Systemics and Dynamics Live NP Blog, October 31, 2012

Read bottom up to follow the flow:

Evening:

Euro crisis/Troika:
I thought memorandums were supposed to be brief, not as brief as executive summaries, but brief.

There seem to be 2 divergent views re the effect of Sandy on US economy: a) disruption of the recovery b) growth stimulus effect by money spend on the damages, multiplied by a greater than 1.0 factor. As per electoral effects, some think it may prove beneficial for Obama and Dems if seems presidential in his dealing with Sandy effects is deemed effective. Or could backfire. Will it also restore some faith of people in "government" and make collective esprit (eg health care) more popular. Guess we shall see.

Early morning:

EU/Euro/econ/fin crises:
Many admire the Iceland "model" of dealing with it. But they should recall it has a population of 320,000, a total area of 103,000 km2 out there in the Atlantic and a volcano!

More philosophical:
The problem with parents raising their kids with prince/princess aka noble values is that unless they also give them a Principauté, they are in for a rough ride in the "streets" of life.

Philosophical:
Hard times for "princes" and "princesses" (not the real ones, the other ones). Also hard for vagabonds, though. Unless in warmer climates.

Jobs/Career:
For decades now, searching for a job had become a job. In recent years, it has become a career.

Systemics and Dynamics Live NP Blog, October 30, 2012

Read from the bottom up to follow the flow:

USA:
Time for allegiance between people > Obama to the Rescue | The Big Dog Barks | No Time for Politics? http://t.co/bZw1okwP Nature is showing who is the real boss, and should make lots of people think about human-to-human allegiance and the role of  government in the US. May thus help the Dems + Obama

Greece:
Had the Greek gov't in the 1980s established a real unemployment benefits system, like other EU, maybe Greece would be different today.

Econ:
No kidding! RT @ForexLive: Merkel/Lagarde: Global Economic Recovery Remains Uncertain http://t.co/B3yRytd6 Oct 30, 2012

Info, what info?
What unrest(s) in ATH/GRE? Most if not all events have taken place on/near 1 square. Intern media have made it seem wider.
 
Roesler/FDP:
Roesler "strikes" again re Greece, but will this campaign save his FDP "Empire" in next GER elections? #EuroWars #EmpireStrikesBack

Greece:
Now all Greece needs is a Tea Party. #stoicgeek
Was it a 2-way call? Mobile or landline? Roaming fees? Smartphone or not?

Merkel:
She is a politician too, But that is why she gave GR such a hard time, to make sure, she thought, no one else would ask 4 for same. So she thought,

Banking Union:
The EU or Euro or Euro+ shouldn't be banking on banking union as a facility towards political union. The road is different, political/civil

Labour Market (EU27):
Call me again when the #EU gets a labour market, instead of 27. By that time, there will be no labour, only robots and stepford workers.
For labour market reforms to have a raison-d-'etre, there has to be a labour market, dear Troika! #EU\

News vs Opinion:
Who cares what someone said about anything? That's not news, that's opinions. Cool but not real news, is it?
Sandy left death and damages, some member wants to leave EU, EU squabbles, GR is complicated, etc etc. The news? Oh c'mon, you know the news (EU, UK, US, etc). Same old, same old.

EU27:
If the 27 cannot agree on EU budget, why not make it a federal one with 26, 20, 17 or 10? Anyway, not the budget but the policies that count

Caprica:
NYSE re-opening tomorrow! Sure, finance does not need humans anymore! #Caprica #Sandy Oct 30, 2012

Troika/Greece:
I don't care what Troika says, the Greek competitiveness-growth-employment model has to be based on free lancers, and exporting micros+SMEs
For whom are the labor market reforms many in GR oppose??? Most of the "private sector" was always free lancers and even more so today!


EU Regional Policy:
EU funds diverted the attention of Objective 1 (PIIGS) from EU policies and effects. PIIGS would have been, I know it's a heretic view, better off w/o them

EU?
Let's face it. EEC/EU has not really been a union, more of a FRA-GER-UK thing with associate members the rest
Maybe EU better off w/o GER, FRA, UK, tho. A more real union.

