The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Community => Coffee Lounge => Topic started by: RUSTYME on October 26, 2011, 05:56:53 pm
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While the economy goes into a head first dive into an empty pool , the thieves that run the eu , continue to blatently pay themselves outragious amounts of our money .
Like nero , they ' fiddle' while Rome burns ( well it is Greece that is burning at the moment ! ) .
MEp's get £17,000 allowence for staff per year , £44,000 expenses , and £260 per day extra ex's , plus their wages !
Next time you pay your fuel bill or your taxes , think about those corrupt arseholes laughing at you while they spend 'your' money !
Cheers russ
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Take it you'll be voting "no" to the referendum question "do you want to stay in the EU" then?
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i suspect russ will abstain ;)
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Oh i want to stay in the eu ! Why would i want to leave a dictatorship run by a bunch of unelected crooks , or the eu commission as they prefer to call themselves , ?
: )
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i suspect russ will abstain ;)
Abstaining is just abdicating responsibility.
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abdicating responsibility??
some people never fit in, because they were meant to stand out :D
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What really annoys me is that everyone moans about the EU, the govt etc but when you ask them "Did you vote" generally you find they couldn't be bothered. If people want to make a difference they have to get out and vote, the attitude to voting at elections in this country(Eu, local or national) is pathetic and it was amazing to see the people of Egypt queueing up to vote the other day something in the past they've never had the chance to do. We have a democracy but so many poeple choose not to vote and make a difference and that really annoys me. We postal vote and its so easy. Men & women of this country fought for us to have these votes so its time there was a major backside kicking gettign people to get off their a**@ses and do something for once in their life.
Rant over
Mandy :pig:
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Mandy, I absolutely agree. The system might not be perfect but people all over the world are prepared, still, to fight and die to achieve it, as our ancestors did.
I think in Australia you can be fined for not voting.
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Surely a major part of democracy is the freedom to choose ?
Yes people died in the war , i wonder what they would think about the way our freedom has been given away to the eu ?
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yes democracy is about the right to choose but if choose not to vote don't whinge about what happens in govt eu or national.
I don't like the EU anymore than the next man which is why i voted UKIP at the last EU elections as they were the only party which were nearest to my own thoughts on the EU, you look at the policies of parties and decide which one is the nearest to your own set of values or viewsand you make that choice. Choosing to do nothing is a kop out and the people who do nothing are the worst kind, everyone has a view on something and evn if yoy support the monster raving loonies (have't we all at some time?) vote, stand up and be counted and at least you can say well i di/didn't vote for this and truly have something togloat/whinge about.
So Rusty next time theres a EU election or we get our referendum get off your ass and make your feelings known then as least you will have the right to moan about them.
mandy :pig:
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I voted plaid cymru last election , so did get off my arse , and therefore have the same right as anyone to spout off !
However , i have now stepped out of the system almost totally . It is very hard to do though !
Once i am out totally i will then shut my mouth , as long as they leave me alone !
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Sorry, I don't see how anyone opts out. If you use the NHS, if you use the roads, for me, you're in.
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I have not been to the doctors for about ten years ,i don't use a car anymore , and roads i use to walk on are all public rights of way .
I don't have electric or phone line on the land . All my tools are hand operated apart from the sawbench which is run by a deisel engine that now runs on used veggie oil .
The list goes on but is still incomplete , but i will get there soon . It is a hard life at times , but one i prefer .
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I have not been to the doctors for about ten years ,
You are, indeed, fortunate. I hope you don't need to use one in the future either.
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Not exactly fortunate , i have fused vertebrae in neck and back , i have had a detatched ligament in my knee , plus a few other problems . There are alternatives to the nhs and i just make do the best i can .
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so what do you make of the new trillion euro bail out, nothing to do with intergalactic hitch hiking i may add.
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I think it is all bollox , and it will still all go tits up after they have screwed a few more trillion out of all of us . It is like them trying to stop a dam from leaking when it is made of chicken wire !
Sadly most will accept the shite ' they ' spew out , and continue to throw money at the black hole .
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i think its quite interesting to note that if you had bought shares in rbs recently, and sold them today youd have made a 10% profit, other banks were up as well, one (i dont remember which) 18%.. thats alot of money from nowhere, based on political underwriting.
it does add weight to the argument that market forces are running the world, rather than politics, and in our case our democracy.
i dont abstain from voting, im personally of the 'youve got to be in it to win it' camp.
