Monday, June 22, 2015

Merkel and Charybdis

Odysseus, King of Ithaca, would know what to do.


Every Greek man, woman, and child; every European man, woman, and child, has a right and the need to have his or her leaders call for and succeed in Chancellor Merkel stepping down. Now.

The Analysis is Simple

Have we followed Merkel's lead? Yes.
Have things gotten better? No.
Have things gotten worse? Yes.
Conclusion?  Do not follow Merkel's lead.

This is not politics.  This is not economics. This is common knowledge and common sense!

I have been calling for Merkel to step down since last year.

European Leaders who follow Merkel are by definition, not leaders.

European Leaders who follow Merkel are by definition followers.

As for Merkel, if you can't manage, you can't lead.  Merkel has failed to manage the crisis.

The Chancellor has proven willing to discuss any idea or plan that will impede or prevent any solution to the crisis being implemented.

You cannot cut wages, fire people, raise taxes, and call it a disaster plan--disaster plans are intended to prevent disasters, not cause them.  A one-pronged approach is not a solution--it is a weapon.  The very approach is designed to decrease the GDP.
I also warned that the Firewall around Greece would not help Greece's neighbor--Spain.  This is proving to be true.  In Spain, the most popular Tweet is "Stop Merkel."

The following are fairly comprehensive.


EuoBondage and Leadership.



Merkel's Last Stand



The EuroCrats Trojan Plan--Destroy Greece



Too Greek to Fail



Firewall or Farce?



Now is the time for European Leaders to lead.


Sincerely,

Slim



Copyright (c) 2012 Slim Fairview
All rights reserved.

Monday, June 8, 2015

GreekEnomics



Today, President Obama, addressing the press at the G-7 meeting, invoked the mantra I’ve propounded for almost five years. Capital Investment.

How long have the EuroCrats been attempting to solve the Greek Economic Crisis?
Too Long.  The same applies to the EuroCrisis.

By now we should be able to invoke Slim Fairview’s Empirical Method of Analysis.

Have we tried austerity?
Yes.
Have things gotten better?
No.
Have things gotten worse?
Yes.
Conclusion?
Don’t do that.

The first rule of holes: When you find yourself in a hole, stop digging.

Reform is the smallest part of the solution to the Greek Economic Crisis.  We need, as I’ve said repeatedly, Capital Investment + Economic Development + Growth.

ONE PROPOSAL:

What is one thing Greece has been known for?  Shipping. Did anyone say Onassis?
If the EuroCrats don’t embrace this idea, the Chinese will.  Case in point.  When I heard that Air Travel will double in the next 20 years, I posed the question, does that mean we will need to double the number of airports, or double the number of planes?  What happened?  Boeing increased the size of the planes.

China is building a Canal in Nicaragua. Why? To accommodate the Super Ships. Why? To ship from Western Africa, through the Nicaragua canal to China and the rest of Asia.

Remember what I said in my article “Energy Independence? (Then What?)”  I said, when we no longer need oil from Saudi Arabia, then Saudi Arabia will need to find a new customer. (China) If China is the new customer, China is also the new friend.  And oil can move on supertankers through the Nicaragua canal to China and the rest of Asia.

It is impossible to exaggerate the importance of shipping and, by extension, the importance of ships.  Ship building in Greece, with Chinese Capital Investment, can meet that demand.  This is not strategic planning.  This is marketing.

Marketing: Find a need and fill it.

The EuroUnion has a narrow window of opportunity.  The EuroCrats must embrace Capital Investment and Economic Development as crucial to solving the Greek economic crisis.  In addition, the rest of the world must work with China to complete the building of the Nicaragua Canal.  This is to benefit the Global Economy.

Warmest regards,


Greek/Roman