villa suburbana

Here is a stock bild (stock photo) of a Bildstock that I passed on one of my walks recently—it’s funny how one can find (real and not addle-brained) examples of inversions between German and English, like a Stillstand for a moratorium or a stand-still. These wayside shrines marking routes of pilgrimage are pretty common in this area, and I have always hoped to find a house with one of these on the property. H and I are continuing to look for a home of our own, off and on, and did recently visit this beautiful Italianate villa in a small town not far from Bad Karma that just came on the market.

Besides the awkward location that turned out to be a big disappointment in an overbuilt and crowded part of town and on a noisy thoroughfare (though I suppose one does get used to such things), it was really lovely and ideal.

The villa was called something like "Haus Kristal," in wrought-iron lettering, which I did not like so much, but I thought we could rename the property "Chez Roquefort." We’ll keep hunting and I bet we’ll find a place that causes no reservations of any sort.

baby out with the bath water

There have certainly been some chilling exchanges between Germany and the United Kingdom over the UK’s peripheral participation in the European Union and (at least perceived) German insistence that if one is in for a penny, then one is in for a Pound--or rather the Pound Sterling ought to be retired in favour of the common euro zone currency. These tensions are not being distilled in the most helpful of ways, and given the way words and intent has been twisted and other consequences of membership dues (like Germany’s being privy to the Irish budget before Ireland's leaders saw it) and other overtures to Britain, I think it is not surprising to hear of such aversion and ire. The UK is a member of the EU and that partnership ought to be respected, and not just over potential obstinacy that would threaten any unanimous range of movement submitted to Brussels.

Both sides ought to realize the limits of reparations and accusations before diplomacy is exhausted as well: sacrificing national self-determination for the sake of monetary-security is as big a farce as the security-theatre of the absurd of the States. And although the old arrangements have been shown to be less than ideal and Europe’s true-believers have been given a great gift in the chance to re-think and re-build the framework of this cooperative, one should not be tempted to dismiss the overall health and well-being of the EU with such prejudice. Some are crying socialism and collectivism, very reminiscent I think of the harsh treatment and fear-mongering propagated by the opponents of Obamacare when they cited horror stories from the British NHS (National Health Service) as reasons to avoid socialized medicine, but in large parts of Europe, the people are seeing benefits from the taxes they contribute realized in affordable health-care, less gentrification, labour laws that protect the worker, preservation of heritage and the environment, rule of law without tolerance for corruption. The financial institutions that are ailing for the most part are limited to those that were over-extended in the American real-estate market and the imaginary numbers game of derivatives, Volkswagen is worth more in real assets than all of American auto manufacturers combined, and though employment and future prospects have sadly diminished in many places, there is great potential for recovery, should national entities only be able to deliver on their original promises. There is not, I think, so much outside pressure mandating change as restructuring for competition, enforcement of regulation (taxation) and growth, within reason. There's already enough crap in the world to satisfy any consumer (though possibly not at the right price), but the de-industrialization of the world's former factories (the US and the UK have grown a bit shrill in their criticism along with moving to a service-based economy) had nothing to do with a grand-anti-consumerism movement and more to do with greed.

Countries that retained their manufacturing sector continue to enjoy economic health and good levels of employment all around--not to over-simplify matters and not to disparage those nations that have picked up the slack with the outsourcing and off-shoring of corporate colonialism, tasked nominally with the production and export of things out-of-proportion with their own needs, means and tastes. It is not just the cars, planes, computers, etc. but also the management and control in line with demand and the dirty part of the business that leaves a mess to clean up: increased demand and improvements in standards of living has not pushed the tolerance of the environment to unseen heights but the struggle to maintain profit and productivity has. Remanded to one's own backyard, manufacturing and the challenge to do it all better and within one's neighbourhood imperatives, I believe, to mend the environment and the economy. National branding won't heal rifts nor will it safeguard statehood but maybe without the artificial threats of endless debt and austere futures, nations can resume talking about what works and what hasn't and without entendre and vitriol.

