17-04-2005 11:18									#61
	Got spare money?

quote: Originally posted by Oerdin Yes, in and of itself floating the currency won't balance things but it will let currencies fluctuate with real economic demand and it will end the very real economically distorting effects China's artificially low currency has created.

The problem with this theory is that it does not work convincingly.

The $, the Euro and the Yen are floating. The $ has had its value reduced by one third during the last three years WITHOUT causing any reduction in the trade imbalance which on the contrary has continued its rise. That is for the floating.

Regarding China, the US import trade with China represents only 20% of the imbalance.

The terrible thing with the current US problems is that they cannot have the solutions paid by the rest of the world, and that the solutions paid by the US consumers and/or taxpayers, are likely to cause a recession.

	17-04-2005 11:48									#62
	Tired of ads?

The real problem with the Constitution is that is write so many policy measures (for example, having universal health care, various trade policies etc. etc.) into the Constitution and then makes it very hard to ammend the constitution. This would make for political stagnation. A constitution should be a structure for decision-making, not a list of enshrined unchanging policies.

They need to go back to the drawing board...

	17-04-2005 12:53									#63
	Support Apolyton

quote: Originally posted by Boshko The real problem with the Constitution is that is write so many policy measures (for example, having universal health care, various trade policies etc. etc.) into the Constitution and then makes it very hard to ammend the constitution. This would make for political stagnation. A constitution should be a structure for decision-making, not a list of enshrined unchanging policies. They need to go back to the drawing board...

You're right... a constitution should be the battleground, not the battle... if it is too policy specific and inflexible at the same time its a recipe for fragmentation.

	17-04-2005 13:14									#64
	Browse Apolyton AD-FREE

thats the american version of the constitution. other countries constitutions are not a framework, they are a lot more specific.

	17-04-2005 17:24									#65
	Help yourself to an AD-FREE life

quote: Originally posted by Spiffor Did you know? These three words are used "as is" in France, and have no French equivalent outside of Québec.

Yes, I did- it was my jolie jape, which I bought at le supermarche.

	17-04-2005 17:35									#66
	Got spare money?

quote: Originally posted by Dry Ther's quite a reason: Edgar A. Poe work was translated by a guy called Charles Beaudelaire. Some claim the french text is even superior to the original. Unique case in translation history.

Yes, 'twas another petite jape of mine.

I had thought my Anglo-Saxon irony and sarcasm would translate Gallicly- I must rethink my tactics.

I was thinking of an article which I read many years ago on what aspects of one country's or civilization's culture can be adopted or used by another, and how it is transmuted in the borrowing- like tea, the European craze for chinoiserie, Japanese prints, the French love of Jerry Lewis and Alfred Hitchcock, how Texas and Carmel and Skunk Anansie could be bigger in France than in Great Britain or Australia, German adulation of that ghastly wooden actor (& worse singer) Hassellhoff, et cetera.

I remember the article referred to this strange phenomenon called 'Edgarpo' which had come into being thanks to the translation of his works into French by Baudelaire- and how these translations were that rara avis, a translation which could be deemed by some as good, if not better, than the original.

Some critics of literature in English think that Poe is overheated, and not disciplined, for instance.

	17-04-2005 17:47									#67
	Support Apolyton, buy Civilization 2

quote: Originally posted by DAVOUT The $, the Euro and the Yen are floating. The $ has had its value reduced by one third during the last three years WITHOUT causing any reduction in the trade imbalance which on the contrary has continued its rise. That is for the floating.

That's because most of our trade imbalance comes from two places. 1) Oil imports which we're going to keep buying no matter the cost. 2) Asian imports.

The Asians (especially the Chinese) either officialy peg their currency to a fraction of the dollars value (making their currency artificially low) or they go the Japanese route of talking their currency down and using their central bank to try and keep the dollar high. If China stopped cheating with its intentionally devalued currency then two things would happen.

1) Manufacturers from outside China would find it easier to compete against artificially low priced Chinese made goods. 2) Foreign made goods would be more competitive in Chinese markets.

Right now the Chinese are behaving like unfair trading partners by intentionally devaluing their currency and distorting international trade. This effectively shifts Chinese unemployment problem to other countries by goosing Chinese exports, however, it is time China's trading partners demand they stop cheating and play fair.

