A legacy of Bill Clinton?

Watched the Clinton documentary on  BBC 2 tonight.  I am always amazed how Gore managed to blow the 2000 election and gave the world Dubya!

The GOP fiercely tried and failed to bring Clinton down. But it did have effect on US and world events later.

The GOP really hated Bill Clinton. With good reason. He had the highest rating of any other outgoing President.

The GOP did not manage to bring Clinton down but to affect some of his decisions as President that later had effect on US and world.

In spite of all his scandals, Bill Clinton was so popular when his presidency ended. All Gore had to do was ride the wave, the way Bush Sr had done. But no, he had to distance himself from Clinton due to Monicagate. And got off the wave. And Dubya won.

Many in the GOP failed to grasp that Clinton had and still has charisma few politicians did/do.

Obama in 2012, Hillary in 2016 and 2020. That is in a way a legacy of Bill Clinton
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Had Gore not messed up in 2000 (and in 2004), it could mean 32 years of Democrats in the White House (Bill, Gore, Obama, Hillary).

But I am less of a fan of the GOP, especially in the period after the Bush Sr. Presidency to date
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I am not particularly a fan of Bill Clinton, but this is my analysis!

The GOP has the potential to do good, but it has to turn towards the center, instead of the right (tea, libertarians, austerians etc).

Why a single market needs a single currency

Tonight I found out my debit card give me 75 BP for 100 Euros. Not as bad as 70 I got elsewhere but some Oxford St tourist shop give me 80 and a well known department store 82!

That means 750 vs 820 BP per 1000 Euros, or 70 BP per 1000 Euros or 7%. That's 1.333 Euros per BP. Compare with central rate!

That is why a real single market - space also needs a single currency. The rest is hot air. Europe, unite or let yourself decay!

From Euroland to US of E?

So the Tories are saying that the want the Eurozone to become United States of Europe but w/o the UK?

That is what Churchill said too, right?

What is the EU, really?

The EU is not Monti, Juncker, Barroso, Merkel, the European Parliament, the Commission etc, but 500,000,000 in one entity.

Market jungle survival skills

It's a tough market, the job market, especially nowadays.

But if it was not tough, it would not be a market, would it?

They should teach job market survival skills at school.

London and NYC: Quality of life vs zest for life?

Some 14 million live in the London metropolis and 19 in the NYC one. Other than the rich and the hopeful, why do they? A "Hollywood" effect? In other words, do people stay in places that offer the feel/perception of opportunities even in the face of different experiences?

Are people willing to tolerate much more hardship of all kinds when the situation has an "opportunities" aura? And how does that play in today's systemics and dynamics in London, UK, Europe, USA and the world (as we perceive it, ie Earth). Quality of life vs zest for life.

My Preliminary conclusions re London systemics and dynamics

After 11 days in London (17 in UK) here are my preliminary (working) conclusions (up for discussion):

a) London is best for young professionals (eg under 35) and for rich people (high net worth or high earners). b) Compare with NYC London is huge and somewhat chaotic (NYC is even more huge, 19 million).

The Tube is imo overrated as a mode of transport (too many staircases - compare and contrast with Paris). London buses may be an underrated factor in London mobility systemics. Maybe the no-stairs mobility alternative to the Tube. Other cities, eg Brussels, Manchester, Berlin, etc (Paris? Systemics like London's?) may provide better quality of life. But opportunities?

 Thus: Does London give to the Londoners or to the newcomer (from Europe and the rest of the world) the opportunities it seems to offer (via an everything is possible feel)? That is an expensive question, considering London's cost of living while searching for a good job, not any job (plenty of labour intensive service jobs in London, it seems, by the way).

 These are some preliminary conclusions, or rather, thoughts!

PS. In a relevant discussion on Twitter tonight, my fellow tweep Lars Pellinat ‏(@Lars9596) offered a bery insightful piece of info:
"@npthinking The big riddle: Average salary in greater London below 30K per year, but 2 bedroom flat IN London can cost 2.500 a month"
Analyse this!

PS2. Maybe London's biggest asset is what I have described as a "Babylon 5 feel" to London, in the sense that people who everywhere (on Earth) live and work in London. But is that asset, by itself, enough to sustain London? I don't know.

More Europe, but how much more?

How many EUropean business owners..

How many EUropean business owners (corporations, SMEs, micros) think of the EU27 as their market?

Not nearly enough!

