France, The U.N. and the attempt to

[Reverend Scott]

So... I saw on CNN and Fox News today that France and the U.N. are trying to force America to change currencies.
I am always disgusted and amused whenever France attempts to make the United States do Anything.
Last time I checked my history books, the French were speaking German twice in the last hundred years. The right of the French to even exist as a nation was bought with the blood of hundreds of thousands of Americans.
( Yes- I went to Yorktown last year- and I am aware of the contributions of a few thousand French to the American cause in 1781. I beleieve we had MORE than payed them back for that in 1918.)
The audacity of such a small, weak and insignificant nation which owes it's existence to us is appalling.
Perhaps if they hadn't embraced socialism/communism they would have a stronger economy which could actually compete with America in a free market economy.
I'm just disgusted and amused that France presumes to tell the U.S. Anything-lmao.

[Scar Face]

Oh be quiet about your rants on the French. The real important fact is that the world is abandoning the American dollar as the reserve currency, and the eventual effects of this.

[Garrigan]

Bloody hell! The germans captured all of France in the first world war!?

EDIT: I think a lot of Europe is probably regretting we allowed the Americans to help in the world wars. Sure, the Nazi's were bad, but at least good old german efficieny meant they got things done. Anything to stop Americans going on about how they won the world wars single-handedly.

[Ishoss]

Bloody hell! The germans captured all of France in the first world war!?

EDIT: I think a lot of Europe is probably regretting we allowed the Americans to help in the world wars. Sure, the Nazi's were bad, but at least good old german efficieny meant they got things done. Anything to stop Americans going on about how they won the world wars single-handedly.

If all Americans were like that guy, I'd much rather live under stalinism.

[Zephyrus]

If all Americans were like that guy, I'd much rather live under stalinism.

Damn...

[IrishHitman]

So... I saw on CNN and Fox News today that France and the U.N. are trying to force America to change currencies.
I am always disgusted and amused whenever France attempts to make the United States do Anything.
Last time I checked my history books, the French were speaking German twice in the last hundred years. The right of the French to even exist as a nation was bought with the blood of hundreds of thousands of Americans.
( Yes- I went to Yorktown last year- and I am aware of the contributions of a few thousand French to the American cause in 1781. I beleieve we had MORE than payed them back for that in 1918.)
The audacity of such a small, weak and insignificant nation which owes it's existence to us is appalling.
Perhaps if they hadn't embraced socialism/communism they would have a stronger economy which could actually compete with America in a free market economy.
I'm just disgusted and amused that France presumes to tell the U.S. Anything-lmao.

Are you some sort of lunatic?

I am compelled to remind you that the United States owes France its existence as well. The French bankrupted themselves to allow the US to exist as a state. The dollar was built on French gold, don't you Yanks forget that.

The debt is paid, neither country owes anything.

Furthermore, France never spoke German over the past 100 years...
France does compete with the US economically.....

A common currency is hardly a bad idea, you've been watching too much crap news networking. The French aren't "ordering" you to do anything, they're proposing an economic policy.

I think a lot of Europe is probably regretting we allowed the Americans to help in the world wars. Sure, the Nazi's were bad, but at least good old german efficieny meant they got things done. Anything to stop Americans going on about how they won the world wars single-handedly.

American casualties were extremely small in both wars...
They let everyone else do the grunt work in Europe, then claimed that they were responsible for the victory alone......

[ShADoW]

America dint perform well in WW1, they joined the war during the final years and somehow got quite a bit of casualties. Heck the Canadians did better. Also, France bordered 3 enemies during the war (the first one) with Italy, Austria-Hungary and Italy they did the best they could. WWII was a disaster for France as they dint recover from the previous one that fast.

[Scar Face]

America dint perform well in WW1, they joined the war during the final years and somehow got quite a bit of casualties. Heck the Canadians did better. Also, France bordered 3 enemies during the war (the first one) with Italy, Austria-Hungary and Italy they did the best they could. WWII was a disaster for France as they dint recover from the previous one that fast.

Of course Canada did better. We were stormtroopers, we were the most skilled solders in the entire war. America's involvement was totally worthless, the war was won already. Thats why Germany launched a 100 day offensive into France before America arrived, hoping to win the war before the inevitable- throwing everything they had at the French/British etc, hoping they would break. When they didn't break- with America's help or not- they were finished. America just made it quicker.

