Wunderboom - German exports surge

[NoddY]

German exports surge despite euro

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7136116.stm

"Germany's trade surplus rose to 18.2bn euros ($26.7bn, £13.1bn) in October thanks to growth in exports which surged despite the stronger euro."

...

"Meanwhile, France's industrial output went up 2.1% in October on a monthly basis, the largest rise since May 2006."

Still, it doesn't matter. I know a far superior way of running an economy:
1. You stop making anything useful.
2. You sell houses to each other using other peoples money.

[AtW]

The point that British PMs seem to have lost on is that good things that you only make in your country and don't give technology to others will be desired and will sell. Germans will never sell Mercedes to Indians, Chinese etc, they have pride not to do it and frankly the way they won't they will never even be in this position, yet in the UK iconic car brands are on a cheap fire sale from time to time - and this happens in country that started industrial revolution!

[sasguru]

The point that British PMs seem to have lost on is that good things that you only make in your country and don't give technology to others will be desired and will sell. Germans will never sell Mercedes to Indians, Chinese etc, they have pride not to do it and frankly the way they won't they will never even be in this position, yet in the UK iconic car brands are on a cheap fire sale from time to time - and this happens in country that started industrial revolution!

You forget we tried but failed. British Leyland was a joke.

[AtW]

You forget we tried but failed. British Leyland was a joke.

Rover was doing pretty well in partnership with Honda (or Toyota?), but then suddenly they decided to stab their partner in the back - it could have been a very nice join venture benefitting both companies.

Ok, maybe UK can't build cars. Fine. But there were plenty of things build in UK well - I reckon the fundamental mistakes must have been stopping investment into R&D so you just slipped behind. Heck, if bombed out Germany could restore its manufacturing, how the hell UK could not?

[Troll]

You forget we tried but failed. British Leyland was a joke.

So why are we able to successfully build Triumph motorcycles again?

[wendigo100]

Heck, if bombed out Germany could restore its manufacturing, how the hell UK could not?

The very fact that we were not bombed out.

Bombed to flip, Marshal Plan, and voila - brand spanking new modern industry. Same thing happened for the Japs.

Meanwhile we still send kids up chimneys. Well I do anyway.

[sasguru]

The very fact that we were not bombed out.

Bombed to flip, Marshal Plan, and voila - brand spanking new modern industry. Same thing happened for the Japs.

Meanwhile we still send kids up chimneys. Well I do anyway.

Afraid not. We got more money from the Marshall Plan than anyone else

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marshall_Plan

Just the usual ineptness and frittering away, just as we did with North Sea Oil.

[sasguru]

So why are we able to successfully build Triumph motorcycles again?

It's a very different kettle of fish building a relatively small output of motorbikes than maintaining a large car industry. There have always been small centres of excellence. And dodn't forget we're the second largest arms manufacturer in the world.

[wendigo100]

Afraid not. We got more money from the Marshall Plan than anyone else

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marshall_Plan

Just the usual ineptness and frittering away, just as we did with North Sea Oil.

Ah, I don't disagree, but the point was that we weren't bombed so much that we had to rebuild everything from scratch. I wasn't arguing that Gerry and Tojo got aid and we didn't.

What did we spend ours on?

[Rantor]

Ah, but the point was that we weren't bombed so much that we had to rebuild everything from scratch. I wasn't arguing that Gerry and Tojo got aid and we didn't.

What did we spend ours on?

Paying interest on other money borrowed of the US, supporting a humungous standing army and winding down the empire.