Posts by codejunky

All bets are Hoff: DXC exec is standing for Brexit Party in UK General Election

Re: [Rant alert]

@Rameses Niblick the Third Kerplunk Kerplunk Whoops Where's My Thribble?

If some people are getting their knickers in a twist because they dont know the difference between free movement of people and racism that actually helps.

It isnt a surprised when actual thought or policy gets called racist and xenophobic because the accuser either doesnt understand or is unable to discuss without looking like an idiot.

When the general discussion is dumbed down so far it might even look like an anti-foreigner party has a foreigner in their ranks (teheehee). But that isnt the absurd bit, it is absurd to stop thinking at that point! Why would they have a foreigner? What do they really stand for?

Of course that then leads to them not being anti-foreigner and when considered with thought they promote a border as has always been the norm and is the norm except for the huge and creaking experiment of the EU.

Hopefully the misunderstanding can be cleared up quickly before an important decision must be made.

UK Home Office: We will register thousands of deactivated firearms with no database

Ha

Kudo's to the gov for showing this EU directive the correct appreciation and respect. Bugger all and nothing. I expect the emails will be automatically redirected to /dev/null where they belong

Re: A law no one will know about

@AC

"The partner doesn't know I still have them, she hates them and doesn't want them in the house (they aren't fucking real)"

I understand your pain. When people find out I have air rifles in the UK the first assumption always seems to be maniacal gunning down of civilians. Its a shame people have been reduced to this level of irrational fear. My parents were dead set against the airguns for years until eventually my dad accepted my invitation to join me at the range. Now both my parents have tried it and enjoyed it.

Tech and mobile companies want to monetise your data ... but are scared of GDPR

Re: Hmm

"Everything you mention can be done over open, established mechanisms without being dressed up in a frock and monetised"

Then go ahead and do it. Either use those or make them. People tend to do what they want and so google and facebook are only in existence due to people wanting them. The value of the data they hold is so tiny per person that it is only worth doing at large scale and only profitable over a broad audience.

It is very easy to get rid of them, stop using them. If people decide not to use facebook and google then they will go away. The vast developments of technology, communication and availability are driven by peoples desires and people obviously desire these services.

"In short, old boy, you're talking out of your tail-feathers while defending the indefensible."

So far you seem to be telling me black is white and I am defending the indefensible position that black is black. The real world being my yardstick to measure against while you tell me of a hypothetical non-monetised alternate world.

You claim google and facebook are accountable to no-one while they are accountable to the law and their consumers. Compare that to govenrnents which are made up of electable parties after serving a set number of years and unelectable public service people.

Re: Hmm

@Claverhouse

"What things are these capitalist scum offering me for free ?"

Actually nothing. As I said it is people who want things for free. Why on earth do we have mobile phones with huge data limits at great speeds when we had the postal system where you pay for a stamp? Just look at the path between the two and the massive advancement due to people wanting more at reduced costs, and the monetary cost going down as other means of subsidy are implemented (data).

"I pay for my own broadband"

That gorgeous dial-up which limited websites to basic low res graphics and huge advancements in compression. Or do you have blazing speeds offering websites quickly with graphics pleasing to the eye that has created the interactive long distant communications we love? Be hard/expensive to facebook message never mind video call previously. Now people do it to avoid mobile phone call charges!

"I have no interest in how websites finance themselves: why should they take this 'Data' merely to try and make money from me and all the other viewers ?"

I am sure you dont care how Tesco finance themselves, why should they charge you for a tin of beans? From what I have seen of the estimates of the value of this data it is a pittance per person, yet provides a profit. Something so low in value but so broad it provides enough to sustain it. Not bad for a service you can choose to give data to (or not) and provides a number of services.

"Some of my sites are shuttered because I can't afford hosting, they should do the same if they can't make ends meet."

You failed so they should? Why? You say some of your sites so I assume you also have successes there, just as they have succeeded. You dont like em, dont use em.

"I trust any government more than I trust any capitalist"

Yikes. A government is an entity, a capitalist is a perspective. Out of interest if you dont trust a capitalist where do you live (country)? Do you live in a non-capitalist utopia? If so how do you feel using the very technology provided by capitalists?

"or any socialist for that matter."