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All this current situation does is stick another plaster over the mouldy leg that needs to be amputated!!! As someone has said on a BBC news website. The problem with Greece is you could wipe out ALL thier debt and in 5 years they would be back to square 1, In the Euro their economy does not work !
This has just kicked the can further down the road for now.
Until Goverments realise you cannot spend more than you raise in tax this soap opera continues. The Greek haircut of 50% does not include loans made in the current "bail out" or debt owed to the ECB. It removes around 28% of there debt not 50% as the headline figure. As always the elected manage to use bullshit and smoke to try to hid the truth behind anything they do!!!!
I am not religious, but Thank God we are not in the Euro and Thank God we are an Island next to Euro land and not firmly in it!!!
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i dont think it makes much difference.
all our major trading partners are european, we contribute to the imf, our not being in the euro doesnt matter.
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It still means we have a degree of control over our fiscal policies. I have always thought the Euro is a diaster waiting to happen. The $ worked in the US because it united for Independance. It does not have the differing history and culture that exists in Europe which mean getting agreement on anything is almost impossible.
We will be hurting as the Eurozone encomy fails but do we really think anyone in Germany is really prepared to throw there hard earned cash at the Greeks and the other failing economies for much longer.
We need to get our own house in order. If we have goods and services that Euroland still require they will trade with us.
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I think it's a real shame the way it's turned out. The idea of having a common market that made trade easier was a good idea but it seems to have morphed into something else - the EU seems to have become an end rather than a means to an end. The corruption seems to be endless.
I can't see how you can have rules that suit 27 countries as difference from each other as, say, Greece and Denmark or Portugal and Romania.
It's like an out-of-control monster. I'd vote for out - I agree that is we have goods and services worth buying, they'll be bought.
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the thing is, that we dont have anyhting to export, apart from financial services. hence our slavery to the banks.
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We export lamb. There must be other stuff. There's loads of horses we could sell to the French.
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The only thing more disappointing than realising that most people dont vote -is coming to the conclusion that if they did, they would vote against you.
'globalisation' will never work, let the eu be an example.
- in the same sentence 'localisation' doesnt work either - whats the answer?
Baz
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not borrowing money is the answer.
particularly not 1 trillion euros from china.
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there you go china making euros now it used to be plastic soldiers :o :farmer:
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The localisation that i hear about is basically camerons cover version of the big society , which in reallity is just his way to get all the services that taxes pay for , done for nothing ,and then they put up taxes even more ! wtf ?
The insane globalisation idea will never work as long as people exist !
Nor will the eu , no matter how much they lie to us .
What comes when these insane ideas fail ?, perhaps we go back to normal ! , but what is that ?
Or maybe the new world order takes control ? The one proported by the bildabergers (sp) . The evil group that intends to cut the world population by 80% ! The group that all the top mp's belong to .
Whatever you think , the future is at best very bleak ! , at worst ?
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Mandy, I absolutely agree. The system might not be perfect but people all over the world are prepared, still, to fight and die to achieve it, as our ancestors did.
I think in Australia you can be fined for not voting.
According to several of my Ozzies pals you're fined for not attending the voting place and getting your name ticked off if you have not got one of the allowed get off cards / reasons .
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They say ......Only a moron would not then vote having been in the station but like most countries Oz has its shate of numpties just like UK.
In the booth you can pick your nose instead and shove a blank or messed up sheet into the slot without any come back whatsoever.
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In the early sixties before Ireland joined the EU you could buy a cottage with 5-6 acres of land for less than ten thousand £ , then they joined and everything went mad, the same cottage would then cost you £500,000. Irish farmers were millionairs overnight with all the subsidies they were suddenly entitled to, the road system was all updated , they joined the euro snake financialy so the currency went up and down with inflation, they thought europe was heaven. Now look at the mess they are in.
Now all the old Eastern block countries will be in the same boat, like kids in a sweet shop, I want- can I have- gimme..........
Again early sixties , Harrold Wilson had to devalue the pound because it got too strong , we were making stuff then that the world wanted but could not afford, We had factories and work. Then Ted Heath took us into Europe and the rot set in.
The only way forwards is to manufacture goods that the rest of the world wants and can afford.
