just john Posted December 16, 2011 Share Posted December 16, 2011 This is more a game of chess than draughts, and there are still a lot of moves left on the board, don't expect a 'game over' for a little while yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idun Posted December 16, 2011 Share Posted December 16, 2011 Ofcourse, I know that not every cent goes on admin. Going by the link, then the budget from 2010 as most things for 2011 won't be done yet, is 122,955,900,000€ and that is 6,147,795,000€ on admin and expenses. Now call me old fashioned, but that is a lot of money and if I'm told that we have to pay to get the best people; well straight bananas and throwing fish back into the sea show me that we may have HIGHLY paid people with lots of qualifications and not as much common sense as ME!And the EMP's with their huge salaries and big expenses packages are not going to complain are they, or deprive the technocrats. I don't like other than the Common Market, the rest makes little sense to me and look at the current mess, which makes it hard for me to consider other than my instinct about it all was right. And I cannot even argue about this. I hate the whole machinery of it and I reckon most countries would be better off without it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SC Posted December 16, 2011 Share Posted December 16, 2011 >Well call me cynical if you want but aren't the French elections in 2012 for both the President and the National Assembly (April to May and the June respectively). I am sure if the boot were on the other foot we would be seeing some 'lively' comments coming from Cameron and the Tories. This is not about EU politics it's French politics pure and simple. I am sure Merkel would be much more active if it were election time in Germany but at least she is showing some effort to hold out an olive branch, just unfortunate Cameron has so firmly closed and bolted the door. I don't recall the Brit politicians having a go at the French Economy before Uk elections. Not least, because it wouldn't have meant much to most people in the UK.Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quillan Posted December 17, 2011 Share Posted December 17, 2011 [quote user="idun"]Ofcourse, I know that not every cent goes on admin. Going by the link, then the budget from 2010 as most things for 2011 won't be done yet, is 122,955,900,000€ and that is 6,147,795,000€ on admin and expenses. Now call me old fashioned, but that is a lot of money and if I'm told that we have to pay to get the best people; well straight bananas and throwing fish back into the sea show me that we may have HIGHLY paid people with lots of qualifications and not as much common sense as ME!And the EMP's with their huge salaries and big expenses packages are not going to complain are they, or deprive the technocrats.I don't like other than the Common Market, the rest makes little sense to me and look at the current mess, which makes it hard for me to consider other than my instinct about it all was right. And I cannot even argue about this. I hate the whole machinery of it and I reckon most countries would be better off without it. [/quote]I did say it was "still a lot" but it's still only 5.57% of the total budget for 2010. I agree some things they come up with are stupid, I visited a banana plantation in Jamaica some years back and they explained the effect that the EU had on them selling to EU states including the UK, devastating. The EU also spend money on a lot of good things as well, regional development grants for new infrastructure projects, conservation and of course simplifying the exports of goods from one EU country to another. What I am saying is that the newspapers always talk about the bad things and very rarely the good which I don't consider balanced but then good news does not sell.I heard on The Politics Show (BBC2) early in the week that having a referendum on the UK leaving the EU does not mean it would be a definite 'yes' vote to leave. It seemed the consensus between commentators was that it would be a close thing either way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quillan Posted December 17, 2011 Share Posted December 17, 2011 [quote user="Sc"]>Well call me cynical if you want but aren't the French elections in 2012 for both the President and the National Assembly (April to May and the June respectively). I am sure if the boot were on the other foot we would be seeing some 'lively' comments coming from Cameron and the Tories. This is not about EU politics it's French politics pure and simple. I am sure Merkel would be much more active if it were election time in Germany but at least she is showing some effort to hold out an olive branch, just unfortunate Cameron has so firmly closed and bolted the door. I don't recall the Brit politicians having a go at the French Economy before Uk elections. Not least, because it wouldn't have meant much to most people in the UK.Steve[/quote]UKIP, BNP and some Tories. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
allanb Posted December 17, 2011 Share Posted December 17, 2011 [quote user="breizh"]The Financial Transaction Tax would be the first time the EU has taxed its population directly, for the benefit of itself. Sorry, that is wrong. The EU has no democratic mandate to tax directly.[/quote]I agree, but even ignoring that issue, I think it's a thoroughly bad idea to raise money by hitting a particular industry.There are plenty of things wrong with financial services: aggressive selling of unsuitable investments, highly-paid risk managers who don't understand what they're managing, too many ways of getting rich by taking risks with other people's money, too many short-term incentives which ignore long-term effects - all made worse by ineffective regulation. I'm sure other people could add to the list.But none of these things will be cured by a tax. And in the meantime, if Europe starts taxing one of its more competitive industries, financial service providers in other places - New York, Dubai, Hong Kong, etc - will no doubt be delighted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
allanb Posted December 17, 2011 Share Posted December 17, 2011 Post deleted (format problem seems to have fixed itself) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
allanb Posted December 17, 2011 Share Posted December 17, 2011 Same again Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ebaynut Posted December 17, 2011 Share Posted December 17, 2011 I might just vote UKIP next time after watching this Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idun Posted December 17, 2011 Share Posted December 17, 2011 Just illustrates how I despise the EU. Common Market fine, the rest for the poubelle tout de suite, please. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
just john Posted December 17, 2011 Share Posted December 17, 2011 [quote user="ebaynut"]I might just vote UKIP next time after watching this [/quote]Two thoughts went through my mind in regard to this, a comparison to a humerous version of rivers of blood speech and the Marxist quote The proletarians have nothing to lose but their chains. They have a world to win; Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
just john Posted December 20, 2011 Share Posted December 20, 2011 [quote user="sweet 17"]JJ, stop exaggerating![:D] 1.1869 is hardly a stairway to heaven![/quote]New high of €1.20! (German Foreign Minster Guido Westerwell says Britain 'indispensable' in the EU; & Boris warns the euro is unlikely to last another 12 months). [Www] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mint Posted December 20, 2011 Author Share Posted December 20, 2011 I agree, not bad coming up to Christmas.Still, I do spare a thought for those like idun and Pierre for whom it goes the other way; I mean they are paid in euros. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mint Posted December 20, 2011 Author Share Posted December 20, 2011 Hah, not long before I'm made to reply to myself:http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2076749/George-Osborne-rocked-warning-Britain-stripped-AAA-credit-rating.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idun Posted December 20, 2011 Share Posted December 20, 2011 How kind, but I've been on the roller coaster before, that's what happens, the ups and downs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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