Off Topic The "Discuss Anything Else" Thread

Chinese is effectively run by a Communist junta and they will not accept that they cannot control capitalism. They wanted to create an economy that allowed high status aspirations but they do not want the masses questioning the Party.

When things go wrong, there are usually a few middle-ranking scapegoats thrown to the wolves. I would imagine that with the regime strictly controlling the media and internet access, State TV has not mentioned the malaise on the Shanghai exchange at all and the losers (mostly Mom and Pop Chang who borrowed to gamble on shares that were only ever going up) have no voice.

The bull market is well and truly over in China but that will not stop their economy from growing. It is just growing at a decreasing rate – possibly heading for stagnation like the developed world – that means less industrial commodities are being imported to manufacture exports. The ineptitude of the management of the economy by the Party has created a property bubble, a credit bubble and a stock market bubble. Something has to go pop and there have to be losers but with the State controlling the currency rather than the markets they will always be able to keep exports cheap.

I would judge that China will never become a net importer because whilst the nouveau riche will want to shop at Louis Vuitton and want to drive a Mercedes, the vast majority of Chinese remain impoverished.

 

You have to admire Allyson Felix too - 9 world golds and she has such a graceful running style.

Bolt just has the star factor that very few do - Ali being the obvious one and perhaps Pele

 

No it's not - it's which ever event Britain has a chance of winning a medal in!

 

How about the Flying Finn Paavo Nurmi? One of the all time greats. Even to this day, he's the only man to hold the mile, 5000m, and 10,000m world records at the same time. He held 22 World Records and from his 12 Olympic events, he took 9 Gold and 3 Silver. In the 1924 games, he won the 1500m and the 5000m finals which were staged just 90 minutes apart.

 

I thought it would be interesting to look at the Eurozone from the perspective of Brussels, rather than from the outside.

Let us start with a 2007 leaflet “How the euro benefits us all”.

Apparently, “The euro is one of the strongest tangible symbols of the common identity and shared values of Europe, European nations and Europeans themselves.” Obviously the 2006 numbers that it contains are out-of-date, as Exports exceeded Imports in the 15 Eurozone states but not in the EU as a whole.

The page entitled “What benefits has the euro brought?” looks laughable in the post-crash era. They have ‘Low inflation and low interest rates’ but not quite for the reasons they expected. They would probably want to draw a line through ‘More integrated financial markets’, ‘A better performing economy’ and ‘Sounder public finances’. I am not so sure that ‘A stronger voice for the EU in the global economy’ is still a credible aphorism.

The 2008 document “Jobs and growth in the EU” (download here) proves more interesting reading in its twenty pages.

On page 5, according to the Lisbon strategy, employment should have increased to 70% and investment in R&D to 3% of GDP in each member country. The wheels have come off that one in pretty short order. They reckon that “Countries such as Ireland and Spain are good examples of how EU membership can increase the pace of economic development across the EU as a whole.” The Celtic Tiger soon lost all its claws and just how high is youth unemployment on the Iberian Peninsula?

At least on page 6 they recognised an economic fact that is going to apply across the developed world (not just the EU) that is still true today: “People need to be encouraged to extend their working lives - sometimes on a part-time basis as they grow older - and given the possibility to do so through opportunities for lifelong learning.”

Obviously the economic downturn makes their page 9 aspiration – “It is estimated that the ESF [European Social Fund] will create nearly half a million new jobs between 2008 and 2015.” – look fanciful.

Perhaps where the ideas start to fall apart the most are in the aspirations for how the economy (and society) was going to be constructed. It does not start too badly on page 10: “Jobs creation and growth will also stagnate if the EU's small businesses do not innovate. Across the EU, there are around 23 million small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). They provide two thirds of all the jobs in the EU.” Then over on page 11 the theory starts to match up with what has been UK policy since the Blair government ten years before: “Firstly, the more people in work, the fewer people are left behind by economic development. Secondly, the higher the knowledge content of the jobs, the greater the value of each person’s work – i.e. what economists call ‘productivity’.”

The problems with this “education, education, education” model are apparent to us in the UK today as we have thousands of graduates doing jobs that do not require degrees and weighed down by their student debts; whilst we have shortages in key non-academic skill sectors (many being filled by European migrants).

But the most damning indictment of the European project is to be found on page 15: “Not all EU members have adopted the euro yet, but all EU countries have agreed on common parameters which create economic stability for all by running their economies on sound principles. These include living within their means, or if they do go into debt, then not borrowing so much that debt repayments become a drag on the economy.”

What chance is there of all EU members adopting the euro? Now how many countries can I think of where debt repayments have become a drag on the economy?

This page 15 aphorism – “The euro is probably the EU’s most tangible achievement.” – stands up to scrutiny better than the page 16 assertion that the euro has created growth and 16 million jobs in the Eurozone.

