> The UK is no longer self-sufficient is anything essential, such as
> food or oil. The manufacturing base evaporated years ago because of
> short-sighted management, unions and politics. The financial base
> is under increasing pressure from Frankfurt. The tourism sector
> still doesn't understand the concept of service and as for the
> transport infrastructure... it is now rated the worst in Europe.
Looks like it's sweeping statement time again. I will freely admit to
being on the left of politics, yet even my assessment doesn't rank
with Gavin's in terms of doing the UK down. Very few countries are
self-sufficient these days, one of the many results of globalisation.
Whether this is a good thing or not can be debated till the cows come
home (or get burnt on pyres) but to single out the UK in this manner
is wholly misleading. For instance, manufacturing bases have long
since been faring poorly in the whole of Western Europe, we just
can't compete in terms of labour costs against the far East and other
countries in the so-called developing world. (Which would be
developing a lot better if we weren't taking all their money in
interest payments - very convenient that).
As for the transport being the worst in Europe, it's very hard to
actually come up with a direct comparison. On the other hand it's
easy (as Gavin has done) to quote a somewhat misquoted politician and
say the UK has the worst tranport infrastructure in europe. A lot of
the probl;ems we have are not so much down to the infrastructure, but
the way in which it is managed. Having travelled around Europe a good
deal in recent years, I would say that only the Swiss have a
transport system to be proud of.
> And yet the Brits still think the UK is somewhere special
> and a world leader. Go figure.
And only the Brits delight in knocking their own country. If someone
came up with sweeping statements about the US, I would imagine this
list would rapidly fill up with irate statements to the contrary!
Actually, having the fourth largest economy in the world is not
something to be deprecated. In the past decade the UK has overtaken
France and is catching Germany up at a decent rate. Sadly we don't
appear to be willing to take on board the global responsbilities of
such a large and wealthy economy (something the UK has incommon with
other large Western powers), let alone put sufficient money into the
national infrastructure (transport, health etc).
Patrick.
RD: Yeah, that's something that puzzles me. We have the 4th largest economy
in the world, we have one of the highest tax rates in Europe, yet we spend
LESS on health, LESS on transport, LESS on education per head than almost
any other European country.
So WHERE does the money go?
Please, lefties, don't tell me that it goes on the armed forces! Our navy
can't afford fuel to put to sea for exercises, the army can't afford to
"desertise" its tanks for Operation Swift Sword (even when it's operating in
the desert), and to put one SAS squadron into the field, it has to
beg/borrow/steal equipment from its sister units.
WHERE does the money go Gordon? Oh yes, buying poxy Euros to prop up this
pseudo-currency, into the Common Agricultural Policy to prop up (I'll omit
the nation, but not British) farmers who refuse to modernise, and officially
or not into supporting millions of illegal immigrants.
If I'm wrong, please tell me, where DOES the money go then?
Richard.
···
----- Original Message -----
From: taurimuk <taurimuk@yahoo.co.uk>
To: <mepbmlist@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Sunday, January 13, 2002 4:45 PM
Subject: [mepbmlist] Re: Euro
Middle Earth PBM - hit reply to send to everyone
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