EU and PIGS as family:
Some would even say a family is not real unless there are internal fights. Look at ancient Greeks! lol Oct 30, 2012
Greeks fight each other all the time they r still a family.The best of families do. But they unite when needed
3//3 Or Germans., Dutch, Finns, Slovaks, Austrians et al can move to the PIGS now and enjoy real life! #MoveToTheMed4RealLife
2/3 Of course they can wait 50-100 yrs, global warming will turn Euro core etc into PIGS and PIGS into Sahara
1/3 The truth is that many other EUROpeans envy the PIGS cos of their sun, sea, sand, zest, instead of rain, cold, esp Humidity.
 EUROpeans want(ed) a stable currency but not the extra hard EURO-DM it turned out to be (at 1.4, 1.5 times USD etc) Oct 30, 2012

About the UK:
It's complicated: Everything is simple. So simple that it's complicated.

Not quite. "Other" economies had been spoiled by Eurozone's impors from them. RT @MStarDirect: Eurozone's troubles hurting other economies, chiefly E. Europe & Latin America. Latin America also feeling pinch fr ...

My take on Greece:
My main "take" on Greece is that no one's take, including mine, is accurate. That's Greece. Un-takeable. That's my main take on Greece.

Personal live blog, October 29, 2012

Read bottom up to follow the flow:

Vlogs:
For fans: Have you watched: My Brunswick Vlogs (parts 1-3) http://t.co/TGd0B4EQ 3 vlogs total 10 minutes. Recorded: Oct. 1, 2012.

20+ yrs of monitoring and analysis:

If your following my tweets is conditional upon my following your account then inter alia you're in the wrong social medium. Friend me on FB
And value my thoughts (tweets, blogs etc) enough to follow my tweets whether I follow you back or not. Or don't! SVP.
So pls show some respect for my thoughts, and if you disagree argument/syllogise why. Else, don't follow. Oct 29, 2012
You think my thoughts and takes on things EU, UK, US, etc is NOT a result of 20+ yrs of monitoring of and thinking on them? Oct 29, 2012


Followers, friends and connections:
Are tweeps who are following you and 5000, 20000 or 50000 other tweeps really following you?
To connect on FB and/LindkedIn, use https://t.co/TwB1CWoG and  http://t.co/GGvVG5Ey (use npan@alum.mit.edu)
If you operate on follow you-follow me then imo you are in the wrong social medium! Try Facebook. Maybe LinkedIn too.
That's the trouble w/ still following 1900+ tweeps! An interesting tweet passes by my Tweetdeck and disappears before I have chance to RT it. So cutting down, further.
If you take my tweets at face value ONLY, better unfollow. They are not "good" for you.
Dear followers, I am doing to you something analogous to what many financiers are doing to "you". Downsizing and re-vamping my "portfolio"! ie do not read and think of any of my tweets superficially, no matter how dramatic the tone. THINK beyond any hype by media or social media
2/2 But: If you are out to prove that EU is bad for the UK and related, do not (follow my account). Oct 29, 2012
1/2 If you are interested in my views of systemics and dynamics that affect our life. work, biz decisions, stick around.

Systemics and Dynamics Live NP Blog, October 29, 2012

Please read from the bottom up to follow the flow:

Schauble says EU needs the UK at Oxford:
Or Schauble simply playing "good cop" on the UK to Merkel's "bad cop" on the UK? The reverse roles compared to Greece, that is! lol
Maybe Schauble's call on the UK to stay in EU = sign EU getting unstuck between German exceptionalism and UK Euroscepticism?
So Schauble is playing "bad cop" on Greece and "good cop" on the UK? lol Oct 29, 2012
In reference to Schauble's EU call to the UK today, read my 2005 analysis: Britain and the heart of Europe http://t.co/P4jge3ty
Re UK in Eu read "The EU and the UK in a prisoner's dilemma!" in my: How many countries committed "economic suicide" http://t.co/5ycd7VxB
Or a desperate call for help on how to deal with a feasibly emerging ESP+ITA plus FRA (?) "alliance" in EU/Euro matters? #SchaubleNeedsUK
An admission EU doesnt speak Cauder's German? RT @ReutersWorld Germany's Schaeuble tells skeptical UK "EU needs you" http://t.co/AuqM74tq
Seems to me GER needs UK to debate FRA ideas RT @ReutersWorld: Germany's Schaeuble tells skeptical UK "EU needs you" http://t.co/AuqM74tq

Italy and EU:
When Italy became a country in the 1870s, the North imposed its laws + policies on the South. The effects linger. Lessons for EU - Eurozone?

