The consequences of the Anglo-saxon influence on the EU future

[DAVOUT]

Originally posted by Doddler


Could you detail the theory you mention as its points of contention with Smith/Ricardo?

I am not prepared to pass an exam before a guy who has no academic qualifications.

[notyoueither]

Originally posted by Spiffor

Ned probably has French blood in his veins

German, I think.

France is Igor to Britain's evil doctor in his plays.

[Saras]

Originally posted by Oerdin
France is the problem here. With something like 40% of the EU's budget going into wasteful agricultural subsidies, most of which ends up in the pockets of French farmers, why the hell should the UK contribute more? They've already said, repeatedly, that they'll give up the rebate as soon as France gives up the CAP thus freeing up some 40% of the EU budget (and allowing for hundreds of millions in new revenue from the UK) there by allowing for a huge modernization campaign to occur in Eastern Europe.

France remains the road block though. It is France which refuses to give up it's monstrous ag subsidies there by robbing the majority of the EU budget and preventing the needed investment from flowing east where it is most needed. Until France stops being the big problem then nothing will change.

the 40% could just remain largely unspent, thus decreasing redistribution, and allowing tax cuts in old members/net contributors. Plus the 3rd world would breathe more easily with EU ag subsidies gone.

[Saras]

Originally posted by Colon™
Reforms in Eastern Europe?

WTF Colon™ ?

[Spiffor]

Originally posted by Saras
the 40% could just remain largely unspent, thus decreasing redistribution, and allowing tax cuts in old members/net contributors. Plus the 3rd world would breathe more easily with EU ag subsidies gone.

The tax cuts would be ****ing pathetic, as the CAP represents ~50 billion € Europe-wide.

Originally posted by Oerdin
France remains the road block though. It is France which refuses to give up it's monstrous ag subsidies there by robbing the majority of the EU budget and preventing the needed investment from flowing east where it is most needed. Until France stops being the big problem then nothing will change.

Many countries passively supported France during the 2005 summit, when there was the French-British row about CAP and rebate. That's because many countries do get significant amounts of CAP money, or they will in a few years (new members, when the CAP regime becomes equal among all members).

The Brits were seriously isolated on their position. France wasn't, and for a reason.

[dannubis]

Ah, the agricultural subsidies again...

They should gradually disappear over the next years.

And then, maybe we should just do it like the US: whenever they are hurting, just impose an import tarrif (even on your free trade agreement partners ).

No wait...

Oerdin, as long as your governement is systematically protecting its markets by imposing trade barriers you have nothing to complain about. We just use a different system.

[Pekka]

Oh, adn I guess if you aren't TRUE EURO or Euronite, you can't have a say either? That's right, you have to be a Frenchie to 'understand the logic' behind crappy implementation.

This is what it is, pure and simple system loving. Hey, let's love this system. Yeah, sounds like a great idea!

This is why some people in here deserve nothing more than painful death. But you will be dealt with when the uprising starts. Many lamp posts waiting some heavy duty loads.

[Ned]

I think the below quote from post #54 fairly well sums it up. Britain will never let a nation or group of nations become more powerful than she and her allies are in Europe. As they say in American baseball, Britain is the straw that stirs the drink [in Europe]. If you keep this in mind, Britain's next move in the EU debate is always quite predictable.

That said, Britain has been in favor of a common market since the 1800's.

The OP is spot on.

From post # 54:

quote:
Sir Humphrey: Minister, Britain has had the same foreign policy objective for at least the last 500 years: to create a disunited Europe. In that cause we have fought with the Dutch against the Spanish, with the Germans against the French, with the French and Italians against the Germans, and with the French against the Germans and Italians. Divide and rule, you see. Why should we change now when it's worked so well?

Jim Hacker: That's all ancient history, surely.

Sir Humphrey: Yes, and current policy. We had to break the whole thing (the EEC) up, so we had to get inside. We tried to break it up from the outside, but that wouldn't work. Now that we're inside we can make a complete pig's breakfast of the whole thing: set the Germans against the French, the French against the Italians, the Italians against the Dutch. The Foreign Office is terribly pleased, it's just like old times.

Jim Hacker: But if that's true, why is the foreign office pushing for higher membership?

Sir Humphrey: I'd have thought that was obvious. The more members an organization has, the more arguments it can stir up. The more futile and impotent it becomes.

Jim Hacker: What appalling cynicism.

Sir Humphrey: We call it diplomacy, Minister

[lord of the mark]

Originally posted by Spiffor

As a result, the text was quite heavy with the laissez-faire obsession that occurs in Britain,

@ spiff for considering third wayist UK policies as "laissez faire"

You wanna see laissez faire, you come over here, we'll show you laissez faire.

[Dinner]

Originally posted by Spiffor

Personally, I think ag subsidies are the single worst thing ever committed in the modern world as they impoverish the third world farmer and allow the first world farmer to sit on his ass doing nothing.

at the bolded part.

I forget, has the EU finally stopped paying farmers not to farm?

[Dinner]

Originally posted by dannubis
Ah, the agricultural subsidies again...

They should gradually disappear over the next years.

And then, maybe we should just do it like the US: whenever they are hurting, just impose an import tarrif (even on your free trade agreement partners ).

No wait...

Oerdin, as long as your governement is systematically protecting its markets by imposing trade barriers you have nothing to complain about. We just use a different system.

.

Do you honestly think I voted for Bush or support his policies? Do you honestly think I've been overly supportive of the Republican party in general? The Republicans were, of course, the ones responsible for putting tariffs in place, for reintroducing agricultural subsidies, and for putting spurious charges on things like Canadian lumber and blocking the importation of Canadian beef over scientifically questionable fears of mad cow disease. I can honestly say my party has not supported any of those things if for no other reason then the Democrats tend to be urban dwellers and those protectionist measures all support rural dwellers.

[DanS]

Originally posted by lord of the mark
You wanna see laissez faire, you come over here, we'll show you laissez faire.

Unfortunately, there's no laissez-faire going on over here either.

[Saras]

Originally posted by lord of the mark



@ spiff for considering third wayist UK policies as "laissez faire"

You wanna see laissez faire, you come over here, we'll show you laissez faire.

The Baltics are:

1. Closer
2. Way, WAY more laissez-faire

[Lawrence of Arabia]

france is the new sickman in europe because their policies dont work. cap doesnt create any wealth, or make anyone wealthy. people cant get jobs because labor laws are too strict so theres 10% inflation.

but everything is good, lets continue down the path that got us here.

[Spiffor]

Originally posted by Lawrence of Arabia
france is the new sickman in europe because their policies dont work. cap doesnt create any wealth, or make anyone wealthy. people cant get jobs because labor laws are too strict so theres 10% inflation.

but everything is good, lets continue down the path that got us here.

1. French inflation is now about 1%...

2. France has been implementing free market policies for the past 24 years. Since 1983, very few new policies ran counter the liberalization...