Running a business isn’t easy at the moment, in France or elsewhere, and everyone would welcome some good advice about how to cope with the difficult conditions.
So despite having challenges of our own (don’t get me started on those) I though it would be useful if I went round to all the local French run businesses and shouted “Sort yourselves out!!” over and over again through the window.
I won’t offer any useful suggestions about how to improve things, because frankly I don’t have any to suggest. Our own business is facing exactly the same challenges – I don’t think I’ll mention that in such a loud voice – so instead I’ll just persist in telling everyone else to try harder.
How popular will this tactic make me? Not very, I imagine. In no time at all people will start being rude to me and sooner or later someone will tell me to get lost, or perhaps hit me.
All very obvious, I think you’ll agree.
So the question is, if this would be a ridiculous and unproductive thing for me to do, why do British politicians think it is a good thing for them to do?
Almost every day brings news that David Cameron or George Osborne have been telling France and Germany that they have to sort themselves out (along with the rest of Europe).
My guess is that Sarkozy and Merkel are pretty much familiar with the challenges without it being shouted across the channel every morning!
Useful suggestions or offers of help would doubtless be welcomed, but simply telling people to ‘sort themselves out’ does nothing except make them want to punch you on the nose.
So my suggestion for today, 10 years after arriving in France, is that the UK should decide if it wants to stay in Europe or not, then either leave or start joining in with constructive suggestions for improving things.
No problem either way as far as I am concerned, there are good arguments for both staying and leaving and I’ll leave such difficult decisions to those who believe they are wise enough to make them.
But I do know that standing on the edges of Europe and shouting criticisms at everyone else will do nothing at all for the ‘entente-cordiale’, Europe or the UK. Or for English expats living in the heart of Europe…
In that vein, I was catching up on Twitter from last night and came across a Tweet (re-tweeted by Channel 4′s economics editor): “If Germany introduces a tax specifically on luxury cars, then I might consider supporting a financial transaction tax. Otherwise, no.”
I don’t recall VW-Audi, BMW, or Mercedes collapsing the west’s financial systems by placing unwise bets on financial instruments that no-one understands, but then again, what do I know. The Germans only make ‘things’ whereas in the UK the City of London is so much more sophisticated.
Ah yes, boring old ‘things’. Who wants to get their hands dirty when gambling with world economies is so much easier and more profitable?
Governments spend far too much and it follows they have to tax far too much. Running out of money so print some more. They realy have lost the plot.
Its the people that make and create the wealth. Govenments can help by letting us keep more of our money and only interfear when they have too. Of course the worst in all this is the EU. Regereably they are only going to learn the hard way and it will be the poorest than will suffer the most.
I think we have very poor governments who just do not understand how things work.Something is wrong lets spend and tax more money appears their only answer.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WRsnMKjtRjs
One of the few politicians that does understand
Johnny,
although Farage is right on some points, I find his mentioning of a “German dominated Europe” with an allusion to the past quite disgusting.
If he wanted to be taken seriously, he failed, as this way of thinking completely discredits his point.
Boris,
I would tend to think that all the racket from Cameron and Co. telling everyone else to “sort themselves out” and blaming the EU for everything is merely home-politics.
Considering the situation in the UK and how many people feel about the EU, Cameron needs to perpetuate the concept of “us and them” in order to please the public and his electorate, and reassure people through this easy scapegoat dialectics.
I agree with your conclusion, this whole mess will only fuel distrust and rejection between peoples, while we need to stand united and work together.
It is politician’s job to see and prepare the future beyond shortsighted ideologies, prejudices and simplistic thinking.
Unfortunately, crises such as the one we are experiencing now are a perfect mold for nationalism and withdrawal.
I fear that if the EU were to fail, we would all lose something even greater than what we think.
I know its just ‘home politics’ for the reasons you say – but I’m also aware what the UK papers would say if European leaders kept lecturing the UK on what they should be doing.
As the saying goes, ‘be careful what you wish for, it might just come true’
“but I’m also aware what the UK papers would say if European leaders kept lecturing the UK on what they should be doing.”
Probably something close to the form of Armageddon…
Once upon a time, some shrewd American politicians decided to impose their imperialism to the whole world.
