Unemployment Rates Soar in Germany and France

The New York Sun | 4/2/05 | moose2004

[clyde asbury]

Now if we could just get our military to move their bases to Poland.

Poland, Indiana

[Red6]

Something you don't see in the news but is a FACT.

NEVER were there so many US built cars in Germany!

Why? You can get a US built Chrysler 300 comparable to a Mercedes at 500 Euro less. Despite the fact that the Chrysler has 20 more HP, leather and a better warranty the car is 500 Euro less.

Something interesting is developing right now. US cars are being imported to Germany. It takes time. Big ships turn slow. But the low dollar will have an impact. Wait until next year if the dollar stays this low!

Go to a Mercedes car dealer in Germany and many will have a whole fleet of Chrysler cars and mini vans today. Many argued, and after the dollar dropped within a week the media and some said “look look it’s not making a difference”. Just wait :)

You're absolutely right.

Eventually they will even jack up the prices in the US for their products. Have you seen the profit margins for German car makers in the US? Not good. They are cutting into profits to not loose market share in order to offset the exchange rates.

Red6

[Natural Law]

The French numbers are understated because those over 55 are considered retired.

[ran15]

"They're too intellectual, arrogant, spiteful of us and know better despite ALL indicators, historic evidence, contemporary "credible" economic theory. I truly believe they will ride this into the ground! The Germans are stoic and stubborn. A bad combination when you’re wrong about something." Thats the tough part, at this poitn they'd have to swallow their pride to really turn it around. I believe there is a younger generation of European businessmen coming up who have the answers, but its another story of how they will get into power. The EU was a bad example though.. look it was going to make a United States of Europe. The free movement of capital, people and information across the union. So you would take advantage of competitiveness in each area, and pool resources where neccessary. But then they had to attach on subsidies and protections for their most favored industries.. then the disaster the 500 page EU constitution. When you think about 3 of the areas rising up in the world. China, India and the new Europe including Russia. At minimum China and the FSU had to absolutely crash and burn before they turned things around.

[KevinDavis]

So basically dumb dumb jobs....

[freedomfiter2]

To overcome the lack of population growth their system is heavily favored towards children with very very significant benefits in services and cash.

There is nothing racially biased here. The Germans refuse to be responsible and reproduce. If the point was reached where there were enough children being born the benefits would be reduced. I figure people are capable of determining if they are worth perpetuating. Social groups who eschew children are generally correct.

[Balding_Eagle]

I used to work for a German company. The owner of the company once told me that if Germany calculated their unemployment rate the same way the U.S. does, the German rate would be 3% higher than what they report...

They can report it any way they want to, the effect on the economy is the same whether they call it 12% or 15%.

All in all, I'm enjoying this immensely.

[Balding_Eagle]

Your analysis is correct.

That said, I personally can't do anything about the situation, and so I'm going to continue enjoying their pain. Will their pain put an end to their snooty atitude? It probably will only make it worse. I'll enjoy that even more.

The part I won't enjoy is when we have to save their stupid asses again. That seems inevitable. I just hope we have a President who governs by even more conservative principles than GWB.

[BurbankKarl]

Only the Mercedes-Benz M-Class is made in the United States. The problem with them has been their quality as of late. Just recalled. 1.3 million Mercedes-Benzes...which is a lot since they are a low volume producer.

>>For the most part the BMW's and Mercedes that are sold in the US are made here. BMW in Greenville, SC and Mercedes in Alabama. We still import a few, but with the Euro trading so high against the dollar nobody would buy them.

[DustyMoment]

Thanks for the lecture, Red, but I am very familiar with German attitudes. Despite the snotty arrogance that my family and I endured from them when we lived there, I tried to like the Germans and many things German.

They are the authors of their current economic woes and they have stood before us and judged us as an inferior race. I thank them for their wisdom and insight and hope to see their arrogance and crappy leadership take them even deeper in the economic dumper.

[moose2004]

Excellent analysis, thanks for the contribution.

[HOW GOES IT]

I just finished watching C-SPAN 2 at this very moment of an open discussion between Chirac and young adults from France that took place on 4/14/05. Chirac said that unemployment is closer to 20% in his country at the present time. The left regulates & taxes everything out of existence, and they still can't figure it out. The liberals in the U.S. think that Europe is just oh so lovely, and then I hear the President of France himself cough up the 20% unemployment number. This morning on C-SPAN I watched the head of the National Education Association talk about how badly they needed more money and yet almost in the same breath talk about how great things were when he and his cronies were criticized. I see countries like India and China pumping out engineers by the boat load. It's getting to the point that I can't find competent help for even $20 per hour and I am talking about simple maintenance on buildings - painting, etc. - everyone wants it handed to them on a platter. Here in the U.S. we are dumbing down. Time to kick the NEA, ACLU, and the LIBERALS out of their seats of influence and get back to the basics. Impeach the judges that are legislating and looking to Europe and elsewhere to base their opinions on, defend the constitution - it isn't a living thing that changes daily. And, the American people should have enough brains to tell the legislators that an infinite amount of laws is not the answer.

[moose2004]

Thank you for the reply, I agree with you completely.