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Posts Tagged ‘The European Union’

There was an Editorial in the Independent today, the aim of which was to “warn” the Conservatives in particular against cuts that cost Government jobs in economically depressed areas. This is all rather odd and a bit mixed up considering the “Indy” is no supporter of the Tories at any time !

http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/leading-articles/leading-article-two-nations-once-more-2066181.html

However this is rather an odd article in another way because it fails to tackle the problems head on and instead ‘paddles’ in the shallows rather than applying any serious thinking to examining the core issues that lie behind this.

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With the current state of the Public Finances, it is obvious that all Government Departments will come under very heavy pressure to reduce their spending and historically, Defence has always been seen as a ‘soft target’ for politicians, let us hope not, this time around. Just like at the end of the Cold War, people looked for a “Peace Dividend”, there really never is one because “If you want peace then, you must prepare for war” and that is still true to this day.

The real questions must hinge around defining accurately what our “Defence Posture” should be and why. This approach must be stuck to and regardless of the current economic problems because too often in the past, a cash figure seems to have been struck first and then our Armed Forces ‘squeezed’ to fit it which is obviously, the wrong way round.

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I am no economist and would not claim to understand the intricacies of this kind of fiscal deal over another but there does come a time when common sense rather than “technical sophistication” should and must takeover. Such a time seems fast approaching for the current situation over the Euro.

There is an interesting article in the Times today concerning Greece: “The Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR), a London-based consultancy, has warned Greek ministers they will be unable to escape their debt trap without devaluing their own currency to boost exports. The only way this can happen is if Greece returns to its own currency.” Worth checking it out.

http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/economics/article7140270.ece

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The other day, David Cameron and Nick Clegg presented their 34 page detailed document to outline the details of the Coalition agreement. The general consensus was that the Conservatives had given more ground than the LibDems on their Election Manifestos. An interesting observation but not one I suspect will stand the test of time.

The one thing I’ve always liked about Cameron and despite the odd stumble since he became Tory Leader and had to ‘learn on the job’, is it became clear that he was a pragmatist not a dogmatist and one suspects, as others have commented, he has used the coalition as an excuse to ‘off-load’ a number of Tory Policies that frankly wouldn’t play well in these straightened times.

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I have quoted it before but Napoleon’s question to Marshall Ney on the latter extolling a young Cavalry Officer for promotion, still rings true to this day: “Yes Ney, but is he lucky ?”

In this context and despite the recent narrowing of the opinion polls that seem to indicate that Labour is still in with a chance, I never believed them for one minute. Labour just doesn’t have a prayer and the reason is Gordon Brown, surely the unluckiest of all Prime Ministers and for us the luckiest of citizens when he and his Government are no more.

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Much as I am fond of the US and its people, there are times when I do rather despair of the total naivety of some of them always demanding a black and white answer when the reality is nothing but a spectrum of greys going from black to white. A classic example of this was in Time magazine which I currently get on a weekly basis.

The question supposedly asked by Henry Kissinger: “Who do I call when I want to call Europe ?” Today as then and perhaps more so from a US perspective in these difficult times, the US wants to feel that there is a natural partner in the EU to help share the load but they really do need to wake up on this one because it is just never going to happen. http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1967702,00.html

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Whilst I could never understand the economic rationale behind setting up the Eurozone which was always a total nonsense to me, the political case was obvious for those who believed in a “United States of Europe”, another nonsense if ever there was one. But whilst I have no love for either, I certainly wish them no harm because the UK is outside the Eurozone and hopefully in due course we shall be outside of the EU too.

The Media is full of stories about the economic crisis in Greece which is in the Euro but in deep shit because of the way it ran its budget therefore the question is: “Will the richer Eurozone countries bail Greece out ? Is this the first test for the Euro and will the currency fail if they can’t or don’t do so ?” To be honest the real problem has nothing to do with this in any case in my opinion…

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Howard Jacobson wrote an interesting article in the Independent: “Civil liberties or civil protection – which is the more important?”

http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/howard-jacobson/howard-jacobson-civil-liberties-or-civil-protection-ndash-which-is-the-more-important-1869544.html

The majority of people who mailed in were hostile to his stance but my own feeling was that neither ‘side’ was approaching the problems sensibly either.

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Yesterday Bruce Anderson was having a bit of a rant about the Labour Party and whilst at times quite amusing, intended or not, it did lead to to several thoughts:

http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/bruce-anderson/bruce-anderson-from-blair-to-darling-labour-only-ever-acts-out-of-selfinterest-1839891.html

It was well written, contains many good points and it is true that Brown clinging on to power has and continues to damage this Nation. An Autumn Election should have been called, a decision made by the voters and we should all be starting to finally move forward again instead of being in Limbo whilst Britain Burns and necessary remedial actions are put off.

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Whilst “knocking” the Conservatives, Labour and LibDems and damning all politicians as total fools is understandable in some ways, is not the answer although it does highlight the real problem which is a lack of commercial enterprise in Britain.

Since when did becoming Prime Minister or being “In the Government” represent the apex of British Society ? Oh certainly in the minds of all politicians throughout the ages and especially as long before today, they pocketed back handers of one sort or another, they were the most important in the land but historically very few were. All political parties represent and always did, a specific sectional interest in society whether of property, trade or labour (working people).

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