Europe - The Official Thread

[Dotini]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-18159752

A story about how Britain fell into the chaos of Dark Ages when the Roman Empire collapsed. Does it, as suggested, have echoes of the current Eurozone crisis? Or do these reporters have too much time and imagination on a slow newsday?

Respectfully,
Steve

 

[Dennisch]

No doubt that when the Eurozone crumbles, the British Isles will follow into the abyss.

 

[Liquid]

If it has to be done right, you'll have to do it yourself.

And this is what we're trying to do with our glorious pounds sterling. Whether we'll succeed is another issue...

Will we soon see the return of the Deutsche Mark, French franc, Italian lira and the gulden? Poland is officially changing from zlotti to euro this year, will they regret it?

 

[Touring Mars]

No doubt that when the Eurozone crumbles, the British Isles will follow into the abyss.

The Eurozone will not crumble - not completely anyway. Germany will be fine - their constitution and laws prevent the Europhile technocrats from getting too carried away with either helping themselves to or giving away too much of Germany's wealth.

What will probably happen is that the weaker countries within the Eurozone may well revert to their own currencies, and a hardcore will emerge who will press ahead with full fiscal union and closer political union - the coming months and years give those without the stomach for it one last chance to get out.

Britain is not in great shape right now, and the Eurozone crisis could have a serious and long-lasting effect on the UK's economy - but, the UK is not a Eurozone country, and hence we have more options than those (namely Portugal, Ireland, Italy, Spain and Greece) who have painted themselves into a corner by joining the Euro. I think it will be a tough few years for the UK no matter what happens, but I don't think that we are anywhere near 'following the Eurozone into the abyss'.

Poland are doing really well at the moment, apparently, and they may decide to hold fire on the Euro thing until the fate of the peripheral members is more certain - they could find themselves signing up to the hardcore after the weaker countries have either left or been forced out of the current Eurozone.

 

[Keef]

their constitution and laws

They're a nice idea but they haven't helped us much - you think a country with Germany's heritage is going to give a rat's ass when it comes down to it?

 

[OK8]

The crisis with Greece and the way it's being handled (more loan to substitute lack of money to pay back loans = ???) in my mind just hilights the ridiculousness of our current system of economy among with many other things.

Bring on the revolution!

 

[Dennisch]

Christine Lagarde talks about the Greek People :

"No, I think more of the little kids from a school in a little village in Niger who get teaching two hours a day, sharing one chair for three of them, and who are very keen to get an education. I have them in my mind all the time. Because I think they need even more help than the people in Athens." She breaks off for a pointedly meaningful pause, before leaning forward.

"Do you know what? As far as Athens is concerned, I also think about all those people who are trying to escape tax all the time. All these people in Greece who are trying to escape tax."

Even more than she thinks about all those now struggling to survive without jobs or public services? "I think of them equally. And I think they should also help themselves collectively." How? "By all paying their tax. Yeah.



Read more!

The Greeks don't like that kind of talk.

 

[Dotini]

The crisis with Greece and the way it's being handled (more loan to substitute lack of money to pay back loans = ???) in my mind just hilights the ridiculousness of our current system of economy among with many other things.

Bring on the revolution!

Christine Lagarde talks about the Greek People :

"No, I think more of the little kids from a school in a little village in Niger who get teaching two hours a day, sharing one chair for three of them, and who are very keen to get an education. I have them in my mind all the time. Because I think they need even more help than the people in Athens." She breaks off for a pointedly meaningful pause, before leaning forward.

"Do you know what? As far as Athens is concerned, I also think about all those people who are trying to escape tax all the time. All these people in Greece who are trying to escape tax."

Even more than she thinks about all those now struggling to survive without jobs or public services? "I think of them equally. And I think they should also help themselves collectively." How? "By all paying their tax. Yeah.



Read more!

The Greeks don't like that kind of talk.

The very richest folk of Greece, the shipping magnates like the Stavros Niarchos clan, pay no taxes at all due to their protected-by-law status.

The problems of the Western world will not be solved by more borrowing and spending. Neither will they be solved by revolution, decapitating and eating the rich, as satisfying as that may sound. No. Where there is no solution there is no problem. The great wheel must turn, and that's all there is to it. The Petrie dish must fizzle out after initially flourishing.

To-morrow, and to-morrow, and to-morrow,
Creeps in this petty pace from day to day,
To the last syllable of recorded time;
And all our yesterdays have lighted fools
The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle!
Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player,
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage,
And then is heard no more. It is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing.

Macbeth Act 5, scene 5, 19–28

 

[Keef]

Western Europeans have forgotten what it's like to live through hard times and are stubborn, lazy, spoiled, and selfish.

 

[Sphinx]

Things are heating up:

Golden Dawn show their true colours during a live TV discussion in Greece.



Edit:
Just booked a weeks holiday in July. Going to Rhodes . Wish me luck

 

[Dennisch]

Who cares, he was beating up a communist.

