dollar was almost on par with the US dollar and came closer to the Euro. Now the US economy is sinking faster than the Canadian one and yet the Can$ is loosing ground on the US$ but closing the gap on the Euro.

Some people think this means the US$ is getting better but I think it means other currencies are just doing worse. Of course it's likely someone is trying to manipulate the values of these currencies. Depress the Euro and Can$, use US$ to buy them then wait for the US$ to crash which will briefly cause the others to skyrocket allowing you to make a furtune. Just get out quickly of those other $$ because the likely outcome is a massive crash of all currencies.

reply to post by exile1981

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Hey Exile,

I agree about the rise and fall of the dollar, we have comodity prices factored in, GDP, inflation, etc. The dollar seems to be holding it's own as the market crashes but not for long I'm afraid.

It is weird when the Canadian dollar has more value than the US.

New Figure 5. Industrial output, four big Europeans, then and now
Months in to Crisis;





I'll find one from 2009. I think this is from 2008, which is also significant.

reply to post by wonderworld

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Ok if I read the graphs correctly they are wose off now than the same # of months into the crisis as they were in 1929 after the collapse. Germany is staying afloat but they are also the only ones without massive bailouts.