this post is the closest to reality, also don't forget that america has noncalculated income, governments are large corporations, these corporations income is generated by collecting commissions (taxes) off of everything, sometimes some companies might rip-off or scam other companies and make some profit that way, say if your company ever ripped off another company or client would you ever file it with the quarterly report? well same with all other companies they'd rather report loses than have people accuse them as being evil and want them prosecuted
The World Bank's GDP rankings are correct: it is a listing of each sovereign nation's GDP, not a listing of the GDPs of international trade associations. The EU exists to allow free movement of people, goods, and funds among member nations. NAFTA does the same thing between the U.S., Canada and Mexico -- the major difference being no common currency. And so to be fair if the EU is used on a GDP list then other international trade associations should be included as well. To get the GDP of NAFTA we can add the GDP's of the U.S., Canada and Mexico. NAFTA's total GDP is over $15 trillion, with the EU's GDP in second place at about $14 trillion.
Maybe, maybe not, after all they said 20 or 30 years ago that we would run out of forests oil and copper by now. What is for true is that when consumption is drastically reduced, a recession or depression appears.
The EU has 1 parliament with political representatives of all the countries. They vote laws that are valid in the entire EU zone. This is not the case with NAFTA. The EU has 1 currency. This is not the case with NAFTA. The EU has free movement of capital, goods and persons. This is not the case with NAFTA. There are no borders within the EU; especially not of the type that exist between the US and Mexico (wired electric fences with 24 hours patrols). The difference is clearly not just the fact that there is no single currency. The 52 states of the US are the best realistic comparison to the EU.
OK, i see, because they said 20 or 30 years ago that we would run out of forests oil and copper, you can deny any warning from now on. A recession or depression is not funny at all, but if the planet isn't liveable anymore the feeling will be much worse than "not funny". There is still live after a recession or a depression. This is not the case once the planet isn't liveable anymore. It will be game over and out. Once ALL the resources are consumed it will be over with a 100% certainty. I'm not a "green person", i like to drive my car every day and i like to fly. But on the other hand i do, from time to time, think about the world and the future of my children. And i must admit that i'm not that optimistic about the future.
The US does not drive the world economy. It is one of the drivers. Also, it is not the only nation for countries to sell their goods to. If it were the case, our world would be in trouble.
what the hell? The point is that the US as a single country produces more than any other single country....that's like adding Canada and Mexico to our GDP and then comparing us to other countries... it skews the results.
I would add that the parliament is mainly ruled by Germany and France and the rest just sit there and watch getting screwed. The EURO risks going down the drain as soon as some country abolishes it. I had several discussions with some Europeans this summer while I was on vacation and I learned that most countries hate the EURO because it has caused local hyperinflation and exploding prices by at least 200% since its inception. This has happened in Italy and Portugal for example. It is remarkable however that the bureaucrat statisticians never saw any inflation in the EU. Ron
Excellent Commentary All ............................................................................................ Having lived in several countries....I do not believe that blanketing several countries with a singular currency is a good solution... Countries indigenous differences are very real...and exacting... A government has to run a clean house in order for its currency to do well amongst its peers...and it is not appropriate for one country to dump its unresolved problems on another...thinking that this somehow is going to create solutions... If the country cannot resolve its problems at its own level...the problems will not go away... Debt...Corruption...Tax policies...Currency Management...Government structure...Legal Structure..Education management...Investment in infrastructure.... When these are properly arranged...the currency will do well...no matter what the float is...