Socialist being the other end of the scale from capitalist and just another perspective. I am honestly very interested to hear of an alternative viewpoint. The capitalist/socialist divide being of who owns the means of production.

"Government gives order: libertarians give only the reek of advancing themselves and fuck everybody."

So you prefer authoritarian? There are some famous authoritarian governments but mostly for advancing themselves and fuck everybody. Government may give the appearance of order but rarely does that seem to work out or be true.

Re: Hmm

@Doctor Syntax

I didnt forget. We choose to give data to these companies. And while a lot of what they do might be useless or a minor irritant it is the good that makes the difference.

Hmm

And of course this will be seen as some kind of victory and without seeing the benefits people wont know the difference. But yet those benefits are advancement and progress. People wanting things for free but unwilling to pay the price to bring the costs down.

There is some legitimate fear of having your data shared, such as from oppression. Telecom's not really doing much in that business since they provide a means of freely communicating with other people at reducing prices. Compare that with a distrust of a centralised medical database because while it would be great for science and health research we dont trust the bastards in governments.

Move along, nothing to see here: Auditors say £100k grant to Hacker House was 'appropriate'

Hmm

If people are not happy with this maybe we should be sending the gov less money. They will always believe they can spend it better than we can but most people believe that of everyone else as well.

Euro competition chief mulls forcing tech giants to prove their actions aren't harming market

Erm

Can we please ask the EU to do such a self assessment? And the EU is seriously affecting the market as it drags the world economy on its way down.

Remember the big IBM 360 mainframe rescue job? For now, Brexit has ballsed it up – big iron restorers

Qarumba

Makes for good click bait

Plan to strip post-Brexit Brits of .EU domains now on hold: Registry waves white flag amid political madness

Re: @AC

@AC

"There were not three votes supporting leave."

Time for a maths lesson.

"The referendum result was so close to even that any well structured vote would have considered it insufficiently conclusive."

Aka the result by the defined rules of the vote was leave. 1-0

"The general election was not just about leave vs remain, but also about long term party loyalties, and other issues important to people. There is no way it can be considered a vote supporting leave."

The lib dems make a big thing of GE's being another referendum. Labour will only allow a GE if they can bind the next government not to hard brexit. How many squealers complained that brexit was the most important thing in british politics. 2-0

"The MEP elections were a clear victory for remain, with pro-brexit parties getting 39.3% of the British popular vote, and pro-remain parties getting 48.6% of the British popular vote."

Oh shit you really cant count. The brexit party was created for leave, the change UK was created for remain and there was no contest. But in fairness the libs positioned themselves as the remain party and did very well, but less than the brexit party. You have no claim on the intentions of the other parties funnily enough for the exact reason you complain about the GE. 3-0

"That result was far less equivocal than the referendum results."

3-0 is far more than necessary but it is where we are. And yet we remain against the democratic results.

Re: Does the UK require citizenship for .uk domains?

@Pen-y-gors

"Wrong tense... wantED to... but since 2016 many Leave voters have died, young Remainers have joined the electoral register, some people have changed their mind (usually from Leave->Remain)

How about we ask the voters NOW what they want?"

We did. The brexit party won the majority for the MEP election. While it is probably true that some leave voters have died (and remain ones too I expect) and some will change their mind from leave to remain (and remain to leave) it would seem the best course of action is to implement the result that was voted for instead of stalling further for such poor arguments and demands for more votes.

Re: @AC

@Roland6

""the people" generally refers to all or the vast majority"

Ok. So if it isnt good enough for leave to use 'the people' as in the voting result of the people actually voting on a direction for the country then there is no way remainers should refer to the people.

"it is a matter of debate and its timing as to whether one side or the other has improved its position"

Timing possibly, but not in the 3 votes supporting the leave position (referendum, GE, MEP election). So an amount of ambiguity is lost there.

"As for the rules being set by 'remain', I suggest you read a little more about the run up to the referendum."

Cameron promising to back leave if the EU dont agree to his demands. Waters down the demands before asking and walks away empty handed. Backs remain, refuses to do any leave prep and pushes propaganda at taxpayer expense to get around the spending rules. Go on...

