"European small fry are feeling euro pain"

[Storebought]

An article from the IHT on how the sinking dollar (in reality, overpriced euro), is hurting Europe's economy:

http://www.iht.com/articles/2004/12/01/business/euro.html

I said as much in a widely-maligned post a few days ago: An expensive euro hurts European industries because (1) their economies are much more dependent on exports than the US (2) the major destination of their goods and services, besides themselves, is the US (3) the US won't buy expensively made European crap, viz. recent Mercedes-Benz models.

In stealth, the US is trying to force the continent to lower their interest rates.

[Storebought]

But take a look at the first profile of their 'screwed' European sarariman--he lost 10 thousand in profit over a 1.5 million deal, poor poor baby!

[Richard]

I want to see EU$ = $1.50.  Nifty.  Let dem Euros buy dollars to artificially deflate their currency.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

€1 = CA$1.58

[opebo]

The Europeans I see on the beach here in S.E. Asia aren't complaining.  Living like kings they are with fat wallets and 8 week vacations.  They laugh at third-world America.

[Gustaf]

*shrug*

Currency fluctuations aren't all that important, really. It goes back and forth. The important thing is to have the right value, rather than too strong or too weak.

[John Dibble]

The Europeans I see on the beach here in S.E. Asia aren't complaining.  Living like kings they are with fat wallets and 8 week vacations.  They laugh at third-world America.

Ever consider that maybe they are woefully ignorant and over-confident?

[opebo]

The Europeans I see on the beach here in S.E. Asia aren't complaining.  Living like kings they are with fat wallets and 8 week vacations.  They laugh at third-world America.

Ever consider that maybe they are woefully ignorant and over-confident?

No.  They've consistently had a better lifestyle for decades now. And they're  realistic - they don't expect the Euro to just continually get stronger.  But they're enjoying it while it lasts, and no doubt their vacations will always be a saner couple of months compared to America's absurdly short ones.

[patrick1]

The Europeans I see on the beach here in S.E. Asia aren't complaining.  Living like kings they are with fat wallets and 8 week vacations.  They laugh at third-world America.

Ever consider that maybe they are woefully ignorant and over-confident?

No.  They've consistently had a better lifestyle for decades now. And they're  realistic - they don't expect the Euro to just continually get stronger.  But they're enjoying it while it lasts, and no doubt their vacations will always be a saner couple of months compared to America's absurdly short ones.

Euro expansion is actually leading to longer hours worked in some E.U. countries.
Also I think you might have a skewed outlook on the lot of the common European.  The jetsetting, leisure class (your words) types that you come into contact are not wholly representative of the European population.  Just like Puffy Daddy going off the Saint Tropez is not indicative of most Americans lifestyles.  Strong American and European economies are not mutually exclusives events, rather, it is beneficial for both parties to have healthy economies.

[opebo]

The Europeans I see on the beach here in S.E. Asia aren't complaining.  Living like kings they are with fat wallets and 8 week vacations.  They laugh at third-world America.

Ever consider that maybe they are woefully ignorant and over-confident?

No.  They've consistently had a better lifestyle for decades now. And they're  realistic - they don't expect the Euro to just continually get stronger.  But they're enjoying it while it lasts, and no doubt their vacations will always be a saner couple of months compared to America's absurdly short ones.

Euro expansion is actually leading to longer hours worked in some E.U. countries.
Also I think you might have a skewed outlook on the lot of the common European.  The jetsetting, leisure class (your words) types that you come into contact are not wholly representative of the European population.  Just like Puffy Daddy going off the Saint Tropez is not indicative of most Americans lifestyles.  Strong American and European economies are not mutually exclusives events, rather, it is beneficial for both parties to have healthy economies.

Most of the fellows I meet over here are postmen, engineers, construction workers, etc.  Very ordinary types.  If they were jetsetting leisure class they wouldn't be in cheapo Thailand.

As for Euro expansion leading to reduced vacations - I'm sure most people would view that as a very negative outcome! 

[Filuwaúrdjan]

The Europeans I see on the beach here in S.E. Asia aren't complaining.  Living like kings they are with fat wallets and 8 week vacations. 

Such parasites are a tiny minority of the E.U's population

[Filuwaúrdjan]

If they were jetsetting leisure class they wouldn't be in cheapo Thailand.

Going to Thailand on holiday is too expensive for most people

[opebo]

The Europeans I see on the beach here in S.E. Asia aren't complaining.  Living like kings they are with fat wallets and 8 week vacations. 

Such parasites are a tiny minority of the E.U's population

Parasites?!  As I said in my previous post, these are ordinary working class people on their vacations.  I know postmen, engineers, construction workers, that sort of thing.   And most of all retirees - are pensioners 'parasites' in your view?

In any case, Thailand is a cheap destination, especially for Europeans, and tends to attract blue collar types, not the parasitic types you imagine.

