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pbonnay
Posted on: Jun 5 2014, 05:51 PM


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QUOTE (On the edge @ Jun 5 2014, 06:34 PM) *
So you want to rewrite history as well as economics; incredible! The rule breaking is obviously a consequence of the political situation. Nonetheless, I'm glad you now agree that the issue isn't the Euro itself, but poor fiscal management.

I'm no fan of the EU or indeed financial union, but it was always as plain as a pikestaff that the 'Common Market' would inevitably point the way to a federal Europe. Which is the lesson history teaches us, from the Romans to the Americans and of course the United Kingdom itself.

Pretty facile history, worth forgetting....

I think you just want to have a pop as your still angry at being called out by me and another over your anecdote in post (#91). So I will leave it there.
  Forum: Random Rants · Post Preview: #96216 · Replies: 139 · Views: 208,577

pbonnay
Posted on: Jun 5 2014, 04:45 PM


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QUOTE (On the edge @ Jun 5 2014, 04:50 PM) *
It was actually created, like the dollar, to enable much smoother trading between states. Are you saying the US dollar is unsuccessful?

..The real reason for its failure is simply a failure by the member nation states to keep the rules and then a failure to rigorously enforce them! The actual operational logic of the Euro was works perfectly in theory. Don't blame the currency, blame the politicians.


The US Dollar works because its creation, history and implementation is totally different to the way the Euro was created. It is facile to compare interrelation between European countries to that amongst American states, where the common currency is as old as the Constitution. In the US, a dollar is a dollar, in the EU, when people got concerned about the state of the Greek economy, they were shunning Greek-printed Euros. There is a conceptual difference between the currencies.

The reason for it's failure is the rule breaking AND the political situation when it was implemented. In terms of the growth of a federal system, it was too early. It may well work amongst the few rich northern EU countries, but not with the southern and eastern countries. I can think of many things that "work perfectly in theory" but that does not mean they work in practice.
  Forum: Random Rants · Post Preview: #96212 · Replies: 139 · Views: 208,577

pbonnay
Posted on: Jun 5 2014, 03:10 PM


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QUOTE (On the edge @ Jun 4 2014, 10:37 PM) *
Sorry, you've lost me, not sure what that means.

The conceptual flaw in the Euro is to do with the reasons for its creation. It was not created to serve an already successful and established federal system of states, rather it was created to hurry along the creation of a federal system.

Added to that, the rules for joining were conveniently ignored when it suited the ever expansionist EU, and countries were allowed in when the rules should have kept them out.

The real test of any currency system is how it behaves in a crisis. The Euro has failed this basic test because membership of it has rocketed up unemployment, reduced investment and tied countries with hugely disparate economies to the same interest and exchange rate.

How can the same interest rate serve the German, Greek, Cypriot and Irish economies equally well?

Today, the European Central Bank has lowered the interest rate on deposits to -0.1% (yes, minus) and its benchmark rate to +0.15%, making saving worthless. It is doing this in a desperate attempt to stave off deflation which is now a serious threat to the already crisis-hit Eurozone.

Economic commentators describe a negative interest rate as “throwing the kitchen sink” and indicates how serious the problem is with the Euro.
  Forum: Random Rants · Post Preview: #96207 · Replies: 139 · Views: 208,577

pbonnay
Posted on: Jun 4 2014, 09:03 PM


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QUOTE (On the edge @ Jun 4 2014, 09:32 PM) *
The Euro wasn't the problem at all. The rules were quite clear. The problem was the nation states failed to keep them. Financial mismanagement in Greece, Spain, Ireland. In the same way, we could say that our own problems were caused by the Pound, rather than by reckless bankers caught short by giving loans to bad credit risks.

The Euro was the problem. When the idea was tested on the inevitable financial cycle, it failed - in that it made matters worse, rather than providing stability.
  Forum: Random Rants · Post Preview: #96192 · Replies: 139 · Views: 208,577

pbonnay
Posted on: Jun 4 2014, 07:54 PM


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QUOTE (Simon Kirby @ Jun 4 2014, 08:11 PM) *
The Euro wasn't the problem.


Really? I think many would disagree with you, and from across the political spectrum.

Their membership of the Euro was the problem as their respective governments could not set their own interest rates and could not devalue their own currency to increase competitiveness, leading to lower demand and lower growth. Check out the unemployment statistics if you want a comparison. The Euro is a major cause of their problems and their slow recovery.
  Forum: Random Rants · Post Preview: #96187 · Replies: 139 · Views: 208,577

pbonnay
Posted on: Jun 4 2014, 06:51 PM


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QUOTE (Simon Kirby @ Jun 4 2014, 06:40 AM) *
Perhaps if we behaved a bit more like Germany and a bit less like the Greeks and Irish we wouldn't need the warning in the first place.