Capitalism:
Matthew 19:24 and related passages directly contradict Calvinist predeternination. Imho.

On direct vs rep democracy:
So you think the concept of elected reps of the ppl and civil soc orgs with time and staff to KNOW the draft laws can be replaced? By what?
U think direct democracy, IRL or on the Net, is easy? Was it not for slaves work, u think Ancient Athenians wld have enuff time 4 politics?

Greece:
My main "take" on Greece is that no one's take, including mine, is accurate. That's Greece. Un-takeable. That's my main take on Greece.

Centrism:
When will the main parties in the US, UK, etc converge to the center in ideas + policies and compete in their ability to implement them?

On humanity in 2012:
The main disease that is turning so many of us into real zombies is greed. Oct 29, 2012
Does it take Natural disasters or will it take a comet from outer space threat for ppl to realise we all humans and shld stick together?

Why so difficult?
Why is it so difficult for so many to realise the difference between speculative and entrepreneurial risk? Even Sarkozy did!
People in at least The West know the ratrace is ravaging them. Instead of calling it off they want everyone in to suffer like they do? Why
Why is it so difficult for so many Europeans to realise that austerity and crash of GDP does not foster growth?
Why is it so difficult for so many American voters to realise the need for a public option in health insurance?
Why so difficult for many to realise a balance of individualism + collectivism, instead of 1 of the 2, is best? Not simplistic enuff 4 them?
It's ideologies tht focus on the individual or collective instead of balance of the 2 that unbalance the world
I guess Nature is reminding American voters who's the real boss and why allegiance between humans a good thing! Will they get the msg? And vote for the Dems?

Greece:
What is the worse that can happen Nov 16?

Mantra:
Rationalize, Simplify, Economize. A good mantra for 2012?

Sandy:
Who names storms and hurricanes? After ex-GFs? For revenge?

Merkel:
Merkel has been conducting Ein Experiment on 330 million. She leads the way. But remember Das Experiment movie? Did she ever watch it? Oct 29, 2012

Pop Cult:
Walking Nationless: A new TV series coming soon to a European TV station near you! 500,000,000 wandering aimlessly.
Walking Jobless. A horror drama series coming soon! Oh my, the jobless disease that taken over their minds! #media

Centrism:
I am a geek and my audience is people and decision makers (biz, pol) of moderate but progressive/innovative mentality in Europe. US, world.

Libertarianism:
Other than than, no one really bothers me, even libertarians or nationalist or anti-EUers. as long as they are not in my T/L.
Libertarianism is as unrealistic as communism. Only works when one alone on an island. Liberal Democrat: is another thing.
In short: Rand is as irrelevant as Marx. Had enough of libertarians when I ran with a libdem (I thought) party in Euro-1999.

US of E:
My support for a US of Europe is not ideological, it is practical (and constructively critical). Why? I lived in a US (of A) for 5.5 yrs! Oct 29, 2012

EU and the SMEs:
A real EU single market would have led to pan-EU niche markets for SMEs. But not a real single mkt yet, is it? #Marketing

PIGS and EU Animal Farm:
Are we on the verge of experiencing a rise of the PIGS (+FRA) in EU/Euro politics/decision making? Just askin. Reading signs?

Mark his words or not?
Rajoy: Spain, Italy Back Greece Remaining In Euro "one down will be all down.

Systemics:
The biggest "fights" people have are not with other ppl but group-think as well as systemics and dynamics. Much harder than person-on-person. And karate won't do.

