Have never been aware of Belgian smugness . We all knew from the outset that their biggest Bank would be bankrupted if Greece defaulted . And it happened . Italy might tip the Eurozone over the cliff edge . If not , Spain will .Three months approx . Or sooner .
Neither have I,... I think he just means "Janpor's smugness" -- which I could understand. But Leffe, despite obviously enjoying Belgian products, hasn't have the balls to say that. Sorry, Leffe -- but we all know this is the case.
Of course I love Belgian beer! Your nation also are good cooks and nice people (both Flems and Walloons (sp?)). I have nothing against Belgium at all, I just have a problem with indivviduals pointing fingers, without having the decency to look at their own back graden in an honest manner. Now if you want to discuss how Belgium has the same amount of finacial dirty laundry, as say the UK, we can discuss it. But you don't. All you want to do is to big-up Federal EU, most of the time at the expense of the UK, who coincidently does not want to succeed powers to unelected officials in Brussels and end up like the USA.
I've never been dishonest about the situation in Belgium, since that wouldn't buy me anything except becoming Greece at the North Sea. Thanks, but no thanks -- I leave that up to the UK. Belgium, despite having a high debt-burden, is not that in a big of a mess. Sure, financial markets are looking in our direction, but it's nothing more than an over-reaction. Our problems can be resolved rather easily with reforms that will not make our respective populations suffer that much -- the only problem is that there needs to be a political will. Which I'm optimistic about nowadays. The biggest hurdle in Belgium has been taken with the agreement on institutional reforms, and the country is being pacified for the next 10 to 20 years, I believe. Anyways, our personal savings rate is rock-solid, our productivity is sky-high, we have a strong industrial base, etc. Although serious reforms need to be made, e.g. de-activate the automatic mechanism of +5% increased expidentures in health industry, reforming pensions (especially for public sector!), etc. No, no, no. Belgium -- while it's a watered-down version of Switzerland and G.H. Luxembourg regarding the financial and banking industry (e.g. "fiscaal bankgeheim" or "fiscal banking secret") -- has not made her economy into one big fanfare placed around this industry, like the UK has done! And let's be honest here -- the UK is in far more dire straits than Belgium, or any other country in the Eurozone except Greece. You'll get the bill soon enough, Leffe. Also, the Pound-Sterling is nothing more than an artificially strong currency -- a so-called financial currency, like the Swiss Franc. There is no economic strenght behind it whatsoever. We already made the Swiss walk in line a few months ago when they pegged their currency onto the Euro. Up next is the vicious Pound-Sterling by the end of this decade, which will be facilitated by the rightful Scottish quest for independence.
Stop reading your silly American blogs, DutchClogCyborg. En, trouwens, tussen ons gezegd en gezwegen -- althans dat hoop ik toch, daar ik geen idee heb of dat Leffe Nederlands spreekt of niet. We horen nu al een twee à drie jaar, om de paar maanden, dat de Europese eenheidsmunt dood is of gaat sterven. Het liedje is eerlijk gezegd redelijk afgezaagd aan het worden. Interessant artikel hieromtrent, en in tegenstelling tegenover jouw posts erg feitelijk. The euro is dead. Long live the euro.
Op dit moment betalen de noord Europese landen het falen van de Zuid Europese landen, het idee om de gulden - D-Mark terug te halen krijgt steeds meer steun en is ook al openlijk geopperd. Ik wil persoonlijk af van die Euro, voor deze werd ingevoerd was de levensstandaard aanzienlijk hoger.
What is this anti British bias all about? This is the country that refused to join the Euro because it saw exactly what was bound to happen , given some time . The British were smart enough to put the vast bulk of their borrowings in 20 and 30 year bonds . They re- capitalised their Banks before the rest had really woken up . They insist that the Eurozone pays for its own greed and stupidity without leeching from their smarter neighbours . We played the Austerity card before any of the other " Big Boys" , and , in doing so , satisfied the markets that we were good house keepers , responsible and progressive . We are disliked because we are too (*)(*)(*)(*)ed smart and savvy.