But we didn't behave like the Greeks and the Irish, because we sensibly kept out of the Euro.
  Forum: Random Rants · Post Preview: #96184 · Replies: 139 · Views: 208,577

pbonnay
Posted on: Jun 3 2014, 09:16 PM


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QUOTE (Simon Kirby @ Jun 3 2014, 05:46 PM) *
...it's appropriate for the European Commission to give the warning it has. It's a warning - it's not an "interference in our domestic tax law" and it unhelpfully raises temperatures to call it such.


This is not the response of Nick Clegg. Down the pub with Vince today, he told the EU to stop meddling in our housing market!
  Forum: Random Rants · Post Preview: #96165 · Replies: 139 · Views: 208,577

pbonnay
Posted on: Jun 3 2014, 11:18 AM


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QUOTE (Simon Kirby @ May 23 2014, 10:47 PM) *
Do you have any examples of where the EU has stepped far outside anything touching trade and industry?

A good one reported today:

The EU has said we should increase property taxes in UK and revise council tax bands. That is interference in our domestic tax law.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-27675294
  Forum: Random Rants · Post Preview: #96145 · Replies: 139 · Views: 208,577

pbonnay
Posted on: Jun 3 2014, 07:53 AM


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QUOTE (Biker1 @ Jun 3 2014, 08:41 AM) *
If the machine is working!
Only trouble is that at most of the stations listed in our area the machines are card only. If you only have cash then you can't buy at the station.

But in the case I describe, I have paid already - online...

If for some reason I could not physically collect a ticket at the station, then I still have proof of ticket purchase on my phone in a confirmation email from FGW.
  Forum: Newbury News · Post Preview: #96139 · Replies: 18 · Views: 21,792

pbonnay
Posted on: Jun 3 2014, 07:10 AM


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QUOTE (Simon Kirby @ Jun 3 2014, 06:27 AM) *
No, the candidate wins a mandate for their own political views and values as laid out in their election manifesto, they don't pick up some mysterious aggregation of the views and values of the simple majority who voted for them, and they're certainly not obliged to take on the beliefs of the majority of the public - a majority who didn't actually vote for them!

Enjoy your foray into politics Simon.
  Forum: Newbury News · Post Preview: #96136 · Replies: 152 · Views: 129,541

pbonnay
Posted on: Jun 2 2014, 10:24 PM


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QUOTE (Turin Machine @ Jun 2 2014, 11:10 PM) *
Err, not with the lib dems he won't. Phnarr.

laugh.gif

I bet you £5 that Mr & Mrs Clegg will end up in some paid advisory role at the EU. rolleyes.gif
  Forum: Newbury News · Post Preview: #96128 · Replies: 152 · Views: 129,541

pbonnay
Posted on: Jun 2 2014, 10:01 PM


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QUOTE (MontyPython @ Jun 2 2014, 10:47 PM) *
Yes but they get to stay in office for a few years serving themselves!


and then a cushy non-job in Brussels - paid for by us!
  Forum: Newbury News · Post Preview: #96126 · Replies: 152 · Views: 129,541

pbonnay
Posted on: Jun 2 2014, 09:23 PM


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QUOTE (Simon Kirby @ Jun 2 2014, 09:39 PM) *
We vote for the candidate with the bag of values and outlook that most closely matches our own...

Yes, and the candidate wins on that majority view, not on what the candidate later decides is best.
  Forum: Newbury News · Post Preview: #96121 · Replies: 152 · Views: 129,541

pbonnay
Posted on: Jun 2 2014, 07:28 PM


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QUOTE (Simon Kirby @ Jun 2 2014, 08:06 PM) *
The role of a councillor is to represent the public interest, not the majority interest.

If you do not represent the view of the majority, by what measure do you decide the "public interest"?
  Forum: Newbury News · Post Preview: #96115 · Replies: 152 · Views: 129,541

pbonnay
Posted on: Jun 2 2014, 07:13 PM


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When I need to travel into London, I now buy my ticket via the FGW website - and you get Nectar points too.

Then I only need to collect my ticket from a machine at the station.
  Forum: Newbury News · Post Preview: #96114 · Replies: 18 · Views: 21,792

pbonnay
Posted on: May 31 2014, 09:55 PM


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QUOTE (Simon Kirby @ May 31 2014, 10:28 PM) *
To my knowledge I haven't criticised Costain. Where did that non sequitur come from?


I thought you had said that development work by Costain had damaged the local environment - e.g. cracks to Victoria Park?
  Forum: Random Rants · Post Preview: #96068 · Replies: 15 · Views: 19,847

pbonnay
Posted on: May 31 2014, 09:20 PM


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QUOTE (Exhausted @ May 31 2014, 10:17 PM) *
If that means Parkway, then the development didn't use up any green land as such. The fact that the original residents were shat on from a great height was down to WBC, who then neglected to control Costain and who were allowed to do what Costain wanted.