From USSR to the EU to ....:
From good bye Lenin to good bye Merkel?

EU:
Athens in the Delos Allaince, Germany in the Eurozone or EU. Compare and contrast!

Memories:
Memories were meant to fade for a reason (from one of my poems)

Merkelian consistency!

So now Merkel is starting to allow for special circumstances (eg Irish bank debt)? The box is now open!

Which box? Pandora's, biensur!

Which inter alia means that it also ppens up the way/box for eg a Greece special circumstances. Expected and reasonable, but quite a game changer for her.

Merkel used to argue for consistency but she is more of "the do as I say not as a do" kind, it seems. Ie a politician like most.

Her well promoted axioms have fallen flat on their faces in the face of EU and Euro reality and now she has to abandon them, in a hurry! 

Or not?

On the third Obama-Romney debate

So Obama won the foreign policy debate.

But how many undecided American voters really care about US foreign policy?

Just asking!

My take on Obama

My take on Obama:

1) His election to the Presidency was a milestone in US history.

2) But the dynamics of the US 4 years ago (including GOP+Tea+Fox) were more in need of a running game under heavy rain rather than a passing game (to borrow a US football analogy) and thus called more for a Hillary type of President. Think for example ofthe watering down of Obamacare due to Obama's efforts to bring GOP in, to no avail.

3) Overall, his presidency is maybe a victim of expectations maybe too high by his electorate.

4) Mitt Romney and his ideology and policy views, or any other less "moderate" republican (is there such a thing) do not deserve the presidency. Especially with someone like Paul Ryan, and his ideology/policy views, as VP. Only a really moderate GOP would, a GOP that is unlikely to emerge any time soon, alas.

That's why Obama still in the running, in spite of high unemployment. And why Mitt is still in the running too, in spite of being, well, Mitt!

5) Thus: Between Mitt (esp plus Ryan) and Obama, the choice is, clearly; Obama. In any case, not Romney.

The West in 2012 and Ancient Athenian culture

The we pay therefore our views count more than others' is emblematic of a departure from the roots of Western World philosophy.

Which begs the question(s):

How far and since when has The West departed from the roots of Ancient Athenian culture?

Since Rome?

Or has The West become like Athens post 5th century BC, ie in 4th century BC?

On the British EU debate (and on Germany)

In the Telegraph today, Ambrose Evans-Pritchard writes that: "Britain has left the European Union in all but name". Worth a good read.

Here is my take on the subject:

1) Are these self-fulfilling prophecies promoted as fact? But if it happens, it's a great opportunity for a continental EU member to become an English speaking hub of Europe.

2) But is the UK indeed on its way out of the EU? The UK's main philosophical objection to the EU is: Too many laws = no laws. But is the UK that different? The UK's real main problem imo it that it is (still) used to making its own rules/laws and applying them on others too. A trait Germany has picked up, too, in recent years. Both suffer imo from lack of confidence in using logic and western world style syllogistical argumentation to convince others re their POV (point of view).

That absence of syllogistical/argumentation style is imo reflected in the comments by some with respect to the style and content not only of the UK EU debate but also the Scottish UK debate.

3) Imo, British voters need to be asked if the EU27 is a place they feel part of (in many ways) or not.

If they would rather work/live/do business etc in/with the USA, Canada, Australia+NZ instead of Paris, Berlin, Madrid, Amsterdam, etc, then imo, the,UK should leave the EU. It is in effect a psychological, philosophical and strategic question, not a matter of static numbers, eg how many Brits live in the rest of the EU or how many non-British EU citizens live and work in the UK. That line of thinking misses imo the dynamic issue and the essence of the debate.

Time the UK elites stop badmouthing the EU if ...

Reality check: Merkel et al finally realised it was time they stopped badmouthing Greece to the German people. Time the UK elites stop doing the same with the EU/Brussels to the UK voters, if they realise this:

With a Euro in crisis, the UK may be able to market itself on its own merits to world investors (as opposed to as a gate to the EU Single Market until now) but, if the EU/Europlus pull off some kind of political union step forward, then where will that leave a non-EU UK in the world investors' map?

