Brexit again...

[SourceOfTheTrent]

I don't promote that as a reason to leave it

I'm glad you said that because I agree. There's lots wrong with the EU but, for example, there's a lot wrong with the USA yet none of their states are looking to leave and the general attitude there is to demand change when they don't like something, e.g., gun control. Change is difficult and can be long winded but they do and have made major progress over time and they're better off for it.

[Aussie Rules]

For some time now the EU has, in my opinion, ignored the elephant in the room - or should that be elephants?

 

China's economic and social expansionism is there for all to see, but the likes of the EU seem powerless to halt or challenge Beijing.

 

Trump's US of A closes its borders and says it will only interact with those who show them respect or are gratuitously considered their friends. Of course this could change with a new Administration. Either way the likes of the EU do not, again my opinion, have the where with all to challenge Washington.

 

Russia does what Russia pleases with sanctions applied by the USA or UN being of no consequence to the Kremlin.

 

Right now London and Brussels need each other but, and it pains me to say this, the EU will remain a small fish in a big global pond.

[For Us All]

How can you possibly think Thatcher was any good when you come from Stoke on Trent?

 

Did your family own a pot bank or something?

 

My parents did have a few premium bonds thanks to Ernie.

[For Us All]

And now Jez and his filth are talking about backing another referendum.You really couldn’t make it up.

 

Meanwhile at a Momentum World Transformed festival Laura Smith,the Labour MP for Crewe and Nantwich,has called for a general strike to help bring down the Conservative government - if there isn't a general election.

You're right Howjy,you really couldn't make it up.

[SourceOfTheTrent]

For some time now the EU has, in my opinion, ignored the elephant in the room - or should that be elephants?

 

China's economic and social expansionism is there for all to see, but the likes of the EU seem powerless to halt or challenge Beijing.

 

Trump's US of A closes its borders and says it will only interact with those who show them respect or are gratuitously considered their friends. Of course this could change with a new Administration. Either way the likes of the EU do not, again my opinion, have the where with all to challenge Washington.

 

Russia does what Russia pleases with sanctions applied by the USA or UN being of no consequence to the Kremlin.

 

Right now London and Brussels need each other but, and it pains me to say this, the EU will remain a small fish in a big global pond.

Fair comment Mr Aus. One of the things that drives me potty about this sudden concern over China is their rise to strength has been facilitated and actively encouraged by the developed economies, in particular the USA. I spent 20 years in high tech manufacturing and experienced first hand its shift from the US and Europe to the Far East, mainly China. The present situation arising was obviously apparent to anyone with half a brain and I recall having some pretty heated arguments with accountant "business leader" types who held the conceited view that the 'easy' bit of actually making stuff would be done in the Far East as they could do it "cheaper than you" ('you' being people actually manufacturing). They looked down on manufacturing people such as engineers, production workers, line managers, quality control professionals and the like as less able and worthy than them. Why? Because we worked with machines and dirty materials whilst they sat in plush offices and didn't wear overalls or a lab coat? They could not, or would not, see that our manufacturing costs were not higher because of labour costs - that was only an element - they were higher because of the costs of overheads, ie, them, huge commercial property costs, huge utility costs and the cost of living in a developed society that provides public services and welfare such as pensions, a health service and education.

Brexit, or the looming disaster of it, is all related to this. China's arrived on the economic world stage and, as was obvious, is now rapidly developing it's own supporting infrastructure and major companies. So much for them being grateful to do just the 'mucky, low added value' bit of manufacturing whist "we" retain design rights, finance, control, profits, etc. We in the developed world we'd to be able to compete if we are to maintain our standard of living, never mind improve it. That means being part of an economic bloc that can hold its own in trading imbalances. Resident nutter Trump is trying it now with his first shots of a trade war, totally the wrong way to go about it but the US has the strength to make China sit up and take notice, as China does with the US. The EU is big enough to have this influence which is a major reason why Japan has just aligned itself with the EU in a free trade agreement. The UK, alone, is a tiny player and will be in no position to avoid being bullied in any trade wars. If, for example, the US or China stuck 100% tariffs on our goods it would cripple us overnight and we couldn't do anything about it because living without our imports from them would instantly reduce our standard of living to that of an impoverished nation overnight.

So, whilst I agree the EU could be more effective than it is time now I am of the firm opinion leaving it will be a ling term macroeconomic disaster for Britain.

