Chirac
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- unfittoprint0
Jaz, you can't see the diferences about anything because you can't or because you won't?
Take a stance once in your life.
For bad or for worse.
- jdcomba0
aaaaaahhh politics, it's so unrewarding to talk about. let's all get over it and talk about..... ice cream sundaes.
- pascii0
icecream is nice : )
but the EU has fucked up big time.
- shaft0
It's the British Economy that is doing fine, the French are going down. I'd stick with Blair. No money for lazy French farmers.
- kripes0
Other countries in the UK complain that Britain, as a "rich nation", should be willing to give up the rebate and pay more. But why is the UK relatively economically prosperous? It is because they have a better structured economy, operating on a more free market model. Why should they pay more to subsidise the economic failings of countries that are tied to more socialist economic models?
- pascii0
so why wants britain to be part of europe?
- kripes0
I agree pascii. It is time for the UK to withdraw itself from the EU which has capsized under the weight of French arrogance. The Swiss are not members, and neither should they be. Can someone please tell me why Spain, Ireland etc continue to receive huge net benefits, despite being rich countries?
- v3nt0
bollocks, the closer we are to europe the better. Even if it does mean a little stress on the economy the repurcusions of which will never be noticed by us on 'lower' incomes. I don't think the situation is being helped by blair either. There all just clearing the air after the war split + the sinking referendum results! we'll all be pals again in 10 years.
- ********0
Britain was never as much inside like other countries ihmo. There are historical reasons for this, like the compromise with the US dating from the WWII.
On one side it would be absurd to be out of the EU and having to abide by rules they couldn't control, isolating themselves from a huge market that would be controlled by a German-French look into central Europe.
On the other side, Britain is not willing to cope with what needs to be done to create a real bond with a EU: Lose the Pound, and lose Northern Ireland.
I think any of those leaders have reasons for doing what they are doing, and things really need time and not fake solutions.
the further we compromise without real interest the more it can break and if it breaks it will break with a bang. Things hang by thin threads.
So ranting about leaders is pretty useless. Just vote and watch. Do not pick guns coz it doesn't help.
- kripes0
They should not be collecting a rebate at all and should not be paying into the EU either. Britain could trade so much more efficiently outside of the EU and could exist more freely, if it only had the confidence to get off the fence and bow out completely! If you had a group of friends that argued this much and just wanted it all their own way with no care for you, would you continue to hang around with them? There is no respect and no future here.
- ********0
you're giving me the krips, man...
- kripes0
i don't mean to give you the krips witt. I just don't understand this mess.
I think it is about time that the whole EU funding system is reviewed. The EU was sold to the UK as a system where all member countries traded on equal terms. This is clearly not the case. Other countries not part of the EU have not only survived but prospered. The politicians say you are all better off due to the EU - if so where have all the manufacturing jobs gone? Why are so many companies moving production and service centres abroad?
- shaft0
I hope the British will have a chance to turn Europe in their direction during their presidency.
To me it looks they are the ones that have a working EU model in minds, even if on the surface they seem to be the troublemakers.
Blair's sounds like the voice of reason. It's "our model works, yours doesn't. Why should we pay for supporting your utopia?"BTW agricultural subsidies in the west are among the factors that keep world's poorest countries poor. African countries can't compete with govt. supported European farmers. Another reason for Blair to say no.
- ********0
i don't know
what i feel more than i know is that the EU is a roof more than a building.
- ********0
EU is not a federal state, its the reunion of many states, each of them defending their piece of the cake ... Chirac want to save its popularity amongst a certain category of farmers - the wealthiest - who get most of the EU help in France. He is a bit like Bush, someone with a bit of common sense would hate him, but the popular base keeps re-electing him ...
oh yeah, and french are arrogant cheese-eaters ... so I must add, at least our president knows geography (i dont know why french are regarded as more arrogant than the americans or the british ... i mean, we dont think the same way, that doesnt mean we are arrogant).
- kripes0
It seems to me that France is not interested in solidarity within the EU. France is only interested in what is best for France. The UK pays so much to the EU for what appears to be very little return. Cancelling the rebate is not good for the EU - it is good for France. Mr Chirac should think about reforming the French agricultural industry if he is really interested in EU solidarity.
- ********0
I agree with you about France reforming its agricultural system. But pls dont tell me that UK is really interested in contributing to the EU ... the british take (and have always taken) what was best for them in the EU, ... they are not part of shengen, dont use the euro ... France was always part of the nations that brought EU forward ... except when it comes to agriculture.
- kripes0
eerieechidna i wont defend the UK to that degree. I agree. Every leader is out for their own good so this is no shocking matter. I am just up to my neck with Chirac and I have faith that the French people have had it with him as well.
- ********0
yep, french people are more than fed up with this man ... at the same time he remains quite popular. difficult to explain. and anyway he is too proud to call an early election. in addition he was involved in some illegal management of public funds 20 years ago and while he is the president he benefits from some imunity ... another good reason to stay where he is until 2007 (the next presidencial election).
- Cactus0
"... at the same time he remains quite popular."
*lol
You live in France?