breizh

I never understood "eye for an eye" as a punishment method. You did something bad, which we as a society totally abhor. SO, we're going actually the same thing to you as a punishment[8-)] Punishment never works as a deterent to criminals. It only works in the minds of the lawabiding.

[quote user="Quillan"]  Iceland has already failed, and Great Britain will also fail. [/quote] Fail in what way? The one place where our orders are dramatically up. Q. Chiil out. I really think you should become more French, and less British. Just ignore the problem, or pretend it doesn't exist. Been working fo them for the last 30odd years. One thing for which I always criticise the Brits. They just get told too much. Be more French. Nobody tells them anything[:)] Ignorance is BLISS[:)]. Who cares[:)]...................And that's how the Gallic world turns [:D]

If you watch BBC News there would be a natural assumation you are get UKcentric information. Moody's assessed the German banks last week, and the French banks late last month. A total of 28 were downgraded. I doubt the BBC would report that information. My point is, that it is no big deal, though if you take the information you were hearing today, in isolation, it would sound important. To honest, French TV would not report such a story, as the viewers are simply not interested. I get paid in Euros, all our savings and investments are currently in Euros. Married to a Frenchwoman for 20 years. I have a very serious commitment to the Euro and France. However, as the weeks tick by, more and more, horror stories are coming out from the Eurozone. I seems the official line from the Finance Ministers, and ECB, was "Ignore everything, and hope it goes away". Now we have ECB directors saying different things, Finance Ministers saying different things, and I am getting worried, that they, don't know what to do as a collective unit, so everyone is doing their own thing. The Markets get jittery about the lack of consistancy, or any form of plan, and react accordingly negatively. Even worse with elections in Germany, and France in the next 12 months, absolutely nothing is going to be resolved in the foreseable future. If you read the De Spiegal, the figures are starting come out of the woodwork, same sort of things as we all learnt about the UK2-3 years ago. Why did it take the Eurozone to admit things? what else is going to come out of the woodwork? I see don't the forx rates moving much, but that is a function of competitive devaluation. I see the Chinese buying USD and EUR to drive up those currencies. I see our orders dropping month in, month out. We're a German company, turnover about USD 10billion. China has been the cash cow, but the orders are down 50% in 2 months. The miracle, has proved to be a mirage. We will be shutting plants for maintanance shutdown in France and Germany at the end of July, many will not reopen in September.

Something which I've tried to explain before http://www.spiegel.de/international/business/0,1518,764299,00.html Written in dry German style, it goes some way to explain what might be going on in the Eurozone. Certainly explains why French and German bank and insurance shares are down over 50% in a couple of months. Personally, I hadn't realised just how bad things were. No wonder the bail outs continue. Europe would literally grind to a halt if any default/s was allowed. Somewhat puts the bailout countries in the driving seat!

For sure detailed infomation of the alledged victim was in Le Figaro and Le Monde. In the US the accused is shown to the public, the accused is now part of a Federal process. The populous is informed to protect the accused from the State, and at the same time tell the populous the State is now protecting the accused, it is not intended for any other purpose. If any accidents occur the populous know who to blame. It goes back a very long time, to when lynch mobs and summary justice were common. American juries are well used to this process. It does not affect their judgement. I agree that to European minds it is difficult to understand. If it is decided to continue the judicial process, then I am sure in due course you will be able to follow the trial on TV.  

I cannot reconcile why the French media, and public, get so animated about the image of the accused being shown, whilst they are happy to print the name, address, CV, and photo of the accuser. To an Anglo-Saxon this completely topsy-turvy, particularly in rape cases. Would a Frenchwoman make an accusation of rape? Don't think so! The ACCUSED gets animinity. The ACCUSER get flagged all over the media. [:-))]    

[quote user="cooperlola"][quote user="breizh"] it is the over 55s which consume 75% of healthcare budgets!! [/quote]Bear in mind that that percentage includes those over 65 whose healthcare is paid for by the UK.  The dependents of those over 65 are also paid for by Britain. [/quote] Rereading, I don't think I made it very clear. I have no problem with those in legitimate receipt of healthcare via EU reciprical arrangements. My issue was with the people who used to access via CMU. Big house all paid for, new cars, but declaring very little tax. It was irritating in the extreme paying for them! In the Uk my wife has to declare her global assets, as well has her income, when initilly accessing the NHS. The question is not actually relevant to her, as she is my dependent, and works. However, the question is there.