"The referendum happened because of how vocal and influential the eurosceptics in the Conservative party were"

And of course it had been voted for in general elections a few times, lets not forget that (as far back as the labour party promising it!).

Re: @AC

@Roland6

"A bit like people going about the "the people" when in fact they are referring to only 17.2M ..."

Only? Thats an odd way to talk of the majority in a vote where the rules were set by the remain and leave won. But less odd than people going about the 'the people' when referring to the minority.

"The fact is the EU got first claim on .eu and just like anyone else with a TLD they can specify the rules as to who and what can use that TLD; live with it."

I agree. Cant say I care either way about the .eu domain, but it is blazingly stupid how it is dragged into the brexit situation and handled so badly.

@AC

"Surely .eu identifies the continent, not just countries in Europe who belong to the European Union."

I dont know which the .eu is intended to identify and I dont really care (this TLD stupidity being just that). But it does bring the question of what the EU identifies as since it regularly mistakes itself for Europe while actually being a political union inside but not wholly.

Remain or leave the TLD argument is just the EU shooting itself in the foot. There are better implementations of taking back the domain names if that is worth more to the EU than the money.

Will someone think of the taxpayer? UK.gov needs to stop burning billions on shoddy procurement, says Reform

Ha

The gov is throwing your money away, so they should throw some at me. Good sales pitch.

However a simpler solution would be the gov getting less of our money. Force it to shrink to more manageable levels.

We read the Brexit copyright notices so you don't have to… No more IP freely, ta very much

Re: Take Back Control?

@defiler

"Okay, codejunky, I'll bite one more time here with an analogy"

Its up to you. I am up for discussion and maybe you can point to things I dont already know or a perspective I havnt thought of which broadens my view on the situation. Its your choice if your willing to do such.

"That's the UK (and other nations) in the EU ocean, watching the squirrels in the trees."

This doesnt really work (I get the analogy but disagree) because we havnt moved that far apart from the real world. Its almost like the USSR waiting for the 'new man' who never arrived, that evolution to something different didnt happen. Instead of an evolution issue this is more of a voluntary isolationism like hippy's or cultists. We are leaving the cult and rejoining the rest of the world.

"The UK, its population and its businesses have slowly evolved to survive in the EU. If we change the ecosystem suddenly, some will thrive, but most will suffer."

Except thats not quite accurate. It isnt an ecosystem its a cage. And yes those relying on the EU to throw money at them will find they have to work for someone else willing to pay. But the harm of the cage (high tariffs and heavy regulation) being removed and suddenly having access to more is the isolationist rejoining civilisation.

"Does the UK have enough customs infrastructure to handle the volume of goods that we import from outside the EU, let alone that inside the EU?"

Yes. When Hammond complained our ports would be overwhelmed the ports themselves said it would be no problem.

"I'm pretty confident the answer is no, given that we only perform documentary checks on <3% of non-EU goods coming in."

And we will as usual check as we wish. Which will likely be constrained by capacity to check. The ports aint worried so why are you?

"Regardless of your political affiliation, or your opinion of aquatic mammals, the customs issue is very real, and the real world doesn't compromise to politics."

That last bit is the important one. When politics meets reality, reality always wins. So the political numpties can argue all they want the reality will still exist.

Re: Take Back Control?

@defiler

"You can't simply undo that in one go"

Why? 40 years increasing restrictions on ourselves by bringing ourselves in line with the other 27 countries and now freeing ourselves up to impose less restriction on ourselves. However that 40+ years you talk about should make it simple for continued trade with the EU as its all in place already. The change there being highly domestic.

"It's going to take decades to unravel and for the UK to implement its own mechanisms to replicate what is currently shared services across Europe"

And why replicate? We implement the mechanisms we need and that is how countries have worked before the EU and currently even outside the EU. The EU being the oddity not the rest of the world.

"For an orderly extraction from Europe what we'd realistically need to do is back off in stages, gradually shoring up our independence."

Ok. Except that isnt on offer so we are either tied to them for fear of the real world or we leave.

"What we have just now is a government attempting to knock some of the economic foundations out of the country, and expecting everything to just stay upright."

Which wouldnt be a problem had they implemented the result of the referendum as intended. Instead we have had years of trying to remain while pretending to leave. That being damaging to the countries economy.