 

[Keef]

What douchebag throws water at a girl and then swings at another? I don't care if he was right or wrong, I hope he was sent to the hospital with a broken everything.

 

[axletramp]

What douchebag throws water at a girl and then swings at another?

Is it Chris Brown? No, wait... Ike Turner?

 

[Dennisch]

What douchebag throws water at a girl and then swings at another? I don't care if he was right or wrong, I hope he was sent to the hospital with a broken everything.

They are all screwed up. Who cares he takes a swing. Commies, nazis. Studio should have burnt to the ground.

 

[DK]

I wonder what Golden Dawn's policy on domestic violence is...

 

[Dennisch]

I wonder what Golden Dawn's policy on domestic violence is...

Well, they want to put mines at the borders of Greece, so I'll bet when they come to power, which I doubt, you can smack your woman into submission, or your man, if you are a bulky woman.

 

[PAPPACLART]

An Italian Bank is now having problems BNI Freezing Accounts


Thankfully my girlfriend is with a different Bank!!

 

[DK]

Staying on the topic of runs on banks, I think this BBC News article is an interesting read given that Greece is having its second general election this Sunday.

 

[Leonidae@MFT]

Why I am not at all surprised that it's the Mediterranean members of EU that are the first falling blocks of the domino effect..?

 

[PAPPACLART]

Why I am not at all surprised that it's the Mediterranean members of EU that are the first falling blocks of the domino effect..?

Tell me about it. Portugal Greece, Spain and Italy. Is it the hot weather or something? lol

I currently live in northern Italy. Plenty of people struggling for jobs including myself, though my poor Italian skills contributes mostly to that.. Luckily my GF works for a foreign company in an industry that has not been effected so bad.

 

[Keef]

Why do you live in Italy if you can't speak Italian?

 

[Touring Mars]

Why do you live in Italy if you can't speak Italian?

Most European countries have a good proportion of English speakers and there are plenty of companies (and even universities) that conduct their business predominately in English. I know plenty of people who have gone to work in European countries without being anywhere near fluent in the native tongue - it's pretty easy to get by as an English speaker.

 

[PAPPACLART]

Why do you live in Italy if you can't speak Italian?

I can speak Italian and understand, just basically. I am still learning. It is a very hard language to learn for native English speakers.

Most European countries have a good proportion of English speakers and there are plenty of companies (and even universities) that conduct their business predominately in English. I know plenty of people who have gone to work in European countries without being anywhere near fluent in the native tongue - it's pretty easy to get by as an English speaker.

The above is true, though it is a little harder in Italy. Like you say the best chance is working for an International company where the spoken language is English.

I had a chance to work for FIAT, but the commute was 30-40 miles with no easy way to get there. I tried to relocate but they were impatient and did not give me adequate time to sort my affairs.

 

[Hun200kmh]

Why I am not at all surprised that it's the Mediterranean members of EU that are the first falling blocks of the domino effect..?

You think that because:

a) You are Finnish and not Icelandic (outside the eurozone but first european falling piece of the global financial crisis. Last I looked it wasn't a mediterranean country)

b) You are forgetting Ireland too (this, in the eurozone. Last I looked ... same as above)

c) You are forgetting Portugal is to the west of Gibraltar and therefore is NOT a mediterranean country (same as above although I get it ... southern Europe is what you meant, right? See a) and b) above then) ;

d) France is a mediterranean member of the EU. Not one of the first falling pieces.


So ... why are you not surprised indeed ?

 

[Sphinx]

If you were Greek, where would your hard earned savings be right now?

Still sitting in the bank?
Under the mattress?
Silver & Gold etc?
Overseas account?
A hole in the garden Roman style?
Elsewhere?

If you were Cypriot, where would your hard earned savings be right now?

Answer:
Anywhere other than sitting in the bank.



Glad I'm not a Cypriot right now.

Between a rock and a hard place.

 

[Dennisch]

I see Cyprus as the first one to leave the Euro zone. Pretty rough poop for the people there. And all them Ruskies with their money stored in Cyprus.

 

[Sphinx]

After the way they've been treated I wouldn't blame them leaving. It's seems that if your a small fry member then tough luck, but if you're too big to fail then it's all hands on deck to help them.

 

[DK]

Looking at Cyprus, it seems we Irish got off pretty lightly.

 

[sumbrownkid]

Hey Europe, chin up. At least the PS4 is coming out down the line.

 

[kikie]

Hey Europe, chin up. At least the PS4 is coming out down the line.

Europe will be bankrupt by then.

New laws are approved (cyprus):

* Solidatity fund approved: >> money from pension fund, money from the central bank and from the othodox church used for collateral for a future loan.

* limitations in the capital transactions

* Reform the bank sector and the Laiki bank will be "dismantled".

* Duty/tax on large assets.