BUSINESS

Why Pigs Can’t Fly

Economists have a new theory as to why the porcine economies of Southern Europe are still so sluggish.

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  • Posted By: Assassino @ 04/24/2009 10:03:08 AM

    This article is very banal, superficial and in my view based on scarse knowledge of the subject treated. You show a tendency to criticise to much without knowing too much about what you are talking about. One thing, for example - Iltalian companies has long moved production to east europeran countries: So the geography argument does not make any sense. I am very surprised by the decision of this magasine to publish such articles.

  • Posted By: Zubi Fernandes @ 02/21/2009 2:01:14 AM

    Minha cara senhora, espero que seja uma profunda conhecedora das culturas sul-europeias... só assim poderia, creio eu, dissecá-las de forma tão "profunda" (à falta de melhor termo) nas suas aparentes fragilidades.
    N.B. Se o meu português estiver a ser confuso demais para o seu software de tradução, desde já lhe ofereço a minha disponibilidade para irmos beber um café à beira-rio, quiçá numa pequena tasca lisboeta inundada pelo sol. Estou deveras convencido que a sua personalidade iria evoluir para uma forma um pouco mais graciosa... quem sabe até talvez... mais educada.

    Espero também (sinceramente) que a senhora entenda que no actual mercado global nenhum dos países da comunidade europeia, por si só, pode competir comercialmente com gigantes como o bloco americano ou o bloco asiático... como é óbvio, só através de um bloco de idêntica dimensão (sim, estou a falar da comunidade europeia) é que os nossos povos (sim, incluindo o seu) poderão sobreviver no mercado global. Esta união necessária à sobrevivência de todos nós (europeus) colide com uma barreira construída e alimentada por incontáveis gerações... a barreira do nacionalismo cego!... a europa perdeu a sua posição dominante no mundo em grande parte devido às eternas quezílias entre vizinhos.
    ... A lógica dita que nos devemos centrar nos interesses comuns (economia de mercado, defesa, educação, saúde, etc) e não nas diferenças culturais (as quais defendo que devam naturalmente ser mantidas. A nossa europa tem uma história antiquíssima... porquê uniformizá-la?)

    Por fim, espero (perdoe-me esperar tanto de si) também que compreenda que não é de bom tom insultar os seus companheiros desta viagem comum que é a nova europa.
    ... não lhe fica bem... nem fica nada bem nas páginas de qualquer revista que se considere minimamente séria.

    Espero ter-lhe sido útil.


    Atentamente,

    Zubi Fernandes
    (Almada, Portugal)

    zubifernandes@gmail.com
    http://zubifernandes.blogspot.com/

  • Posted By: beijokense @ 09/13/2008 10:25:57 AM

    Miss von Reppert-Bismarck,
    I suggest an acronym for a group of Central and Northern EU countries, including yours.
    Belgium, Ireland, Czech Rep., Hungary, Estonia, Sweden.
    I miss finding a country starting by a T...
    Regards,
    Beijo Kense
    http://antoniopovinho.blogspot.com/2008/09/porcos-e-cabras.html

  • Posted By: Luis Martinez @ 07/23/2008 2:40:45 PM

    Since when in the last ten years Germany has been growing at a sustained 3%? Are you serious? The author says that Germany is a country that has profited from globalization. Fine. So has Spain. For the last 15 years Spain has been the second largest investor in Latin America. Beyond that, Spanish companies have bought airports, banks, autoways, real state, wind and solar mills from the UK to China. In Eastern Europe alone/ allegedly the exclusive prey of German big business, Spanish companies dominate the real state market and are making inroads in most other sectors. Besides, Spanish dynamism has atracted more than five million migrants to Spain in the last five years alone and most of them are staying despite the current economic crisis. Compared to Spain, Germany has nothing to boast off. How many Germans are living in Spain? almost half a million. How many Spaniards would like to move to Germany? almost zero.
    Francisco Montes

  • Posted By: Luis Martinez @ 07/23/2008 1:05:12 PM


    I have found both the title and the content of this article highly distateful and in fact bordering on the racist/ xenophobic. Refering to a group of countries or economies as "porcine" or "pigs" is simply insulting and unworthy of a serious magazine like yours is supposed to be. Besides, the author shows a complete ignorance of the diversity and economic reality of the countries she is talkig about. Take the example of one of the alleged "pigs", Spain. Despite the current economic slowdown Spain has more than doubled the average rate of growth of countries like Germany for the last twelve years. Spain is now the 8th largest economy and the sixth largest world investor according to OCDE and WOrld Bank statistics. It has global leaders in sectors like communications *Telefonica is the fourth largest telecom company*, banking * Santander is the fith largest world bank*, retailling * take Zara or Mango, for instance", construction and infrastructure * seven out of the largest tenth world biggest infrastructure management groups are Spanish* and so on. Spain is also a global lieader in renewable energies * Acciona, Iberdrola..." . So are you sure that "pigs can fly?".

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