[quote user="Martin963"]I wish they'd tighten up the health rules similarly in Britain I have to say.... [/quote] Same rules in the UK. It's not quite like the DM/DT tell it! Everytime I'm moved back to the UK, my wife(French) has to jump though the same bureaucratic hoops as the Brits do here. As a French taxpayer, I'm with Idun on this. Early retired Brits, asset-rich, cash-poor, sponging off my taxes, for 5/10/20/30 years is not nice. Particularly, as it is the over 55s which consume 75% of healthcare budgets!! Couple of suggestions. The new tax will only affect non-residents, so become resident. Think about getting a salaried job here, immediate access to the health system. Presumably after 15 years you've got a good level of French. There are jobs, low paid, but they exist in the cities, maybe not in Mortville-en-Bois, but check out Pole Emploi. Look for an employer in the UK who have a presence in France, and aim to get transferred!

I am starting to think the French have got the right idea. Sometimes the Anglo-Saxon "holier than thou" attitude can start to grate. The media are banned by law from discussing the financial affairs of Deps and Minsters. This story would just not have "happened" in France. Ignorance is bliss? It certainly helps maintain the image of the political class. Sometimes Enchaine Canard takes the gamble. The maximum penalty in France for this sort of transgression is EUR 30,000.00, no prison, no sacking. Anything over that and you're into profit!!

Sovereign Debt is absolutely nothing whatsoever like an electricity bill!! Dog, that bloo*y Vampire Witch which did in the coal mines has got this stupid myth to answer for as well. Think of Sovereign Debt as more like a mortgage. You can have loan bigger than your salary (GDP), and as long as you keep paying the interest everything is hunkydory. The problem comes when you have to repay the Capital, and in effect ask your mortgage company for another loan. Dumb countries like Greece (and France) roll over their loans every 2-3 years. Give Mr Brown his due, UK is pretty well all 25 years. Nothing to worry about for a very long time yet. No IMF, no cutting off the electricity, no bailiffs knocking on the door. Sorry! This myth about a "true" National Debt is equally as dumb. Again think of it as a mortgage. You borrow GBP100K for example. You have a GBP100K debt. However, that completely ignores the future earnings, and the period the loan is spread over. The "pension time bomb" is a perfect example. Headline UK owes £9999999trillion (or whatever!) in pensions, and it must be added to the National Debt immediately. Well, no. It's spread over many, many years, and totally ignores future income. Your age group was in charge of the country when all this happened, you dreamt all this up, be proud of youselves!!  

These are just guesses. As always the guesstimates in Eurozone will be downgraded by 0.5% when the actuals are available in about 6 months time. UK figures will, as always, be increased by 0.5%. Been happening since Adam was a lad. Unfortunately the UK media has decided it's audience has lost interest by then, so never report the Actual Figures widely! Q, did you used to be in Dad's Army? We're doomed. We're doomed! Couple of reports out this week. HSBC, no lover of UK PLC, released their Q1 Results. At the same time they released their Strategic Plan. Now, bearing in mind they are the world's biggest bank, have 400,000 employees, and never took a sou from any Govn when the Credit Markets seized, they have a right to be heard. Perhaps even over the voice of Q? The original Report is limited release, but I've checked for an English lang version, try Robert Peston's blog on the BBC website from a couple of days ago. In brief, they are looking at the global economy over the next 30-40, and how they will position themselves best to remain topdog. UK remains the world's 6th largest economy, behind China, US, India, Brasil, Japan and Germany (just). France drops to 21st. The Eurozone is expected to remain, however as a reserve currency, it will be about the same as CHF, negligable. The main reserve currencies will be the USD, REM and GBP. Again, bear in mind, this is in all but  name a HK Chinese bank. Secondly was the report both from McKinseys and World Economic Forum. Again, neither lovers of UK PLC. In short the UK will move from a current deficit, to surplus, by 2018, and continue. Germany is expected to slip into deficit in 2020, and continue. France will maintain it's record of the last 32 years, and remain in deficit! (even I could have called that one!!). Rather an expensive Report, but my German employers love Reports! In short, I think you really should try reading the original Reports wherever possible. Letting some bimbo on the BBC, who did Media Studies, give you the information is probably not the right way to go. Personally, of the UK papers, I only read the FT, I simply know the others are talking politically motivated rubbish! Stick to German/French/Spanish papers, though bear in mind the big subsidies the French papers get from the Govn!