"That's aside from the concerns that the legislation is being rammed through too fast"

Very true. We had time before the referendum result and Cameron did nothing. We had 2 years of negotiation and got a sell-out bill that couldnt get through 3 times! An extension where they took a holiday. Now a new PM few trust rushing a deal.

"the simple fact that the exit we're being offered bears no resemblance to what we were promised three years ago"

I am happy to agree. We dont seem allowed to leave regardless of the votes against the EU. A minority dictating to the majority and sabotaging the country.

Re: TL;DR

@Dan 55

"Indeed, they even accept you if you're bright red, over 50, and outrageously bigoted."

And so very accepting of different kinds of people. Yes.

Re: The UK is one of the most welcoming and non-racist countries in Europe

@Pascal Monett

"Racism is everywhere, buddy, and if you think you're country has the least of it, you're blinding yourself to the truth."

One of the least. That doesnt mean that there isnt any racism, although what do you mean racism everywhere? In your vicinity or in general?

"And besides, you just have to look at UKIP to know that what you said is wrong."

What should that prove? Go on.

Re: Take Back Control?

@martinusher

"Remainers have a very good reason for being concerned about the future"

True, as do brexiters.

"because the only thing that will prevent complete chaos post Brexit is not that HM government has planned for life post-Brexit but because they're so disconnected from reality that there's not enough resources to actually enforce all the new rules and regulations"

Oh here is the whining. So how did we cope before? How do other countries cope without being in the EU? HOW DOES THE WORLD KEEP SPINNING WITHOUT EU MAGIC?

"Why don't you just admit it was a clusterfuck from Day One?"

I do. Cameron the remainer refused to plan for brexit even though it was a possibility. He insisted he was going to stay after the referendum to implement the result then buggered off. A party split over remain and leave was in power and while May started with some promise she was a remainer at heart and ruined a good brexit with a remain bill (that wouldnt pass parliament 3 times!). Remainers have clusterfucked this every step of the way.

"but it doesn't take genius to realize its a train wreck"

Very much agreed. We have a PM only interested in power taking over the process way to late to do anything much after a remainer failed for the last 2 yrs + extension.

Re: TL;DR

@hammarbtyp

"I hear this from some Brexiters that one of the upsides is that know we can pick and choose from a global pool instead of being limited to just Europe. Does anyone out there truly believe that the same people who seem offended that a pole wishes to speak Polish on a UK street is going to be perfectly happy to open immigration to all parts of the world, especially the none-white bits?"

So brexiters are saying we can look globally and get the skills, the remainer (you) is claiming brexiters are racist and wont want that, so your solution is what? To remain in the EU which you have just defined as isolationist and against foreigners? Since brexiters are supposed to be the anti foreigner and I get this dumb unthinking accusation plenty because I voted leave would you explain to me why your anti foreigner solution (remain) is better than the non-anti foreigner brexit?

"What we will find is that it will be increasingly difficult to recruit from anywhere outside the UK"

Why? If his difficulty is hiring skills and ability due to EU anti-foreigner isolationism why would it be harder once we leave that? Or as I have put it in the past- why is my EU friend better than my African, American, Russian, Asian, Middle Eastern friends just because they come from the promised land?

"Not only that but skilled UK workers will be locked out of the wider European market, making co-operation and joint projects more difficult."

EU dont like foreigners so we should stay in their borders where we must also lock out foreigners? Not very inclusive is it?

Re: TL;DR

@AC

"In future your EU contracts will obviously be handled by your company's EU subsidiary or they will be lost."

He did seem to suggest a global requirement for workers based on skills and ability not on racism, isolationism and opposition to foreigners.

"The EU will continue to favour EU nationals over non-EU nationals"

And so the EU are racist but we should be because? Or should we look globally for the right skills?

Re: TL;DR

@AC

"It’s a very open secret that non-whites are simply not welcome in Brussels"

The UK is one of the most welcoming and non-racist countries in Europe. Some people seem to think that will vanish because we leave the EU or something but as a trading nation it is something we are pretty good about.

Re: TL; DR

@AC

"Any yet you post absolutely nothing to counter it"

Counter what? That is the best part of the comment, it has no actual content. Its just a reaction comment to the word brexit that provides nothing to the discussion. Hence the question of it being Pavlovian.