Perhaps they already thought in those times that wealth is a political creation, not gullible enough to believe work and wealth are linked – letting people simply make and create wealth within the borders: what a funny idea!… First interference.
Tired to be held down, to show their culture denigrated, to witness God Dollar plotting takeovers in their country, some savage and desperate rebels responded by crashing some planes on American skyscrapers.
Distraught, not by the terrorist attack but rather by the potential economic crisis this event could generate, American leaders decided to change their wisdom laws for home-buying, and made financing easier. Not any more required to put money down to buy a house, loans are automatic in America, dollar taps are full opened. Is it dangerous, wonky, unmaintainable on long term: dollar is our currency but your problem! The debt is sold all over the planet, and few years after, all banks are ready to collapse.
Second interference: obviously politicians are decided to believe that to create wealth, no better solution than interfering!
To save our beloved banks, the different states decide to transfer bank’s losses on their own balance sheets. Surprise: different national debt crisis appear, danger of sovereign default, bailout agreements, distribution of free austerity packages for everybody!
New interference: sure it is time to keep working because it is a well-known economic basic law: work is the seed of wealth, come on guys, persist to try harder! It will help to pay off some low quality prefabricate houses in South Dakota.
Of course, now American leaders, prototyping superhero, arrive in Europe to urge on us to sort ourselves out. And their first Anglo-Saxon cousin is delighted to repeat it parrot-fashion: it is so exquisite to bash Europe (UK definition: Germany + France). What a good idea it would be for the UK to leave definitively Europe and keep focus on its natural role as American poodle dog.
We know who the villains are, but we don’t share the same analysis!
A bit off track for a blog about expat France but I think you’d be interested by a site I was told about a while ago that is pretty much anti-everything called http://www.zerohedge.com/
Never discuss Religion, Politics (and Whatever the third one was) …but when Frau Merkle said if we don’t do it her way then there would be world war, then I think she played the German domination card. Farage had/has a good point. Just add in the AGW con trick and the whole gang should be removed.
Not sure this is what she meant.
I think she was referring to the unrest (and possibly worse) than could derive from the current crisis if things aren’t sorted out.
History tells us that such times are the ideal mold for potential catastrophes.
I think this is what she meant, which I think is true, although I don’t think the result would be a world war.
Anyway, you’re right, a bit off track, although still linked to your original article Boris. I tend to be carried away when I talk about this kind of thing, sorry!
I’m inclined to agree, although at the time it did strike me as a slightly curious thing to say.
ps no problem strolling a little way off track!
Raphael,
We now have a German dominated Europe, You should be concerned having lived there I am. Why you take exception the Nigal Farage speaking the plain truth is just amazing.
Hmmm, I think that’s far enough off track.
I don’t what this post to be a dispute about whether Germany dominates Europe or not so I won’t approve any more comments on that subject. Sorry in advance!!
PS comments related to the original post still very welcome…
Johnny,
if you want to talk further, you can use the link to my blog and send me a message. Let’s not pollute Boris’ nice blog.
Boris,
I watched Question Time 2 days ago, and it was “Eu needs to sort itself out, and need to so this and should do that” all along etc etc
Although it’s true, I can’t stop thinking about what you said before about the British public and british press reaction to other countries lecturing the the UK on how they should run their country.
THat would be “fun” to watch…
sow the wind…
with a warlike picture since you get tougher and tougher stance:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:It_Shoots_Further_Than_He_Dreams.jpg
Good news, national pride agitation and wars have always been the right way to finish an economic crisis. We are on track!
He he I don’t mind ‘blog pollution’ but I know how many Brits think of Germany and I know how the rest of Europe think of Germany – and the two are completely different. A situation that is unlikely to be changed by this blog!
I imagine Berlusconi has a bit of time on his hands and he also owns a giant TV empire so perhaps he could make a programme telling the Brits what they should do next?
Do you mean me? I’m completely opposed to ‘national pride agitation’ – the original blog post was supposed to point out how daft it is to behave like that!
Yes, with two big-breasted half-naked girls presenting his ideas, in a perfect Berlusconi style !
More seriously, I am not surprised at about this Brit attitude towards “continentals”, beyond the home-politics aspect for UK politicians.