	17-04-2005 17:49									#68
	Enter the AD-FREE zone

quote: Originally posted by Boshko The real problem with the Constitution is that is write so many policy measures (for example, having universal health care, various trade policies etc. etc.) into the Constitution and then makes it very hard to ammend the constitution. This would make for political stagnation. A constitution should be a structure for decision-making, not a list of enshrined unchanging policies. They need to go back to the drawing board...

They will. This thing won't even pass in France much less the half dozen other countries, like the UK, which give the people a vote on this treaty. It really is a treaty and not a constitution.

	17-04-2005 19:00									#69
	Support Apolyton

quote: Originally posted by Lawrence of Arabia thats the american version of the constitution. other countries constitutions are not a framework, they are a lot more specific.

More specific, yes. That specific, no (at least not that I can think of). The Brits have no Constitution outside of tradition. The French have a constitution which is an outline of how the government works, and what principles the country should strive for. AFAIK, it's also the case in Germany.

The reason why this constitution is so atrociously bloated is bacause it's a treaty between countries. In Europe, most of the decision making is made diplomatically instead of politically, and as such, many decisions take the form of treaties instead of laws. Since the main ambition of this constitution is to unite the past treaties in one same piece (how ambitious ), most of these very precise decisions are in, despite the fact they have nothing to do in a constitution, even according to our political cultures.

Most of the useless crap can be found in the title III of the constitution. If the writers of the constitution hadn't ambitioned to unite all the previous texts (thus making all previous treaties null and void, as explicited in the Con), maybe the whole title III would have been out of the picture.

	17-04-2005 19:03									#70
	Lose 30 kilos (of popups)

quote: Originally posted by Dracon II and in 1066 they made certain that a large slice of "anglo-saxon" culture would forever be French....

The Norman aristocracy and much of there military class were recently descended for Viking conquerors/overlords. 'Norman' means northman and 'Normandy" means: Land where the vikings kicked our worthless frog butts and set up a duchy.

	17-04-2005 19:07									#71
	Lose 30 kilos (of popups)

quote: Originally posted by Oerdin They will. This thing won't even pass in France much less the half dozen other countries, like the UK, which give the people a vote on this treaty. It really is a treaty and not a constitution.

I wish. But the game isn't played yet. The French may end up voting as requested. And even the Brits might. The yes side has many resources at hand (the fact that it represents both establishment parties helps hugely), and they'll use them as they'll get more desperate. I know that, for the first time in my life, I'll be seriously wary when overseeing the voting booth, for instance.

Besides, even if the thing doesn't pass, our political elites won't necessarily go back to the drawing board. A tactics often used by the EU politicians is to harass the uncooperative rabble until they accept what's obviously good for them. And such a strategy will be the most likely, should only one country vote no. The more countries that vote no (especially for different reasons), the more our elites will be forced to drop the complacency, and the more they'll have to ask the real questions.

	17-04-2005 19:08									#72
	Support Apolyton

quote: Originally posted by Lefty Scaevola The Norman aristocracy and much of there military class were recently descended for Viking conquerors/overlords. 'Norman' means northman and 'Normandy" means: Land where the vikings kicked our worthless frog butts and set up a duchy.

We eventually won thanks to our superior culture. Barbarians may kick our butt during one invasion, but we then sap them for the rest of eternity

Clearly, we are superior

	17-04-2005 19:10									#73
	Increase Your PM Length

quote: Originally posted by Spiffor We eventually won thanks to our superior culture. Clearly, we are superior

Like China with nomads. The Vikings came, saw, conquered, and were undone by Camembert, flan breton and Bordeaux.

	17-04-2005 19:15									#74
	Increase Your PM Length

quote: Originally posted by Spiffor We eventually won thanks to our superior culture. Barbarians may kick our butt during one invasion, but we then sap them for the rest of eternity Clearly, we are superior

Was this the gameplan in 1940?

	17-04-2005 19:25									#75
	Lose 30 kilos (of popups)

quote: Originally posted by Dauphin Was this the gameplan in 1940?