Re: Take Back Control?

@low_resolution_foxxes

I despair when Brexiters moan on about "taking back control"

Trust me it isnt as bad as when remainers moan about "taking back control". You hear every horrible projected feeling they hold dear cast onto their hated opponents.

The historically dangerous attitude of 'I am right and you are wrong' *end of thought* mentality causing some to lose math skills (failing to understand 'majority' or 3-0), some to demand the revocation of democracy as long as its their way, some to believe any conspiracy story against brexit groups (but instantly believe innocence of remain) and others to lose grip on reality altogether.

However in a positive light it has got some of them outside in the fresh air for their 'marches'.

Re: TL; DR

I love this comment. Appears often enough on anything that is nothing but exposes exaggeration that is the remain. I wonder if its a Pavlovian experiment being conducted by El Reg.

UK culture sec hints at replacing TV licence fee, defends encryption ban proposals and her boss in Hacker House inquiry

Re: Hmm

@tin 2

"No but you do get charged to use the roads."

That is general taxation. I dont have to pay a competitor to get the item I want. Buy a Phillips TV you dont pay LG. Yet to watch content you like (I dont care what it is) you must pay for it, but then also pay the BBC!

Re: Hmm

@Claverhouse

"This is gibberish. People who actually want certain programmes won't pay for them ? Are you suggesting only licence cheats want BBC programmes ?"

I am not sure what you are trying to say here (maybe I am under-caffinated) but his argument was that the BBC tax is needed to produce unpopular output that few are interested in. So the people who want those shows should pay for them and not rely on everyone else to pay for it.

"Not that it affects me, no license and no TV; but fair play to those who like the BBC."

Same here. I stopped watching live content when I got sick of paying the BBC so I could pay Sky for what I found entertaining. I dont have a problem with people enjoying the BBC, but I dont enjoy it so I dont watch it. Yet I had to pay for that to get what I did want.

Re: Hmm

@Graham Cobb

"It is essential that we have a non-commercial TV company. I don't want the BBC filled up with just commercially successful output. What would make it any different from any other channel in that case?"

Ok thats fine, so pay for it. What you have just said is you want other people to pay for things almost nobody wants to watch because the few who do wont pay.

"Let Netflix be Netflix, and the BBC be the BBC."

I am happy to do that. Let those who want to watch netflix pay for netflix (I dont) and those who want to watch BBC pay for BBC (again I dont). Instead of forcing people to pay for what they dont watch, you pay for what you want.

"This is an agenda being pushed by media moguls and the same right-wing financiers who want to give US companies the cream of the NHS, food supply, etc."

Other broadcasting companies dont like a scummy monopoly being able to tax their customers when the BBC provided nothing to produce the output! I am not shocked. Sky and Virgin are very popular but yet to watch such providers the BBC gets to take without producing anything for it. And the BBC doesnt run the NHS, food supply etc. They buy in content to distribute on a few TV and radio channels. Some people like the content and others are not interested (as with everything).

If I buy a Vauxhall I dont get charged by Ford. The BBC has no good reason for special treatment.

Hmm

From all of that I think the good news is the BBC license fee should be scrapped.

Scariest thing about Halloween? HMRC and Defra systems still a risk to post-Brexit borders

Re: TL; DR

Why?

How do we stop filling the oceans with Lego? By being a BaaS-tard, toy maker suggests

Eh?

Oceans of lego? Are we so desperate to complain about just anything? Great comments on this forum of reuse for generations and even if we didnt we aint filling the oceans with rubbish. Plastic is used for a reason, thumbs up to lego and keep doing a great job of entertaining our kids.

Lies, damn lies, and KPIs: Let's not fix the formula until we have someone else to blame

@smudge

That was my take on this. The manager probably saved him from losing his job or taking unnecessary flack for something that while wrong didnt cause irreparable damage.

Oh dear... AI models used to flag hate speech online are, er, racist against black people

Re: Ha

@John 110

"Language can be colourful and expressive without having to be offensive"

Offence is not given but taken. Therefore you cannot use language without offending someone. In fact gestures too. Just as you can use an 'offensive word' in friendly conversation you can also use polite words to be offended by.

