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How Germany is able to run the world’s second largest export economy

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Re: How Germany is able to run the world’s second largest export economy

#181

Post by magduf »

yzmtf2008 wrote: post #150
olivermarks wrote: post #145

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Again, you are misrepresenting. I am a strong believer in free speech. I don't know if it was you that flagged the post but I would much prefer to see a counter argument and rebuttal from you. Instead we get a casual and patronizing comment. Hacker News is usually great for reasoned argument and debate. It's sad to see this sort of glib fly by behaviour

> If one pollutes water with oil, the oil is also polluted with water, and neither are good for anything as both have had their valuable characteristics compromised. > the Native French have been essentially eradicated How are they misrepresenting when they are actual, literal quotes? The posts are viewable by the way, no one is being suppressed here. > Hacker News is usually great for reasoned argument and debate. N…

>Not for the kind of racist xenophobic "ideas" that the world has long moved on from.

This is factually incorrect. The election of Trump in the US and the rise of far-right political parties in the EU disproves this notion. If anything, xenophobia is on the rise in western nations. The world has most definitely not "moved on".

Re: How Germany is able to run the world’s second largest export economy

#182

Post by pvaldes »

magduf wrote: post #157
zwieback wrote: post #81

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I changed my mind about that after working with our Barcelona divison - top notch engineering all around.

Sounds like Catalonia would be better off separating from Spain since then they could establish their own reputation instead of being dragged down by the rest of the country's poor reputation.

And more cliché...

Catalonian reputation is heavily, and I'm saying heavily, based in the fact that 1) It played with different (more favourable) rules than other areas, and 2) it attracted talent and workers from all coins of Spain in the past. People from Madrid, Sevilla, Leon, Vigo and Granada is often what would be seen by strangers as "Catalonian talent", for no reason.

And I would add that the so called, "Catalonian reputation" has entered in a sinking phase in the last years. Madrid GDP is increasing faster (Madrid alone surpassed the GDP of the entire four Catalonian provinces in 2018 and this was not common in the past) and thousands of companies are slowly losing interest in the area tired from its permanent state of conflict.

Re: How Germany is able to run the world’s second largest export economy

#183

Post by reaperducer »

helij wrote: post #177
reaperducer wrote: post #151

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Especially in certain product lines. A relative uses a particular medial device with parts that wear out. She purchases the regular replacement bits off Amazon which are made in China and only last 30 to 60 days. When she can afford it, she buys from the OEM's online store which has parts that are made in Germany or The Netherlands. They fit better, work better, and last up to six months. The difference is the Chines…

I don't get this. Is there really so little room in her budget for her to do this? It doesn't make sense to me.

It sounds like you've never been poor.

Re: How Germany is able to run the world’s second largest export economy

#184

Post by kgwgk »

stefano wrote: post #62
ed_balls wrote: post #52

Good article, but the model is too simple. UK used to produce more cars than Germany, but it's the opposite now. Why? They haven't shared the same currency. German cars were better. > And it means those same workers in Spain are less equipped to compete for Manufacturing jobs — because Elon Musk has to pay them in German Euros instead of cheap Spanish Peseta. If you’ve got to pay everyone in German Euros, you might a…

That point also ignores the fact that spanish workers are indeed cheaper than german workers. You can't focus on the unit of measure (the currency) while ignoring the accompanying number...

You're right. Unsurprisingly, in some countries workers are paid more "German euros" than in others countries.

https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/documents/4187653/8516126/Comp...

Re: How Germany is able to run the world’s second largest export economy

#185

Post by vkou »

tompccs wrote: post #90
zwieback wrote: post #31

Not a word about the fact that Germany simply produces desirable products? Somehow that has to factor in. Financial policy and the education system favors a conservative manufacturing sector that incrementally improves upon what Germany has done for decades. While I got my ME degree in Germany my dad, who is a solid state physicist, spent all his energy trying to accelerate the development of a German electronics sec…

He does talk about Germany's 200 year manufacturing excellence. That doesn't explain why in 1992 Germany had a massive trade deficit and UK had an equally large trade surplus, or how they've been able to avoid the fate of Japan.