Well, we did it with Germanic barbarians before (the Franks), and I don't see why it wouldn't have worked again!

	17-04-2005 19:34									#76
	Support Apolyton buy from Amazon

quote: Originally posted by Spiffor Well, we did it with Germanic barbarians before (the Franks), and I don't see why it wouldn't have worked again!

You're doing it with all those perfidious shopkeepers who are buying retirement and holiday homes in France....

	17-04-2005 19:36									#77
	Lose 30 kilos (of popups)

quote: Originally posted by molly bloom You're doing it with all those perfidious shopkeepers who are buying retirement and holiday homes in France....

Nah, we only accept them for their shopkeeper's money. We are most efficient when we take them at the cradle (or at least when we convert people still able to reproduce)

	17-04-2005 19:47									#78
	Help yourself to an AD-FREE life

quote: Originally posted by Spiffor Nah, we only accept them for their shopkeeper's money. We are most efficient when we take them at the cradle (or at least when we convert people still able to reproduce)

I was converted many years ago- I think it was those Cadinot films I watched, or possibly Juliette Greco or Francoise Hardy.

Or that Pont L'Eveque I tried, or the pain au chocolat, or Francois Villon's poetry.


The seductive guiles and wiles of the bouillabaisse vendors....

	17-04-2005 20:39									#79
	Support Apolyton, pre-order Civilization IV

quote: Well, we did it with Germanic barbarians before (the Franks), and I don't see why it wouldn't have worked again!

aren't you the Germanic barbarians?

	17-04-2005 20:40									#80
	Increase Your PM Length

quote: Originally posted by Oerdin That's because most of our trade imbalance comes from two places. 1) Oil imports which we're going to keep buying no matter the cost. 2) Asian imports. The Asians (especially the Chinese) either officialy peg their currency to a fraction of the dollars value (making their currency artificially low) or they go the Japanese route of talking their currency down and using their central bank to try and keep the dollar high. If China stopped cheating with its intentionally devalued currency then two things would happen. 1) Manufacturers from outside China would find it easier to compete against artificially low priced Chinese made goods. 2) Foreign made goods would be more competitive in Chinese markets. Right now the Chinese are behaving like unfair trading partners by intentionally devaluing their currency and distorting international trade. This effectively shifts Chinese unemployment problem to other countries by goosing Chinese exports, however, it is time China's trading partners demand they stop cheating and play fair.

Till now, it was considered that the currency ruling adopted by a country was part of the sovereignty of this country, and this is still considered by the FMI; and the WTO has no ruling regarding the currency rules.

But you say that this has to be changed, because the US are no longer pleased with it. The dollar could no longer be pegged by a country without a US authorisation on the rate; this has necessarily for consequence that no country would adopt a system that is under the authority of a foreign country. The real meaning of this new policy is that the US are giving up the world role of the dollar. I am sure the néocons will love it.

You explanation of the trade imbalance which would result from the oil and asian imports is not convincing : the Euroland is also importing oil and asian goods, and this does not create a dangerous imbalance despite the high value of the Euro which makes difficult the exports when the US exports should develop easily with a dollar very low.

Contrary to your opinion, the Chinese unemployment problem is not solved by the peg and it is one of the reason why the yuan has not yet been revaluated.

Foreign made goods imported in China would be more competitive on Chinese markets would be true only if China did not import almost only goods that are not produced locally; who would be interested in importing in China goods that are already locally made, even after a revaluation of the yuan?

	17-04-2005 21:16									#81
	Support Apolyton buy from Amazon

quote: Originally posted by Spiffor Well, we did it with Germanic barbarians before (the Franks), and I don't see why it wouldn't have worked again!

So it would become Nazi France?

	18-04-2005 09:08									#82
	Got spare money?

quote: Originally posted by Lefty Scaevola The Norman aristocracy and much of there military class were recently descended for Viking conquerors/overlords. 'Norman' means northman and 'Normandy" means: Land where the vikings kicked our worthless frog butts and set up a duchy.

They were Vikings by origin yes. But by the time of William the Bastard they were culturall French, pretty much... sharing the religion, the language, and they were pioneers of one of the most pure and effective forms of Feudal government at the time... surely not due to their Viking heritage.