We must also consider ourselves lucky that Africa has not joined..............yet.
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I agree with an earlier poster than the common market was a good idea. I'd have voted for it had I been old enough at the time.
What we have now though is very much the first step to a 'United States of Europe' which, given our diverse cultures and bloody histories, can never work satisfactorily.
Were the public to have been given a referendum on joining what the EU is today, with all the hidden stuff about transfer of legislation and loss of sovereignty, I'm sure they'd vote against.
The conspiracy-theorist in me wonders whether there was a secret 'grand plan' right at the start of all these european shennannigans that plotted the development from EEC to EU to USE...?
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During ww2 the germans were making plans for the control of europe after they won . It was a monetary and fiscal plan.gt was in fact the eec . In theory they lost the war , and wouldn't have looked right to have a group of nazis running europe , so the system was changed to the russian one . It the re emerged as the eec in 1957 , the bait used to catch everyone was ? The common market ! It worked 100%. If the lie is big ennugh everyone will believe it . They still lie and most still fall for it . However , many are waking up at last , but is it too late ?
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In the booth you can pick your nose instead and shove a blank or messed up sheet into the slot without any come back whatsoever.
Personally I think that sometimes a spoiled / blank ballot sheet can be a valid statement. 'None of the above' - but not through apathy; I could be bothered to vote because I value the democracy that I live in, but I could not in conscience support any of the candidates available to me.
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Dan's always said there should be a "none of the above" category.
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Dan's always said there should be a "none of the above" category.
Well of course he has. We computer and ex-computer buffs like things to be right! ;) :D
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We are sadly no longer in a democracy , we are in the eu , which is in no way a democracy , but is a dictatorship . It is run by the eu commission , an unelected elite ; a dictatorship !
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so if you pause to think for a moment we beat the germans in WW1 and WW2 and yet they have still won or i should i not have these thoughts and judgments :farmer:
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Dan's always said there should be a "none of the above" category.
Actually, just before the last occasion I had to vote in England, I discussed this with our then sitting MP and he agreed there should also.
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That's it then, we come out of the EU revert back to the Common Market, and instead of voting for politicians, who are practically all a waste of space, marginally less so when in opposition when they try to say what they think we want to hear, we vote for none of the above. Sorted!
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I worked in Brussels about 10 years ago for 18 months. I worked for one of the EU Agencies - sort of an arm's length organisation which has a specific objective. The European Space Agency is another such organisation.
Now this isn't exactly the same as the Commission but very closely linked and similar in attitude and approach.
One of the basic rules is you never, NEVER make a decision. If you do, you can be shown to be wrong the next day so prevarication is the rule of the game. Instead you hire a consultant to advise you (that was me). Then you form a committee to consider the consultant's report. Then you ask for clarification and then you hold a conference. This takes you to the next financial year when you report progress(!!) and request another 12 month's funding.
As a result little happen, the Commissioners and their staff keep their jobs and we go on paying.
Another feature of this setup is the magnificent premises to be found in Brussels and Strasbourg etc. All the comforts of a royal palace or similar (e.g. Saddam Hussein). No expense spared.
The commissioners are political appointments from the European governments and shouldn't be confused with the MEPs who we elect. Both groups claim to run Europe but in my opinion the MEPs have little to say and it is the Commission which rules by the method already described.
I was a big supporter of the European project till I worked in Brussels. I am now in two minds. It has produced a peaceful Europe but without some form of control on costs (the Commission's accounts have never been audited!!) and formally stated objectives and expectations it is going to sty a mess.
Rant over.
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Please let us have a referendum :)
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The EU is just national government writ large.
The last thing they want is to give the ordinary people a referendum, just in case they vote for the wrong thing. You only have to look at the Irish referendum on the Lisbon Treaty. The irish voted the wrong way so they decided to ignore it (when they should have thrown the treaty out) and hold another referendum later.
As for the failure to approve the commission's accounts - can you imagine HM Revenue and Customs accepting that from a UK corporate company? Why isn't our government telling them that they're not getting any more money until they can show that it's been spent properly?
The other week's vote in parliament on whether there should be a referendum on UK membership of the EU was another example. It had already been agreed that regardless of the result it wouldn't be binding yet all three main party leaders came out to decry the vote and coerce their MPs to vote against it. Why?