Those who sow wind, reap storms. Merkel realised that. Cameron and Hague know it too. But do they have the long term interest of the UK at heart to try and possibly pay the price of telling the British people the truth re "Europe"? Or maybe they do not have confidence in their ability to influence UK media and public opinion the way Merkel?

More analysis on this topic and strategic implications available upon request.

European myths and real fears: Time to face the truth

Applying logic consistently can lead to some very hardcore argumentation in European Affairs. Especially when coupled with humanism.

Here we go (based on thoughts originally posted via my Twitter account, today):

Xenophobia and "paymasterism" are evidence of insecurity due to policy failures by mostly national policy-makers.

E.g. Angela Merkel and Co. blamed Greeks and other South Europeans to cover up for her own policy failures in 2005-2012. Except for very recently.

Plus,  the EU has always been used by national politicians as a scapegoat for their failures but not their successes.

So who should be in more fear of losing their jobs and who should lose them? People or policy makers. Desperate policy makers produce even more desperate policies. Not to mention desperate (for ratings hence ad revenue) media.

So, for voters, focusing at national and local level is in a way a natural reaction, whereas the wise reaction is to focus at Euro, EU level and beyond.

Instead of helping the man/woman in streets feel a tad of stability via their policies, policy makers have been doing the opposite.

Note also that 2 months of somewhat positive propaganda by Merkel and friends re Greece seems (see polls in Germany) to have managed to partly counter 2+ years of negative propaganda. Is that scary or good? Or both?

That is the real state of the EU in 2012. It is time we start discussing those things, not only the agenda the mainstream traditional media and social media set.

Example:

People in NW and North Europe are panicking and blaming foreigners because, imho, they know their national exceptionalisms are a hot air result of propaganda - narratives. They are in real fear. Because they feel/know that their economies are way more un-competitive and cruel than anyone would admit. They are scared of losing their accumulated privileges and fear more than South Europeans, because they know their societies are more cruel than in South Europe.

Yes what I am proposing, after roaming around the UK, Belgium and the Netherlands (NL) in the past 5 weeks and lots of talking with people from all walks of life, observing systemics and dynamics and lots of thinking, is that the real reason Dutch, Finns, Germans, Belgians, Brits are reacting the way they are is: they are scared. Even more scared than South Europeans.

Take a good look for example at the "streets" of any UK, NL or Belgian city. People are "bowling alone" (much more than Greeks or Spaniard are "bowling alone") and they know it.

That is I propose the main way to interpret eg the local results in Antwerp.

So whereas Greece, Spain, Portugal, Italy need real policies badly, the NL, Belgium, the UK, Germany, Finland need real policies even more badly. And more humanism (and that is a matter/task for society and thought/opinion leaders, not policy makers per se).

On the other hand, imo what Greeks and Spaniards should really worry about is not labour market reforms but of having lost part of their traditional humanism. Because once that is lost, no laws or rules can after all restore that. And liberalism needs humanism in order to work. Every system does, but liberalism (in the European not US sense of the term) does even more (that is of course why Romney and Ryan should not win the elections in the US, the country where the term "bowling alone" was invented).

The Greek and Spanish labour markets are already a "Kaiadas" (see Ancient Sparta) even without labour market reforms, so what worse can reforms do than admit that reality?

Plus Greeks, Spaniards, Portuguese, Italians should look at their national and local "champions" and elites and ask them: What have you done for me lately? In a way they are. In a way.

Being pro-EU doesn't mean being pro European Commission, pro EU Council, etc. It means being pro the common interests of 500,000,000. Because in the world systemics and dynamics of the epoch, mainly at continental and world level can effective solutions be formulated and implemented. But with a systems analysis approach that looks at the forest and at the trees at the same time. These are indeed testing times for policy makers.

The European media and social media should not focus on the symptoms (they do make for good copy, true) but at the diseases. I know it's hard.

Even more analysis on this complex topic and implications for policy makers, the civil society and economic operators at EU, Euro, national and local levels, is available upon request.

