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Post by Red Rackham on Jul 18, 2023 14:36:12 GMT
An interesting video...
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Post by Vinny on Jul 19, 2023 8:36:44 GMT
The Euro is one huge experiment, but sadly they let incompatible economies like Greece into it and since then, it's been a failed experiment.
It's high time they let it die and went back to national currencies.
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Post by Dan Dare on Jul 19, 2023 9:06:26 GMT
I remember when I lived in Belgium and had to keep bags of francs (Belgian and French), guilder, deutsche mark (and pounds) in the glove box. Nobody wants to go back to that.
It may sound like a good idea from your perspective in granny's basement but for us folk out in the real world it's simply barmy.
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Post by dappy on Jul 19, 2023 9:27:47 GMT
Meanwhile despite Vinny's claim that the Euro is a "failed experiment", back in the real world more countries choose to join it - Croatia only this year.
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Post by bancroft on Jul 19, 2023 9:50:46 GMT
I remember when I lived in Belgium and had to keep bags of francs (Belgian and French), guilder, deutsche mark (and pounds) in the glove box. Nobody wants to go back to that. It may sound like a good idea from your perspective in granny's basement but for us folk out in the real world it's simply barmy. Most pay by card now so holding cash is less of an issue. I think the EU faces some serious issues let us not forget it has become intensely a political project almost an extension of NATO. Greece and those American banks cooked the books to allow Greece to enter. Greece's big problem besides geography is inability to enforce tax collections. Then you have the idealogues to trying to push eating insects on to a rich country with a big export industry in farming. |
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Post by Dan Dare on Jul 19, 2023 10:30:04 GMT
Credit cards are nowhere near as common anywhere on the continent as they are in the UK. If people carry cards they are likely to be debit cards which have to be backed by funds in your home account. If there are insufficient funds in the account the transaction will be refused.
When travelling around you need cash as well for small purchases like coffee, ice creams and car park fees.
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Post by Vinny on Jul 19, 2023 10:30:40 GMT
Meanwhile despite Vinny's claim that the Euro is a "failed experiment", back in the real world more countries choose to join it - Croatia only this year. Doesn't mean the Euro is a good thing. Without fiscal union it does not work. The Eurozone is in recession. Members cannot take essential steps to get out of recession. They cannot devalue their currency or set interest rates in their countries to suit their needs. |
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Post by Dan Dare on Jul 19, 2023 10:52:01 GMT
Nobody but you and your fundamentalist Brexiteer buddies appear to be moaning about it.
Actual Euro users appreciate the simplicity and convenience of traveling through and completing transactions in twenty-odd countries but again that won't mean anything to outsiders whose vantage point is by necessity vert remote and restricted.
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Post by patman post on Jul 19, 2023 10:52:13 GMT
I remember when I lived in Belgium and had to keep bags of francs (Belgian and French), guilder, deutsche mark (and pounds) in the glove box. Nobody wants to go back to that. It may sound like a good idea from your perspective in granny's basement but for us folk out in the real world it's simply barmy. Have to agree — it may have been a step too far to expect the UK to join, but having most of Europe covered by one currency, and having that currency internationally recognised as a reserve currency with the US dollar is useful for both individual travellers and businesses... |
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Post by patman post on Jul 19, 2023 10:55:56 GMT
Meanwhile despite Vinny's claim that the Euro is a "failed experiment", back in the real world more countries choose to join it - Croatia only this year. Doesn't mean the Euro is a good thing. Without fiscal union it does not work. The Eurozone is in recession. Members cannot take essential steps to get out of recession. They cannot devalue their currency or set interest rates in their countries to suit their needs. Inflation in the eurozone is 5%, in the US it's 3%. In the UK, inflation has slipped back to 7.9%... |
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Post by Red Rackham on Jul 19, 2023 11:15:17 GMT
I remember when I lived in Belgium and had to keep bags of francs (Belgian and French), guilder, deutsche mark (and pounds) in the glove box. Nobody wants to go back to that. It may sound like a good idea from your perspective in granny's basement but for us folk out in the real world it's simply barmy. In all the years I lived in Germany, and in spite of the fact we often visited other countries usually Holland & Denmark, I never had a problem being paid in Deutsche Marks. |
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Post by Dan Dare on Jul 19, 2023 11:20:34 GMT
And did you always pay close attention to the exchange rate you were being charged when you paid in a foreign currency?
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Post by patman post on Jul 19, 2023 11:30:51 GMT
I vaguely remember that prior to 2002, most businesses in border towns accepted the currencies of the other countries across the border. But that was mostly for food and drinks and the occasional market-bought item.
Germany sacrificed a lot by giving up the d-mark (and also by absorbing the East), which shows how basically strong that economy was and is...
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Post by dappy on Jul 19, 2023 11:46:27 GMT
Meanwhile despite Vinny's claim that the Euro is a "failed experiment", back in the real world more countries choose to join it - Croatia only this year. Doesn't mean the Euro is a good thing. Without fiscal union it does not work. The Eurozone is in recession. Members cannot take essential steps to get out of recession. They cannot devalue their currency or set interest rates in their countries to suit their needs. No it doesn't Vinny. But it does mean the Governments of for example Croatia judged it to be in the interests of that country. Who to believe on what is in Croatia's best interests, the Croatian Government or Vinny................ |
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Post by Vinny on Jul 19, 2023 11:52:44 GMT
The Croats signed a treaty and joining the Euro is a mandatory part of that treaty.
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