Are we better off in Europe!

[CliveH]

Whereas if they had used a Number 7 or, even worse - a 13 - you would have no excuse at all Malcolm (lol) (lol) (lol)

[nightrider]

I was once clouted with a builders shovel by Fred Dibnah who I knew well, we were working on Stand church at the time he was repairing the stone work and I was renewing the cast iron gutters and down spouts.

I pulled the plug on his mixer as he was loading the drum, he called me a t*** and threw his banjo at me, nearly me head off.

[nightrider]

I was once clouted with a builders shovel by Fred Dibnah who I knew well, we were working on Stand church at the time he was repairing the stone work and I was renewing the cast iron gutters and down spouts.

I pulled the plug on his mixer as he was loading the drum, he called me a t*** and threw his banjo at me, nearly me head off.

[nightrider]

It looks like it is sogof, send one get one free, double posts again?

[Bulletguy]

CliveH - 2010-12-16 9:49 AM

 

I am talking about UK aid cheques being paid to Third World Governments and where huge amounts then go missing from those Third World Government Departments.

 

The audit trail then clearly shows that this money is paid into Swiss Bank accounts.

 

Kenya is just one place where this has happened recently

 

http://news.aol.co.uk/world-news/story/aid-halted-amid-corruption-claims/1464600

 

But it has been going on for years

 

Look at the date of this report

 

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2004/jul/22/eu.kenya

 

As for what is worse? Bailing out banks so they can pay huge bonuses?

 

Or giving money to other countries in Aid where it never gets where it should?

 

Boils down to the same problem to me.

I don't read in either of these links about any audit trail which 'clearly shows that this money is paid into Swiss Bank accounts'.

 

It has been a long known fact that many African countries indulge financial corruption. For some it is a way of life. It's rife and commonplace so anyone who deals with these countries already has prior knowledge of how they 'work'.

 

However greed and corruption takes place much closer to home right on our own front doorstep, a point I made quite clearly, with the wealthy squirreling vast amounts of loot into complex networks of offshore accounts such as the Cayman Islands, but this is overlooked as many of these people are powerful businessmen.

 

Who can forget the Lonrho affair and Tiny Rowland as far back as 1973 which even prompted Edward Heath, then Tory Prime Minister, to infamously describe it as "the unacceptable face of Capitalism".

 

How does that wonderful biblical verse go? Let he without sin cast the first stone.

 

People in glass houses shouldn't throw stones. But we don't bother with stones or pebbles......we chuck bloody big rocks around. And we've been doing it for years.

 

 

[CliveH]

The links were only intended to show that corruption takes place.

 

If you need confirmation as to Switzerlands role in harbouring the illgoten proceeds of the corrupt syphoning off of UK/EU/USA aid - have a read of:-

 

http://www.articlesbase.com/international-business-articles/switzerland-a-parasite-feeding-on-africa-and-third-world-countries-3129151.html

 

 

[Bulletguy]

CliveH - 2010-12-17 1:09 PM

 

The links were only intended to show that corruption takes place.

 

If you need confirmation as to Switzerlands role in harbouring the illgoten proceeds of the corrupt syphoning off of UK/EU/USA aid...

 

And should you need confirmation of Britains role in harbouring illgotten proceeds please do read on.

 

Alternatively you can pretend we don't indulge in such illicit activities because we are British.

 

http://allafrica.com/stories/201010110773.html

 

http://nigeriansabroadlive.com/revealed-how-british-banks-are-complicit-in-nigerian-corruption/

 

http://www.financialtaskforce.org/2010/10/10/british-banks-complicit-in-nigerian-corruption-court-documents-reveal/

 

As I said previously Clive, we are simply not in any position to 'point the finger'.

 

We do because like our American 'brothers', we enjoy telling other countries how to behave. We've been doing it for centuries so I guess old habits just simply don't die.

 

 

 

 

[Brian Kirby]

I don't think this will quite do.  I will not be constrained by what our government actually does, if I wish to criticise the behaviour of other countries.  Our government does not seek my sanction for its actions, and it does many things of which I strongly disapprove.  Advancing the argument that one can not criticise corrupt behaviour by others, because one's own government behaves just as badly, is a recipe for continuing corruption.   Criticise the lot of them, that is equally balanced and, ultimately, far more healthy.

[Guest pelmetman]

Brian Kirby - 2010-12-17 6:25 PM

   Criticise the lot of them, that is equally balanced and, ultimately, far more healthy.

