[Osem]

Clearly we both agree that the Germans are acting to suit themselves first and foremost and have done quite nicely thank you. As major architects of the EU policy under which they've benefitted it can't be argued that their success is co-incidental to it. They'd never have signed up to conditions which would hinder German progress would they.

My contention is that the development of the EU and the economic straightjacket AKA the Eurozone has allowed Germany to prosper at the expense of the needs of other nations in the south particularly. Furthermore they'd be quite happen for things to continue in this vein hence their desire to keep the Eurozone intact but with strings understandably attached to limit German exposure.

I don't find this at all surprising but you went down the route of arguing that memories of WWII somehow accounted for views like mine and that there was no evidence that the Germans had any desire to increase their domination of Europe, financially or politically. Forgive me but that rather sounds like you deemed my assessment outlandish and you have yet to explain why the Germans wouldn't rather like to extend their domination of Europe. They clearly haven't engineered the crisis and there are risks to Germany but to think that they (or any other country in a similar situation) wouldn't use the opportunity it provides to try to further their own aims would be naive.