German Imperium

[sasguru]

The ones with military bases in Cyprus are the Brits, not the Germans.

Historical legacy rather than current reality.
But then thinking has never really been your strong point.

[KaiserWilly]

The ones with military bases in Cyprus are the Brits, not the Germans.

[Ignis Fatuus]

The way I see it, the German strategy wasn't to dominate Europe at all. They were simply a bit more cautious and less willing to rush headlong into an 'efficiency at all costs' economic model. The end result of this is that when everyone was overtaken by events beyond anyone's control the Germans were left standing and able to take advantage while the rest of us were knocked to the floor.

I don't think their desire to manipulate the economies of weaker countries is malicious, althought it does seem somewhat misguided, rather that they are smart enough to undedrstand that what happened before will happen again unless the game itself is changed on a fundamental level. Global capitalism needs to be, for want of a better word, regulated, or harnessed, rather than being left to run riot.

Whether they are in a position to effect these changes is debateable. The sort of naive power plays we're seeing at the moment are going to fall well short.

The Germans didn't dominate the EU, it's the Euro that brought it about. In effect it gave the Germans an artificially undervalued currency (for their country) and much of southern Europe an artificially inflated currency, giving them the false impression that they could afford to buy what the Germans exported.

[doodab]

The way I see it, the German strategy wasn't to dominate Europe at all. They were simply a bit more cautious and less willing to rush headlong into an 'efficiency at all costs' economic model. The end result of this is that when everyone was overtaken by events beyond anyone's control the Germans were left standing and able to take advantage while the rest of us were knocked to the floor.

I don't think their desire to manipulate the economies of weaker countries is malicious, althought it does seem somewhat misguided, rather that they are smart enough to undedrstand that what happened before will happen again unless the game itself is changed on a fundamental level. Global capitalism needs to be, for want of a better word, regulated, or harnessed, rather than being left to run riot.

Whether they are in a position to effect these changes is debateable. The sort of naive power plays we're seeing at the moment are going to fall well short.

[sasguru]

You need to join up your thinking and ask why this has come about.
Power comes from being economically powerful.
Because the Germans did not follow a naive and simplistic strategy-free free-market policy like us, they preserved their industries and so are now stinking rich, unlike us.
And stinking rich countries always flex their muscle.
Good luck to them, let's hope in the long run they are an enlightened power, although sadly I don't see that at the moment.

[DodgyAgent]

I like Charles Moore and I enjoyed his article in todays Torygraph.
He talks about how Germany is (pretty well unintentionally) taking over europe.

Southern Europe lies prostrate before the German imperium - Telegraph