Germany’s commitment to the European Union has been central to its postwar rehabilitation and its economic success. For years, Germany played the role in Europe that America so frequently plays globally — the locomotive whose dynamism and demand helps turn around recessions before they deepen into depressions.

Now, at the worst possible moment, Germany is turning to nationalist illusions. Europe’s past economic successes are now viewed as German successes. Europe’s current deep problems are everyone else’s except Germany’s. That is neither realistic nor sustainable. But German politicians and commentators are callously and self-destructively feeding these ideas.

Earlier this year, when Germany was still refusing to participate in a bailout, the country’s largest newspaper by circulation, Bild, suggested Greece should sell the Acropolis to pay off its bond market creditors. (It estimated the monument could bring in $140 billion.) A senior member of Chancellor Angela Merkel’s party suggested auctioning off some of Greece’s Aegean islands. Meanwhile, a Bild poll showed a majority of Germans in favor of expelling Greece from the euro.

After a rough stretch following reunification, Germany took the tough decisions necessary to restore its competitiveness and revive growth. As a result, it is doing far better than the rest of Europe, with a low fiscal deficit and strong export surpluses. But its export-dependent economy would sputter if European consumers — its main customers — could no longer afford to buy its goods. German banks lent billions to Greece and other troubled European countries. If things don’t turn around quickly, those loans may have to be written down.

Germany also has contributed less than its fair share to the global stimulus, preferring to free ride on American and Chinese stimulus spending. And the euro’s underlying problem — the lack of an enforceable common fiscal policy, which allowed Greece and the others to rack up deficits they could not afford — is the responsibility of all the euro’s creators, Germany prominent among them.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/27/opinion/27thu1.html?hp=&pagewanted=print

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Gus: Germany is more committed to Europe than ever. I will repeat here that the main culprit of Greece problems are the banks that have lended money to Greece's previous government  — under the radar of the enforceable common European fiscal policy. This was deceit. And I would not be surprised if this was supported by the previous US Adminstration to weaken Europe as it would. This in efect delayed the necessary restructuring of the Greek economy which to some extent relies on fuddy-faddy enterprises and too much public service — more of a dis-service according to some people... I've already made the quips about the Acropolis, Democracy, Pericles and the oilive oil but we need to be serious here. There was some major deception and an imposing inefficiency, bathing in complacency.

The comment made by the New York Times editorial is thus not helpful, nor is it right. I would not be surprise if it's still a subconscious effort by the US and its general "enterprises" trying to destroy Europe — or to weaken it to a degree that Europe becomes (or stays) ensnared in the US tentacles... Or sees Europe as the little brother to kick from time to time...

Europeans know their problems better than the US give them credit for. for me, one of the big thorn in the side of Europe is the UK, now led by an anti-Europe Prime Minister. The UK has been a beach-head of deceit under Blair, going to war in Iraq to help GW Bush while other major European nations knew it was a crock... But the biggest of the problems is that the Pound is still fighting against the Euro.

The other problem is that Sarkozy has become enamoured with the US stars 'n' tripes for no good reason. He should turn to Merkel who in the most outstanding way has understood the problems of Europe and of her own country — some very difficult to solve... Europe true unity is not far. Just a few more little steps. Europe should start to think like a block, even under that nobody of a president... He can come good with a bit of coaching. Yet, Europe should think not unlike the Chinese... May be they should borrow money from the Chinese rather than the sharks of Yamerika... That would shake the dollar a bit. More can be said...