Greece

[smallblue]

Sean, it's a fair point, but joining the Euro would have meant even lower rates for the UK, stoking the credit bubble further. Afterall, having lower interest rates didn't help Ireland in the long-run, it just prompted a sugar rush.

I don't think anyone would be against re-organising the economy on a more balanced model - including manufacturing. Concentrating so heavily on finance and property has been disastrous and divisive - economically and socially speaking.

[Jeremy]

I totally agree that the over-reliance on financial services was a disaster waiting to happen.

But increasing manufacturing is easier said than done. With our high-wage economy, it's hard to imagine manufacturing expanding much beyond the high-end or niche products we already produce. (And most of the companies are not UK owned...)

[llama999]

Not that Greece has much energy to sell....lots of very valuable art and historic artefacts mind...

You mean we left some behind?

On a side note, any of you boffins know if it's a bad idea to travel to Greece this summer? Was on the brink of booking a holiday there when this all kicked off.

[SteveT]

A few months ago our economy seemed dependent upon the property market.

Soon after it was financial services.

I wonder what is the next frivolous answer our economy is based on from the clowns in charge.

Until we become as competitive as the rest of the world we have no economy, we only have a precarious financial confidence and that is more by accident, than good management from the untried and untested political buffoons we are now expected to vote in to give us another battering.

Whilst we encourage people to sit in front of screens rather than making products others wish to buy, we will only become poorer and weaker.

The manufacturing base has been in decline for forty years and there is no way that is going to be kickstarted by any unproven elected body anytime soon.

We need to match the hourly rates and production schedules of the tiger economies and adopt the same flexible work ethic and throw out things that get in the way of so doing e.g. political correctness prevents people from voicing the true picture of the state of play in industry and commerce.

That shower of idiotic morons who hide behind health and safety which prevents work being achieved rather than being realistic when it comes to the workplace.

The corrupt behaviour of this country of not giving the best person the job.

The disgraceful and continued abuse of the welfare system.

The appalling practice of giving council flats to newly arrived immigrants when the host nation are being refused. Reoffending criminals not being given hard labour to pay for their misdemeanors.

Dole money which should be earned and not presented as a gift.

Illegal immigrants who are allowed permanent tenure, when all immigration should be on a contracted period basis only. They should only be allowed to come and work, and when the work or their contract finishes then so should their tenure and they return to their homeland.

I'm sure I could go on adding to this until I have depressed every thinking person who reads this forum, but all I have written here is commonsense and a few simple concepts which seem to have been lost in recent years.

I guess admin will severely cut this post as they do when things which stings peoples sensibilities are written.

[SteveT]

My apologies admin you have been falsley maligned, I never expected this morning to read my previous post in it's entirety.

Good for you.

[SeanMacGabhann]

It doesn't mean your post is any less full of nonsense tho steve

[Loz]

all immigration should be on a contracted period basis only. They should only be allowed to come and work, and when the work or their contract finishes then so should their tenure and they return to their homeland.

That's gonna cause chaos in the south of Spain when they send all the retired Brits back. Or is it not going to work both ways?

[SteveT]

Spain will do what Spain chooses is my guess Loz.

[Huguenot]

LOL SteveT!

My bet is that if you run a campaign called 'Spics Out' that the Spanish would be entirely likely to run an equivalent campaign called 'Brits Out'.

There are currently 945,000 Brits in Spain.

I'm sure you imagine you can have your cake and eat it. ;-)

[louisiana]

And what will happen to prices in Greece? One thing that has struck me in Hania (Crete) and on other islands is how high prices of basics are e.g. food (same thing happened in Spain with euro; some people clearly making a killing). A major cause of the unrest and rioting in Hania and elsewhere has been high prices, the cost of living, compared to average private sector wages. Being in the euro is not going to help matters at all as the economy is further squeezed.

[sally676]

Huguenot Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> It it a sad sad disaster, that the very same banks

> who tried to do a number on British people with

> Northern Rock have been allowed to do a number on

> Greece.

>

> They defaulted because the money markets did a

> dirty on them, and inflated their cost of

> borrowing to the point they couldn't pay.

>

> It's called loan sharking. The banks destroy

> people. The only thing they rely on is the fact

> that they hope people hate the Greeks.

>

> I don't. I know a scum bag, and it ain't the

> Greeks.

No, No.

I think your being to hard on yourself I?m sure no one here thinks you?re a scum bag.

Sally

[Jeremy]

I don't understand what immigration has to do with the subject of this thread.

Are those nasty immigrants responsible for the financial crisis?

I am also confused about the "illegal immigrants who are allowed permanent tenure". Surely if they are allowed to be here then they are not illegal... right?

[SteveT]

Jeremy wrote:- I don't understand what immigration has to do with the subject of this thread.

Then why are you forever bringing it up Jeremy?

Are those nasty immigrants responsible for the financial crisis?

If they are bankers and politicians then the answer is yes.

I am also confused about the "illegal immigrants who are allowed permanent tenure". Surely if they are allowed to be here then they are not illegal... right?

Many were allowed tenure if they had been here for five years I believe. I am not sure if this is still the case.

[Loz]

I think you are a bit confused here, Steve. The five year rule is for those living and working here legally. After you have been here five years, legally, you may apply for naturalisation/citizenship.

[Jeremy]

SteveT Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Then why are you forever bringing it up Jeremy?

There was me thinking that you brought it up, Steve... and I was merely challenging your post.

Thanks for clearing that one up.

[SteveT]

Thanks for that Loz.

[AlParsons]

???? Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> As well as economics people should read David

> Copperfield

You're quite right there. And not only people, governments should too. This mess is just beginning. We are not going to get out of it without a great deal of inflation and, following that, an even worse recession/depression than we have just experienced. Wish I could be more upbeat but it is just a matter of time before the U.S.A. hits the debt wall - and then we will all be screwed. Other than that, please have a nice day.:)

[SteveT]

Jeremy wrote:- There was me thinking that you brought it up, Steve... and I was merely challenging your post.

Thanks for clearing that one up.

:)):))

Brilliant Jeremy.

[Brendan]

He?s the guy who jumped over the Great Wall of China on his motorbike right? What?s he got to do with it?

[Brendan]

Or was it the Statue of Liberty?

I still fail to see the relevance.

[Peckhamgatecrasher]

Oh poor Brendan, you seem to be confusing Evil Knieval with Charles Dickens. Surrey does tend to blur the brain, come back to the gritty inner city.

[Loz]

Yeah, Brendon. It's a really famous book about a bloke that marries a supermodel. Then saws her in half.

[Peckhamgatecrasher]

No Loz, "Man and Supermodel" is by George Bernard Shaw.

[Brendan]

What the guy from Uriah Heep?

Now I know you?re pulling my plonker.

[Jeremy]

Was he Greek as well?