As Bayern Munich plays the second leg of the semifinals of
Champions League tommorow (2:45 EST) at Barcelona, the match is much more than just two
storied franchises battling it our for European supremacy, at least to me
anyway. Because this game paints an ironic tale of two nations of complete
opposite fates. So much so, that the only commonality is found on the pitch.
Europe, as a whole is much more
socialist than we are here in the states, contrary to what the folks like Bill
O’Reilly or Sean Ins'anity might suggest otherwise. With that being said, the
degree of socialism in Europe is about as narrow as the O-Man’s
2,000 word healthcare bill that still to this remains unread. Germany
and Spain mark
the extremes of this as both are from opposite ends of the socialism spectrum.
Sure, Germany
has its socialist state calling card with its "free" health care, its "free" schooling and higher taxes. There are
the laws in place where boards of directors have to contain labor
representation. There are also restrictions on what jobs can and can’t be outsourced.
Nobody is going to confuse Germany
with being Anarcho-Capitalists, that is for certain.
Interestingly enough however, Germany is more US than it is European in terms of production. According
to the CIA World Factbook, Germany is the second highest
exporter in the world behind only China. This includes world renowned
brand names such as: BMW, Porsche, adidis, Volkswagen, Merck, Siemens, BASF,
Allianz, Deutsche, Bayer, Daimler and SAP just to name a few.
Outside
of banking, what does Spain actually build? Sure BBVA
is a gigantic bank but if the world is being funded, floated and sunk in fiat currency
its no surprise those nations that rely on bubbles will feel the pain. The nations
that produce the most tangible goods are the least affected.
This
week, Spain’s unemployment reached 27%. To say that is staggering would be an understatement. Germany meanwhile, has
unemployment of around five percent. As far as Germany is concerned, there is no
recovery. How can you recover from something if there is no illness?
So
when Bayern-Munich invades Barcelona tommorow afternoon, with its
bigger/stronger/faster athletes, the tale of two socialism's will not be lost on
me. The German team, actually named for a German company, is an emerging super-power. This team represents a nation of innovation, fiscal restraint and a strong work ethic. The Spanish side
is team that was the standard of futbol for years on the decline. It also represents a nation where people would rather sip cappuccinos in a café or
bistro than work. Much like the expected outcome today on the pitch, Germany and their form of
socialism wins out. Hard work and innovation always do.
