Current Affairs EU In or Out

[Bruce Wayne]

He's wonderfully eloquent and incredibly charming.

His views on EU-wide reform are ones I believe in.

Moreover, it's such a shame that we (as a country) will be unable to take any formidable role in the reconstruction of a more equitable, democratic EU as we voted to leave.

Most populists are charming and eloquent.

 

[Bruce Wayne]

Most of his money and quite a bit of his fame comes from his academic work and writing - and when he was in office it wasn't so much that he did nothing, more that his advice wasn't listened to.

If his proposals had been implemented, do you think Greece (and by extension the EU as a whole) would be in a better or a worse place now?

Worse. Significantly so.

 

[tsubaki]

Worse. Significantly so.

I fail to see how you can say that. What he was actually proposing was in almost every way far more realistic than what was imposed on Greece, something that we all see has been such a massive success.

 

[Bruce Wayne]

I fail to see how you can say that. What he was actually proposing was in almost every way far more realistic than what was imposed on Greece, something that we all see has been such a massive success.

Have you read his book? He barely mentions the enormous structural problems in the Greek economy. He doesn't mention the way the Greek government cooked their books to join the Euro. He doesn't mention the 7.5% average deficit Greek state spending was running at over the previous two decades. These things are the problem with the Greek economy, and he'd rather create the external boogieman that all populists create to pin the blame on.

The best performing major economy in the western world since the recession has been Germany, so maybe they know a bit more than a charlatan that was chucked out of a socialist party for being detached from reality.

 

[tsubaki]

Have you read his book? He barely mentions the enormous structural problems in the Greek economy. He doesn't mention the way the Greek government cooked their books to join the Euro. He doesn't mention the 7.5% average deficit Greek state spending was running at over the previous two decades. These things are the problem with the Greek economy, and he'd rather create the external boogieman that all populists create to pin the blame on.

The best performing major economy in the western world since the recession has been Germany, so maybe they know a bit more than a charlatan that was chucked out of a socialist party for being detached from reality.

Do you know what he actually proposed?

 

[Bruce Wayne]

Do you know what he actually proposed?

Baring in mind that Britain contributed hardly anything to the Greek bailout (certainly compared to Germany), I do wonder why there was not a huge clamour from British socialists to support such initiatives, or even to offer an alternative means of funding to the country?

 

[roydo]

Euro issue all that I thought.

Not us Gov.

 

[tsubaki]

Baring in mind that Britain contributed hardly anything to the Greek bailout (certainly compared to Germany), I do wonder why there was not a huge clamour from British socialists to support such initiatives, or even to offer an alternative means of funding to the country?

I don't know; maybe it is something akin to Varoufakis apparently being blamed for everything that went on in Greece before he became a politician.

 

[Bruce Wayne]

I don't know; maybe it is something akin to Varoufakis apparently being blamed for everything that went on in Greece before he became a politician.

I'm not blaming him at all, but he is part of a growing band of populist political figures that are obtaining great wealth and fame from proposing simplistic solutions from the sidelines without getting their hands dirty in trying to actually implement anything. In that sense he's no better than Farage imo.

 

[tsubaki]

I'm not blaming him at all, but he is part of a growing band of populist political figures that are obtaining great wealth and fame from proposing simplistic solutions from the sidelines without getting their hands dirty in trying to actually implement anything. In that sense he's no better than Farage imo.

Farage spent years milking a system he professed to hate and then built a career out of his notoriety afterwards.

Varoufakis on the other hand was an economist and author before politics, proposed measures that were rejected, left politics and then continued his career after it. I really don't see the parallel between the two of them - after all its an odd sort of populist that walks away from political life less than a year after he entered it.

 

[peteblue]

Baring in mind that Britain contributed hardly anything to the Greek bailout (certainly compared to Germany), I do wonder why there was not a huge clamour from British socialists to support such initiatives, or even to offer an alternative means of funding to the country?

That's because we were not in the Eurozone, and the bailout was primarily to defend the Euro.....the UK has proven time and again that we will support our friends either directly, such as Eire, or indirectly via the IMF or the European Financial Stability Fund which was used to bail out Eurozone countries even when it was not set up for this purpose........

 

[peteblue]

Farage spent years milking a system he professed to hate and then built a career out of his notoriety afterwards.

Varoufakis on the other hand was an economist and author before politics, proposed measures that were rejected, left politics and then continued his career after it. I really don't see the parallel between the two of them - after all its an odd sort of populist that walks away from political life less than a year after he entered it.

I quite like both Farage and Varoufakis, they both come across as genuine guys, yet both talk a load of crap on occasions....

 

[Armaghtoffee]

Pleased that the schmozzle has actually recognised the reality of a united Ireland.

Scotland must be envious of this recognition.

 

[peteblue]

Pleased that the schmozzle has actually recognised the reality of a united Ireland.

Scotland must be envious of this recognition.

I have always believed that Ireland will one day be united, if the people really want it. But, and it's a big but, if trouble breaks out again, you're on your own........as the saying goes, be careful for what you wish for.......

 

[Armaghtoffee]

I have always believed that Ireland will one day be united, if the people really want it. But, and it's a big but, if trouble breaks out again, you're on your own........as the saying goes, be careful for what you wish for.......

Not really an argument Pete but I respect your comment and agree re the unification expectation.

The historic Unionist majority has engrained the doctrine that majority rule is democratic so surely there shouldn't be an issue if the majority decrees unification