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Life should never be filled with regrets. However, I do regret not becoming a politician!! If I can get my conscience removed, i'm going to go for it!!
When we got chickens..bird flu arrived, when we got pigs..along came 'swine flu'.....next year i'm keeping politicians...... ;D
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i think we all already do that ;)
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Life should never be filled with regrets. However, I do regret not becoming a politician!! If I can get my conscience removed, i'm going to go for it!!
When we got chickens..bird flu arrived, when we got pigs..along came 'swine flu'.....next year i'm keeping politicians...... ;D
;D ;D ;D
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IF there is a referendum and the resident brits vote to leave it will be a disater for us ex-pats....
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IF there is a referendum and the resident brits vote to leave it will be a disater for us ex-pats....
Well you'll just have to make sure we all know the consequences of leaving .... you guys will all be coming back! ;) :D
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Some very sinister things happening , with virtually no comments !
The greek pm offers the people a referendum , and he gets a visit from the ruling franco german union , and not only changes his mind , but then stands down . Then the italian pm says he is going as well . Both replaced by unelected technocrat, banker/corporate money manipulaters , very suspect at the very least !
Still it seems people are willing to accept this continued plunge into dictatorship in silence .
It gets worse , there is now yet another body been formed , the frankfurt group . An elite inner group of eu leaders , headed by mmmm ?
Where does it go from here ?
Today of all days take a couple of minutes to think of the people that gave their lives to keep us free , and what we are just allowing tptb do to us .
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Today of all days take a couple of minutes to think of the people that gave their lives to keep us free , and what we are just allowing tptb do to us .
What does "tptb" stand for?
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Sorry anke , tptb = the powers that be .
Cheers russ
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aye the germans got whipped in 44 now they have achieved what they set out to do way back then :( :farmer:
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i think thats stretching it a bit. the war ended 67 years ago, i doubt many on here remember it. i always remember the fallen but i get a bit fed up of the germans still getting accused of attempting world domination just because theyre economically stronger than us.
if there is a new world order being formed through economic collapse, its not being done by the germans, imho.
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as they were the defeated nation money was pumped into there country to rebuild it and there economy
that certainly worked don't you think :farmer:
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absolutely, they were rebuilt economically, lucky that, cos theyre bailing us all out now.
the germans also produce high end quality products, work hard and save a much higher proportion of their income. the general populations economic model is very different to ours, its not so dependent on borrowing.
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mind you, 98 odd yrs ago they were punished (financially) for losing a war and that didn't work out to well. Germany being the dominant financial force in europe is a releltively small price to pay for 50+ yrs of peace and prosperity.
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Hang on to your hats , it may have begun !
With an uncontested coup in greece and now another in italy , one putting a banker at the helm , the other a former eu commissioner,an economist . It looks like they are making their bid for control .
Unelected ' technocrats' that will do the corporate/bankers bidding , the very people who have caused the economic mayhem !
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I don't know the constitutions in those respective countries, but my understanding is that both appoitments were ratified by their respective parliaments. Which is how we technically also chose a PM, after all no one voted for brown or major (before '92 in his case).
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its no coincidence that both new leaders are 'technocrats'. they are both different from the norm, tho there is precedent. brown and major were political appointments.
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With respect m'lud the Greeks are in an impossible economic position, but don't matter, while the Italians are worse off and it does matter.
As the BBC Now Show entertainingly pointed out last week the tabloids first complain (accurately) that most people don't understand percentages then complain that those same innumerate people should be able to vote on the economy they've helped stuff up. Let's not forget the Greek Railways with revenues of 100m and costs of 700m. Venal politicians bought the votes of a greedy people.
The fact that Berlusconi has been the most successful prime minister since WW2 by far in terms of popular support shows that democracy has its blackspots. I love my Italian colleagues dearly but Berlusconi makes Robert Maxwell look like Mother Theresa. The Economist had a cover story in June titled "The man who screwed an entire country" which described him as a disaster as a national leader not for the dodgy sex or the dubious financial shenanigans but his total disregard for Italy's economic weakness.
What mystifies me is how the UK with an pretty nasty economic profile and being run by a bunch of upper class wealthy and arrogant twits now has historically low borrowing costs in the same financial markets that charge Italy 5% more. Not that Ed Balls is even vaguely credible and as for Milliband Minor, words fail me.
