Ikonboard » Printable Version of Topic

Forum: The Classroom
Topic: The Euro!
started by: damien_s_lucifer

Posted by damien_s_lucifer on Dec. 08 2001,08:44

holy shit. I knew Europe had the < Euro > for business trading, but I didn't realize that most countries are replacing all their currency with it as January 1 2002.

No more Francs! No more Marks! No more Guilders!

Looks like the English are keeping their Pounds, though.

Europeans are insane... in this country, if the government tried swapping out the money we'd have armed revolts.

Posted by ic0n0 on Dec. 08 2001,18:44

How far the Euro will go will remain to be seen.

------------------
A witty saying proves nothing.
Voltaire

Posted by miNus on Dec. 08 2001,21:30

quote:
Originally posted by ic0n0:
How far the Euro will go will remain to be seen.

Hehe, this is fun

This message has been edited by miNus on December 09, 2001 at 04:30 PM

Posted by DuSTman on Dec. 09 2001,02:13

a lot of european countries tend to list prices in both euros and local currencies now.

I don't really understand a lot of this "keep the pound" sentiment - A lot of it is the tradition argument, but the pound isn't what it traditionally was - the pound as it stands has only been around since decimalisation..

Posted by veistran on Dec. 09 2001,02:43

The crazy thing is how they're going to roll it out, the logistics of it have to be crazy, to roll out a new currency concurrently in so many countries.

Posted by TheManThatWasntThere on Dec. 09 2001,03:16

This debate is old hat, guys.

It happened already..

*edit* in '99

This message has been edited by TheManThatWasntThere on December 09, 2001 at 10:17 PM

Posted by damien_s_lucifer on Dec. 09 2001,03:24

quote:
Originally posted by CatKnight:
lol damien I wasn't expecting you to bash the EU but good for you for realizing a bad idea when you see one.

I wasn't really bashing OR supporting the EU. I just said the Europeans are insane, which they are - rolling out a new currency all at once. If they're going to do it, that's probably the best way, I just can't believe they all agreed to go ahead with it at once!

DuSTman, may I make an observation about the "keep the pound" sentiment?

Almost all European countries changed their governments several times in the 19th and 20th centuries. A unified European government is seen by many on the Continent as essential to keeping Europe prosperous and stable.

The English government has been around since 1215. It continues to work pretty well to this day, so there isn't much motivation to give up your autonomy. The British have always had their own way of doing things and I think they will continue to do so for a long time to come.

Posted by TheManThatWasntThere on Dec. 09 2001,03:36

quote:
Originally posted by damien_s_lucifer:
I just can't believe they all agreed to go ahead with it at once!

They didn't.
The EU had been considering the idea since ~1998-99

They are trying to follow in the footsteps of the US of A by attempting to create a unified country that would be governed similar to the way that the states are governed(with a country government and a much bigger one that presides over all the countries{think "federal and state"})

Posted by CatKnight on Dec. 09 2001,05:31

lol damien I wasn't expecting you to bash the EU but good for you for realizing a bad idea when you see one.

Posted by aventari on Dec. 09 2001,20:29

Isn't the main reason Britain didn't want to switch to the Euro is because it will devalue their nation as a whole? You combine the money and GNPs of two disparate nations (such as Britain and Spain) and the poorer nation will gain while the richer nation stands to loose. I'm not claiming to know exactly how this is implemented, mind you, but here's they way I look at it.

If the US were to 'join' with a poorer state such as Mexico, and make it equal, all the sudden, our taxes are going south to help build roads, welfare, government offices, and basic 21st century infrastructure type stuff. Up here will be an influx of immigrants creating a bloated pool of unemployed while the number of jobs does not go up. I guess this will balance out eventually when the Mexicans are converted the consumer society where material wealth is the driving force behind life itself, and they 'trade thier history for a VCR'.

But I don't think the EU means conglomerating all these different countries under one government. Please enlighten me

Posted by ic0n0 on Dec. 10 2001,01:42

Just becasue you share a unit of money doesn't mean you have the same government, people in the U.S would continue to make more money even if we used a joint unit with mexico, the avg income would drop in the U.S. but it wouldn't really becasue the advanced pay scale in the U.S. very little would change in the U.S but in mexico it would help them a grea deal becasue they would be linked to a stronger economy. but in europe it might serve to strangthen there economeis becasue there would be more economic power behind the unit of money as oposed to the individual nations having only there own sole economic power behind their money. So in effect europe is trying to become one economy like the U.S and in the porcess give themselves more price stability.

------------------
A witty saying proves nothing.
Voltaire

This message has been edited by ic0n0 on December 10, 2001 at 08:43 PM

Posted by damien_s_lucifer on Dec. 10 2001,03:55

I know a common currency doesn't mean a common government, but it has a lot to do with the people's perception of Who's In Charge.

The British love to hate their government, just like Americans do. But when it comes down to it, if you ask them if they'd rather be ruled by London or Brussels, they're going to pick London.