To be fair, this re-unification thing that was happening in 1992 was a bit of a drag on the German economy.

Re: How Germany is able to run the world’s second largest export economy

#186

Post by pvaldes »

fragmede wrote: post #170
pvaldes wrote: post #160

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And not Spanish banks. It was some spanish "cajas", not banks. Can seem similar, but falls in a different category.

A quick Google suggests 'cajas' is closer to a credit union, though I'd love to hear more about the difference between a 'cajas' and a bank and the cultural expectations for both. (I would have been surprised if that happened to a US credit union.)

> I'd love to hear more about the difference between a 'cajas' and a bank

I think that Credit Union would made a good definition of a caja de ahorros [1], More or less equivalent. We could say that some spanish credit unions poorly managed by politicians were rescued with the money from all spaniard's taxes, but not the banks (and not all credit unions).

[1] 'a Cajas' does not exist. The singular is 'Caja'

Re: How Germany is able to run the world’s second largest export economy

#187

Post by martin_a »

yorwba wrote: post #54
ginko wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

By economy: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_U.S._states_and_territ...

You can play the same game for Germany: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_German_states_by_GRP And if you looked at each of the regions at the top, you'll likely also discover large differences between close-by areas. The geographical distribution of economic activity seems to follow a kind of fractal structure.

> The geographical distribution of economic activity seems to follow a kind of fractal structure.

Nah, it's more the result of WW2 and everything that happened after.

North Rhine-Westphalia was lucky to have lots of heavy industry which really helped the country after WW2, almost everything in terms of mining and heavy industriy and so on happened there. So although NRW was hit probably the most by allied bombs, the natural "richness" with minerals helped to get on top again.

BW and BY were "lucky" to have been under control of the USA (which probably took their image of Germany with them from what they experienced in BY) and French, which were probably somewhat more of "laisez-faire" than the Russians.

Well, we all know what happened with the Eastern parts of Germany...

I find this article a good read, although I'm not sure how good the English version is: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allied-occupied_Germany

Re: How Germany is able to run the world’s second largest export economy

#188

Post by ergothus »

martin_a wrote: post #175
ergothus wrote: post #147

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My economics is weak, can you break this down for me a bit? If I'm selling widgets for $10 (USD), and Narnia wants to buy them at 2 Narnian gold pieces(gp) per USD, it would cost them 20gp each. If the USD "improves", such that it is now 4 gp:$1, my widgets would be 40gp each, making my goods "more expensive" to foreign countries like Narnia. Assuming you're correct, I have at least one flawed understanding above (en…

The important question is: Does Narnia have the money, or is it willing to spend, double the amount on your product? Maybe they will just buy half, because their budget is fixed. That's the point you are missing.

....I fail to understand the relevance of what you're saying.

A desirable good is still less value/money if the money cost increases. That's what we've been discussing in this thread. Now you're changing other variables?

Re: How Germany is able to run the world’s second largest export economy

#189

Post by olivermarks »

selimthegrim wrote: post #179
gharding wrote: post #140

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I totally agree with you, even though what we are all heading towards is nothing but the total eradication of actual diversity, especially in Europe, pretty much on the American model that totally destroyed all unique characters of the American people of the various American states over the last 70+ years. But the "Germany is a very new country" trope/propaganda is not accurate, as is rather easily identified by simp…

Sitting here and writing this from Louisiana I _strongly_ beg to differ with your notion of American homogenization.

I'm in California, I agree that the idea that the US is fully homogenized is overblown

Re: How Germany is able to run the world’s second largest export economy

#190

Post by usrusr »

Kaiyou wrote: post #36
Schlaefer wrote: post #12

It was a fancy read until > an efficient & strong military Now I doubt everything.

Isn't it always like this. Things written tend to make sense until they contradict your prior knowledge.

The author certainly lost me when he called out Italy as a winner and the Netherlands as a loser in this game. That only ever happens in football.
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