tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8764541874043694159.post5801086432215857038..comments2024-03-28T12:23:39.665+00:00Comments on Coppola Comment: The Battle of the DraftsFrances Coppolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09399390283774592713noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8764541874043694159.post-72431731884125651092015-02-20T17:00:51.873+00:002015-02-20T17:00:51.873+00:00Yes, I accept the analogy. Except that in this cas...Yes, I accept the analogy. Except that in this case, the cardiologists' treatment is refuted by all independent doctors (regardless of discipline) and after five years of their treatment the patient is in a worse condition than at the beginning. <br /><br />The other point that could be used in the analogy, is that the cardiologists own the hospital where the patient is being treated, and do not accept the concept of their diagnosis being incorrect.<br /><br />Without extreme behaviour from the patient's relatives and personal doctors, the certainty is that the patient will die. And the hospital authorities will regret his unfortunate demise. Just as they did with leeches and blood-letting in past centuries.<br /><br />Now that I think of it, the analogy between blood-letting treatment and austerity economics is rather more apposite than with cardiology -- and let us not forget that Schaueble has no expertise in anything at all. He is a miserable old fool of a politician.Guest(xenos)http://www.mmo.grnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8764541874043694159.post-6508587355388209272015-02-20T16:47:25.393+00:002015-02-20T16:47:25.393+00:00I suspect the Schäuble view is that Varoufakis'...I suspect the Schäuble view is that Varoufakis' proposal lacks *quantitative* precision, which, if so, is technically correct, because the proposal is essentially *qualitative* with only macro level quantitative metrics (e.g. the budget surplus) thrown in. That almost the entire outside world thinks line costing is a distraction at this stage may not be enough to sway him.<br /><br />More generally, the difficulty of this negotiation seems to me that it's like an oncologist and a cardiologist, who both think the patient has "their" disease, trying to agree on a treatment. The patient has been treated for a heart complaint so far, and a newly appointed oncologist, convinced that she has cancer, has two strategies available: (1) try to convince the cardiologist the patient indeed has cancer or (2) try to find a medication that helps for cancer but that the cardiologist will not object to, because he thinks it won't have any effect on the heart complaint, and maybe will get the patient some placebo effect benefits.<br /><br />I think the failure of (1) was embedded in Yanis' "we didn't even agree to disagree" at their first meeting and (2) is what he's trying to do now, while still trying to convince less obtuse cardiologists of his diagnosis.cighttp://commentisglee.wordpress.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8764541874043694159.post-12366612487330274832015-02-19T21:23:12.885+00:002015-02-19T21:23:12.885+00:00Some of the British press are talking about a rift...Some of the British press are talking about a rift between Brussels and Berlin over this, and that the primary issue is that Schauble hates Varoufakis.<br /><br />If the latter is true, the Germans are prepared to gamble the stability of the eurozone (and the future of the German economy) over the personal opinions of an old man in a wheelchair who thinks he knows all about economics (and clearly understands nothing). Not since the 1930s have we seen such German arrogance.Guest(xenos)http://www.mmo.grnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8764541874043694159.post-66414086386360665452015-02-19T20:32:33.169+00:002015-02-19T20:32:33.169+00:00This is starting to look like Germany would prefer...This is starting to look like Germany would prefer that Greece leaves the euro, rather than any compromise, even one where they get all they asked for. If they wanted a compromise in terms favourable to them, they wouldn't go around making false accusations or messing around with draft communiques. An experienced negotiator would only do that sort of thing if they wanted the other side to walk out.Lunahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05509941922253290982noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8764541874043694159.post-16855758498243750222015-02-19T12:09:17.947+00:002015-02-19T12:09:17.947+00:00Schauble's comment was pure and malicious prop...Schauble's comment was pure and malicious propaganda. This tells us all we need to know about the German position: it is not honourable and it is not sincere.Guest(xenos)http://www.mmo.grnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8764541874043694159.post-14475043405261788882015-02-19T11:34:39.605+00:002015-02-19T11:34:39.605+00:00As a side issue, it was interesting how the FT ana...As a side issue, it was interesting how the FT analysis was immediately picked up by the media, so we had the Guardian reporting about an imminent climb-down, and how they were "under pressure", when the Greeks hadn't moved noticeably.<br /><br />Schauble's quote that "nobody knew the Greek position" also seems either rather opaque or particularly stupid.<br />gastro georgenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8764541874043694159.post-14758797022759915142015-02-19T10:39:53.878+00:002015-02-19T10:39:53.878+00:00Dear Frances,
Here is a smart man I do hope you wa...Dear Frances,<br />Here is a smart man I do hope you want to read:<br />http://www.flassbeck-economics.de/griechenland-war-auf-gutem-weg-der-bundesfinanzminister-verweigert-sich-der-realitaet-und-griechenland-steht-am-scheideweg/<br /><br />Kind regards, GuurstAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8764541874043694159.post-30035986783725487412015-02-18T15:10:54.823+00:002015-02-18T15:10:54.823+00:00A most enlightening commentary on the fiasco. Brav...A most enlightening commentary on the fiasco. Bravo!Guest(xenos)http://www.mmo.grnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8764541874043694159.post-44611805634939596722015-02-18T14:38:59.424+00:002015-02-18T14:38:59.424+00:00"I hear you are looking for answers"
ht..."I hear you are looking for answers"<br /><br />https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=O0K_ahjmJucThe dork of corkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01169780628052433662noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8764541874043694159.post-60526497889128770672015-02-18T14:08:31.868+00:002015-02-18T14:08:31.868+00:00This comment has been removed by the author.knoulphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07574221840778501502noreply@blogger.com