The paymasters of democracy and one person, one vote

The "we are the paymasters" so our opinions carry (more) weight because of that is being used by some member states of the EU.

But consider possible logical extensions of this rationale:

Does that mean wealthy citizens of a country can "spin off" from it? Or ask for more votes per person?   In other words, that people should have number of votes in proportion to their (declared) income?

Of course not, imho.

But watch for some politician, at national or local level, in Europe making that argumentation. And when you do, think of this post.

I already read somewhere that in some country, they say, there is a thought to give minors (children) voting rights, via their parents of course (the parents would be the ones to vote on their behalf). If that is so, then is that not a Trojan Horse for the one person, one vote core idea of democracy (recall of course than in the US, it is he/she who gets the most electors who wins the Presidency, not the one who gets most votes at national (federal) level - and most member states have decided long ago (each on its own, they have that right) to give all their electors to the winner of the state's vote).

More analysis of the topic and policy and business implications available upon special request.

A new EU industrial policy? Can the EU be re-industrialised?

I read on Twitter yesterday that the Cyrpus presidency of the Council of the EU, is focusing on a new EU industrial policy.

These are some of my thoughts on the subject (fuller analysis available upon special request):

New EU industrial policy? Horizontal (Bangemann) or sectoral? Inside or outside the WTO?

The EU cannot be re-industrialised w/o a different trade policy and/or w/o radical EU integration into a single force. The rest is wishful thinking, imo.

The EU2020 "strategy" was naive to begin with plus was undermined by austerity (see cuts and/or privatisation of education in many member states (eg UK, Spain, Greece, etc) and cuts in R&D spending due to austerity).

Who will be the EU's "Romans"?

Judging by some of the arguments being used around the EU27 and the Euro17 today the EU could wind up with city-states or 500,000,000 states of one!

While the best interest of the 500,000,000 imo is ONE country of 500,000,000. (1/14th of world population) able to stand tall next to China (1,300,000,000), India (1,200,000,000) and USA (310,000,000).

Or maybe Europe has "too much" history while not enough wisdom to survive as anything and soon may be taken over (become economic or other subsidiary or cantons) by others! 

Ancient Greece did not have the wisdom to unite into a political union. And paid the price. Does Europe have to wisdom to avoid same price?

Ancient Athens was acting like a primadona (in the Delos Alliance, Sparta left early). Then Sparta beat Athens and acted like an even bigger primadona-bully to the other Greek city-states. Then Thebes eliminated Sparta as a power. Then Macedonia took the lead (reminds one of the EU, with Germany, UK, France playing corresponding parts).

Then came the Romans and engulfed all Greek city states under the Roman Empire. Then others. Greece became a country 180 years ago. So: Who will be the EU's "Romans"? The Russians? China? America? All three? Someone else?

Oh Europe, wake up and see what is going on in the world!

More analysis of the above topic available to clients and close friends

More on separatist dynamics in Europe - a case inside Barcelona!

To some extent it's natural that paymasters at national (eg Flanders in Belgium) and local (eg Sarrià, part of Barcelona) level are sort of echoing the EU/Euro rationales of GER, NL and FIN. The EU's and Eurozone's bailouts' "paymasters" have opened Pandora's Box!

Example: Read from 20minutos.es the news story  'Sarrià is not Barcelona': la misiva de vecinos del barrio rico de la Ciudad Condal.  By analogy, in this case, Barcelona is rhe EU/Eurozone and Sarrià, part of Barcelona, is     Germany or maybe NL or Finland!

This post is a follow-up to my post Is more Europe the answer to separatist dynamics in Flanders, Catalonia, Scotland?

More analysis of this topic is available to clients and close friends.

Europe's social volcano: NW Europe compared to Athens

Until when are NW Europeans going to continue living their lives in quiet desperation? Policies must alleviate pressures now! Imho that is.

Greeks and Spaniards are more extrovert, but if an already active social volcano erupts in NW Europe, I am afraid that Athens will seem a paradise by comparison.


Europe: In the old days there was America and its Ellis Island. In 2012, Mars? This time Europe must solve its problems w/o emigration to America, America or (intra-European or another Europe caused World) war.

