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I did say german policy tin this crisi was not neoliberal. And that is true. Prior to that both CDU and SPD have been drifting to the right. That said, the CDU is still to left of say the Tories, or the PP or both FF and FG. And I think, especially in the last years the SPD is going back to the left. And even in worst years we were still tame compared to New Labour.  
by IM on Sun Feb 6th, 2011 at 03:19:10 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Two words: Hartz IV.

Keynesianism is intellectually hard, as evidenced by the inability of many trained economists to get it - Paul Krugman
by Carrie (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Sun Feb 6th, 2011 at 03:33:16 PM EST
[ Parent ]
That was pre-crisis. If we agree we are talking about a economic crisis starting in 2008 or late 2007. One word:
Kurzarbeit.
by IM on Sun Feb 6th, 2011 at 03:49:52 PM EST
[ Parent ]
The German response to this crisis has been a single-minded focus on balanced budgets and wage suppression. How isn't that neoliberal policy? Except, of course, insofar as it might be Austrianism...

- Jake

Friends come and go. Enemies accumulate.

by JakeS (JangoSierra 'at' gmail 'dot' com) on Sun Feb 6th, 2011 at 06:40:28 PM EST
[ Parent ]
The real german response has been automatic stabilisers and stimulus. The rest was rhetoric.
by IM on Mon Feb 7th, 2011 at 09:39:42 AM EST
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Rhetoric. Right. We all know that constitutional amendments are expressions of rhetoric, not policy.

Incidentally, why shouldn't Ireland pursue countercyclical fiscal policy? Because the current German line is that they shouldn't.

- Jake

Friends come and go. Enemies accumulate.

by JakeS (JangoSierra 'at' gmail 'dot' com) on Mon Feb 7th, 2011 at 09:42:42 AM EST
[ Parent ]

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