The EU is phooked...

[1959_60]

He was the right bloke at the right time. But he also, thankfully, had lots of luck.

Almost our entire army could have been wiped out on the beaches of Dunkirk but Hitler, who even at that stage, respected the Brits and wanted a British/German coalition, so he didn'y apply the coup de grace.

At the end of the Battle of Britain we had reached our limit. A few more attacks and Germany would have won. But, at the eleventh hour they decided to bomb London instead and we survived.

The Nazi's were running things in Western Europe and should have taken complete control. But they opened their Eastern front towards Russia which left them stretched on both fronts. They suffered on the Eastern front from a very harsh winter and their attack was repelled on the gates of Moscow. All this allowed us to remobilise and start our counter attack. But it should have been all over by then.

The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour brought America (who had up to that point remained neutral) into the war at just the right time for us. No way would we have won the war if this hadn't happened.

When things looked grimmest Churchill refused to sue for peace with Germany, as a lot of his cabinet were urging him to do. This was a terrific risk, and if the events above had turned out differently we would all be eating sh1te sausages and drinking sh1te beer today.

[sinkov]

"NHS cuts etc, etc."

Here we go again, what is it with you lefties and the truth BT, more lies and FAKE NEWS. In 2010 spending on the NHS was ring-fenced, there were no cuts. No doubt the NHS was underfunded, no doubt the money gobbling monster needed much more, especially as demand for it's services was increasing annually, as our open borders meant our population was increasing by the size of half a dozen decent sized towns every year. But while most other areas saw a reduction in government spending, the NHS did not.

" Since 2009−10, health spending growth has slowed sharply. Between 2009–10 and 2018–19, real spending grew by an annual average of 1.3%. Average increases of 1.0% per year under the coalition government (2009–10 to 2014–15) were the smallest five-year average seen under any government. However, it is important to note that these increases took place over a period during which most areas of public spending experienced large reductions. Indeed, spending on areas such as education, defence, and public order and safety has fallen, while spending on health has continued to rise – albeit at a slower rate than has tended to be the case historically."

[sinkov]

""I think we've been through a period where too many people have been given to understand that if they have a problem, it's the government's job to cope with it: 'I have a problem, I'll get a grant.' 'I'm homeless, the government must house me.' They're casting their problem on society. And, you know, there is no such thing as society. There are individual men and women, and there are families. And no government can do anything except through people, and people must look to themselves first. It's our duty to look after ourselves and then, also to look after our neighbour. People have got the entitlements too much in mind, without the obligations. There's no such thing as entitlement, unless someone has first met an obligation."

Thanks for putting it into it's full context BT, and in it's full glory there is still absolutely nothing contentious about it, and she also spoke for the British people at the time, they agreed with her, so much so that they voted for her in three general elections.

[The Bedlington Terrier]

""I think we've been through a period where too many people have been given to understand that if they have a problem, it's the government's job to cope with it: 'I have a problem, I'll get a grant.' 'I'm homeless, the government must house me.' They're casting their problem on society. And, you know, there is no such thing as society. There are individual men and women, and there are families. And no government can do anything except through people, and people must look to themselves first. It's our duty to look after ourselves and then, also to look after our neighbour. People have got the entitlements too much in mind, without the obligations. There's no such thing as entitlement, unless someone has first met an obligation."

Thanks for putting it into it's full context BT, and in it's full glory there is still absolutely nothing contentious about it, and she also spoke for the British people at the time, they agreed with her, so much so that they voted for her in three general elections.

My favourite task when in London, much to the chagrin of the Child Bride as we escalate in and out of the tube is to go "Baaaaa". Thatcher was elected three times by a flock of human foooooking sheep. The exact same flock who are now kowtowing to this COVID-19 directive bollox.

[sinkov]

My favourite task when in London, much to the chagrin of the Child Bride as we escalate in and out of the tube is to go "Baaaaa". Thatcher was elected three times by a flock of human foooooking sheep. The exact same flock who are now kowtowing to this COVID-19 directive bollox.