Please do not take this the wrong way but, it feels like many British people are champions in double-standards, in the sense that they usually find absolutely normal to make derogatory or abusive comments or jokes about the French or Germans or the Eu or whatever, but they would never accept half of it being said about the UK.
In the Question Time from 2 days ago, there was again mention of Germany dominating Europe, (acn’t remember if it was a memeber of the public or of the panel) and one guy of the panel, Chairman of National Trust I think, said something sensible about it at last, he basically said: “here we go again, we’re completely obsessed by Germany and the war again”…
But then, as you said, it’s not going to change by this blog or by anything for that matter, until, for example, History is taugh properly and widely in this country, which might not happen either anyway…
I think Dominique was being sarcastic ?
I would like to apologise for my appalling typing, as I’ve just realised there are missing words in my sentences plus my spelling !
Well it all kicked off again with this Germans comments, ( not English)
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/eu/8900799/Britain-will-join-euro-before-long-says-German-finance-minister.html
Whatever is being said, the emotional reaction always supersedes the rational one in the British press and part of the British public, and mentioning the war and the nazis is as far as can possibily be from an intelligent, rational, reasonnable and educated answer.
Actually a British guy said almost the same thing (as the German miniter in the article) in QT the other day.
But because he was a Brit, his comment wasn’t considered as outrageous as if he had been a foreigner, and therefore he wasn’t verbally stoned to death by the public.
If I had been in the room and had said, “Hello I’m French and I think the UK will scrap the Pound for the Euro within the next 15 years” I would have needed Police protection in order to leave the building unharmed.
This whole automated mental reaction sometimes confines to mass hyteria…
Its just that the people want to decide this one.
People who become too emotional about a certain subjects that reason fades away.
Johnny, I completely agree that people should have the choice, although a choice at a time of world and euro crisis might have different results to a choice at more normal times. I suspect that Brits hear a lot about excessive bureaucracy in Brussels and payments to French farmers and much less about the benefits that Europe brings (which are real but harder to put values on).
In any case surely the more interesting question is why many Brits continue to feel isolated from Europe while more or less every other country in Europe is enthusiastic to embrace the benefits of a common Europe and move forward together? (Not saying who’s right and who’s wrong, just interested why there is such a difference!)
Boris, I think you may have answered your question in your own post.
As you said, the idea most Brits get from the EU is overall quite negative, and this is the image being sent by the media: when you look at what the media say about the EU, well, there’s your answer !
Then there is the political discourse, which, as we’ve discussed before, has to take a home-politics stance on issues that aren’t strictly home affairs, in order to please and reassure the electorate which has already been brainwashed by the press.
It’s a bit like atheist politicians in the US: if they come out publicly as atheists, their political carrier is virtually over, so they adapt their discourse.
Then there are TV programmes such as Question Time, where you often hear a few interesting things but which usually do not trigger general approval, like during this weeks’s QT programme, where a very sensible thing was said about the EU and recieved by the public with a dubious and total silence.
Then there is the people’s capacity to think and analyse things in an informed way. As we’ve said, the press does not really inform the public, as its coverage of the issue is largely biased and when it isn’t, usually careful in what they say and how they say it to avoid recieving 500,000 outraged letters of complaint within the next hour.
Then there is the people’s capacity to think and analyse things in an informed way. As we’ve said, the press does not really inform, as its coverage of the issue is largely biased.
What’s left is education and books.
The main problem in education is that there isn’t enough emphasis on History, the latter being the main source of information to understand what we are, where we are, why it is so, and should give ideas about where we should be going.
Concerning books, I fear that not enough people buy serious history books, and are more inclined to buy things like Stephen Clarke’s 1000 years at etc which is honestly not the answer if you want to get serious information, as entertaining as the book may be.
I read once (can’t remember where, but i can assure you it wasn’t a French book^^) that the Brits are, overall, vaguely in favour of culture as long as they they do not have to think about it too much.
Of course it sounds sarcastic, but if this were to reflect the truth even partly, then it would be the main answer to your question.