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Nothing to say...just wanted to follow the discussion by pressing the "new replies" tab.
I like to read what you folks think about the goings on over there.
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Milliband Minor
;D ;D ;D I shall never call him anything else, now. ;D ;D ;D
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We're scared. Those that aren't scared are about to be.
I've lived through lots of crashes since I started work in 1972 in the UK and many other places. But this one is so big and so deep and so tall there ain't no way to fix it, just no way at all as Dr Seuss might have said.
The crap came down in Jan 2007 with HSBC taking the first subprime bath and I worked out the message that summer though Northern Rock and Lehmans weren't until late 2008. The european banking system is more constipated now than it was after Lehman collapsed. This crash is still crashing over here, and we haven't hit bottom yet. In 2007 what I expected to happen wasn't as bad as this is getting, while governments the world over are just as inept.
How does it feel over there?
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My friend John Rathbone wrote this today, and he's a smart bugger
Weekly Bulletin – 14th November 2011
Last week was a satisfying one for those conspiracy theorists who continue to believe (with increasing justification) that the designers of the euro, led by Jacques Delors, knew all along that, without full political union, the single currency would at some stage enter a crisis of such terrifying proportions that nations would be prepared to sacrifice their sovereignty to sort out the mess and, in the process, move to full political union. This script is being played out perfectly as first Greece, then Italy have had to accept the removal of their governments, which, though both deeply flawed, were at least democratically elected. Messrs Lucas Papademos and Mario Monti, respectively the new Greek and Italian leaders, are perfect for the federalist cause. Monti is a committed European federalist, who has served as a European Commissioner (though he is not currently an MP). Indeed, it appears that his emergency government will not contain a single elected member. Meanwhile former ECB deputy president, Papademos, who has never even been an MP, has already declared that his top priority will be to keep Greece in the eurozone. Does he literally mean that he would put eurozone membership above all else: healthcare, pensions, defence, for example? His baptism into Greek politics looks set to be fiery indeed.
Last week was when events finally caught up with Italy. European leaders – particularly the notoriously anti-market Angela Merkel – are fond of stating that they refuse to be dictated to by the markets but last week, the ‘Frankfurt Group’ used the markets to devastating effect against Silvio Berlusconi. As the bond markets cast their judgment, selling off Italian government debt so vigorously that, on Wednesday, with LCH Clearnet having raised margin requirements, the 10 year yield hit a euro-era high of 7.45%, the ECB could have intervened to help out Italy but apparently saw an opportunity to depose the country’s errant prime minister instead. At the time, much was made of the fact that neither Ireland, Greece or Portugal had survived without a bailout after yields had gone above the 7% level and the markets held their breath. However, let down by ‘eight traitors’ Silvio Berlusconi was forced to fall on his sword and, by Thursday, 10 year yields were back down below 7%. (At the time of writing, they are over 100 basis points below the peak and this morning’s 5 year auction raised EUR 3 billion at 6.29%). The Italian Senate approved the austerity measures demanded by the EU, followed by the lower house on Saturday and Monti’s national unity government is expected to be in place by Wednesday with a goal of balancing the budget by 2014.
Thus in Italy, as in Greece, the electorate have been denied a vote on the euro and find themselves governed by unelected technocrats. We have always said that, within a democracy, it would be unimaginable for any Club Med country to regain the competitiveness lost in the euro-era. Any government attempting to push through the required draconian expenditure cuts and tax rises would find itself facing civil unrest or worse in the short term, and in the medium term would be voted out. It is not at all clear how the situation will change now that the elected leaders of Italy and Greece have been conveniently removed. It is just possible that the people of both countries are so tired of years of corruption and incompetence that they will regard the caretaker governments as preferable to what would have been. However, even if this view does, indeed, dominate, it seems extremely unlikely that it will continue to do so once the technocrats start to show their teeth through their austerity packages. With Italian industrial output down 2.7% in the year to September and even German output down an identical 2.7% month on month in September (largely due to falling demand in the eurozone), it seems that the official view that the eurozone faces a ‘mild recession’ will prove to be an understatement.
With the eurozone in so parlous a state, it was something of a surprise to note that the European Commission estimates next year’s growth rate to be 0.5%, compared with a barely better 0.6% for the UK. With the UK’s austerity programme already in place, the banks substantially recapitalized and the Coalition government representing 60% of voters at the last election (a fact that contributes to London’s status as a safe haven and continues to drive the super-prime residential property market), it would be a shock were the UK not to outperform the eurozone by more than 0.1% in 2012.