[ShADoW]

Of course Canada did better. We were stormtroopers, we were the most skilled solders in the entire war. America's involvement was totally worthless, the war was won already. Thats why Germany launched a 100 day offensive into France before America arrived, hoping to win the war before the inevitable- throwing everything they had at the French/British etc, hoping they would break. When they didn't break- with America's help or not- they were finished. America just made it quicker.

Yes, basically what i ment but in more depth lol The German perception of us changed completely after Vimy and we got the name Stormtroopers. Thanks to some good planners and general we had a different approach to fight the trench system.

[GuineaPig]

Of course Canada did better. We were stormtroopers, we were the most skilled solders in the entire war. America's involvement was totally worthless, the war was won already. Thats why Germany launched a 100 day offensive into France before America arrived, hoping to win the war before the inevitable- throwing everything they had at the French/British etc, hoping they would break. When they didn't break- with America's help or not- they were finished. America just made it quicker.

It's not a coincidence either that the last 100 days of the war are called "Canada's 100 Days", because the 4 Canadian divisions defeated 47 German ones, more than the entire American force did in the same span. If the war had dragged on into 1919, George would've even made Currie commander of the BEF.

[DimondLight]

American casualties were extremely small in both wars...
They let everyone else do the grunt work in Europe, then claimed that they were responsible for the victory alone......

Yes, because of course they had an obligation to send millions of men to die in Europe.

Anyway, a world currency isn't really that bad of an idea.

[Spinoza]

The whole idea of one country owing another country "respect" is quite ridiculous in my opinion. I respect the Americans who helped to relieve us from the Germans, but those Americans aren't here any more. I hugely respect those men, not their sons or grandsons.

I respect people because of their deeds, not because of their nationality. It'd be discrimination if I would, right? :p

Countries are not like human persons with feelings. That's just some over-nationalistic illusion. Countries "paying each other back" is just as ridiculous.

[MKT-Smokescreen]

Countries are not like human persons with feelings. That's just some over-nationalistic illusion. Countries "paying each other back" is just as ridiculous.

The point I was trying to make is that.
But i got caught up in arguing specifics against what the OP had said

You don't know what your talking about. The problems were experiencing aren't due to capitalism, but because of a poor monetary system by the American Government [inflationary practices], poor regulation for its financial institutions

Let me paraphrase that: The problem is not with capitalism, but rather with capital.
I don't mean to sound as left-wing as I do, but you simply cannot place all blame on the government and then say that the free market knows best.
If the free market had indeed known best than surely, surely at least one business would have turned around in their almighty wisdom and realised that the government had made mistakes.
No, what you will find is that mistakes were being made in both the public and the private sectors.

If you actually had any knowledge on the subject, you would realize the entire world is in trouble.

I am well aware that the USA is not the only nation effected. That would be evidenced by my use of the words "banks the world over"

The problem is a global one indeed, bankers around the world all made mistakes. Either through lending money that didn't exist, or not blowing the whistle on the ridiculously disproportionate and unsustainable money lending that was going on.
The reason that I seemed to place most blame on American capitalism is because of the Dollar's supremacy. Because the American Dollar is such a widely used reserve currency amongst bankers, when the American economy collapsed because (due to spiralling inflation rates and house prices among other things) the banks stopped lending, it had a knock-on effect to a much greater degree than the economic collapses of other nations might have.
Because every other nation had banks that were just as bad, they weren't able to cope with the massive stroke to the world economy that came with the American Dollar slowly weakening over the year preceding the economic meltdown, along with the increase in house prices in the US and its effect on the US economy at large among other things, and the subsequent economic collapse that occurred.

but because the same bubble's and cyclical Government and consumer based debt exists around the world. Specifically in Europe. As for Socialistic policies, these are going to be torn to shreds by the depression coming.

Consumer debt is nothing, nothing compared to the debt built up by banks.
For every £1 that a bank gets given, it lends £9 in its place. Whilst this made every banker rich, it also created a massive hidden deficit in the economy at large.
Basically, the system of lending £9 for every £1 only works if every bank keeps on lending indefinitely. Due to other problems, the banks stopped ledning; any consumer debt is but a rancid cherry on a giant cake made of excrement.

Specifically in Europe. As for Socialistic policies, these are going to be torn to shreds by the depression coming. Currencies are going to collapse and the only safety they will find is in the Gold standard, limiting the size of their government.

