The point, Helgoland, is that you don't understand Europe either
Ya, as I said, tu quoque. You're not even Russian - you don't even have an excuse!
It took the French seven decades to build the EU. It took the Germans seven years to destroy it.
I can and will take that as a personal insult.
And you just assume that the politics are good.
And what do you propose? The rule of 'common sense'? The rule of what is 'objectively true'? That's how totalitarian ideologies start, you know. By knowing what's right, and brushing everything else aside because it's obviously either malicious (see above) or simply misled.
We are an union. We should care for each other, support each other. If it takes some bending of rules to achieve that? so be it. The current route preserves the words of the union, but there is no spirit in it.
Now here's something that's actually worth talking about. I agree 100% with the bit I quoted - reform is needed, fundamental reform, and adherence to the letter of the law would be hugely counterproductive -, but try seeing this from the German perspective: We had the Agenda 2010, in which we reformed the shit out of our unemployment benefits (among others) and finally got competitive again. I was born in 1995, and I still remember that in my early childhood - up until 2006, I think
- Germany was called 'the sick man of Europe'. We reformed, and it was painful; Schröder took the necessary steps, and took the risk of total political annihilation; we saw what was necessary, we acted accordingly, and today we benefit in the form of not being swept up in this crisis. Now compare and contrast with Greece, and, to a lesser extent, with large parts of the rest of the Eurozone: They didn't reform, they didn't do shit, and now they pay the price. Solidarity is all nice and well, but solidarity is kinda pointless if the person/entity you're being solidaric with doesn't try and fix their mistakes. Guess what made the latest rescue package - and the new talk of debt relief! - possible? The perspective of Greece
actually getting their act together.I know that the Greek people are suffering, and I know that they could be suffering less if the rest of the Eurozone handled things differently; but I think the above gives a fair impression of why the popular opinion (and I feel I should mention that I'm on the Greek-friendly side here) in Germany is against a great deal of leniency. Solidarity can only survive (!) when it's coupled with responsibility; as long as this requirement of responsibility is not outsorced to the EU, but instead kept by the state of Greece, Greece must live with the consequences of disregarding said responsibility. The solution is either a fundamentally reformed Greek state - hard to achieve, currently being pursued - or a stronger supernational entity which makes sure that said solidarity is not overtaxed, that it won't be called upon unnecessarily.