[SourceOfTheTrent]

* please excuse the couple of autocorrect typos!

[geosname]

* please excuse the couple of autocorrect typos!

 

NO.....

can't do smiley faces

[SourceOfTheTrent]

NO.....

can't do smiley faces

That was a very abrupt 'no', you aren't becoming gammon faced are you?

[Fosse69]

Meanwhile at a Momentum World Transformed festival Laura Smith,the Labour MP for Crewe and Nantwich,has called for a general strike to help bring down the Conservative government - if there isn't a general election.

You're right Howjy,you really couldn't make it up.

It doesn't seem a problem

[Fosse69]

For some time now the EU has, in my opinion, ignored the elephant in the room - or should that be elephants?

 

China's economic and social expansionism is there for all to see, but the likes of the EU seem powerless to halt or challenge Beijing.

 

Trump's US of A closes its borders and says it will only interact with those who show them respect or are gratuitously considered their friends. Of course this could change with a new Administration. Either way the likes of the EU do not, again my opinion, have the where with all to challenge Washington.

 

Russia does what Russia pleases with sanctions applied by the USA or UN being of no consequence to the Kremlin.

 

Right now London and Brussels need each other but, and it pains me to say this, the EU will remain a small fish in a big global pond.

Power has always changed hands over the centuries, looks like China is about to take over, then maybe India, beyond my lifespan. Europe is naturally in decline, all their empires went a while back, but on population and knowledge should compete with the USA although without the scale of natural resources if Russia is not included. Divide and rule is obviously to the USA and Russia`s advantage to reduce Europe`s power.

[SourceOfTheTrent]

Meanwhile at a Momentum World Transformed festival Laura Smith,the Labour MP for Crewe and Nantwich,has called for a general strike to help bring down the Conservative government - if there isn't a general election.

You're right Howjy,you really couldn't make it up.

It's no more radical, in fact less so, than the call to leave the EU made by the hard right for 40+ years.

It's highly unlikely to attract much support from within either the Labour Party or the trade unions.

[SourceOfTheTrent]

Something that's baffled me all my adult life is why anyone from an average background with an income less than the top 10% of earners would support hard right politics? Clearly the policies of the hard right are designed to minimise public services, welfare and public investment in order to minimise taxation for the wealthiest in society, policies that all make anyone outside the top 10% of wealth owners worse off. That doesn't mean to oppose that political doctrine you have to be hard left but surely it makes sense to have as fairly balanced society as practical with a reasonable distribution of wealth, both direct and indirect?

Surely anyone with any power of thought and reason must consider why politicians at the harder ends of the political spectrum want Brexit and both seem to be happier with a no-deal exit, more so those on the right than the left.

This screams to me Brexit is unlikely to deliver what's best for the average person living in the UK.

[Thevalefan]

What do the Brexit lot think of what the Government said about immigration the other day?

 

I've highlighted not long ago nothing had been said regarding immigration - pointing out there had been no indication on the numbers that are being considered post-Brexit.

 

Interestingly no mention of the numbers of immigration was made and all that was said, in a nut-shell is "We'll treat anyone from anywhere the same as we'd now view Europeans" - So we'll view immigration from the likes of Somalia and the kind the same as we view our most culturally and genetically similar neighbors.

 

If I was a European of any EU state, I'd be wondering what we did that was so bad for Britain to hate us so much that they would put us on the same terms as some third-world despot country.

 

I'll reiterate the same point... You've voted for Brexit and given it to a party who promised to cap immigration into the "Ten's of thousands" nearly a decade ago.

 

The latest net migration statistics show that in the year ending March 2018 how many non-eu people are coming here, it was over twice as many Europeans I think. Net migration was 271,000 in 2018 (dont quote me on that) a number we all probably think is unsustainable, as its basically allowing the population of a city the size of ours into the country every year. We have no space!

 

Did you vote Brexit on wanting less Europeans here and wanting more Non-Europeans here? Or did you want less of everyone coming here?

[Howjy04]

My parents did have a few premium bonds thanks to Ernie.

 

A decent investment at one time Tony.My dad owned a pottery firm that employed 600 local workers.Good old Mags.

[geosname]

That was a very abrupt 'no', you aren't becoming gammon faced are you?

 

It started raining, stopped now so my apologies.

Still can't do smilies