 

With respect, KS, but Zátopek was a Czech. The great athlete will be turning in his grave to learn that he was called a Russian! Remember the Prague Spring of 1968? If you're too young, read up on it..................

 

Maybe, but the knockers keep saying the EU is dying, or will die, for a few years now (the USA would just love that), but somehow it just keeps plugging on. It seems to be a long-lasting vine.

 

My bad

 

Have to say, Swanny, that I do not care whether the EU dies or not, just so long as we get out of it as soon as we get given the chance. By the time that most of the people living in Berlin were born in Damascus, the Germans might want to give up on it too.

I think you are wrong about the attitude of the USA. Any time that Obama comments on it he seems in favour of more integration and he has previously said that Britain should stay in when it comes to the Referendum. Should we listen to him? He is the only unarmed black man in America that has not been shot by a white cop.

 

Stevie wonder can see the EU is not working in any way shape or form, and making millions of lives worse across Europe, however it must go on.
I certainly want out of the EU, it is a corrupt evil empire for the political elite, big business and the super rich. If there is a yes vote then in 20 years time when you open an atlas you will no longer see the nation states of Europe or UK on it. I think by 2065 you will have 4 or 5 world govs, North America, South America, Asia, Europe, Africa. A few countries may try and stay out but that will be tough going for them.
The UK problem is the referendum is not going to be a fair one. The UK news channels will be hugely pro-EU as will the Cons/Lab/Libs. People in the workplace of big business will be warned their jobs depends on a yes vote. The EU already is and will hand over fistfuls of cash to try and get a yes vote.

 

............that is a fact of life, when I first came here I thought a fair proportion of the population must have been born in Istanbul or Ankara. Just seemed that way. In those days they had settled-in well, and then appeared their disgruntled children and grandchildren...................

Yes, certainly looks like it, the migrant situation is out of control, too many people who have the power to make sensible decisions have suddenly decided to live in cloud-cuckoo-land.

 

The majority of politicians are not as stupid as they play. They want as easy a ride as they can get and with their high salaries they do not get exposed to what is really happening in their countries. They will offer light weight solutions to almost everything put to them.
Fining lorry drivers for people crossing the channel tunnel, building a light weight fence! Round the people up and out them on flights back home, problem solved in Calais. Build a centre and bang them up until they are deported. Oh no that is too much work and getting shouted at from the liberal wishy washy lefties and the HRA act will be on to them. Hence, almost nothing gets done.

 

refugees fleeing war --its been happeneing for hundreds of years, its how my ancestors came to settle in this part of the planet.....is compassion a commodity now as well ??/

 

No, of course not, but there surely must be some order to this? The great majority of the true migrants fleeing war and oppression are from Syria and Eritrea, the rest are economic travellers, and that includes those from many Balkan countries such as Kosova and Albania. Surely, the migrants from the last two mentioned states should be trying to get their own countries going, and not try to take the easy way out? They will be deported back to their countries soon enough anyway, so it is a useless and dangerous exercise for them.

The very first thing to do is scrap this idiotic Schengen Agreement, so sovereign states involved can regain control of their own borders. This is an absolute priority.

 

If your Somalian and really fleeing persecution you would simply go next door to safe Kenya, If you Syrian you would go to safe Turkey, Eritrea to Ethiopia, and then enter the asylum process from there.
Why would you want to go through hell to get to UK or Europe where the culture is totally alien to you.
Oh wait, free housing, medical treatment,free education and some cash in the pocket every week. Then after a year or two you visit your home country as a tourist.
This is why there is no real compassion for these people.

 

Farrah is such an impressive competitor - it doesn't matter what his opponents do he always finds an answer. Sure there's rumours about the coach etc but all the drugs in the world cannot give you the tactical intelligence to dictate and manage races in the way he does. Excellent stuff.

 

Agree with you on Farah, sheer class. I see we've just stuffed up the relay again. The guys on the 3rd change weren't even in the same street in Bejing.

 

Interesting to see how Samoa go against the Barbarians at Olympic Stadium. They were bitterly disappointed with themselves when they failed to escape the pool stage of the last WC. They've arrived early as have the Fiji outfit, so they'll want a decent run tonight. Hope they do well.

 

Its easy to carry out those tactics though, if your body's capable of pumping double the amount of oxygen around compared to your average athlete.

I think there is enough reason to be very suspicious of him as an athlete. He went from a runner who couldn't even make the final at aged 26 in Beijing, to world beater by London, after working with the coach in question

 

Unless you have been through the trauma of having to flee or be killed I don't think you have much insight into the desperate lengths people will go to find safety -Turkey is not a safe place -most Syrians are in neighboring states anyway -but don't let a small fact like that get in the way of your nimby views......