Euro-parochialismus

How many people in the EU are born and spend their lives within 5-10 kilometers?

Too many, for a real union to flourish.

Parochialism (not Euroscepticism per se) is the main factor holding back Europe. In spite of the short distances between the EU's states.

For real estate, location, location, location! For integration, mobility, mobility. mobility!

Is the Bundesbank living in the past?

Wolfgang Münchau (FT) is right (See FT's "Draghi is devil in Weidmann’s euro drama"). While the ECB is evolving into a Fed, the Bundesbank lives in the past. Hence it is not Europe that has to "speak" German as CDU's Kauder said a year ago, but the German policy/econ elite that must start "speaking" American!

Is capitalism inherently faulty? Lessons from the Euro crisis

Is capitalism in a marketing crisis? Is the product inherently faulty? Read Max Weber, I propose.

Is capitalism in a marketing crisis? Yes. IMO the so called Euro crisis shows that Capitalism is not only not absorbed by the rest of the world, but also a major part of the West - Europe.

Is the product inherently faulty? Weather Capitalism, as a model or (intellectual) "product", is, inherently or not, faulty is a complex discussion. But in any case, it seems to warrant a major rethink, especially re "credit capitalism". Capitalism in its present form neither works nor is it popular in most of the world. Not that communism is a solution, of course. Communism has failed, bigger than capitalism, in spite its revenge (China).

Read Max Weber, I propose. 100 years ago, he identified the roots or DNA of Capitalism, thus shedding light into its root philosophy. And think of the 2010s Euro crisis.

Is YOUR capitalism working? Is American capitalism working? The German? The British? The French? The Japanese? The Greek? The Spanish? The Italian? The Dutch?

German capitalism may or not be working in/for Germany but it is certainly destroying the Eurozone and potentially the EU. That is one of the lessons from the Euro crisis, for those of course who are looking for real lessons from the Euro crisis instead of stereotypes, opportunities for mud throwing or scapegoating the Greeks.

EU, European (UK, German, Dutch, other), US and global affairs

@npthinking (http://www.twitter.com/npthinking): 50,000 tweets on EU, European (UK, German, Dutch, other), US and global affairs in 36 months!

LibDem enough (UK, NL, Germany)?

Is VVD libdem enough to work with Labour in an NL coalition govt? Can the LibDems revamp themselves enough to survive in 2015 and join Labour in a UK coalition govt? Can FDP revamp itself enough to get 5% in 2013 and join SPD and Greens in German coalition govt?

If some in the Eurozone did not suffer from inflation phobia

Maybe one needs to remind Mr. Axel Weber and Mr. Jens Weidmann that if the Trichet led ECB hadn't driven Euro systemics/dynamics out of whack due to inflation phobia ie a 2% inflation target, bond purchases would not be needed today by the Draghi led ECB, would they? What the Eurozone really needs is softer Euro to stop flood of imports & promote exports plus a more realistic EU trade policy (which German mega exporters don't want,do they). Otherwise sooner or later even Germany will have to adopt India/China wages to survive. Good luck with that. Greece and other PIIGS merely Ein Experiment.

When you find 100 Euros worth 70, 75, 76 and 80 BP around London

When you find 100 Euros worth 70, 75, 76 and 80 BP around London on same day, you realise the need for a real single currency, not a CBs one

On the Dutch elections result

I don't consider the NL election results of September 12 a victory for "Europe". No outcome in these elections would, alas, have been imo a victory for Europe.

When will Europe start "thinking" European?

The way for "Europe" to survive is to stop "speaking" German, French or UK and start "speaking" (ie thinking) "European". Til then, pain. Lots of "Tough Love" to EUropeans by German, French and British elites. Until Europe decides to think European, instead of that. Again, the euro was supposed to help Europeans live, work and trade across the EU/EZ not become a power toy for CBs, fins, politicos, elites. So what Europe needs is a euro currency by the people for the people, not by banker/fins for bankers/fins.

Either she does not get it or she is pulling everyone's leg

Re Angela Merkel's interview in Berlin. Merkel either does not get it or she is pulling everyone's leg (or both).

The governing dynamics for capital and labour

Is capital nowadays a) migrant b) homeless or c) vagabond?

Thus, in these weird times which thinking is more in line with the general dynamics?
(Thinking) Like a) an immigrant b) a homeless person c) a vagabond?

Too financial?

Our times are definitely too financial. From the credit card a hotel asks you to register you to the fin news that dominate media and social media.