Ha

Once the SJW's, snowflakes and beigeists have finished with us we probably wont even be allowed to speak any more anyway.

We're all doooooomed: Gloomy Brit workforce really isn't coping well with impending Brexit

Re: Repent, repent, the end is nigh

@Mooseman

"to more pathetic insults"

I wasnt trying to insult you, but to instruct you to actually read. You quoted the part of my comment that answered your entire comment! Seriously all you had to do was read it. And you are wasting my time if you quote my answer to your question in the comment you ask the question. You didnt ask for any expansion of the answer, nothing new, you literally asked a question that you quoted the answer.

"How will we "easily keep trade" ?"

The EU has high tariffs to protect its industries aka protectionism (for 28 countries!) which then requires trade deals to actually then be able to trade. We can easily keep trade by not having high tariffs in the first place, thereby reducing the costs on the country. Trade deals are of course nice and desirable but starting from a position of accepting trade is better than starting from protectionism. Also a number of deals are queued up for when we are free to sign them.

"All our trade deals will require renegotiating"

New ones yes. And is that a bad thing? Right now EU trade deals are negotiated for the protectionism of 28 countries not including who the deal is with. Newly negotiated deals will be 1 to 1.

"You insist the EU isn't about trade? What is it about then?"

Protectionism. Its an old style protectionist block designed for the cold war era. Trade being something you need permission for not the norm.

"Ooh let me guess, an EU army? Global domination ?"

Thats amusing, equating an EU army (something they are actively working toward) vs global domination (probably any politicians wet dream). There isnt a unified view of the EU from within but the desire for an army is known as is the desire to federalise.

So if you are going to respond please read the comment first, especially the bit your going to quote, before writing your questions just in case the answer is already there.

Re: Repent, repent, the end is nigh

@Mooseman

"That rather the point of the EU, trade"

I think somewhere you missed the point. That the EU isnt about trade. Such point is made every time a remainer says the EU 'protects' our industries, that is truth- the EU is protectionist.

"we have about 50 trade deals via the EU"

In the very quote of mine in your comment is the answer! Read- "The EU is so protectionist is absolutely cannot function without trade deals."

"Are you suggesting we can do better, or that we can function in the world without trade deals?"

Again the answer is in the bloody quote! Read- "The UK will benefit from trade deals but unless we wall ourselves off like the EU we can easily keep trade."

"I repeat, are you on drugs?"

When you learn to read, even the very parts of my comment that you quote, then come back to me. Until then you obviously dont read or understand so dont waste my time.

Re: obligitory

@AC

Dunno why its autoticking anon. Cheers for identifying. Didnt notice your second comment until I responded so edited*

"None of that makes me a dumbass"

Ok you seem to be taking it pretty badly to heart, sorry for upsetting you. Your rebuttal to the UK being a success is going to the IMF in the 70's. The EU is currently cap in hand to the IMF. So by your very standards of trying to argue to remain you argue to leave. By your measurement the EU is not a success.

"Especially the part where were are successful because of the ~50% of our exports going to the EU"

Why because? Are you sure its not despite? Or that we are a success because of the opt outs keeping us just on the edge of the EU membership? Saying 'because' is a hell of an assumption, and I am happy to discuss the possibility (I am willing to consider it) but I wont assume a place performing bad economic policy and inflicting economic harm is doing us good.

"I can only say it in so many different ways before you come across as "lalalalala not listening furrners lalala suvrintee""

Look to the first bit of this reply and you will see why I think the same about you. You tell me your wrong but are unhappy I dont think your right.

"What they have in common is that they are specialist or luxury goods."

So things to trade with. Its amazing, almost like in this world we can trade! Yes the jobs we do will change, thats because being in the EU has changed our jobs. Your assumption is for the better, that it would be worse.... why? Again thats one hell of an assumption we can talk about but why?

"On the global economy, we need to compete" "The EU offers some protection from that through tariffs and trade deals agreed with the collective bargaining power of 350 million consumers."

Meet the conflict. Be global by being protectionist. Trade with the world by hiding behind nationalist borders. The government doesnt do all that trade, it doesnt service all those customers. Look at the customers, in the US Trump makes their lives more expensive so in the EU they made our lives more expensive. The govs are obviously doing wonders for us. The EU is shrinking as a portion of global wealth. While they sit on their hands China is the one making the investments and expanding into the global trade.

