Comments

I defer to our fellow Europe blog types especially from the UK - but your gut tells you the decline may be upon them - the Islamfascism riddle being a prime dilemma with costly overtones financially and culturally. Love to vacation there though.

Posted by Sean at February 15, 2006 10:18 AM

Sean, the UK is the sole exception--with pretty high marks.

Posted by tom peters at February 15, 2006 10:27 AM

Beg to differ. The British, who once boasted that the sun never sets in their empire, are a terminal case.

The Islam,fascism riddle,is going to cost them very dearly.

Posted by Viswanathan at February 15, 2006 12:18 PM

There is further commentary in an article by Theodore Dalyrimple in the current issue of the Cato Institute's newsletter. There are also three pretty good arguments presented by writers who claim that "Old Europe" is not ready for the scrap heap of irrelevance quite yet.

Here's the link:
http://www.cato-unbound.org/

Posted by Mike at February 15, 2006 1:18 PM

I'd say that Ireland will remain high in growth, as they are embracing (perhaps a strong word) labor reforms and continuing to provide extremely attractive corporate tax rates that continually encourage investment. The new president of the American Chamber of Commerce is the director of Abbott Pharma right here in Sligo!

Ireland has been a sleeping giant for the past 10 years, surpassing all of Europe, and most of the world stage, with growth. The only difficulty is that the cost of living is the second highest in Europe, which somewhat dampens the corporate tax incentive. Today, though, Europe's open borders allow for an immigrant workforce that helps to keep labor costs from going too high. Poland has the largest influx of workers in Ireland at the moment.

Indigenous growth is also on the rise, with a highly educated workforce (once Ireland's largest export) especially in the IT sector - and the broadband infrastructure has finally taken root here. The flexibility that the IT industry provides in regards to geographic positioning allows companies to enjoy Ireland's green, eco-socio friendly lifestyle while still being highly competitive on the world stage.

Natural gas lines off the Connemara coast, high wind energy from the Atlantic (wind farms are already quite popular here), progressive research into alternative energy sources, healthy agricultrual land and good transportation access to the rest of the world should ensure that Ireland remains a force in Europe for the forseeable future.

Posted by Tom O'Leary at February 15, 2006 1:48 PM

I notice signs of decadence in our economy, the main one being the absolute lack of opportunities for GREAT projects, the bureaucratization of economic life and the fear for innovative solutions.

I am so bored with all this that I´m seriously considering working abroad.

There are always opposed trends in macroeconomics and I think there are companies that will be aware of the general changes but many people can be swallowed by the coming realities.

Posted by Felix Gerena at February 15, 2006 3:07 PM

Being a Dane and a European, the post was not exactly positive reading. However, I think we need to consider whether the future belongs to countries / unions or smaller entities such as regions and city states.

Europe as a whole is in for a lot of trouble, but I actually think small countries such as Finland, Sweden, Denmark and perhaps the Netherlands have a bright future.

The Nordic countries are small - smaller than many cities - and populated with skilled people (yes, they are aging, but still skilled). They are well run and most important - entrepreneurship is on the rise.

If they can keep their welfare costs in place and make the right strategic choices on how to place their innovation bets (niches, not mainstrem) you will see these countries be quite competitive in the future.

So don't always look at the European Union as a whole as you should not always view the United States and Asia as a whole.

Posted by Stefan Lindegaard at February 15, 2006 4:51 PM

The job of world business is going to be pushing what is created in Asia, into the whole world, get ready to take the sweet ride on their new innovation.

Comfortable "customer experience" societies are the best Europe and the U.S., and the rest of the world can hope for. The waves of tech innovation may come from the Asian and Indian, but the whole world will get to use that wave of innovation.

Your forgetting the "customer experience" societies that Europe nations have always been. Businesses and societies in Europe and the U.S., need to learn to ride the edge of that wave of tech innovation.

Posted by Mike Reardon at February 16, 2006 2:59 AM

Aren't we all misisng the real deal here?

The future increasingly belongs to corporations, not countries.

Posted by gulliver at February 16, 2006 3:53 AM

Good point gulliver. We could even go one step further. The future belongs to the birds and the environment - and subsequently to those of us who are intelligent enough to recognize that. Those overly dependent on nation state growth and federation security are prone to sink with the ship that they're clinging on to.

- New HN51 cases in Italy, Greece, Slovenia and (watch this space carefully) AFRICA. Is Europe/US/Asia/world ready?

- Polar ice caps eroding as we discuss

- Tsunamis, hurricanes, global warming (California and Ausralia will one day be deserts - uninhabitable). New Orleans and Phuket are evidence of the unpredictability of nature. Forecasts for human endeavor and growth are uncertain at best.

Posted by Tom O'Leary at February 16, 2006 4:59 AM

The problem that I have with this article is that Europe is not a single unit, and knowledge-based economics cuts through localised geography.

Where many countries have a socialist-leaning view, some (like Britain and Poland) don't. Entreprenuers are leaving France to come and work in the UK because it's much easier to do business here.

Posted by Tim Almond at February 16, 2006 8:23 AM

Ireland has and should continue as superstar while France seems to lead in decline - Germany perhaps also - hope they turn it around.

Posted by Sean at February 16, 2006 1:01 PM

buy viagra australia online

let's not forget our fundamentals when reading, virtually, any article in magazines... they have to fill their pages with 'interesting' stuf every few weeks to sell them!.. anyone who has ever had anything to do with weekly/monthy magazines knows that there is a lot of space to fill and you have to fill it.. the truth or efficacy of any particular article is of much less importance than filling the space

Posted by funkyblakgal at February 17, 2006 8:41 AM

generic viagra with echeck Does the Boston - Berlin debate surface here ?

If yes then in the Middle you may have the Dublin (Ireland)contribution,

Do Good ( In terms of personal / social solidarity )
Do Well ( In terms of personal and collective economic success )
For sustainabilty both are interdependent.

As for the Elephant in the room - Dynamic Nature which humbles us all, and reminds us if were honest that were not that smart - think of the catastrophic systems failure in dealing with New Orleans more the reason to wake up and start working together everwhere. Its not a contest were all interdependent!
Now that would be a real Success Event !

Posted by Stephen McM at February 17, 2006 12:50 PM

Hi everyone,

try this:

http://www.foet.org/European%20Dream.htm

The European Dream: How European Vision of th e Future is quietly Eclopsing the American Dream

Best Reagards from Germany/Berlin

Albert Klamt

Posted by Albert Klamt at February 25, 2006 9:42 AM