PS. To what extent has war been replaced by trade and finance? Food for thought.

More analysis on this topic and implications for policy are available upon request. Contact me.

Is more Europe the answer to separatist dynamics in Flanders, Catalonia, Scotland?

I believe so.

European unification imo partly alleviated separatism pressures.

Lack of it fosters them, More Europe is the answer.

My take is that many of these separatism pressures/dynamics (must read: a very thought provoking analysis on current separatist dynamics in the EU, "Separatism is in the air as EU leaders prepare to meet in Brussels" today by Stephanie Gruner Buckley in qz.com) are due to lack of concrete unification progress at Euro/EU level.

Applying a systemics and dynamics approach, one could go as far as to speculate that, in a way, if Europe does not unite better, the next equilibrium in many cases may be not the national but the local almost city state level!

In any case, Europe's systemics are not working, at various levels (EU, Euro, national, etc). They need systems analysis fast!

PS. That inter alia means that national champions and elites that are fighting against European integration may soon find their status threatened by local ones. They have to consider joining the EU-wide competition even if that means more competition than they are used to, or decide how to compete with the local champions and forces. Food for thought.

PS2. The European Commission was imo right to "duck" questions on separatism in EU states today. It is not in its "competences" to have a view on the topic.

More analysis and strategic options (policy, business, etc) in  dealing with this dynamic, are available upon request.

On the competitive advantages of countries (and USPs)

Athens has never had a Manhattan (like NYC) and imo it never should.

Or a City (like London).

The solution is for those who want a City to move to London and for those who want Acropolis, Greek, islands, and a different way of life to stay or move to Greece. Especially true in an EU context, since intra-EU freedom of relocation is high (not perfect or as high as within the USA, but high). That same rationale could apply globally if global freedom of relocation of persons was anywhere near a descent level, but it is not (the WTO and capital freedoms are not enough, humans' freedom is the key premise in my rationale here, because humans are the basis for all econ/fin, biz and other dimensions, w/o humans what the point of economics, biz etc, not a Caprica (see US TV series)).

Trying to import US, UK, German and other models to Greece and other PIGS (and vice-versa) is wrong Strategy (and wrong philosophy).

One does not give up one's USP (unique selling proposition) to try to copy another's. In spite what many think re the success of copycat products in recent years (aka survival of the cheapest).

For example, US and other foreign educated Greeks (and tdes me) have the challenge to develop suitable original models for Greece not try to copy or transpose other models or patches of the UK, US, German, Dutch etc models.

My scepticism includes study of best practices, not in principle, but in practice. Imo, at best, best practices should be examined as a mere part of a brainstorming process, not as an excuse to shortcut original (and systemic) thinking in models of competitiveness.

Those who live by exports ....

Funny how heavily export dependent economies, emerging (China et al) and mature (eg GER) are being hit by the recession in their export markets

Debunks the myth of export exceptionalism. And points out the value of consumption rich economies (USA and many in the Eurozone).

In other words, where are the US, Spain, Greece, France, UK, Italy consumers when you need them, Germany, China et al? Austerised.

Let's face it, it's the US and many Eurozone consumers that make/made the world economy/trade go round!

When capitalism goes on auto pilot

The self fulfilling nature of ratings shows what happens when capitalism goes on auto pilot!

Tolerating vs embracing Diversity

The key is not to tolerate diversity.

The key is to embrace it and treat it as an asset.

How many countries or societies do that, though?

What do the liberals and the Leninists have in common?

What do the liberals and the Leninists have in common, in iterms of ideology?

Their distaste for private monopolies & cartels. But whereas liberals think that they can be avoided via competition, anti-monopoly and antitrust legislation, Leninists prefer the state ownership model, for monopolies and business in general!

Employability and (geo) mobility

The key to 2012 employability in Europe is geo-mobility but regional, national and EU admins do not foster that. On the contrary!

Re Brain Drains

Some countries should not worry about a "brain drain" since their econ/work models do not employ brain intensive competitiveness.