"We helped bail out Ireland and Portugal, not Greece."

https://www.ft.com/content/6d92bbe2-2b04-11e5-8613-e7aedbb7bdb7

https://www.businessinsider.com/some-of-greeces-bailout-is-going-to-come-from-a-fund-contributed-to-by-britain-and-george-osborne-is-furious-2015-7?international=true&r=US&IR=T

https://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/news/article-2104701/Greece-crisis-UK-contribute-1bn-second-110bn-bailout.html

"Still A believer in trickle down economics, I see."

Yes. Until I am proven wrong then yes. Your claim it doesnt help if the money is in London... who pays for your public services? If the country is richer then the public coffers are filled by it. People with more money buy more things and services. Throw out the money and so far we have seen many economies fail.

"Raised tensions because Russia feels threatened by our strength. Lets face it, united we are a superpower. Also: don't confuse the EU with NATO."

Aka dont you confuse the EU with NATO. Ukraine kicked off because a more EU sympathetic leader would replace the Russian sympathetic leader. And as I said the EU then puts it tail between its legs and run off to the US for protection. Not very strong.

"The Euro seems to be doing ok vs the £, I wonder why?"

You wonder? Read my comments then, its right there. Telling me the exchange rate looks good while ignoring the economies is stupid. As I pointed out look at the economies. So the currency might be good but the EZ isnt.

"FTFY The recession was global."

you fixed nothing. Repeating your mistakes doesnt fix anything. US and UK bounce out of recession, EZ not even close. So why is the wonderful utopia of the EU still sucking bad? Why is the EU still in such dire shape?

"Yes, Euro members were not able to just print money."

Thank you. They could not meet a liquidity shortage when they needed to.

"That doesn't make the Euro bad, it makes Greece of the time ill suited to be in the Euro."

True. The EZ is too big with no stabilization mechanism and so the economies pulling in different directions conflict with each other. The single currency causing harm.

"By world rankings, we come in a respectable 5th, but the ones above us are not just *slightly* bigger, but either multiple times our size - or members of the EU."

Look at the GDP rankings of your own chart, Germany is above us and the other 3 are outside the EU. In the top 10 6 of them are outside the EU! India in #6, do you want to be in the UK or India or China? What you point out is we are a big fish.

"We just don't carry the economic clout Leavers seem to think we do"

By your own chart that is a lie. By our net contributing to the EU thats a lie. The frail little England that remain seems to believe in doesnt seem to exist. And without that the dream that we need to hide from the world and be protected by the mighty but weak EU doesnt stand. Personally I dont think its either of the extremes.

"They had other options, they could have left the Eurozone, they could have left the EU, but chose the least worst approach of accepting the bailout, even if begrudgingly."

Yup. The EU bought the private debt, made it EU debt and squeezed the Greeks badly. Not very friendly but saved the currency at the expense of people.

"We even got an exception the for "ever closer union""

Which fits for as long as the EU is nice enough not to force us into ever close union. And it wont be hard with a Blair selling the country or a May desperate to remain. Just as we were exempt from bailing out Greece.

Boris Brexit bluff binds .eu domains to time-bending itinerary

Re: Good luck with that

@Dr_N

"Hang on a minute. Wasn't it Tim Worstall who came up with the bollocks about the bendy banana myth not being a myth?"

How do you call bollox the proving true what remainers believed to be myth?

"Hmmmmmm. So either you are coming out the closet as Tim Worstall, so-to-speak, or you are a liar?"

I am not as well informed as Tim but do appreciate his writing. As my pet troll I assumed you would know that.

Re: @A.P. Veening

@Lars

"You do know that the majority of British MEP are for remain, if not, you have been fooled by Farage who claims something else because he got the biggest group."

So? The majority of MP's are for remain, we still have the definitive answer of leave as the directive from the voters. As in the voters themselves decided for themselves what they wanted and the democratic vote resulted in leave.

"In May's snap election she lost her majority, in short 3-0 is just silly."