fiat

Since the end of World War II and the Bretton Woods Conference for the promotion of open markets, there have been about thirty dissolutions of monetary unions (around seventy if one counts trade associations and related pacts) around the world, and while some break-ups were due to revolution or were superseded by other currencies, many of the terminations were voluntary and in recognition that conditions have changed. Despite the magnitude of the moment that the European common currency has, partners taking leave is not a new or rare thing. The European Union and Europe is about more than just money--and after all, that's all this is, not the end of the world. The euro is worth the effort (without judging the means and extremes taken) to preserve the balance of plurality and individuality that it represents. Though bankers and politicians rather campaign on legacies and steady-states, humans have an extraordinary capacity for adapting to change and privation (some of which in the realm of possibilities could be to the greater good) and we should not forget our native gifts that have grown a bit repugnant to regime and business, whose framework of custody and profit might render us all helpless.

Seit Ende der zweiten Weltkrieg und der Bretton Woods-Konferenz (für die Förderung von offene Märkte), hat ungefähr 30 internationale Währungsunionen (ohne die Gewerkschaftsverbanden und Bunds zu zählen) aufgelöst. Während die Spaltungen aufgrund eines Revolution oder einer Nachfolgewährung, wurden viele Kündigungen freiwillig. Trotz der Größe und Komplexität der aktuelle Situation in Europa, Auflockerung ist nichts neu oder selten. Der EU ist nicht nur Geld--es geht ja nur um Geld und keinen Weltuntergang. Das Euro wert ist zu retten (ohne Rücksicht auf die Maßnahme) um die richtige Balance zwischen Souveränität und Gruppenarbeit willen. Banken und Politiker bevorzugen Stabilität, obwohl Menschen haben ein natürliches Talent für Veränderung und Einschränkungen. Die Wende könnte zum gröberen Wohl das Volk ergeben, und es sollte nicht vergessen werden, dass wir haben solcher Anpassungsfähigkeit trotz den Minuspunkte bei Wirtschaft und Politik.

les trois perdants or suspension of belief

There are at least three news items vying for dominance and, I think, the vogue of cognitive dissonance has gained more than just a foothold of priorities over the past months--maybe as it ever was, struggling and causing disbanding as well as diluting native abilities to identify distraction from the real pith and moment. In no particular order, the latest triumvirate consists of 1) the US military embassy re-establishing a consular presence in the Pacific, a contingent of Marines stationed in Australia, evidently as a counter-measure for Chinese influence in the region (EN/DE);

2) the punitive, aggressive down-grading of German state public sector lenders (Landesbanken) by a major credit-rating agency (EN/DE)--ostensibly because the German government would be able to vouch for all their liabilities (and these public institutions should not be let off lightly for venturing into risky, speculative areas and gambling indirectly with tax-payers' money) but in reality probably to pressure Germany towards privatization (and under their own purview) of these financial bulwarks by the supra-national union of bankers and deprive not only civic and charitable organizations a lending source but also the politicians some grace-and-favour leverage and authority, and, I think, only more proof of how else money can be weaponized and turned against self-determination; and 3) the re-vitalization of the occupation movements spurred, apotheosized, ironically by evictions on Wall Street and elsewhere, which, truth be told had probably dimmed a bit over the past weeks, an eternity in the life-cycle of a sit-in, with a message and action. Such a triple-threat as this is not orchestrated and conspired but take any three headlines and try to see if one is not the natural consequence or the more advanced expression of the others, projecting from a safe distance what history might make of these daily preoccupations.

you used to ride on your chrome horse with your diplomat

This morning on the drive into work, I was listening to the news in the background, not really paying attention to it. The anchor was reporting on the broad field of Republican presidential candidates for next year’s election in the States, and garbled the name of a former top US diplomat who apparently had been offered in jest a cabinet position, his old post, in the administration.

The reporter named Secretary of State--Außenminister(in)--Hillary Kissinger as having reacted graciously and with good humour to the proposal. That would be a strange mash-up of policies and missions that I can’t even begin to imagine (but would make some good speculative fiction), much less the message and logistical feasibility having reinstating such a figure would entail.