I make that 10billion[:D] However, the figures are irrelevant. You lot pretty well all live in Mortville-sur-Bois. 90% of the French live in big towns and cities. They really don't care about Mortville-sur-Bois, but they do care about making sure THEY don't pay any more tax. Nothing wrong for pandering to the politics of envy. Rich foreigners............easy target!!

The tax will be 20% of the cadestral value of the property, which taxe fonciere also uses. It's a notional rental value, not a real rental value! I'd agree with Chancer, this is a done deal, probably before the presidential elections next year. Good headline grabber. Payable only by expat French, and foreigners. SMICards will love it!! Win-win for the Dwarf. I'd also have to say that I'd be 100% positive that this is one tax that the foncs will increase almost annually.

The missus sounds suspiciously French and her passporte is a funny colour[:D] She's proper French[:D] Know what you mean though, but it does seem to be a growing problem, particularly where the population average age is under 100. Just as an aside. Ask your boulaberier where he gets his croissant dough. He bakes on the premises, but the dough all comes from Brake Bros. Swindon's answer to haute cuisine[:D] 75% market share in France. I was a bit shocked and disappointed when that story appeared in Le Monde.

And if you get early in the morning, bet you'll see the Brakes Bros chillvans everywhere!

The traditional french style eatery has been completely wiped out in commuterville Paris. Kebabs, McDo, Quick, pizza emporter, seems the same in the other big cities I visit. Kebabs, kebabs, kebabs, kebabs, hoe many magrebhis are ther in France[:D] Standard marketing practice is if the volumes go down, the price goes up. It would be absolute commercial suicide to cut prices, hoping that volumes will increase!! Not sure exactly what margins French restos work to, but it must be in the region of 60% GP. All the input costs have risen dramatically. I'd be a wee bit suspicious of a 3 course meal that costs EUR10. There's only EUR4 of food in that[:-))]

[quote user="Jako"] The USA and the UK control the media and are still using smoke and mirrors to hide their own huge problems behind the relatively small eurozone flaws. [/quote] Have you tried reading, watching or listening to the German or French media? (Genuine question, no sarcasm intended). I'd recommend Die Siegel, they have an English addition, or Le Parisen. It helps with getting a more balanced view. It also will bring to your attention problems the US/UK media will not. The bankrupt regional banks in Germany, the unaccounted debt in the commercial banks, SNCF paying more in interest on it's debts than it's entire revenue, their pension bill being more than their entire renvue, EdF making no provision whatsoever for the EUR trillion needed for their nuclear decommissioning, all the bankrupt Cajas/Caixas in Spain, the unaccounted bad property loans, little things that may help question other things. I doubt the German, and French media would appreciate the suggestion they are controlled by UK/US. http://www.spiegel.de/international/ http://www.leparisien.fr/faits-divers/actualites-informations-videos-faits-divers

I'm giving up. Nobody will notice! Note: There will be no wine, pastis, anything French whatsoever. Little cocktail sausages wrapped in puff pastry. Pate en Croute cut like pork pie. Trifle. Pickled onions, pickled eggs, Branston. Party poppers, leftover Xmas crackers, Union Jack bunting (found some!). Busy night tomorrow. Cooking. Writing instructions for the missus', she can't even boil an egg. Perfect tonic. Must stock up on Berocca!

Ours is very much a party first Idun. Just seems that everyone I talk to here loves the upcoming wedding. By coincidence we lived in Bucklebury, on the outskirts of Newbury, when I waqs working there about 10 years ago, and my wife taught at Downe School. Never met any of the Middleton family though. Hated Bucklebury. The worst example of twee, middle class England I have ever come across. All horses, Hunter wellies, Landrovers and kids at minor public schools. Yuk. The ados in Paris might scare the bejesus out of me, and rob me once or twice a month, but least they're honest!

Do I add vodka to the soup?[:D] Thanks, but it's supposed to have "mildly" inebriating properties! Poireau eau de vie?

Just come back from a really depressing time with the missus' family. Though the TrueBlues did humiliate the SalfordSc*m, which cheered me up a bit. All the French people, family and friend, we know are Royal Wedding mad, don't know any Brits, probably they're all doing the standard brit-snob bit, and pretending they're not interested. Trying to have some fun, and cheer us up.........................we're having a PARTY, standard French binge drinking + food, Friday evening, straight after work. Friends, neighbours, crews, work colleagues, boule club, etc, etc. Red, white and blue vodka jelly! Tasteless decor! Cheese and pineapple on a stick! English beer. Scottish whisky. Irish whisky. Fosters lager. Molson beer. Jamaican rhum. Covered most countries which he'll be king of one day, bar one. HELP. Need something Welsh and alcoholic, which I can get in, or near Paris in the next 2.5 days. 