This morning we learnt that eurozone industrial production declined 2% between August and September – the most in 2 ½ years. In the UK, this week will see the Bank of England’s Quarterly Inflation Report (Wednesday) which is expected to reinforce the Bank’s view that inflation will fall quite spectacularly next year. Hopefully from the Bank’s perspective, this view will already have gained some more credibility after tomorrow’s release of October inflation data, which is expected to show CPI falling from 5.2% to 5.1% and RPI falling to 5.5% from last month’s 20 year high of 5.6%. Core CPI is also expected to fall to 3.2% from last month’s worryingly high 3.3%. Less palatable for George Osborne will be the Bank’s expected revisions to its growth forecasts – expected 1% for this year, down from 1.5% only three months ago – and 1% for 2012, down from 2% in August. Unemployment data on Wednesday are expected to show the ILO rate increase from 8.1% to 8.2%. Average earnings data, also on Wednesday, are expected to show a fall from 2.8% to 2.5%. While this would please Mervyn King, some forecasters are predicting a fall to as low as 2.2%, which would have negative implications for consumer sentiment. Thursday’s retail sales data are expected to show a 0.5% fall year on year. If this string of UK data comes in broadly as expected, it will be difficult to escape the conclusion that the government’s plan to remove the structural deficit by 2015 will involve considerably more pain than hitherto expected.
JCD Rathbone
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Mr rathbone used a few more words than i did , but it adds up to the same thing basically , 'they' are making their move , so hang on to your hats , shite is about to hit the fan , big time !
You ain't seen nothing yet !
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The whole euro situation is a like a slow motion car crash. There was a daily Mail reporter on question time last week who really hit the nail on the head........the sooner they start working out how to let countries out of it the better!!!
The situation in our Government is slightly different from that of Greece and Italy. Our PM is effectively an MP that leads the party with the majority. If Cameron stood down tomorrow it would not be possible for Thatcher to be brought back in as she is not a currrent MP. Italy and Greece have a history of these technocratic leaders in times when politicians cannot act beyond party political lines. Look at the USA, the president is head of the goverment. But without controlling congress and the senate he is paralysed.
What the next days, weeks and months bring..........is anyones guess. But in real life you can not borrow your way out of debt. The sooner every government starts to understand that the rebuilding and recover can start. Until then, the bottom has not been reached!!!
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The sorry answer is to devalue your currency so that the debts you incurred are repaid in less valuable money. Mrs Merkel needs to roll the printing presses except she can't because of the hyperinflation that arose in the days of the Weimar Republic. It's also tricky to see who you depreciate against when the Yanks have to play the same game.
There's no ejection seat in the Euro. Any suggestion of an imminent departure would lead to a mass exodus of money from the country concerned, though a lot of that has already happened in Greece. The new Drachma would be a pariah currency - who'd want to hold it - so there would be a truly nasty period when hospitals couldn't buy supplies etc. There are no elegant solutions, just ugly ones here.
If you think your money may be worth less next week your'e going to switch it into someone else's money or into assets with which to barter. And means of protecting your barter assets. When you look into this abyss you start looking for other solutions, unappealing as they may previously have seemed.
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i seem to remember that the the euro launched at a rate of 43p, now its 87p, is that the pound devaluing or the othr way round? either way it would have been a good investment.
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from the horses mouth http://www.ecb.int/stats/exchange/eurofxref/html/eurofxref-graph-gbp.en.html (http://www.ecb.int/stats/exchange/eurofxref/html/eurofxref-graph-gbp.en.html)
lowest 57p, highest 98p and average 72p. I'd have guessed 68p because when I worked in Europe it mostly was. You try getting any of those rates off rot-in-hell-Travelex
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good link thanks.
so am i right in thinking the 'euro' has been a good ten year investment? im not good with economics!
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Not really.
If you bought some Euro for 62p at launch and sold them for 86p now then the capital return would be a bit over 3% pa but my recollection is that Euro interest rates have been lower on average for that period than sterling rates so the running interest return would be less by holding Euro v Sterling.
I could work it out accurately but suspect that most of the answer is above.
