I know it's been agreed prior, but it's not fair that a country with a growing economy gets penalised whilst the countries who stupidly joined the Euro get a reduction.
Give me the rules agreed by the EU states (including us) and I'll oblige. It'll be a dull exercise, as it'll just be combining some economic statistics in some kind of mathematical model. It's all well and good the media and David Cameron banging on that this is in some way unfair now but these rules were agreed ages ago. The fault (if there is some) rely on whoever negotiated the terms of the budget. The story is being spun by the Mail et al to look like it's an arbitrary decision dumped on us yesterday. Rubbish. As I said before, if we didn't know this was coming, someone in Whitehall should be hanging his head in shame. Really? Has it occurred to you that the countries we're being compared to include these things in their GDP data? And that, frankly, they are a part of GDP? Where does any definition of GDP exclude drugs? And why? Is money spent on drugs not money? If you agree they are to be included in the calculation, you live by the result of that calculation. You need to calm down a little and argue the facts rather than the emotions and Mail soundbites. Vin
Obviously, it's not a direct comparison but the point is, I entered an agreement with the SLC (or Student Finance England as they are now called) and as part of that agreement they would be able to demand that I would pay extra if they overpaid my loan (or I underpaid repayments, to link it back to this situation) and I would have no legal argument (probably) which could stand up to it. This is pretty much the same thing, except instead of the UK being overpaid a certain amount, the UK have underpaid a certain amount (going by these new figures), ergo they are in a similar situation I was in. I ended up paying, although I wasn't happy about it. It seems an odd thing to include in GDP calculations though, because a lot of it is so off-the-radar that how can you be remotely sure of the figures?
We agreed to these measures when they were first drawn up. I've no problem with it. When we weren't doing well we got money from the EU, now that we're doing well we pay some in. Pretty simple really.
The thing is, it's all economic activity. If I offer to clean your windows, then the value I add (chiefly work I do) counts towards GDP. The money after income tax I take is spent by me in John Lewis, who spend it on goods made by other people who earn money and spend it and the cash sloshes around for a while. If I offer you sex for money (and I strongly advise you not to ask) then the money I take is spent by me in John Lewis, who spend it on goods, made by other people who earn money and spend it and the cash sloshes around for a while. Only the tax goes missing but plenty of it goes as it sloshes around, in VAT, and other earners' income tax. It seems odd to me not to include it. I bet you'd have ended up with a biased view of Colombia's economy in the 80s and 90s if you'd ignored cocaine. As for how you measure it, it's all estimated anyway. No-one asks me what I contribute to GDP. It's estimated based upon samples of businesses. Vin
I love this: http://www.superstarmagazine.com/this-is-how-all-about-that-bass-would-sound-in-the-1940s/#sec Now there's a good cover. Vin
Nice song. Love the acoustic double bass sound. I have a mate who's a musician and these days he specialises in basses. Occasionally I pop round and he's warming up his fingers with his DB. The sound he gets out of it makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up. It's fantastic.
On radio 4 yesterday morning , they were saying that some euro mp's / govmnts WANT people to vote UKIP ( hence the timing of this ) . Thus lessening the tory vote , thus lessening the chances of a tory govt , thus lessening the chance of an eu referendum . Unless there was a ukip/tory pact.........
Ah, blowed it. Jack Bruce has died. Aged 71. Great musician. I'm very much into his solo stuff right now.
Oh no, very sad news. Yes, obviously I loved everything Cream did but all his long and varied solo career was fantastic. RIP Jack
Yep. Ginger Baker gets his wish. Jack always said Mad Baker wanted to kill him. Personally, I think Bruce was better without the other two. I came to Bruce's solo stuff only in the last few years, and albums like Harmony Row and Songs for a Sailor are better than the Cream stuff, imo.
