Ireland and the EU

"Why did the eurozone governments pressure Ireland to ask for the bailout?"

Economic analysis from the Austrian School of Economics regarding the current economic climate in the EU and in particular the treatment of Ireland's economic problems.

http://mises.org/daily/4876

EU Unemployment Rates

Infograph charting the unemployment rates across Europe, which have risen from a low of 6.8% in 2008 to 9.7% now. This site also contains a breakdown of unemployment rates by gender and nationality so we can see that Spain is suffering the worst rates in Europe and, in general, women are more likely to be unemployed than men.

http://www.iiea.com/blogosphere/the-eu-unemployment-infographic

Real Change

The governmental changes in Europe and the wide-spread belief that the system is broken, now perhaps real change is not only possible, but absolutely necessary.

http://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/boskin18/English

Monti To The Rescue?

Italy, and indeed Europe, holds its collective breath as Mario Monti takes the increasingly unsteady Italian reins.
http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2011/11/20/can-monti-save-italy-the-trouble-with-technocrats.html

Sharp Shift in the World Order

The slow death of the Euro gives China and the USA the opportunity to call the shots.

http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/finance/ambroseevans-pritchard/100013198/america-and-china-must-crush-germany-into-submission/

An Ever Closer Transfer Union

"The heads of government decided that Greece, Portugal and Ireland would only have to pay approximately 3.5 percent rather than 4.5 percent interest on their emergency loans. At the same time, countries like Italy, Cyprus and Belgium will have to pay much higher interest rates on the money they have borrowed to help bail out these countries. "Taking out expensive loans and extending cheap ones -- that's a clear sign of a transfer union," Fuest says".

The current trend in the economic transfer of resources in Europe is evidence of the evolution of the EU away from a Union of 'Equals' and towards a Transfer Union.

http://www.spiegel.de/international/spiegel/0,1518,777671,00.html

What Next for Europe

The recent and most brutal evidence of a European clash of civilisations which we have recently witnessed in Norway is a new chapter in a worrying trend towards the introduction of the gun into affairs of immigration, integration and social inclusion. Europe has a long history of integrating different cultures into its lands, creating states containing many different ethnic groups and nationalities all living under the banner of Liberal Democracy but this latest attack has highlighted a key issue which Europe as a whole has failed to deal with. The post religious, post nationalist European ideals of what makes a nation-state are extremely vague with borders eroding and religion no longer a unifying factor, what is a Europe? Is there a European identity? Many who hold the view that Europe is white and Christian view the newly arrived non-white, non-Christian immigrants to their country as a major dilution of their sense of cultural identity. What’s worse is the perceived lack of action by certain Liberal governments, who seem content to appease the left wing and Brussels by allowing communities of foreign nationals to grow in their countries.  These actions, and the continued ‘War on Terror’ have stoked the fire of the rhetoric of the European right, whose members need not look too far back in history for their own inspiration, nor need we to see what they are capable of. What next for Europe, can we continue to ignore this problem or is it time to allow ourselves to take pride in having strong, yet inclusive, national identities once more. Or do we, like the USA, attempt to assimilate all by painting a stars and stripes on all new arrivals and making them American. Or do we, as some senior politicians have suggested, close the borders, instigate border controls, re-erect our fortresses and worry about our national identity only when this option has run it’s course? 

The Problems Continue

Is the European Currency saveable?

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/can-europe-rescue-its-single-currency-2299737.html

Eurotech: Lagging Behind?

Why does European technilogical innovation pale in comparison to the American output?

http://www.slate.com/id/2296547/

European Union?

The lack of harmonisation with regards to Europe's collective policy on Libya is clear and prehaps evidence of a bigger problem; the failure to create a clear vision of the role of the European Union in the wider world.

http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/libyan_intervention_exposes_european_disunity_20110524/

Europe At a Crossroads

’Carte drôlatique d’Europe pour 1870'

"The severity of the current European crisis has its origins in the convergence of four centrifugal forces: the rise of xenophobia; the euro crisis; the foreign policy deficit and the lack of leadership"

The demise of Europe?

http://ecfr.eu/content/entry/commentary_five_reasons_why_europe_is_cracking

The Eurozone: Fin?

