In an internal meeting, one of the top guys in our department was talking about the challenges we face due to various changes, and he mentioned the economy. After the meeting, I said that the referendum was "an elephant in the room" and he said it was a lot bigger than that (I was understating as I didn't want to seem too dramatic to someone high up enough that he has regular contact with HQ in Boston). I got the impression from him is that the company line is that they want us to remain, although they can't say anything officially with an office in London.
I see that you have now become an expert on German public opinion as well ! The problem is that Germany is not actually baling out the Greeks but rather baling out the banks and financial speculators who created the problem in the first place. I will agree on your comment on fiscal union - it was naive to believe that a common currency was possible over the long term without a common tax system. The latter idea was postponed because it was believed that Europe was not ready for it - had there been a referendum here on the ending of the Deutschmark nobody would have voted for it. Interestingly though the AfD has never suggested withdrawing from the EU. but just returning the Deutschmark. The Euro was unnecessary - it would have been possible to peg compatible currencies against each other - like the Belgian and Luxemburg francs (which were usable in both countries for many years) - or to bring in the Euro as a second currency for international transactions only. Without the Euro countries like Italy were free to devalue their currency if necessary - which they did 3 times as an EU. member. But the Euro is not the EU. and even if countries returned to their original currencies then the EU. would still exist in some form. At any rate Europe has challenging times ahead and Britain needs to be there and able to influence, and can only do that from inside. Germany and France are always going to be important partners for Britain - by virtue of geography. A Britain outside of this would either have to negotiate a deal from a position of weakness - 45% of our exports go to Europe but only 16% of theirs go to us. Or it would have to replace these partners by comparable deals with the USA and China - who we, again, would need more than they need us.
You do not need to be an expert to know the Germans, and others, are increasingly unhappy bailing out other countries that have not been so fortunate as them. Your suggestion on some countries giving even further financial assistance to others is fanciful, just will not happen. I'm looking forward to the UK taking the first steps in returning control next week and seeing the beginning of the end for the EU in its current guise. If the EU was an animal it would have been put down by now.
SH. The reason that many Germans are unhappy has other reasons. Germany is actually one of Europe's biggest problems - namely they have an unbalanced economy and, because of a stagnation in public spending power are not in a position to act as a market for southern european products. Because of their own over reliance on exports they have allowed their internal spending power to stagnate for about the last 20 years - 25% of the people here are earning less than the French minimum wage. It has been calculated that the average Italian family has actually more, in real material terms, than the average German one. Your idea that it simply will not happen that some countries will be prepared to help others in this way doesn't register with me - there are so many 'assisted' areas in Europe, where the people in those areas are no less industrious than in others. Bavaria, Baden Wurtemburg are paying in more to pay out for eg. North Rhine Westphalia or Berlin - does that mean that the people in the latter are lazier than in Munich. Even in the USA. some states are paying in more and some are taking out more.
So, the murderer gives his name as 'Death to traitors, freedom for Britain' in court. And there will still be some people who will try to pretend that it was a coincidence that the first political assassination in Britain happened so shortly before the most important vote in British history. Undoubtedly a madman, but did he form his ideas on an island excluded from the rest of humanity....no. He, like so many others, was open to lies, propaganda - stories of a swarm of uncontrollable immigration (based on existing numbers of around 3.6%) - stories of this and that, without any evidence whatsoever. I do not know if he was anti islamic, anti east european anti EU. anti immigration, etc. but this is irrelevant because Brexit has allowed these themes to fuse together. Do the Brexiters not realize the dark forces, based on the most primitive instincts, which have been unleashed over the last few weeks, and, how dangerous these can be in the wrong hands ? I am sure that the Sun, Ukip etc. will distance themselves completely from all responsibility - it was, after all an individual act commited by an individual person - just as all propaganda ministers of the past have distanced themselves from such events.
This post should be treated with the contempt it deserves - pathetic attempt to link a lunatic with Brexit.
If he had shouted Allah Akhbar before doing it you would have had no problem whatsoever forging a connection, however mad he was. Madness does not exclude a person from the charge of political terrorism.
I like the the Britain First Facebook post about this incident. A member made a comment to the effect that 'you can't blame all members for the actions of a small number' - to which someone responded 'You could say the same for Muslims'. Strangely, no more comments after that...
Following on from that Billy Bragg, who is on a different wavelength to me 99% of the time has said, "Not every Leave voter is a racist, but every racist will vote leave."
As a seventeen year old I worked with a guy called Steve. He was intelligent, always happy, and prepared to share his knowledge with a raw apprentice. Unfortunately others who worked with us didn’t like him, and were always making remarks about him that I thought totally uncalled for. One day I became incensed with their constant snide remarks and had a go back. My feelings were simply that you shouldn’t pick on someone because of what they were. Eventually because of my stand I felt I couldn’t continue with my job; it’s not easy when you are young to stand up for what you believe against those much older. The trouble with Steve in their eyes was that he wasn’t English, he was Jamaican. Over the past 50+ years I have never changed my views. It is wrong to treat an individual or a group of people as lesser human beings. When you are lucky enough to live in a country that is rich compared to most parts of the world, it is not right to want even more for yourself at the expense of others, and to turn your back on people who are in a state of despair is immoral. When I see a grinning politician standing in front of a poster trying to make a point about non-English people I feel that he is not worth even considering as someone who should have a say in how the country should be run. The country becomes lesser, not greater when such things are thought acceptable, and eventually some people will think it is normal to despise their neighbours because they are from a different background to them. To make a country greater requires people to work for and care for what is happening to human beings around the world. It is not good enough to simply consider ones own small life as so many things these days are global. Rant over, but over the past few days there have been events they really appall me.
Great post ofh. Whilst I agree with the main thrust of it - immigration - this is the bit that struck home with me:- When you are lucky enough to live in a country that is rich compared to most parts of the world, it is not right to want even more for yourself at the expense of others, and to turn your back on people who are in a state of despair is immoral. That's exactly why I'd like to see the back of the Tory party.
We can all look forward to at least another 9 years of a Conservative government, they have become the natural option for modern Britain. Lots of cash for 'hard working families' lots of whinging for the rest.
I'm glad to hear you still talking about Britain. Brexit has apparently been renamed Engxit, or even Engleave, because it is only them that want to leave. Engxit actually sounds like some kind of medical ointment..........'' take it twice per day to protect against uncontrolled immigration'', or ''protects against sovereignty limitations''. Of course it may cause unwanted side effects such as recession, economic disaster, ultra nationalism etc. etc. etc. but trust us, we know what is best, based on ''what we heard down the pub'', or ''they said it in the Sun''. In fact the goal is a self governing England (we last had it in Saxon times) so calling it Brexit is a bit of a misnomer.
Premier league have said they want to remain - probably not such a surprise given the trade of players from Europe.
Seems Cameron has been caught again telling porkies. He was tweeting that the PL and the clubs had all agreed that they supported Remain. Turns out that the clubs had not all agreed at all - at the last PL meeting they showed a presentation of the risks of a Brexit. But there was no discussion and no vote on anything. Scudamore has gone out saying the clubs have all agreed and Cameron tweeted it and used the clubs logos - couple of hours ago the Chairman of Palace was on 5-Live complaining that his club had made no such agreement. More scare stories and lies.
