The Germans are once again the 'schmucks' of Europe...

[statman]

At least that's how this article translated the headline today from 'Bild'.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worl...ut-swells.html


Probably better translated as 'village idiots' than "schmucks'

The Germans are currently as pissed as I've ever seen them. I just wonder what they (and French and the Brits, etc) are going to do when the Greeks don't follow through on their commitments (they won't).

Why would anyone actually think that you could tie countries together with a single currency, and not a single government holding the keys to spending? About five minutes of clear thinking is all it would've taken to shot that idea down...

God bless Europe! You're going to need all the help you can get...

[Colly Wolly]

They gave the world democracy, and they expect the European Union to support them.

[wuapinmon]

]


Probably better translated as 'village idiots' than "schmucks'

..

Schmuck is a vulgar Yiddish word for penis.

[Slim]

Schmuck is a vulgar Yiddish word for penis.

Like schmekel? Adam Sandler taught me that one.

[falafel]

Like schmekel? Adam Sandler taught me that one.

I learned that one from While You Were Sleeping.

[il Padrino Ute]

I learned that one from While You Were Sleeping.

You now are required to surrender your man card for a minimum of 6 weeks.

[falafel]

You now are required to surrender your man card for a minimum of 6 weeks.

Hey, that's a great movie! I am not ashamed.

[il Padrino Ute]

Hey, that's a great movie! I am not ashamed.

6 more weeks for contempt.

[statman]

Schmuck is a vulgar Yiddish word for penis.

It's the German word for "jewelry" - which is where the Yiddish comes from...

[ewth8tr]

[nomedia="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cYZ06cA2e0o"]YouTube- NOFX - Insulted By Germans (Again)[/nomedia]

[statman]

"Depp" ("Deppen" - plural) is the word the brit paper translated as "Schmucks."

In German, a "Depp" is someone who is a relatively harmless idiot. Not ill-intentioned or malicious or trying to be a pain in the ass, just someone who is simply stupid.

It's not a particularly malicious as an insult either. Probably the worst way to use it is introspectively - "Ich bin so ein Depp!" ("I'm such a dope!") - when a person realizes that he's been clueless all along and taken advantage of. Like the German paper used it. Admitting that you're stupid is a pretty big thing in Germany...

I'll stick with "village idiots," but "dopes" would've worked too.

[Moliere]

At least that's how this article translated the headline today from 'Bild'.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worl...ut-swells.html


Probably better translated as 'village idiots' than "schmucks'

The Germans are currently as pissed as I've ever seen them. I just wonder what they (and French and the Brits, etc) are going to do when the Greeks don't follow through on their commitments (they won't).

Why would anyone actually think that you could tie countries together with a single currency, and not a single government holding the keys to spending? About five minutes of clear thinking is all it would've taken to shot that idea down...

God bless Europe! You're going to need all the help you can get...

If I were Germany I would just take the bailout money and give it to my own banks to cover their losses on the pending Greek default. Then I would lobby hard to have Greece kicked out of the EU.

I'm no expert on the EU, but I do think there are certain measures a country has to maintain to stay in the EU and I thought a reasonable debt/GDP ratio was one of those measures. Obviously these measures were put in place to avoid one country going bankrupt and disrupting the entire union. If Greece can't keep that commitment then kick them out. Kicking them out would be beneficial for both sides as Germany can bail out their own banks, which would be easier to swallow rather than giving the money to Greece. Greece can then go back to its own currency, go through a period of inflation to devalue that currency, and then continue to provide its high level of social welfare without impacting the EU. Granted Greece's devaluation will eventual either lead them to change course or lead them into immense poverty but at least the decision will be in their hands on what to do about it.

The only thing (in my opinion) really driving this bailout is the fear of uncertainty. People hate uncertainty and so the Greek debt crisis caused problems. I wish though, for once, that we just let some country or company fail so that we can see that the world is bigger than one entity. It would also instill more discipline in governments in how they handle social programs. Failing in life is usually a turning point that leads to great success.

[byu71]

I wish though, for once, that we just let some country or company fail so that we can see that the world is bigger than one entity. It would also instill more discipline in governments in how they handle social programs. Failing in life is usually a turning point that leads to great success.

I agree with you. I wish there was some way of seeing if another direction was taken, what really would have happened. For instance the bail out and the stimulous package. If neither of those had passed, would the US economy now be in worse or better shape.

Maybe worse in the short term and the harm would have crippled us economically for a long time.

Maybe worse, but we recover and are stronger for the long term. Economists and politicians can debate this, but we just don't know.

[Uncle Ted]

It might be time to pick up that Greek island you always wanted...

Greece is preparing to sell off billions of dollars worth of state assets including airports, highways and state-owned companies, as well as banks, real estate and gaming licenses, to meet international lenders' demands that it raise funds.

European finance ministers said Sunday that they were on track to give Greece a second huge bailout to keep the government afloat, but reiterated that Athens had to take tough measures to get it.

Greece has to raise 50 billion euros ($71 billion) through privatization by 2015, Eurogroup members said.

It seems that Greece will be learning some hard lessons about debt.

[oxcoug]

They gave the world democracy, and they expect the European Union to support them.

I always enjoy it when modern Greeks try to lay claim to the democracy thing. There's little continuity between 4th c. BC and Athens and anything in the modern Greek experiment, other than that it occupies the same bits of land and some carryover in language.