 

Much more fun aswell :D

[Bulletguy]

Brian Kirby - 2010-12-17 6:25 PM

 

I don't think this will quite do. I will not be constrained by what our government actually does, if I wish to criticise the behaviour of other countries......the argument that one can not criticise corrupt behaviour by others, because one's own government behaves just as badly, is a recipe for continuing corruption.

Heaven forbid Brian. Criticise all you like. It makes for healthy forum board discussion and a refreshing change from the usual wallowing around in the doldrums on threads which become dead after a couple of posts yet generate five hundred plus views.

 

I have no problem as long as we refrain from pontificating and preaching this 'holier than thou' attitude. That Britain is so squeaky clean and perfect and conducts it's international Banking affairs with total transparency void of any corruption, is simply naive.

 

People in glass houses etc etc, but we just cannot seem to help ourselves can we?

 

As you say....."this won't quite do".

 

 

 

[duffers]

pelmetman - 2010-12-15 9:24 PM

 

knight of the road - 2010-12-15 6:57 PM

 

duffers -

 

United States of America, set out to bankrupt UK after War and pretty much succeeded, moral justification was allegedly based on anti-imperialism

go read some proper History Books sometime

I know exactly what America was up to before the first and second world wars, book reading is not your sole preserve clever Dick.

 

Malcom................................Your my favorite :D

 

 

I so hate to disappoint people

so

 

it is 'after the war' not 'what America was up to before the .. .. .. war'

 

and

'Your my favourite'

presume you actually mean to write 'You're my favourite'

 

now that's being a clever dick

 

:D :D :D :D :D

[Guest pelmetman]

duffers - 2010-12-17 9:39 PM

 

pelmetman - 2010-12-15 9:24 PM

 

'Your my favourite'

presume you actually mean to write 'You're my favourite'

 

now that's being a clever dick

 

:D :D :D :D :D

 

Oops :$ ..........................I blame my teachers >:-)

 

You're my favourite clever dick (lol)

[nightrider]

duffers - 2010-12-17 9:39 PM

 

pelmetman - 2010-12-15 9:24 PM

 

knight of the road - 2010-12-15 6:57 PM

 

duffers -

 

United States of America, set out to bankrupt UK after War and pretty much succeeded, moral justification was allegedly based on anti-imperialism

go read some proper History Books sometime

I know exactly what America was up to before the first and second world wars, book reading is not your sole preserve clever Dick.

 

Malcom................................Your my favorite :D

 

 

I so hate to disappoint people

so

 

it is 'after the war' not 'what America was up to before the .. .. .. war'

 

and

'Your my favourite'

presume you actually mean to write 'You're my favourite'

 

now that's being a clever dick

 

:D :D :D :D :D

American plans for Europe and indeed the rest of the world were laid well before and after the two world wars.

Who do you think you are, the group historian?

Duffers by name and duffer by nature :D

[nightrider]

pelmetman - 2010-12-18 8:47 AM

 

duffers - 2010-12-17 9:39 PM

 

pelmetman - 2010-12-15 9:24 PM

 

'Your my favourite'

presume you actually mean to write 'You're my favourite'

 

now that's being a clever dick

 

:D :D :D :D :D

 

Oops :$ ..........................I blame my teachers >:-)

 

You're my favourite clever dick (lol)

Dave,

You have no need to apologise to someone who derives a little pleasure from someones typo's, sad little man, thats probably all he has got to do.

[nightrider]

malc d - 2010-12-15 7:14 PM

 

Big Momma - 2010-12-15 7:07 PM

 

knight of the road - 2010-12-15 9:53 AM

 

If someone does not think along the same lines as Brian he goes off in a hissy fit.

 

I firmly believe in the principle of 'Free Speech' and that everyone does have an opinion. However, when that opinion turns into a rant making absurd statements then a good open debate is spoilt. The French resistance committed heroic acts of bravery that saved a lot of lives including our own servicemen. So making a sweeping statement about the rest of Europe falling to the ground at the first whiff of a German Panzers exhaust fumes was insulting.

 

 

 

I agree with your comment about " the rest of Europe falling to the ground " being an insult.

 

The main difference between them and us was that we had the English Channel in between us and the German army.

 

I often wonder how we would have fared if the Channel wasn't there.

 

 

 

 

 

Malc D

How many times have you chuckled at a gag by a comedian on TV when he has cracked a gag about the French throwing in the towel during the war? there is a serious lack of humour on this forum methinks.