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The Future of Europe: An Interview with George Soros

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Re: The Future of Europe: An Interview with George Soros

#21

Post by pcrh »

gbog wrote: post #8

It is funny to see the construction of Europe, which is arguably the first time in human history that different groups of people willingly tend towards a common political entity without external threat and blood spilled all over, criticised from inside and outside by the likes of Soros, who will never understand that finance is a tool and not an end. I hope Merkel and other Eurocrats will firmly continue to not liste…

The article is principally about the Euro as a currency, not the EU as a political entity.

The EU currently covers more than 12 separate currency zones, to which there are a further 21 European currencies. So, a total of approx 34 currencies (depending on how some are counted).

The undeniable success of the EU is based on its ability to have never-ending negotiations between it's constituent parts. With regards to countries such as Greece, I feel that the long-term outcome of the recent financial crises will be sounder fiscal policies within those countries, since they have found to their undoubted regret that poor fiscal policies leads to a lot of pain, even if you have a "rich uncle" such as Germany. It will also hopefully deter the economically weaker countries from joining the Euro before they are ready.

Re: The Future of Europe: An Interview with George Soros

#22

Post by Atropos »

gbog wrote: post #8

It is funny to see the construction of Europe, which is arguably the first time in human history that different groups of people willingly tend towards a common political entity without external threat and blood spilled all over, criticised from inside and outside by the likes of Soros, who will never understand that finance is a tool and not an end. I hope Merkel and other Eurocrats will firmly continue to not liste…

I really don't get the amount of hate and derision the European Union is always getting from US commentators. Culturally and geographically, for example Finland and Greece do not have much in common - yet Finland is willing to help them out, despite the "NO BAILOUT" clause explicitly implemented in the construction of the eurozone.

Meanwhile the USA has neighboring countries like Mexico or Cuba with huge problems like drug wars or lack of democratic elections (Cuba only) and which are poorer GDP/capita wise than countries like Poland, which were practically communist colonies of Russia until 1990! Sorry but it seems to me that the European Union is much more beneficial to the European continent than the USA for the American continent.

Re: The Future of Europe: An Interview with George Soros

#23

Post by harywilke »

usethis wrote: post #18
rjzzleep wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> It is funny to see the construction of Europe, which is arguably the first time in human history that different groups of people willingly tend towards a common political entity without external threat and blood spilled all over you must have missed the news. because that is exactly the rhetoric the eu politicians keep using. [1] "if the euro fails there will be war". for the nitpickers amongst you with the choice…

Quoting the mirror is not helping your case. From the article: > Ms Merkel had even warned European countries could end up warring with each other if the euro collapses. What Merkel actually said: > She told the German parliament: “No one should think that a further half century of peace and prosperity is assured. If the euro fails, Europe will fail.” Taking your news from the Mirror is a surefire hit to general cyni…

With a higher unemployement rate than the US had at the peak of the Great Depression, I'd question your version of "a lot".

Re: The Future of Europe: An Interview with George Soros

#24

Post by exit »

Atropos wrote: post #22
gbog wrote: post #8

It is funny to see the construction of Europe, which is arguably the first time in human history that different groups of people willingly tend towards a common political entity without external threat and blood spilled all over, criticised from inside and outside by the likes of Soros, who will never understand that finance is a tool and not an end. I hope Merkel and other Eurocrats will firmly continue to not liste…

I really don't get the amount of hate and derision the European Union is always getting from US commentators. Culturally and geographically, for example Finland and Greece do not have much in common - yet Finland is willing to help them out, despite the "NO BAILOUT" clause explicitly implemented in the construction of the eurozone. Meanwhile the USA has neighboring countries like Mexico or Cuba with huge problems lik…

you may have answered your own question.

Re: The Future of Europe: An Interview with George Soros

#25

Post by gwert »

spikels wrote: post #7

Don't waste your time trying to understand the rantings of this lunatic. Like many of the uber rich he made his money from being lucky and political connections not from actually learning anything new. His incoherent theories (e.g. reflexivity) are simply cover for whatever scheme he is currently perusing to gain even more weath and power.

He is one of the few people in the world who consistently make money off of forex trading, and the scale of his bets are huge. Saying he is just a rich person who got lucky completely underestimates how smart and powerful he is.

Re: The Future of Europe: An Interview with George Soros

#26

Post by cynicalkane »

spikels wrote: post #7

Don't waste your time trying to understand the rantings of this lunatic. Like many of the uber rich he made his money from being lucky and political connections not from actually learning anything new. His incoherent theories (e.g. reflexivity) are simply cover for whatever scheme he is currently perusing to gain even more weath and power.

This is a textbook ad hominem attack. It's trying to discredit someone using insults, and it is considered a logical fallacy. It's not the insult that makes an ad hominem, it's using with insults as an excuse to dismiss someone's arguments.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ad_hominem

It doesn't help that the OP's insult premise, despite its frothing anger, is your garden-variety, vaguely conspiratorial hate of evil rich people. This sort of stuff should come with a big [CITATION NEEDED] for those of us who don't believe the rich are a big conspiracy of fortunate sons, out to get the common people.

But what's most ironic is that Soros being one of the world's top finance guys gives him more credibility, not less; unless you believe he has a nefarious plot to make billions by lying in magazine interviews or something.

Re: The Future of Europe: An Interview with George Soros

#27

Post by singold »

k0mplex wrote: post #3

If you don't read the New York Review of Books already, and you like periodicals like the New Yorker and Economist, I recommend adding it to your list - and this article is a good example of why. Also, this was such a great point by Soros from the interview: "According to Max Planck, among others, subatomic phenomena have a dual character: they can manifest themselves as particles or waves. Something similar applies…

Really? Using physics that you[0] don't understand to justify some kind of pseudo-science?

[0] I refer to Soros, not to k0mplex

Re: The Future of Europe: An Interview with George Soros

#28

Post by Bpal »

Soros juggles the facts in his favour -that's for sure, but the general geopolitical picture is given about right. Like Germany being the dominant player in Europe and Russia helping out with Middle East chemical weapon. These are well-known facts, what would be really great to find out is what bonus the leader of the country brings to the table of his own nation and at what cost. Not sure, we'll ever find out.

Re: The Future of Europe: An Interview with George Soros

#29

Post by zeno334 »

gwert wrote: post #25
spikels wrote: post #7

Don't waste your time trying to understand the rantings of this lunatic. Like many of the uber rich he made his money from being lucky and political connections not from actually learning anything new. His incoherent theories (e.g. reflexivity) are simply cover for whatever scheme he is currently perusing to gain even more weath and power.

He is one of the few people in the world who consistently make money off of forex trading, and the scale of his bets are huge. Saying he is just a rich person who got lucky completely underestimates how smart and powerful he is.

Do you have a source for that forex claim? I remember reading in one of his books that he was never able to consistently profit from fx trading.

Re: The Future of Europe: An Interview with George Soros

#30

Post by jalayir »

gbog wrote: post #8

It is funny to see the construction of Europe, which is arguably the first time in human history that different groups of people willingly tend towards a common political entity without external threat and blood spilled all over, criticised from inside and outside by the likes of Soros, who will never understand that finance is a tool and not an end. I hope Merkel and other Eurocrats will firmly continue to not liste…

"It is funny to see the construction of Europe, which is arguably the first time in human history that different groups of people willingly tend towards a common political entity" - how about India?
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