Destruction—and I’m Leaving The Party

Dear Sigmar Gabriel,

I’ve been a member of the SPD since the age of 13. As you’ll know, that is not supposed to happen: You have to be 14 to sign up. But I was so impatient for Helmut Kohl’s conservative government to come to an end, and admired the history of social democracy so much, that I begged the comrades in Munich until they said: “You could always make a little mistake and write that you were born in 1981 rather than in 1982.”

Sigmar Gabriel, leader of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) (Reuters/Thomas Peter)

Since then I’ve often had my disagreements with the SPD. But I never regretted being a member. Until now.

India & the One Belt One Road paradigm

One Belt One Road (OBOR) is an initiative the Chinese envisioned in 2013 and are taking progressive steps to bring it to fruition. Execution of the plan will depend on how China is able to engage the countries involved in this perimeter, mainly in what it calls the Silk Road Initiatives. The OBOR has following two key components:

1. New Silk Road Economic Belt that links China and Europe, through Central and Western Asia
2. Maritime Silk Road (MSR) that will connect China and Southeast Asian countries, Africa and Europe.

Germany’s Destructive Anger

MATT CHASE

A DEAL has finally been reached that could keep Greece in the eurozone. Few are happy with the outcome. We’ve heard a lot about how the Greeks feel humiliated. But we’ve heard less about German anger, and we know they are angry. Finance Minister Wolfgang Schäuble was reported to have started yelling during Saturday night’s negotiations. France and Italy have both made huge loans to Greece, but neither country has expressed hostility to Greece. Why is Germany so angry?

The Final Iran Deal Is Here: What Iran Gives Up, What Iran Gets

Image Credit: Flickr/ U.S. Department of State

Iran and the P5+1—a group including the United States, Russia, China, France, the United Kingdom, and Germany—have reached a final agreement, a Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) over Iran’s nuclear program. The agreement comes nearly 20 months after the November 2013 Joint Plan of Action, in which Iran made major technical concessions regarding the functioning of its civilian nuclear program in exchange for moderate sanctions relief. The final agreement is largely based off the framework agreement that was reached in early April 2015 in Lausanne, Switzerland. In broad strokes, the final deal will see a potential Iranian nuclear weapon program set back by at least a decade through a series of internationally enforced technical concessions. In exchange, Iran will receive relief from nuclear-related sanctions.

Cyprus Remembers 1974 Coup Against President Archbishop Makarios

Cyprus commemorates the dead and condemns the 1974 coup

Photo © CyprusExpat.co.uk

Today, 15th July, marks 41 years since the events which unfolded on this East Mediterranean island led to its division and occupation by Turkey. The Greek military junta, then ruling Greece, toppled the democratically elected president of Cyprus, the late Archbishop Makarios III.

The Berlin Bulldozer and the Sack of Athens

When finalizing my book European Spring last year, I hesitated before describing the eurozone as a “glorified debtors’ prison.” After this weekend’s brutal, vindictive, and shortsighted exercise of German power against Greece, backed up by the Frankfurt-based European Central Bank’s illegal threat to pull the plug on the entire Greek banking system, I take it back. There is nothing glorious about the eurozone: It is a monstrous, undemocratic creditors’ racket.

Thanks to the departure of an arrogant negotiator, serious negotiations can now begin

The negotiations on the Treaty of Versailles have so far been disrupted by the attitude of a British negotiator, a certain John Maynard Keynes. He has a flamboyant personality and dubious morals,[1] and has consistently employed an arrogant and professional tone to crush other negotiators with his contempt.

Δραχμή και ο μύθος της ανταγωνιστικότητας

Υποστηρίζεται από τους ένθερμους υποστηριχτές της επιστροφής στη δραχμή ότι μια τέτοια επιλογή θα βελτιώσει την ανταγωνιστικότητα των ελληνικών προϊόντων. Το παρελθόν της χώρας – όπως και η θεωρία του διεθνούς εμπορίου– διαψεύδουν όμως αυτήν τη θέση. Δε θα ασχοληθούμε με τις οικονομικές θεωρίες, θα επιστρέφουμε όμως τριάντα χρόνια πίσω σκιαγραφώντας τη σχέση των εξαγωγών μας και της απαξίωσης (υποτιμήσεις – διολισθήσεις) της δραχμής.

Η ισοτιμία  δραχμής δολαρίου το 1980 ήταν 1 δολάριο προς 42,64 δραχμές, το 1987 (έτος έναρξης των προσπαθειών με σκοπό την ‘Ενιαία Αγορά’) ήταν 1 δολάριο προς 135,18 δραχμές και το 1992 (με την ολοκλήρωση της ‘Ενιαίας Αγοράς’), η ισοτιμία αυτή ανερχόταν σε 190,47 δραχμές. Το 2000 η ισοτιμία δολαρίου δραχμής άγγιξε τις 308,93 δραχμές.

A Franc Discussion: Switzerland’s currency troubles

The Swiss National Bank is faced with an overheating currency and slumping economy following the decision to abandon the currency exchange rate cap on the Euro. Uncertainty in the EU is leading to a rush on the franc and severely hampering the export and tourism-dependent Swiss economy.

From high unemployment in southern Europe to sluggish economic growth and Grexit fears, the EU and the euro have recently taken a beating. All this uncertainty is leading some investors to seek safe havens, such as Switzerland.

Russia And Iran Are Trading Places

After decades as an isolated rogue state, Iran appears to be finally coming in from the cold. And after decades of pretending to be a partner to the West, Russia has gone rogue.

"OK, now you go rogue..."

Tehran and Moscow are essentially swapping places.

The symmetry is hard to miss. And so are the geopolitical implications of the agreement reached in Vienna to curb Iran's nuclear program in exchange for the lifting of crippling international sanctions.