From: han@anadolu.michigan.com (hasan.b.mutlu)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.soviet,soc.culture.europe
Subject: 'Skartsis' Lives With "If's" And "Illusions:" Competitive Enough?
Date: 16 Apr 92 22:53:00 GMT



<1992Apr14.145712.28628@wuche2.wustl.edu>
ls0823@wuche1.wustl.edu (Labros Skartsis)

>This is a note to Radu Tomescu and Spiros Triantafillopoulos:

Intriguing.

>I see that you guys keep arguing with mutlu about the economies
>of Greece and Turkey. Just in case you want to... continue, let me 
>remind you that a basic point - that he hangs on - is his
>favorite sentence that according to the UN Human Developed Report:
>>Annual Output Per Person in Dollars Adjusted to Purchasing Power
>>Parity (PPP): Turkiye and Greece  are in the same category. That
>>is, $3,000 - $5,999. 

Yup.

>he must have posted this about 20 times so far, every time he "answers".

A very true statement.

>OK, dudes, please notice: "in the same category" does not mean "the same".
>So don't bother answering him based on this notion. 

Brilliant logic. Besides, Greece really represents a 'bottomless pit'
for the EC.

>The UN's HDI (Human Development Index) utilizes a number of factors, 
>one of which is the income adjusted for PPP that he cites. 
>Now, even with this controversial PPP method, that brings the incomes
>of different countries close to each other (much closer than the real
>GDP), even with the huge greek "hidden" economy that is not taken into
>account, THERE IS STILL A BIG DIFFERENCE - BIG FOR THE PPP STANDARDS.

It is, however, just that: fiction. "Greece is Black Sheep of EC," New 
York Times Says. In a tone of condemnation rarely employed for reports
on Greece in the American press, a New York Times Service story published 
in The Miami Herald on April 11 claimed that Greece was looked upon as 
the 'black sheep' of the European Community (EC) and that most community
members were privately admitting that 'it was a mistake to invite Greece 
into their group.'

According to the story, the EC members ...

>Look once more at the mutlu's statement; yes, they are in the same
>category: Greece had a bit more than $5500 and Turkey (correct me if I'm
>wrong) around $3500. (These are 1988 economic numbers used in the UN's HDI of

Where in the world did you dig up the above numbers? The best evidence
you can find is second hand hearsay from an unnamed source. Obviously, 
you are wrong; Turkiye's 'Annual Output Per Person in Dollars Adjusted 
to Purchasing Power Parity' is $4870. 

>1990). According to this, and OTHER factors that the HDI takes into account,
>Greece was, of course, waaaaay ahead of Turkey in the ranking of nations.

The only conclusion that can be gained here is that you live with 
illusions.

>Now, let's play mutlu's game with the categories; I'll use the 1990
>PPP numbers (all somewhat higher), which I know very well.

Let us see - shall we?

>The following statements are exactly correct - as was mutlu's statement:
>"Annual Output per Person in dollars adjusted to Purchasing Power Parity
>(PPP): Greece and West Germany are in the same category: That 
>is, $6,600 - $12,599".

Have you lost your rabbit? Germany is in '$12,000 - $14,999' category whereas 
Greece is in '$3,000 - $5,999' category. 

>"Annual Output per Person in dollars adjusted to Purchasing Power Parity
>(PPP): Sri Lanka and Turkey are in the same category: That
>is, $2,500 - $4,499".

Huh? Annual Output Per Person in Dollars Adjusted to Purchasing Power
Parity (PPP): Turkiye and Greece are in the same category. That is, 
$3,000 - $5,999. 

>Notice, the ratio of the higher-to-lower bound of the "categories" I used
>is somewhat SMALLER than the one mutlu cites! 

Tell me 'Skartsis,' were you high on something when you wrote that?

>This, in case you guys want to continue playing the game with this dude

Turkiye's competitiveness in Ceramics is 7.20. 
Turkiye's competitiveness in processed foods is 7.11. 
Turkiye's competitiveness in textiles is 6.97. 
Turkiye's competitiveness in contracting... 

Competitive enough?

Hasan B-) Mutlu

                     'Kill Turks and Kurds wherever you find them 
                      and in whatever circumstances you find them. 
                      Turkish children also should be killed as 
                      they form a danger to the Armenian nation.' 
                                     (Hamparsum Boyadjian - 1914)