With investments timing is everything, so if you bought at 66p in early 2007 and sold 2 years later at 97p you'd be looking at a capital return of 22%pa. But the sucker you sold them to would be nursing a big loss.
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My OH blames these 'ratings agencys'...if they say your doomed then down you go! The US has far more debt than Europe but as yet there is no run on the dollar
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I think it's about time we went back to the barter system, and definitely do away with any one dealing in money as a 'thing' Money is a currency for buying things with, it was never meant to be a thing you buy. Sorry for the use of thing, brain's going to sleep!
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My OH blames these 'ratings agencys'...if they say your doomed then down you go! The US has far more debt than Europe but as yet there is no run on the dollar
There's no place to run to except gold, so it's real pricey now. Where else do the Chinese or the Gulf oil producers put their dollars?
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My OH blames these 'ratings agencys'...if they say your doomed then down you go! The US has far more debt than Europe but as yet there is no run on the dollar
I think the agencies have been really incompetent, stupid, venal and alternately indolent and trigger-happy. But that doesn't always make them wrong. The euro-Pillocks currently wanting to "regulate" them actually want to silence them from spreading embarrassing truths.
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an interesting read!
http://www.truth-out.org/why-iceland-should-be-news-not/1322327303#.Ttf6EuoOuFy.facebook (http://www.truth-out.org/why-iceland-should-be-news-not/1322327303#.Ttf6EuoOuFy.facebook)
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Trouble is you struggle to find an honest politician. Added to this none of them have much power, EU, national or local. The money markets and the multinationals, the 1% call the shots and even they can't control their own system. We seem to be sliding into dictatorship but protests like OWS give me some hope.
As a point of interest Hungarian VAT is going up to 27% and the currency is going down the drain. Good job they can't devalue goats.
Best Alan
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Well it looks like the German Empire is about to get even more control . Cameron has gone over to get shagged by Merkel as usual (i think she has a bigger d*ck than Cameron , and knows how to use it too ! ) .
Cameron would get the jack boot in an instant if he were to allow us a referendum , so looks like we are well and truly f***ed . Long live the fatherland !
Cheers Russ
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Don't agree, except for sure he has a tricky job on his hands. But Mrs "Mark Antony" Merkel has been talking about saving the Euro for months while not actually doing what needs to be done. By so doing she has achieved domination over the 17 and is close to getting the treaty changes she has always wanted. But only close, not actually there. Now it's our turn to call at least some of the shots.
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all camerons after is to strengthen the financial center that is the city.
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all camerons after is to strengthen the financial center that is the city.
yup, that way we can be ruled by a bunch of corrupt, unaccountable plutocrats rather than a bunch of corrupt, unaccountable eurocrats. Happy days...
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Cameron calling the shots .,.....yes , and then King Arthur comes riding out of his cave to save us too ! Don't think i will be holding my breath either to occur , although Arthurs return is the more plausible !
At least he could bring Merlin along to wave his wand and save the euro ! Mmmmm Camelot and Merlin ! Very nearly Cameron and Merkel , perhaps we are ok after all ? Er nope , scrub that , forgot teacosy , we are shagged !
Cheers Russ
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Surely a major part of democracy is the freedom to choose ?
Yes people died in the war , i wonder what they would think about the way our freedom has been given away to the eu ?
With freedom goes the responsibliity to help keep the freedom to do other things . Opting out is not the way forward.
Most people I know think freedom is to be absolved of the responsibility to help keep those freedoms.
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And being controled by a dictatorship is the way to do that ? Didn't work too well in the USSR !
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I always thought that England and Ireland would do rather well together. We do a huge amount of trade with each other anyway. I raised the possibility of joining the commonwealth in the local pub (I live in a very republican area). The general consensus was that if we did our children could be forced to fight for the crown, and that didn't sit too well. Oh what to do!
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we already do live in a dictatorship, and it has nothing to do with europe. Successive govts have been in thrall of big business interests (and none more so than this present shower). When a govt can completely overturn democratic principles like this one is doing with the reform to the planning laws then you can in no way say we live in anthing other than a dictatorship.
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Amen to that Mike,
Best Alan
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Sorry Plantoid , the quote section of your post didn't show on my mobile at first. Scrub what i said , it makes no sense in context .
I hate mobiles ....lol.
Cheers Russ