Silly because its true? It isnt wrong and its an uncomfortable fact if you want remain. Thats why it is worth reiterating as some fools seem to believe we want to remain in the EU.

Re: Good luck with that

@Paul Hampson 1

1) See tims reply (Btw nice to see you on here Tim)

2) So a fact cannot be stated because it is true but not under the stupidity of EU law?

3) Even EU supporter Cameron couldnt find the relationship between diabetes and driving with the single market. Almost as though this is some kind of federal law to pass to member states.

"There are intelligent people working in the EU who create rules only when they are asked by the member states."

And what about the rest of them?

Re: @A.P. Veening

@Vincent Ballard

"The vote was an opinion poll, not a contest. The rules didn't say anything about winning."

With the majority opinion (to be acted upon the day of the result) was leave the EU. Then leave parties were elected. Then leave MEP's gained the majority. 3-0

Re: @A.P. Veening

@Hollerithevo

"You keep saying 'won 3-0 so far' - I do not think it means what you think it means. Because 3-0 is not true. Saying it over an over does not make it true."

Actually it is true. 1 referendum, 1 GE, 1 MEP election. 3-0. The amusement being that there was only supposed to be the referendum and then it gets done, we shouldnt have even been there for the MEP election.

But yes 3-0, it is true and I do repeat it because some people dont seem to understand that it is true.

Re: Good luck with that

@Stoneshop

"You leave and still have to conform to EU regulations when wanting to trade with the EU."

Well said. Just as we conform to the standards of any country we trade with. But we dont need to inflict those regulations on the domestic market only on items we trade with other countries. So domestically we wont be limited by EU rules but what we ship them will have to meet their rules.

As it has been throughout the history of trade and continues to be.

Re: Good luck with that

@Loyal Commenter

"Conversely, some leavers are so disingenuous"

So the law is real but leavers are disingenuous to point out the law is real. Making a criminal law of a fine and/or jail time for incorrectly bent banana. But remoaners cry at the fact?

"The fact that you know this has been debunked repeatedly"

Yup, I debunk the lie many times when remainers believe such a law does not exist.

@A.P. Veening

"Yup, a 51% majority"

And there you go. We dont force people to vote yet we had one of the highest turnouts and by the rules of the vote leave won. That isnt a grey area or disputed it is fact.

If the wet dream was true that there was such glorious support for the EU then leave wouldnt have won 3-0 so far. If you wouldnt take that seriously then I am glad you are not in my country. Feel free to live in whatever dictatorship.

Re: Good luck with that

@Steve Todd

"1) The British Parliament has to choose how to implement EU law."

We leave and we dont have to implement EU law.

"4) No one has actually pointed to a specific European law and explained what it is that is wrong with it."

This has been done a few times. The laws fining someone for not littering. The banana law was a good one because some remainers honestly didnt believe it existed it was so stupid. Apparently the EU doesnt believe there is any evidence water fights dehydration and so water cannot be advertised so. Diabetics banned from driving (although the law is ignored). And of course various countries ignore various EU laws because they are pretty dumb. France and labelling fish comes to mind.

"5) Negotiating new trade deals independent of the EU is likely to take years"

Except those already queued. And being able to make said deals faster than the EU can make them and making them for this country instead of the protectionism of 27 others.

"6) There is no way that not being a member of the single market does not break the Good Friday agreement, which is an international treaty we have signed up for."

I have yet to see anyone point to where the GFA states the UK has been sold to the EU. So we do not belong to the EU and are free to leave. The agreement has 2 sides so its up to Ireland to pressure the EU into being realistic. The UK can unilaterally choose what to do with its own borders and same for the EU.

@A.P. Veening

" A lot of this could have been avoided by declaring it binding if at least two thirds of the votes had been for Leave with at least two thirds of the voters voting."

Or make that the requirement for remain. The electorate is behind leave 3-0 so far and as much as we are told the polls claim otherwise leave is still the option chosen. So apply that criteria to remain and you find it cannot be won.

"And even at that it would still have been a minority voting for Leave."

You got the word wrong. Majority. Majority voted leave 3-0. Its not a dispute nor complicated, it is the fact.

Ha

If you ever want problems involve government. It doesnt matter if its at the UK level or the EU level, its still government doing what government is good at- adding complication.