Costain is bigger than Parkway. I am talking about a land developer such as Costain.
  Forum: Random Rants · Post Preview: #96065 · Replies: 15 · Views: 19,847

pbonnay
Posted on: May 31 2014, 09:02 PM


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QUOTE (Simon Kirby @ May 31 2014, 09:03 PM) *
Worried that the whole of the UK will soon be concreted over? You may be interested to see that the evidence doesn't support the fear.


So, if elected to office, you will stop criticising land developers like Costain?
  Forum: Random Rants · Post Preview: #96063 · Replies: 15 · Views: 19,847

pbonnay
Posted on: May 31 2014, 08:26 PM


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QUOTE (Exhausted @ May 31 2014, 09:12 PM) *
Did you notice the pained look on the faces of the senior policemen when she was patronising them. You can bet that the Chief Constable was, it seemed to me, only too pleased to take early retirement as his only way of escaping her. Getting her lap dog to hand him a balloon was the icing on the cake. Good thing she was able to employ the sycophantic deputy CC into the role. That woman should never have been given the PCC role as she is totally inadequate for the job and unlike the policemen who have served their time as serving officers, has proved she has scant knowledge of the job and how to deal with people. We must recognise and so should the government that the position of PCC requires a person with the skills to warrant the salary of the job and the costs (expenses) that go with it. I cannot believe and neither did the reporter, how many people with grand titles were employed in her 'support' office.

I loved the style she used, reminiscent of a stand up comedian at a holiday resort, when she wasn't satisfied with the reply to her "Good morning" at one of her meetings.

I wonder if the authors of the PCC scheme were watching and thinking "Oh my gawd, what have I done ?"


But if you were a victim of crime in Kent, and the police response was only a telephone call, would you not take comfort from the fact that senior police officers were being made to stand in silence to remember Nelson Mandela? rolleyes.gif
  Forum: Random Rants · Post Preview: #96061 · Replies: 154 · Views: 229,034

pbonnay
Posted on: May 31 2014, 07:54 PM


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QUOTE (Cognosco @ May 31 2014, 08:48 PM) *
I stand corrected! sad.gif

Being realistic, that is considering available land to be built on without destroying our farming community, you may be nearer the mark as to capacity than the BBC figure that Simon quoted.
  Forum: Newbury News · Post Preview: #96055 · Replies: 188 · Views: 152,188

pbonnay
Posted on: May 31 2014, 07:51 PM


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QUOTE (Simon Kirby @ May 31 2014, 08:43 PM) *
You think those creatures live on Sandleford at the moment? Red kites yes, we disturbed one eating a rat only this morning, but I've seen numerous sparrow hawks around my road and not one on Sandleford. You'll certainly get more garden birds in gardens than you will on Sandleford at the moment - that's why they're called garden birds!

If you put food out you will attract some birds, rats and foxes too.

And making matters worse is fake grass and decking.
  Forum: Newbury News · Post Preview: #96053 · Replies: 188 · Views: 152,188

pbonnay
Posted on: May 31 2014, 07:34 PM


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QUOTE (Simon Kirby @ May 31 2014, 08:21 PM) *
a well designed housing estate with trees, hedges, gardens, vegetable plots, parks and allotments is great for wildlife.

When was the last time you saw a wild snake, deer, rabbit, hare or bird of prey in a small, housing estate garden?
  Forum: Newbury News · Post Preview: #96048 · Replies: 188 · Views: 152,188

pbonnay
Posted on: May 31 2014, 06:20 PM


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QUOTE (Simon Kirby @ May 31 2014, 06:26 PM) *
Something like 7% of the UK is built on in some shape or form, so that's not a lot. There is room to expand.

The article says 6.8% of all land mass. Now take out Snowdonia, The Brecons, Lake District, Dartmoor, the Highlands, other national parks and flooded areas etc, and there is not 93% spare is there?
  Forum: Newbury News · Post Preview: #96033 · Replies: 188 · Views: 152,188

pbonnay
Posted on: May 31 2014, 05:01 PM


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QUOTE (gel @ May 30 2014, 08:09 PM) *
The local parish councillors wanting an audience with her re local policing (lack of it), were denied appointment, yet surely this should have been key part of her role.


Yes, I too noticed she kept going on about "visible community policing" and was there to engage with the public and to hold the Chief Constable to account. Yet when a village community wanted to meet with her to complain about the loss of their local bobby, she refused to meet with them saying she could not get involved in "operational police matters"! That's a cop out. rolleyes.gif
  Forum: Random Rants · Post Preview: #96027 · Replies: 154 · Views: 229,034

pbonnay
Posted on: May 31 2014, 04:41 PM


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QUOTE (The Hatter @ May 30 2014, 09:30 PM) *
I just can't see why anyone with half a brain would have actually voted for her! All goes to prove that people only vote for established parties.


I watched the programme and the PCC for Kent was at pains to point out she was an independent, who had funded her own campaign. It appeared she got a lot of support from her drama group though! I agree with gel that she looked at sea on some issues.
  Forum: Random Rants · Post Preview: #96023 · Replies: 154 · Views: 229,034

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