Bit unfair on Londoners BT, as a general rule they don't vote Tory.

[sinkov]

Dear oh dear, for our chums across the Channel, it's all going Pete Tong.

"If ever there was a time for the EU to show the benefit of belonging to an economic bloc with coherent cross-border cooperation you would think it would be now. But that is not quite how things are working out. On the contrary, the EU has erupted into open warfare between north and south. The rifts caused by the 2008/09 financial crisis have been torn open again, with Italy and Spain desperately pleading for help from a reluctant Germany and other northern countries. If anyone thought harmony would reign once troublesome Britain was out of the EU, there was not much evidence of it at a virtual summit held last week to discuss the coronavirus crisis. Italy and Spain pleaded for an EU ‘Marshall Plan’ to lift their already flagging economies, which have never fully recovered from the sovereign debt crisis which followed the last recession. But they were rebuffed by Germany and the Netherlands. They also asked for ‘coronabonds’ to fund the recovery from the crisis, only for that to be dismissed, too. Angela Merkel insisted that Italy and Spain, both deeply damaged from three weeks’ lockdown, apply instead to the European Stability Mechanism, which southern countries blame for the depth of Greece’s problems ten years ago. ‘If what you’re waiting for is coronabonds, they’re never going to arrive,’ she reportedly told the Italians and Spanish. Ouch!

Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez was especially upset, refusing to sign the joint declaration reportedly with the words: ‘I cannot accept this vague language or this talk about several weeks, when my country is in the grip of a health emergency. We have asked for a common unemployment insurance and you’re not giving it to me.’ Addressing his citizens the next day he caused surprise by telling them the EU had been too little and too late with help after the 2008/09 crisis – and that it ‘must not fail’ this time. Unlike Britain, Spain and Italy cannot quantitatively-ease their way out of this crisis because, as members of the Euro, the control of their money supply is in the hands of the European Central Bank. It’s President, Christine Lagarde, at one point seemed to dismiss the idea that this crisis had anything to do with her or her bank. Three weeks ago Guy Verhofstadt scorned Donald Trump for imposing a ban on flights from the Schengen area, which covers most of the EU, saying it had been imposed unnecessarily and without discussion with the EU. He failed to notice that at the same time many EU states were imposing unilateral Schengen-busting travel bans of their own.

Many have been caught out by the Covid-19 crisis, but no institution has been left looking quite so helpless as the EU. One feels it is sorely missing a common enemy – ie Britain – to help keep it together."

[outwoodclaret]

It is very, very good news ! Stuck in my room for 60+ days has been difficult. I have to collect a medical certificate today, at 17:00 and then I will be allowed to go out of the apartment complex where I live :-).

That is very good news indeed map. Let us know how you get on post lockdown.

[The Bedlington Terrier]

A perspective with which I totally agree...

https://besacenter.org/perspectives-...irus-pandemic/

[map]

I am staying in China.
The company that I work for, CITPC, have decided that I should leave where I live at the moment, Wuhan in Hubei Province and relocate to to Bao'an in Shenzen Province.
I think that the travel resrtictions are to be lifted on April 8th but it's still unclear when the schools will re-open.
On a more positive note, I will collect my permit tonight at 20:00 and then I will be allowed "out" for 2 hours per day, so at least, hopefully, I can buy so0me0 food !

[1959_60]

I am staying in China.
The company that I work for, CITPC, have decided that I should leave where I live at the moment, Wuhan in Hubei Province and relocate to to Bao'an in Shenzen Province.
I think that the travel resrtictions are to be lifted on April 8th but it's still unclear when the schools will re-open.
On a more positive note, I will collect my permit tonight at 20:00 and then I will be allowed "out" for 2 hours per day, so at least, hopefully, I can buy so0me0 food !

Positive news at last!

I'd give the bat soup a swerve if I were you map.