The European Tribune is a forum for thoughtful dialogue of European and international issues. You are invited to post comments and your own articles.
Please REGISTER to post.
In the economic history of the German Republic, three consecutive phases can be discerned - inflation, concentration, rationalisation. The big war-profiteers like Stinnes, Thyssen, Otto Wolff, [26] et hoc genus omne, [27] who had known how to distil minted gold out of millions of corpses, now transformed themselves into revolution and inflation profiteers, or were overtaken by newcomers. If the war had meant for these a source of new capital, the revolution and its child the Weimar Republic had provided new chances. It is true that the Republic at the outset aimed at getting rid of large fortunes, but its good intentions proved, especially in its economic policy, to be again the stones paving the way to Hell. In its unparalleled self-denial, this `social state' actually bred types like Stinnes and Flick, [28] who hated the Republic and used this hatred as a moral justification for tax-defaulting, robbery of the state, and financing counter-revolutionary plots. Yet the state continued to feed them with credits which they used to further inflation, and which they `repaid' in valueless paper marks. This time of whirlwind-raging proletarianisation of the middle class, which diverted huge slices of the property of the people into the gaping jaws of industrial sharks, gave birth to that type of capitalist which indiscriminately bought up concerns and enterprises of all descriptions - the type which in the minds of their contemporaries is indissolubly bound up with the name of Stinnes. Stinnes was not the creator of mighty concerns systematically built up and internally connected. At random he bought anything: steel-works, newspapers, hotels, ships, coalmines, textile mills, foodstuffs - and politicians. Though these blown-up trusts and concerns soon burst like soap bubbles, many ruined small and medium businessmen strewed the path, and these, together with the unemployed officers and the impoverished intellectuals, formed the shock battalions of the coming counter-revolution. When again - at the expense of the working class - the mark was stabilised, the inflation profiteers gave way to deflation profiteers; or became such. A period of comparatively coherent concentration followed, combining industrial enterprises of a definite interconnection into powerful trusts: the epoch of monopoly capitalism dawned.
If the war had meant for these a source of new capital, the revolution and its child the Weimar Republic had provided new chances. It is true that the Republic at the outset aimed at getting rid of large fortunes, but its good intentions proved, especially in its economic policy, to be again the stones paving the way to Hell. In its unparalleled self-denial, this `social state' actually bred types like Stinnes and Flick, [28] who hated the Republic and used this hatred as a moral justification for tax-defaulting, robbery of the state, and financing counter-revolutionary plots. Yet the state continued to feed them with credits which they used to further inflation, and which they `repaid' in valueless paper marks.
This time of whirlwind-raging proletarianisation of the middle class, which diverted huge slices of the property of the people into the gaping jaws of industrial sharks, gave birth to that type of capitalist which indiscriminately bought up concerns and enterprises of all descriptions - the type which in the minds of their contemporaries is indissolubly bound up with the name of Stinnes. Stinnes was not the creator of mighty concerns systematically built up and internally connected. At random he bought anything: steel-works, newspapers, hotels, ships, coalmines, textile mills, foodstuffs - and politicians. Though these blown-up trusts and concerns soon burst like soap bubbles, many ruined small and medium businessmen strewed the path, and these, together with the unemployed officers and the impoverished intellectuals, formed the shock battalions of the coming counter-revolution.
When again - at the expense of the working class - the mark was stabilised, the inflation profiteers gave way to deflation profiteers; or became such. A period of comparatively coherent concentration followed, combining industrial enterprises of a definite interconnection into powerful trusts: the epoch of monopoly capitalism dawned.
The moment the Russian invasion became reality on Feb. 24, it compared to that one shot heard round the world a little over 100 years ago. Or were the shots fired at the protesters on Feb. 24, 2014 - the Maidan massacre - the true spark of events leading to military escalation between East and West culminating in the Ukraine War of 2022.
In addition to the American Revolution, the "shot heard round the world" became associated with other historical events, such as the 1914 assassination of Austria's Archduke Franz Ferdinand, which helped trigger World War I.
Archduke Franz Ferdinand with his wife on the day they were assassinated in 1914, an event that helped spark WW1. pic.twitter.com/Kzh9pcFowb— History In Pictures (@HistoryInPics) October 15, 2013
Archduke Franz Ferdinand with his wife on the day they were assassinated in 1914, an event that helped spark WW1. pic.twitter.com/Kzh9pcFowb
Bosnia marks end of Europe's violent century | TOI - June 29, 2014 | On June 28, 1914, the Austro-Hungarian crown prince Franz Ferdinand was assassinated in Sarajevo, where he had come to inspect his occupying troops in the empire's eastern province. The shots fired by Serb teenager Gavrilo Princip sparked the Great War, which was followed decades later by a second world conflict. Together the two wars cost some 80 million European their lives, ended four empires -- including the Austro-Hungarian -- and changed the world forever.
On June 28, 1914, the Austro-Hungarian crown prince Franz Ferdinand was assassinated in Sarajevo, where he had come to inspect his occupying troops in the empire's eastern province.
The shots fired by Serb teenager Gavrilo Princip sparked the Great War, which was followed decades later by a second world conflict. Together the two wars cost some 80 million European their lives, ended four empires -- including the Austro-Hungarian -- and changed the world forever.
Europe living on a knife's edge ... in reality there is no cultural unity or stability in internal security. The flag of nationalism is flying high.
Eastern European Nationalism in the Twentieth Century (1995) 'Sapere aude'
Trump threatens German carmakers with 35 percent U.S. import tariff
Like I have written, the War in Ukraine is America's attack on Europe.
Cheese, French wines, planes on Trump target list for $7.5B retaliation award
Brussels leaning over getting kicked in the a$$ ... Germany way behind the curve, still don't know what hit them. History will judge harshly on faint leadership in Brussels-Berlin-Paris-Rome.
Perplexed - Charles Michel
Only in times of peril will leadership show. Nothing here to see ... very compliant. Rutte doing his utmost to be the successor of Jens by NATO. Or as the job already been handed out? 'Sapere aude'
by Frank Schnittger - Jan 26
by Frank Schnittger - Jan 22 3 comments
by Cat - Jan 25 21 comments
by Oui - Jan 9 21 comments
by Frank Schnittger - Jan 13 28 comments
by gmoke - Jan 20
by Oui - Jan 15 90 comments
by gmoke - Jan 7 13 comments
by Oui - Jan 2729 comments
by Cat - Jan 2521 comments
by Frank Schnittger - Jan 223 comments
by Oui - Jan 2110 comments
by Oui - Jan 21
by Oui - Jan 20
by Oui - Jan 1839 comments
by Oui - Jan 1590 comments
by Oui - Jan 144 comments
by Frank Schnittger - Jan 1328 comments
by Oui - Jan 1215 comments
by Oui - Jan 1120 comments
by Oui - Jan 1031 comments
by Oui - Jan 921 comments
by NBBooks - Jan 810 comments
by Oui - Jan 717 comments
by gmoke - Jan 713 comments
by Oui - Jan 68 comments