Comment by elfexec | Hacker News Reader

Comment by elfexec | Hacker News Reader

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> Germany was export-oriented before the Euro, during the transition and with the Euro. Germany was export-oriented before reunification, during reunification and after reunification.

Germany was export-oriented even before WW2. It's funny whenever you read about "How germany or japan became industrial powers after ww2". With many crediting the US or whatever aligns with their agenda. The truth is that both germany and japan were industrial powers before ww2 and they just reverted back to what they were after ww2.

> For example Germany is not a centralized economy (like the UK or France, which are grouped around London and Paris).

Germany is most definitely a centralized economy. Just because it doesn't have the dominant city center like London and Paris doesn't mean it isn't centralized. The reason why germany is a manufacturing power is because german federal government and the state decided to make germany export-oriented manufacturing power. While in the UK, they decided to become finance oriented and service oriented and shifted their manufacturing overseas. Which is smarter in the long run, only time will tell.

> doesn't mean it isn't centralized

Not really. If you look at successful companies, they are all over the country - though not much yet in the former East Germany, for historical reasons.

> because german federal government and the state decided to make germany export-oriented manufacturing power

Germany has been manufacturing/trade oriented for centuries. The 'federal government' does not decide these things on their own just now. Germany does not work like that - there is no 'federal government' which decides the economic policy in a centralized manner, WITHOUT involvement of the Bundesländer and/or the companies/employees/... > finance oriented and service oriented

Germany is also finance and service oriented, just to a slightly different degree and with slightly different domains. Even the manufacturing companies are often extremely service oriented. Selling not just products, but a lot of services around these products.

> While in the UK, they decided to become finance oriented and service oriented and shifted their manufacturing overseas.

Good luck with that.

> Just because it doesn't have the dominant city center like London and Paris doesn't mean it isn't centralized.

That's .. kind of the definition we were using? If it's centralized, in which city is it centralized?

The London dominance of the UK is almost debilitating; it's very hard to get any kind of policy discussion that sensibly includes even Birmingham or Manchester. Let alone all the Brexity post-industrial towns.

It's also not entirely true that the UK has lost "manufacturing" - we still make a lot of stuff in £ value terms, but it tends to be small production runs of expensive stuff. Scientific instruments, aerospace, weapons, pharmaceuticals. The industrial relations disaster of the 1970s caused a backlash against vast production lines - not very many of those left apart from Nissan.

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