Sorry. This must have been some "brawl". It must be my warped sense of humour, I thought this was hilarious. Must have been watching Wayne Rooney? Read the Comments, some very funny, and some very Daily Mail. http://www.leparisien.fr/strasbourg-67000/bagarre-apres-un-match-de-moins-de-15-ans-plusieurs-ados-a-l-hopital-14-04-2011-1408051.php#reagir All the ados I know carry knives, 'spose it could have been worse.

I was born in Manchester, so I'm a City fan. Tomorrow WAS going to be the biggest day of my life since 1981, that includes getting married! BIG PROBLEM Got to drive to Brittany tomorrow. Guingamp to be exact. FiL has gone into hospital for the umpteenth time, and the doctors say he's not coming out. My dearly bewildered wants to see him. Understandable, I suppose. BIGGER PROBLEM They haven't got TNT[:-))][:-))] SOLUTION I pay a hitman to bump the old goat off tonight. [Www]  Or, slight less drastic, can anyone living local confirm if either the PMU down by the fountain, or the one up by the roundabout will be showing the match.

I have a very sick feeling in my stomach when the issues like this arise. Politicians playing games for votes? Sarko needs any vote he can get from Ms Le Pen. Meanwhile there are reckoned to be somewhere between 6-10 million muslims in France, roughly 7-8 times more than any other European country. The law of Unintended Consequences comes into play here. Effectively people are being forced to chose between their loyalty to the State, and their loyalty to their religion. A choice forced on them by the State. Seems to me the perfect way of Radicalising those millions of Algerians, Tunisians, Morrocans, etc in the HLMs. I'm actually a bit scared. Anyone want to guess what is going to happen this summer? There is no "When in Rome, in this case". France is secular state, not Catholique, not christian. The State owns and maintains the buildings used by Catholiques, Protestants and Jews for worship, paid for by taxes provided in part by Muslims. Anyone spot the problem. I would have thought, France particualarly, would be very, very cautious about picking on any religious group. History, is not very favourable to them, even during the 20th century. Maybe, I'm younger than the age group that populates this forum (late 30s), but I don't see a Burqa. I notice it, in the same way as a notice a girl in a short skirt, but in the same way, I've forgotten it 10 seconds later. It's just not an issue for me.  

From my employer's daily news digest. German business paper, very highly regarded. The financial daily Handelsblatt writes: "It is impossible for the political leadership of Europe's common currency union to end the debt crisis with a single move. Such expectations are unrealistic. But they could certainly do more to withdraw some of the uncertainty from the financial markets. For that, one thing is necessary above all: the courage to tell the truth. First and foremost, euro-zone countries must bring themselves to reveal the true losses their banks have experienced as a result of the euro crisis and the losses that could still be pending. Indeed, the new round of stress tests would be a perfect way to shed light on such questions. But euro-zone decision makers lack the courage. Once again, the stress tests are not testing which banks would be hit hardest in the case of a state bankruptcy in the euro zone." "One has to assume that political interests are the reason rather than economic logic. A stress test which includes the sovereign bonds held by a bank would almost certainly reveal even larger capital shortages than are already to be expected. In Germany, it would likely be primarily the state-owned institutions, particularly the Landesbanken (eds. note: banks owned primarily by German states), which would be affected. And that is bad news for taxpayers. After they have already paid billions to prop up the banks, they would have to cough up even more. That, though, is something that Chancellor Merkel would rather not tell German citizens." The Brits and the Yanks hammered their banks 2-3 years ago. The Europeans didn't. Particularly Germany. They've ended up owning Hypo Real and WestLB, a big chunk of Commerzbank. Truth be know they'd end up with all the regional banks as well. France would probably end up with Caisse d'E/Banque Pop, maybe BNP. Spain would end up owning all the Cajas/Caixas. Suisse, well they ended with most UBS, now been sold to some Gulf state. European banks have not been put under the same scrutiny as Brit/Yank banks. It won't happen though. If you don't want to find something, the best answer is not to look for it! Scary thing is the chain reaction will continue, as the markets hit country after country, they are feeding on the uncertainty that the politicians are creating.