Socialist policies will not be torn to shreds.
Due to the fact that European nations are democratic and that most people want socialist policies (note: that does not equate to socialism) socialist policies will stay.
European states aren't socialist anyway. They have socialist policies, particularly on healthcare and housing yes, but full-blown socialism is something that will never be palatable to everyone in Europe.
The politics of most European nations is fairly moderate and central, with their social policies being (generally) more left-wing, and their economic policies being (generally) more right-wing.

Currencies do not need to go on the Gold Standard. That plan is ridiculous.
The majoritiy of currencies used to be on the Gold Standard but it was abandoned over a hundred years ago because it didn't actually stabilise the economy at all. It's more likely to devalue Gold than it is to increase the value of currency.

Limiting the size of government will help European states?
Do you not realise the irony of you complaining left-wing European states, claiming that they should be more anarchic.

You do realise that nothing is more left-wing than a minimal government because that's bordering on Anarchy?

It will have to be done, or else the demographic time bomb of retiree's and exploding health care costs, as well as a myriad of other things, will force your countries to endless collapse.

Actually, if you paid for the costs of the NHS of the United Kingdom of Great Britain for all the years that it's been running combined, you'll probably find that it won't come close to the cost of the current economic meltdown caused by a wild free market.
Whilst I believe that true socialism is not a preferable system, this shows that the free market capitalist model is flawed, and needs improvement. We should not ignore that because we like being capitalist.

In short, these problems are not problems of Capitalism, but irresponsibility and interference by Governments. It's the exact opposite.

You're correct in saying that governments have been irresponsible, but if government alone is to blame, then explain to me these points:

• When did any government instruct banks to lend irresponsibly, which is the main cause of problems for the majority nations effected by the current global economic crisis?
• When did an government instruct American banks to give extortionately-rated mortgages to individuals who couldn't afford them?
• If the freemarket economy is so secure from failure, why didn't they warn the government or the public that the way things were headed was not good?

[Zephyrus]

The whole idea of one country owing another country "respect" is quite ridiculous in my opinion. I respect the Americans who helped to relieve us from the Germans, but those Americans aren't here any more. I hugely respect those men, not their sons or grandsons.

I respect people because of their deeds, not because of their nationality. It'd be discrimination if I would, right? :p

Countries are not like human persons with feelings. That's just some over-nationalistic illusion. Countries "paying each other back" is just as ridiculous.

Hate on americans much?

[ShADoW]

Nah he dint mean it that way.

[Romanman]

So... I saw on CNN and Fox News today that France and the U.N. are trying to force America to change currencies.
I am always disgusted and amused whenever France attempts to make the United States do Anything.
Last time I checked my history books, the French were speaking German twice in the last hundred years. The right of the French to even exist as a nation was bought with the blood of hundreds of thousands of Americans.
( Yes- I went to Yorktown last year- and I am aware of the contributions of a few thousand French to the American cause in 1781. I beleieve we had MORE than payed them back for that in 1918.)
The audacity of such a small, weak and insignificant nation which owes it's existence to us is appalling.
Perhaps if they hadn't embraced socialism/communism they would have a stronger economy which could actually compete with America in a free market economy.
I'm just disgusted and amused that France presumes to tell the U.S. Anything-lmao.

oh please don't be that guy, i really loath people who make americans look ingorant. Yes we americans in my belief are why both world wars were won by the "good guys". However i respect every french and english soldier who allowed us to do it. I don't expect France or England or any other country to grovel at our feet however I do expect them respect to respect us as a nation and people. However France is clearly not giving us respect when they expect us to change curriencies after one economic crisis in 70 years.

[Thorn777]

So all the rants aside, what is France and the EU on about exactly???

EDIT: UN not EU, sorry, but still???

[Garrigan]

I have no idea. He appears to have forgotten to give us any details of this "Outrage".

[Viking Prince]

If there is to be a discussion on current events, it is helpful to have a source. The "heard on...." is not a source. If you cannot find a web site at the moment, you probably did not hear it correctly. CNN, FOX, BBC are all mum on this.

The topic appears to also lack understanding as to what a currency is supposed to do and why central banks issue differant currencies. You do realize that a central bank can only set an interest rate on debt because the currency has an exchange rate with other currencies. The same with liquidity changes by buying and selling debt by in the USA's case the Federal Reserve System.

A global currency is silly talk by people who do not understand the real world.

[Garrigan]

Well you know what they say, the only global currency is misunderstanding.