More European Obama-bashing

[Bro. Curtis]

The president of the European Union Wednesday lambasted President Obama's costly economic recovery program as "the way to hell."
Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolánek, whose country holds the rotating EU presidency, criticized the $787 billion U.S. stimulus program in unusually sharp comments that highlighted a continuing divide between Europe and the U.S. on crisis-fighting steps. Topolánek said the U.S. was repeating mistakes it made during the Great Depression when it ramped up government spending, and said Washington's errors would boomerang on Europe.....


http://www.usatoday.com/money/world/2009-03-25-eu-leader-blasts-obama-plan_N.htm

 

[LeBuick]

Not surprising since his country is not impacted and he doesn't support the concept.

http://www.nydailynews.com/money/2009/03/25/2009-03-25_czech_prime_minister_mirek_topolanek_eu_.html

“He is sitting in the Czech Republic,” the official said “where growth is holding up relatively well and a fiscal stimulus makes no sense.”

“He has never been in favor of a big fiscal stimulus — though he did not argue against it at the E.U. summit.”

 

[Matt Black]

There's a multi-layered feature to this story:

1. There is a question as to the extent to which individual western nations can keep on bailing out, fiscally stimulating and generally spending before attracting the unwanted attentions of the IMF. The received wisdom here is that Britain, for example, has reached if not exceeded that limit.

2. The Czech Republic has also probably reached that limit; expect a bail out from the IMF for them soon. Mr Topolanek has just been voted out of office by his legislature on this very point, and will be formally resigning just as soon as he finishes the G20 conference next week (he has to be there as the EU's rep as he is currently EU President!), so you can take his attack as either (a) '"Don't make the mistakes I have" or (b) "I've royally screwed up so what do I know?"!

3. Flowing from #1, the USA probably can manage another spending splurge (whether it should or not is another matter), but other countries probably can't, so we won't get a 'one size fits all' result next week at the G20, and we need to accept that that's not necessarily a Bad Thing...

 

[LeBuick]

3. Flowing from #1, the USA probably can manage another spending splurge (whether it should or not is another matter), but other countries probably can't, so we won't get a 'one size fits all' result next week at the G20, and we need to accept that that's not necessarily a Bad Thing...

The scary word Obama keeps using is "countries who are able" will carry the load of lifting the world economy. That sounds more like "countries who are willing" which means the US will get an unequally heavier portion of the load.

 

[Matt Black]

Then your Administration needs to ask itself some serious questions, because I fear that the UK now ranks amongst the countries who are 'not able'.

 

[carpro]

The president of the European Union Wednesday lambasted President Obama's costly economic recovery program as "the way to hell."
Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolánek, whose country holds the rotating EU presidency, criticized the $787 billion U.S. stimulus program in unusually sharp comments that highlighted a continuing divide between Europe and the U.S. on crisis-fighting steps. Topolánek said the U.S. was repeating mistakes it made during the Great Depression when it ramped up government spending, and said Washington's errors would boomerang on Europe.....


http://www.usatoday.com/money/world/2009-03-25-eu-leader-blasts-obama-plan_N.htm

Europeans aren't right about much, but they nailed this one.

 

[Revmitchell]

The scary word Obama keeps using is "countries who are able" will carry the load of lifting the world economy. That sounds more like "countries who are willing" which means the US will get an unequally heavier portion of the load.

Holy cow he can admit it! Now apply that to the US

 

[Matt Black]

You're still better off than we are: here's a better view from Europe; this guy really tells it like it is!

 

[LeBuick]

You're still better off than we are: here's a better view from Europe; this guy really tells it like it is!

Wow, now that is a true Republican... He makes the GOP here look like kinds in a sandbox. :thumbs:

 

[Matt Black]

Well, you can't have him - he's ours!

 

[windcatcher]

Wow, now that is a true Republican... He makes the GOP here look like kinds in a sandbox. :thumbs:

You flatter Republicans too much.......

Daniel Hannan talks like a conservative.....

Not all Republicans are.

 

[Magnetic Poles]

I wouldn't put much stock in anything Topolanek has to say. From HERE:

Topolanek comments Wednesday came a day after he was ousted by his own parliament. The Czech Republic currently holds the six-month rotating EU presidency but its leadership is in question, with Topolanek hanging on to a caretaker government at home after losing a "no confidence" Tuesday.

 

[Bro. Curtis]

So he gets thrown out of office, and slams Obama ?

I don't get it. Seems like most of the losers are blaming Bush & Cheney.

 

[just-want-peace]

So he gets thrown out of office, and slams Obama ?

I don't get it. Seems like most of the losers are blaming Bush & Cheney.

He apparently missed that particular "talking points" memo from the Dems!:laugh:

 

[Crabtownboy]

President Barack Obama heads to Europe next week for high-level talks on the financial crisis, trans-Atlantic cooperation and NATO. While Obama remains extremely popular among Europeans, differences over thorny international questions may cloud his welcome.

President Barack Obama still holds superstar status in Europe, where many ordinary Europeans were happy to see the Bush administration go. But that goodwill will be tested during three key summits Mr. Obama will be attending in London, on the French-German border, and in Prague.

http://www.voanews.com/english/2009-03-29-voa16.cfm

 

[Matt Black]

So he gets thrown out of office, and slams Obama ?

I don't get it. Seems like most of the losers are blaming Bush & Cheney.

I don't think he's blaming Obama so much as sounding a warning ie: "Don't end up like us."