Posted by Dark Knight Bob on Dec. 10 2001,09:57

well the twats at the EU have been taxing us for a few years now because the pound has been so strong against the euro just because our economy was causing an imbalance with theirs. its not just the Euro though the EU wants britain to vhange a lot of things to be in line with them. it woulod acctually be more benificial to us to switch to an american form of currency as our tock markets have a lot more in common with the U.S. it will probably happoen eventually that we'll get turned into euro people we just dont like being considered european thats all.

------------------
PETER YOU'VE LOST THE NEWS!!!

Posted by ic0n0 on Dec. 10 2001,13:03

I can not imagine brits using jeffersons and washingtons to buy things, that would be quite an interesting turn of events in terms of the potental political fallout. Or vise verse having monachs on money used in the states. Some one would have to admit they were wrong or right, constitutional monarchy with a populary elected government or a repersentitive republic with a president who wasn't popularly elected, so i guess all in all it is the same.

------------------
A witty saying proves nothing.
Voltaire

Posted by LiNeY on Dec. 10 2001,16:37

My personal perception of the Euro is that I hate it. It isn't good for the countries, it isn't good for the people. It isn't practical. I felt really nostalgic this weekend when I was in France dealing with the Franc as a currency, and realizing that next time I'll go there they'll have the same money as we do.

The Euro has brought the Deutschmark down... it used to be a steady currency. In the course of the last 2 years, that has changed. The exchange rate used to be 1.8 DM for 1 USD. Now it's 2.2 DM for 1 USD. Any questions?

------------------
LiNeY Croft - Fridge Raider

Posted by ic0n0 on Dec. 10 2001,21:07

It seems odd to me that brits would have less in common with other euopeans then with americans. But i am an american what do i know, and canadians(Quebec excluded) are basicly americans they just don't want to admit it. :P

------------------
A witty saying proves nothing.
Voltaire

Posted by damien_s_lucifer on Dec. 11 2001,05:11

Liney - it's not just European currency that's doing that. The USD has been exceedingly strong for a while now... for the past couple of years it has been cheaper for my father to go to France for a ski vacation than Colorado. Who needs the Rockies when you've got the Alps?

Anyway - it weird to think that the British have much more in common with the US than with the Europeans, but it's true... the two times I've been in that part of the world, I remember that England felt like home. Obviously there was some culture shock, but it wasn't anything that some fish and chips couldn't fix.

Once I went across the Channel it was like being in a totally different world... it's not just the language, since practically everyone over there can speak fluent English - they just do things - differently. It's kind of creepy. DKB can probably explain it better than I can. Bob?

This message has been edited by damien_s_lucifer on December 11, 2001 at 12:12 PM

Posted by Dark Knight Bob on Dec. 11 2001,05:37

put simply you cant buy any bread other than a baguette in france so dont bother asking. plus france and areas like it are a lot more farm based them frogs dont like technology i tell you

. i cant really explain it either but its just different i think it has something to do with the climate.

------------------
PETER YOU'VE LOST THE NEWS!!!

Posted by TheTaxMan on Dec. 11 2001,05:45

Yeah, speaking of NAFTA...

------------------

quote:
And wow! Hey! What's this thing suddenly coming towards me very fast? Very very fast. So big and flat and round, it needs a big wide sounding name like . . . ow . . . ound . . . round . . . ground! That's it! That's a good name - ground!
I wonder if it will be friends with me?
And the rest, after a sudden wet thud, was silence.

Posted by t|nt|n on Dec. 12 2001,06:43

Never mind the financial issues and government issues.

I got a bag of my first euro coins today €6.35 to be precise and they suck ass.

They are nearly all the same colour and size. REALLY SMALL.

I am gonna have to deal with idiots giving me pounds on new years day and I will have to give them their change back in euros. My head will be melted. Also all the bloody ATM machines will be down for most of new years day so the only place to change money will be shops i.e. me.

I think the euro is a good idea in principle but it is melting my head already and it hasn't even come in yet !

Oh yeah, the notes suck ass as well. Like anyone is gonna have change for a €500 note.
I just know I will have some hateful whooers coming into me trying to change them and I already know what I am gonna say to them >

Bloody dual circulation period
Bloody stupid coind
Bloody stupid notes
Bloody people who think large danomonations are funny
Bloody bank machines
Bloody politicians

P.S. I will miss the German Mark, had to use it for a year and loved it, lovely coins and notes !

</rant>

Posted by Dark Knight Bob on Dec. 12 2001,08:30

quote:
Originally posted by ic0n0:
It seems odd to me that brits would have less in common with other euopeans then with americans. But i am an american what do i know, and canadians(Quebec excluded) are basicly americans they just don't want to admit it. :P

Thats why we aint a good market for the euro.
Europe is basically our bitch we hold them back from their plans for world domination and they resent that or i could be slightly over exagerating that

------------------
i'm afriad expulsion is the ONLY answer, it's the opinion of the entire staff that DKB is criminally insane!

Posted by veistran on Dec. 12 2001,16:22

quote:
Originally posted by Dark Knight Bob:
Thats why we aint a good market for the euro.
Europe is basically our bitch we hold them back from their plans for world domination and they resent that or i could be slightly over exagerating that

LOL, they're just afraid you'll go all Impreial on their asses again :P

------------------
Veistran
- Sarcasm is just one more of the free services that we offer.