Saturday, 17 December 2011

"You can't make a nomlette without breaking legs"

No1 in a series of, well, probably 1.

So the right wing press are praising Camoron to the echo. No wonder. It's in their owners interest to do so. And of course in the interest of the Tory party also to want this. Let's have a quick look at exactly what he hasn't signed up to, what he "vetoed". The reason for the "" around vetoed will soon become clear. Honest guv. Would I lie to you? Wanna buy a used car?

So, what did old lightbulb head have to gain by disappointing President Teacosy and Frau Minkle last week? Well, not just the approbation of the right wing press, but the thanks of his paymasters the bankers and hedge funds. Not that his use(less) of the veto will save them. The veto means nothing right now other than that the UK will be outside Europe looking in. We will not be asked to contribute to ideas on how to keep the Eurozone together, something which is vital to this countrys financial wellbeing. Also, the press, and Condomman are reporting this as a treaty when it is not. It was a summit to discuss terms for a treaty. Which is probably at least 18 months away. Way to go, you shiny headed fuckwit, marginalising us 18 months too early. I hope Sam enjoys premature capitulation, 'cos that what you've done. Teacosy did you over good and proper. He'd probably whup your arse at ping pong too. Or whiff whaff. Or whatever that buffoon Alexander Boris DePfeffel Johnson (not posh, honest) calls it nowadays. I call it table tennis. Just saying Bozza.


Now, 25% of our exports are to the Eurozone. Not Europe, just the Eurozone. We rely on 17 countries for 25% of our income from exports. If the Euro goes tits up we lose mahoosive (ta Chantelle) amounts of foreign money and trade. What Camerwrong means when he says he was "protecting British interests" is of course he's trying to protect the financial sector from paying for just some of the shit they caused. But that's for another blog. Where was I? Ah yes, the Euro. Here's what should've happened when they were sifting applications to join: Greece, Italy, Ireland, Portugal and Spain should not have been allowed to join due to the parlous state of their respective economies, and in the case of Greece, Spain and Italy, the laxity of tax collection and fraud in high places. The French and the Germans wanted as many participants as possible, believing that this would make their new currency as big as the Dollar. In a way they succeeded, the Euro was, until Greece threatened to default, and Ireland needed bailing out, a much respected currency. Now it is a shadow of its former self, with some saying it is on the brink of collapse. When If Greece defaults the Euro can survive. If Italy goes too, then even the combined efforts of Germany, France and the IMF will likely prove fruitless, and the Euro will fail.

Now here's the kick: this new treaty will propose what amounts to permanent austerity for those countries in the Eurozone. The right wingers dream. They want to make it illegal to implement Keynesian policies, to invest money into the system so your economy can grow. They want to do to Europe what Gideon has done to the UK. To him Plan B is a slightly chubby young Sarf Londoner who can sing a bit, not an alternative to his failed economic plan. This is the reason to read Too Many Cuts, the reason to Occupy, and the reason to fight back. We are being shafted by an unelected government aided and abetted by the very people and instutions that got us into this mess: the banks.

Wednesday, 14 December 2011

Why globalisation is bad for most of us. And other stories.

Here are a few personal musings on globalisation and free market capitalism and why the majority don't, and will never, benefit from it. Massive corporations love it; they get to build huge factories in those countries who have the worst standards of living, therefore can get away with paying low wages, thus cutting most of their cost at a stroke. Even James Dyson relocated his manufacturing division from Wiltshire to the far east, acknowledging that he had to in order to compete on price. Corporations shut down their factories in Europe and the USA and move production to China, India, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam etc. Therefore well paid jobs are being exported to countries whose citizens are paid less, have worse standards of health & safety and often work longer hours. Obviously this is appalling for our economy, as our government has to pay out more in welfare benefits, and those who find work often have to take vacancies that pay significantly less than the job they just lost through no fault of their own.

Globalists will at this juncture point out that should they be forced to re-open factories here and in the US that prices will rise, and therefore inflation will increase. Well, yes, durr, we know that. But it is just a temporary rise as wages catch up with prices, it will level off and slip back down. Inflation is currently high in a time of static, and in many case, reduced wages. As the economy of this country shrinks more due in the main to current economic policy inflation will come down, purely because people will have less money to spend. Thus begins a vicious circle, no spending = not good for the economy. Especially true as our economy is based on commerce as opposed to mass manufacturing. Successive governments over the last 30 years have allowed entire industries to move overseas, initially to Eastern Europe, and then to the Far East, turning this country into merely a service industry. An example: the McLaren SLR is apparently made in Woking. Not true. It is manufactured in Germany, the parts are shipped to Woking where it is assembled. This is happening more and more. Actually, McLaren no longer make the SLR, Mercedes have superceded it with the SLS. McLaren have recently unveiled their new car. Anyhoo.


Promise I shall do free markets and trickle down soon. Honest guv.