[patrick1]

My dad is a Postman and one of his co-workers also partakes in the cheapo "amenities" of Thailand.  Most Americans just happen to take less exotic vacations and also stay in the continental U.S..  Some Europeans getting drunk and partaking in the Pattaya red light district does not seem like a solid foundation for an argument that the American economy is "third world".  The European economy is healthy with some weak points (unemployment is some nations) and the American economy on the whole is strong with its own weak spots (deficits, trade imbalance)

[opebo]

If they were jetsetting leisure class they wouldn't be in cheapo Thailand.

Going to Thailand on holiday is too expensive for most people

Pshaw!  The airticket is about $500-600 from Europe, and one can live here in extreme comfort and without any lonely nights for $50 a day.  $30 a day if you're a long termer.

So what is that for a six week vacation?  A total of about $2,500 or so.  Translate into Euros or Pounds.  Not much money for an annual vacation, particularly for a single man.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

If they were jetsetting leisure class they wouldn't be in cheapo Thailand.

Going to Thailand on holiday is too expensive for most people

Pshaw!  The airticket is about $500-600 from Europe, and one can live here in extreme comfort and without any lonely nights for $50 a day.  $30 a day if you're a long termer.

So what is that for a six week vacation?  A total of about $2,500 or so.  Translate into Euros or Pounds.  Not much money for an annual vacation, particularly for a single man.

About £1,500 (I think). That's a lot of money. When I was growing up my Dad made about £11,000 a year and my Mum about £9,000. So 1,500 x 5=7,500. Ick. We barely made ends meet as it was.

[Bono]

That's why the gold standart needs to be brought back.

[Platypus]

the problem stems from the US trade imbalance, and China's locked tie to the US dollar. The Euro by itself isn't the problem, but because it is the only large, good option left, it is rising.

Same is happenning to other countries with stable economies, including Australia.

[A18]

<<<insert stupid opebo comment>>>

[opebo]

If they were jetsetting leisure class they wouldn't be in cheapo Thailand.

Going to Thailand on holiday is too expensive for most people

Pshaw!  The airticket is about $500-600 from Europe, and one can live here in extreme comfort and without any lonely nights for $50 a day.  $30 a day if you're a long termer.

So what is that for a six week vacation?  A total of about $2,500 or so.  Translate into Euros or Pounds.  Not much money for an annual vacation, particularly for a single man.

About £1,500 (I think). That's a lot of money. When I was growing up my Dad made about £11,000 a year and my Mum about £9,000. So 1,500 x 5=7,500. Ick. We barely made ends meet as it was.

Well, if you're going to bring the collossal financial error of reproducing into it..

[??????????]

The Europeans I see on the beach here in S.E. Asia aren't complaining.  Living like kings they are with fat wallets and 8 week vacations.  They laugh at third-world America.

Ever consider that maybe they are woefully ignorant and over-confident?

No.  They've consistently had a better lifestyle for decades now. And they're  realistic - they don't expect the Euro to just continually get stronger.  But they're enjoying it while it lasts, and no doubt their vacations will always be a saner couple of months compared to America's absurdly short ones.

They are living good because we rebuilt their countries.

[opebo]

The Europeans I see on the beach here in S.E. Asia aren't complaining.  Living like kings they are with fat wallets and 8 week vacations.  They laugh at third-world America.

Ever consider that maybe they are woefully ignorant and over-confident?

No.  They've consistently had a better lifestyle for decades now. And they're  realistic - they don't expect the Euro to just continually get stronger.  But they're enjoying it while it lasts, and no doubt their vacations will always be a saner couple of months compared to America's absurdly short ones.

They are living good because we rebuilt their countries.

No, thats ancient history.  They're living well because of their own policies.

[??????????]

The Europeans I see on the beach here in S.E. Asia aren't complaining.  Living like kings they are with fat wallets and 8 week vacations.  They laugh at third-world America.

Ever consider that maybe they are woefully ignorant and over-confident?

No.  They've consistently had a better lifestyle for decades now. And they're  realistic - they don't expect the Euro to just continually get stronger.  But they're enjoying it while it lasts, and no doubt their vacations will always be a saner couple of months compared to America's absurdly short ones.

They are living good because we rebuilt their countries.

No, thats ancient history.  They're living well because of their own policies.

Ancient history I think not. It was only 50 years ago!

[opebo]

The Europeans I see on the beach here in S.E. Asia aren't complaining.  Living like kings they are with fat wallets and 8 week vacations.  They laugh at third-world America.

Ever consider that maybe they are woefully ignorant and over-confident?

No.  They've consistently had a better lifestyle for decades now. And they're  realistic - they don't expect the Euro to just continually get stronger.  But they're enjoying it while it lasts, and no doubt their vacations will always be a saner couple of months compared to America's absurdly short ones.

They are living good because we rebuilt their countries.

No, thats ancient history.  They're living well because of their own policies.

Ancient history I think not. It was only 50 years ago!

You're greatly exaggerating the importance of that 'pump-priming'.  But regardless, it is their political choice that gives them reasonable working conditions and 8 week vacations - obviously we could have the same things if we wanted.  Presumably we're prosperous enough - more or less the same GDP per capita.  Quality of life is better in Europe, not because of absolute levels of income, but because of what they themselves choose to do with their prosperity.