France and Greece say NO to austerity

[Sussex Nomad]

But is it education or merely another form of opium for the masses?

People seem to know a little about everything, but be ignorant of real knowledge

Enlighten us!

 

[Sussex Nomad]

Yes, Yes they do!

Amazing if they do, truly amazing. We spunk around 500 mill a week on them, imagine what that could do to our economy if we were out of Europe.

 

[Lord Bracknell]

But is it education or merely another form of opium for the masses?

People seem to know a little about everything, but be ignorant of real knowledge

I grant you that sending everyone to college until they are 21 sometimes seems like nothing more than massaging the unemployment figures. If the alternative (apprenticeships in STUFF manufacturing) was available, we'd probably get a better return and more prosperity.

 

[Chicken Runner61]

Enlighten us!

Ask people about Eastenders or X factor and they will give you chapter and verse, ask them about the history of Britain and they probably won't know much.

 

[Chicken Runner61]

Amazing if they do, truly amazing. We spunk around 500 mill a week on them, imagine what that could do to our economy if we were out of Europe.

Ok what would we do with it?

 

[Chicken Runner61]

I grant you that sending everyone to college until they are 21 sometimes seems like nothing more than massaging the unemployment figures. If the alternative (apprenticeships in STUFF manufacturing) was available, we'd probably get a better return and more prosperity.

Fully agree - but we need to recreate industries and trades.

 

[Beach Hut]

I grant you that sending everyone to college until they are 21 sometimes seems like nothing more than massaging the unemployment figures. If the alternative (apprenticeships in STUFF manufacturing) was available, we'd probably get a better return and more prosperity.

You cannot make "stuff" on apprenticeships forever eventually you would go to the minimum wage as introduced by Blair which then increases the price way beyond a 3rd world country

 

[Lord Bracknell]

Amazing if they do, truly amazing. We spunk around 500 mill a week on them, imagine what that could do to our economy if we were out of Europe.

What economy?

 

[Lord Bracknell]

You cannot make "stuff" on apprenticeships forever eventually you would go to the minimum wage as introduced by Blair which then increases the price way beyond a 3rd world country

But a low wage economy really is unsustainable.

The worrying thing is that the traditional answer to the problem of what to do with folk who have no prospects and no employment in the domestic economy is to send them to war. I'd much rather expand output of STUFF, even at a short-term cost, than follow that route.

 

[Leekbrookgull]

What economy?

Worse news for Labour. Sure Miliband will be saying something like like France is showing us the way forward. Some of you need to 'wise up' there are only two countries that count in Europe. Germany and UK.

 

[Beach Hut]

But a low wage economy really is unsustainable.

The worrying thing is that the traditional answer to the problem of what to do with folk who have no prospects and no employment in the domestic economy is to send them to war. I'd much rather expand output of STUFF, even at a short-term cost, than follow that route.

But it is short-term which basically solves nothing. We are now an economy totally based on the services industry and I know your nemesis Mrs T did this but it was for better in the end - we have over-priced ourselves now in quite a few labour markets and will never make STUFF again unless high quality.

 

[Chicken Runner61]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=E4AXJx3IzdY#!

This is a video of that Golden Dawn party that got 6% of the vote in Greece

 

[NMH]

Is that really how you would characterise how Germany has behaved in European affairs since the end of WWII?

My take on it would be that they have been far too backward in coming forward and have let the French dominate proceedings, with the current hilarious consequences.

And Greece is not Germany, I dont think a Fourth Reich based from Athens is too likely.....

Erm.... not sure how you got that last part, don't agree with the second part as Germany are never backward in coming forward or let France dominate! Greece may have been operating a huge cover-up by fudging their book-keeping, more like.
Germany aren't normally lackadaisical when it comes to political affairs, I doubt they let much info fall by the wayside.
Greece vulnerable and fragile as an economy is surely not a time to 'cut them loose'.

Since the end of WWII Germany has been a super-efficient country in rebuilding with US help, and being without a military perhaps has helped.
If we're being literal now, say why you feel the current consequence is "hilarious"

 

[NMH]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=E4AXJx3IzdY#!

This is a video of that Golden Dawn party that got 6% of the vote in Greece

A bit rambling there, but you are right in suggesting it's nazi in style. A lot of nationalist rhetoric without anything more of any substance to suggest what they can do and how. He rails against the porn industry as if that is to be blamed for something, in a political crisis!
As with such nutters, the more attention they feel justified to get, the more they will reveal about themselves and the more they will lose sympathy. Most people curious enough to look at that guy will probably be left with more questions and doubt than answers.

If those sorts crawl out of the woodwork though, then there's more reason for not simply crossing Greece out of the European 'Community'.

 

[Common as Mook]

In terms of STUFF manufacturing, hasn't a previously mothballed (under Labour) steel plant been re-opened in the NE, also creating thousands of jobs? Don't hear much about that in our left wing press.

Also, Boris' winning margin if 51.7% is seen as 'narrow' yet Hollande's margin of 51.7% is 'decisive'

 

[User removed 4]

Erm.... not sure how you got that last part, don't agree with the second part as Germany are never backward in coming forward or let France dominate! Greece may have been operating a huge cover-up by fudging their book-keeping, more like.
Germany aren't normally lackadaisical when it comes to political affairs, I doubt they let much info fall by the wayside.
Greece vulnerable and fragile as an economy is surely not a time to 'cut them loose'.

Since the end of WWII Germany has been a super-efficient country in rebuilding with US help, and being without a military perhaps has helped.If we're being literal now, say why you feel the current consequence is "hilarious"

Without a military ? Then there were some pretty well tooled up boy scouts that i saw driving about in leopard II tanks when i was over there in BAOR.

 

[Chicken Runner61]

In terms of STUFF manufacturing, hasn't a previously mothballed (under Labour) steel plant been re-opened in the NE, also creating thousands of jobs? Don't hear much about that in our left wing press.

Also, Boris' winning margin if 51.7% is seen as 'narrow' yet Hollande's margin of 51.7% is 'decisive'

Its not the same in France, Elections there are always that close (except the one when everyone wanted to stop Le Penn) If you win an election in France people just seem to except that you have won and let you get on with it for the term so the percentange doesnt seem to matter, I think its because you are voting in a Head of State not just a Prime Minister.

Also the Steel Plant is Thai owned isn't it. Its decline started in 1988 when it was privatised and sold off via a merge with a Dutch company to become Corus. To manufacture things you really need a steel industry and Thatcher dismantled it with that yank Mcgregor

 

[pauli cee]

So we never had allies then?

We don't have much going for us as a single independent nation, we may have a some good technology and intellectual industries but we trashed our industry and have no resources to sell

this being our biggest problem i feel, the industrial sector on the uk has been completely trashed/ignored/downtrodden in the past 20 years, and i think this has contributed a fair bit to our current situation

 

[Brixtaan]

What economy?

Let's not forget, and this amazes me, we are the 8th biggest exporter in the world, just behind France. Unfortunately these are mainly services which is why we MUST pander to the rich bankers/insurers and maintain an environment which got us into this shit in the first place. It's too late to take any other path.

 

[Dandyman]

Sorry you'll have to remind me about this?

Germany was one of the chief actors in the violent break up of Yugoslavia and has been more than happy to see a fragmented eastern Europe that it can seek to dominate economically and politically.