Greece / Spain / Italy Options

[dannyboy]

Aah - £343 million is just to Greece.

I wonder how much we buy from them?

The above quote was from a 2010 article in the Grauinad. According to the F&CO =

Greece is the UK's 34th largest export market (2010 ranking). The value of exports of British goods to Greece was £1.12 billion in 2011, , while Greek imports to the UK stood at £645 million

whos' figures are the most accurate I wonder?

[Nothing Much]

Well I can tell you that both the Turkish areas of London and the Greek shops.
Separated by about 4 miles and several gangs, are always full of watermelons.
ce

[JeffG]

always full of watermelons.
ce

Fascinating factoid of the day

[Nothing Much]

They are very big ones. Sort of like the guns they carry.
ce

[dannyboy]

They are very big ones. Sort of like the guns they carry.
ce

Do they pump the watermelons full of water for that true 'third world' taste?

[Andy Capp]

On a TV program earlier, Michael Portillo asked various Greek and German politicians, business people, and citizens: would they like their old currency back? None did.

[Blake]

The invention of the single currency was a classic example of will-against-reason doctrinaire policy making by a very small number of ideologically driven bureaucrats and a small number of elected people.

The sheer disparity of economies ranging from Portugal and Greece to Germany set of my alarm bells from the very start. It was a dumb attempt to square a circle amid the vision of a "United Europe". The vision was an impossible one, but the bureaucrats and pro-euro zealots just dig the hole ever-deeper.

[Squelchy]

As I'm sure you know, those 'arguments' sound exactly like the ones put forward in North America when it was decided it might be a good idea if each state stopped making it's own money and all the States just had one currency between them.

[JeffG]

The sheer disparity of economies ranging from Portugal and Greece to Germany set of my alarm bells from the very start.

I can't help wondering, though, how the US manages with a single currency. Different parts of the US are certainly not equal in their economies, and the populations are roughly the same (300m odd).

Edit: Ha! Same thought at the same time!

[Andy Capp]

As I'm sure you know, those 'arguments' sound exactly like the ones put forward in North America when it was decided it might be a good idea if each state stopped making it's own money and all the States just had one currency between them.

I can't help wondering, though, how the US manages with a single currency. Different parts of the US are certainly not equal in their economies, and the populations are roughly the same (300m odd). Edit: Ha! Same thought at the same time!

The US has one federal government to enforce fiscal discipline?

[Newbelly]

The US has one federal government to enforce fiscal discipline?

Correct in the main.

I think the political history of the US is too different from that of Europe to make a useful comparison regarding currencies.

Where in Europe would we like the Euro federal reserve to be situated? Historically, one could argue Rome or Athens?

[dannyboy]

The US has one federal government to enforce fiscal discipline?

And they all speak the same language, have total social mobility & all had a good civil war to iron out any differences.

[Newbelly]

And they all speak the same language, have total social mobility & all had a good civil war to iron out any differences.

Take your points, but Spanish has made some inroads in one or two states.

[dannyboy]

Take your points, but Spanish has made some inroads in one or two states.

Spanish was already there.

The Americans kicked out the Mexicans, then claimed the area as their own & called it 'Texas'.

[Newbelly]

Spanish was already there.

The Americans kicked out the Mexicans, then claimed the area as their own & called it 'Texas'.

Hence, they do not "all speak the same language" in the US.

The increase in Spanish has come about as a result of immigration, post formation.

[dannyboy]

Hence, they do not "all speak the same language" in the US.

The increase in Spanish has come about as a result of immigration, post formation.

oh yes & the Mafia speak Italian.

You forgot the plains algonquian too.


But on the wole I think you find that, apart from Puerto Rico, English is the language of the USA. It helps when trying to Unify States.

[Andy Capp]

Notwithstanding, they achieved their sovereignty at our expense!

[dannyboy]

Notwithstanding, they achieved their sovereignty at our expense!

We did get to burn the White House down in 1814. And most of the rest of Washington.

[Newbelly]

oh yes & the Mafia speak Italian.

You forgot the plains algonquian too.


But on the wole I think you find that, apart from Puerto Rico, English is the language of the USA. It helps when trying to Unify States.

Around 40 million people in the US speak Spanish as their first language and it is growing. Of course, US English is dominant (especially in politics and finance) but it is wrong to dismiss those who speak Spanish, as the language was, as you say, "already there".

[dannyboy]

Around 40 million people in the US speak Spanish as their first language and it is growing. Of course, US English is dominant (especially in politics and finance) but it is wrong to dismiss those who speak Spanish, as the language was, as you say, "already there".

I'm not dismissing it. Just saying that one of the fundamental reasons that the USA works as a united states is the unity of language.

Despite the huge influs of immigrants in the 1900s, English is still the language of the USA.