Excellent debate on the future of the single currency

http://www.zeitgeistminds.com/videos/the-end-of-the-eurozone

The Arab Spring and Western Colonialism

Video of a talk given by Noam Chomsky at a FAIR anniversary celebration

http://readersupportednews.org/off-site-opinion-section/133-133/5928-arab-springs-threat-to-western-colonialism

The Bail-Out Debate rumbles On



Irelands bail-out is proving disasterous for economic development 

 Morgan Kelly's pessimistic/realistic view in the Irish Times on Saturday
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/opinion/2011/0507/1224296372123.html

reaction from John Bruton in disagreement with Kelly

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/opinion/2011/0510/1224296602550.html?via=mr

Irish Democracy?

State of the Nation:

http://www.independent.ie/opinion/columnists/gene-kerrigan/gene-kerrigan-transfer-of-power-now-truly-complete-2607419.html

Europe Sharing the West's Burden?

The end of American Unilateralism?

Recent French and British leadership with regards to the crisis in Libya and the pro-active French stance on the growing civil war in one of it's former colonys, the Ivory Coast, may reveal a turning point in European interventionist policy and reassertion of Europe's role within the world.

The history of European intervention outside of its geographical borders is relatively long and quite well known but European leadership on international affairs subsided post World War II and practically ceased to exist as the Cold War escalated throughout the 1950s and 1960s. At this juncture the burden fell to the USA to export and protect western liberal democracy and the capitalist system, a role it seemed to relish under successive administrations. Under the previous administration however, the policy of unilateral intervention, particularly military intervention, reached an impasse. The American voters woke up to both the financial and actual cost of their governments adventures, with trust in the American way of doing things viewed with suspicion among allies and enemies and a general anger in Europe at America's perceived cultural ignorance, lack of forward thinking and unilateral dismissal of the UN whenever it suited them. 

The current American administration seem to have taken some lessons of the Bush years on board and applied them to it's own foreign policy. In effect what President Obama is doing is allowing limited American intervention in areas that may affect American interests, but stressing the limited nature of the mission and the fact that America will not lead. By doing this Obama is pleasing those who claim that America cannot afford another war, he is keeping the military action 'low-key' so as not to stir up further resentment in the Muslim world for the US and he is ceding a large degree of control and responsibility to the office of the Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton. 

So the pressure fell to a European Union, some of whose member states recent actions in promotion of democracy in the Mediterranean can claim a degree of blame or responsibility for the recent instability along the Sea's southern coastline. With Germany's Chancellor facing a difficult election this year she chose to dither and offer conflicting reasons, Italy cited the refugees they would inevitably be inundated with, France, not for the first time in European history, led the charge, followed swiftly by the UK. Taking this initiative and stressing that this would be a NATO led mission with primary strikes led by Europeans Sarkozy has opened a new chapter in the relationship between Europe and the world, especially it's African neighbours. Is Europe willing to provide another counter balance to China's growing assertion of its sphere's of influence? Is Europe willing to usurp the tainted presence of the American mission in the middle east, particularly with regards to Iran, and try create lasting stability in the region? Or is this merely a muscle flexing exercise by Sarkozy and Cameron, something to appease the voters at home and keep the oil pumping?  

Latest Reactions On Libya



http://www.spiegel.de/fotostrecke/fotostrecke-66041-12.html



German suspicion over motives for attack
http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/0,1518,753126,00.html

Bill O'Reilly's take on American Intervention
http://townhall.com/columnists/billoreilly/2011/03/26/the_triumph_of_evil


Recent Political Patterns may point to a devestating finale
http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/adrian-hamilton/adrian-hamilton-the-end-of-the-world-as-we-know-it-2249983.html#

Poll Shows General Pessimism in Europe

Results of a recent Guardian/ICM European poll.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/datablog/2011/mar/14/europe-poll-icm#zoomed-picture

New EU Guidelines for Financial Assistance

New Eurozone deal laid out by the offices of the Presidents of both the Commision and the Council.

http://www.euronews.net/business-newswires/768759-eu-document-lays-out-options-for-march-euro-zone-deal/

As reported in the Irish Times and the Irish Independent

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2011/0301/breaking34.html

http://eupolitics.einnews.com/news.php?nid=240530

Down the Black Hole of Debt

http://www.financialregulator.ie/press-area/Documents/Information%20Release%20Note%20and%20Table%20Senior%20and%20Sub%20Debt.doc.pdf

ICB reveals that Irish Banks owe 63.4billion euro. Information that would surely have been useful before the government guaranteed a blanket bail-out.

http://businessetc.thejournal.ie/central-bank-reveals-full-extent-of-banks-bond-liabilities-2011-3/