Ultimately, if you do not possess the adequate material to make informed decisions or opinions, then you are likely to be misled easily by the only information you get, which is the biased one coming from the press you read every day, and what you hear on the radio and tv and from people around you, all sharing more or less the same biased views on the same subjects.
I know it is virutally impossible to know everything about everything, but at least having basic factual knowledge of important issues would give people the capacity to have more rational and sensible opinions.
I voted for a common market, not a united states of europe. I cannot think of a single benifit to Britain.
I would love someone to explain what it is. The common market gave us free movement of trade and people, what more do we need.
mmmh, conspiracy theory??
sure, why folks are unable to think and analysis things… particularly on topics I am not on mainstream!
please update your point of view and confess I am right, ignorants, wimps, airheads…
no culture, no critical nor inquiring mind, no panache, one president said: “les français sont des veaux!”
perhaps with the English, we are not yet from the same cattle shed, but already we are all bovine??!!..
Have you seen this clip from Sapristi Balthazar re the financial crisis?
http://sapristibalthazar.over-blog.com/article-dette-un-jeu-de-dupes-88359975.html
Not an explanation I’ve seen in the press anywhere.
Here are some ‘official’ benefits….http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/+/http://www.bis.gov.uk/policies/europe/benefits-of-eu-embership
Thanks FTIW it’s nice to see something explained in lay-men terms for once.
Both the press and politicians like to keep quiet about the fact that we can’t return to how things were over the last 10 years despite any number of austerity budgets because those years were an illusion based on over-borrowing and over-spending. I’m sure “We’ve never had it so good” will soon become “remember the good old days” (for France and Britain as well as Greece etc).
Boris,
concerning the Crisis there is also the film “Insside Job” which explains the whole thing in an easy but still very clear way .
Dominique, I am not sure I understand what you mean, were you being sarcastic?
Johnny,
other benefits from the EU are the type of benefits the Brits don’t want to hear about as they concern imposing regulations coming from EU votes and decisions. In the lot there things related to protection of the Environment, Customer protection, banking regulations, etc all things that have ultimately a positive impact on our every day lives, but many people would rather not benefit from these improvements as long as they come from the EU parliament and not the UK parliament.
Which leads me to another thing I’ve noticed here.
If a law is bad and comes from the EU it triggers national outrage.
If a law is good and comes from the EU, nobody even hears about it.
If a law is bad and comes from Parliament, people complain a bit in pure form, but nobody minds really, because at least it’s a British law and thus people are proud to put up with it.
If a law is good and comes from parliament, it probably is a transposition of an EU directive in the first place, and again nobody will ever hear about it.
The genie certainly popped out of this bottle!
The laws from the EU (75% from them )Just make Europe uncompetative. Its fine spending more and more money to give people more and more rights but it cannot be afforded. Its hard working people that create the wealth not any government. Most governments with the EU in particular are the cause not the solution. We need to reduce the state and get people working again. Give the people their money back. If we continue with no change it will just get worse and worse can you not see its all gone wrong as many of us have been trying to say for years.
I completly changed my mind over Europe when France and Germany dumped us with the ERM problem. They should have helped but did not.
We are an island in every way and the way France and Germany have acted towards us is nothing short of disgusting. Germany will never help as it is not in their nature to do so.
George Soros, the business magnate, butcher of an United Europe…
I was already quite sure it was Americans who played us a dirty trick: confirmed!
George Soros is just a symbol of the financial world that has got out of hand and will in due course bring down the euro and other currencies. After Italy comes perhaps France, then the UK or the US? None of them can afford to pay 7% interest on government debt, and none are realistically reducing their debt levels so all are targets in due course. Not a pretty future unless you’re a bank (or Soros himself).
If I mentioned G. Soros, it was rather a reaction to Johnny’s explanations: he changed his mind over Europe during the 1992 Black Wednesday. An another citizen adopting the classical UK hate towards Europe… because our beloved American G. Soros forced the Brits to devaluate their pound currency, making over 1 billion dollars profit in the bargain.
What I don’t understand is, if I am burglarized and the criminals are identified by the police, I will bring suit… to the criminals, not to my neighbours using as an excuse my neighbours didn’t help me during the misdemeanour!
For the problem of 7% interest rate, a solution could be the classical South American one: inflation in Venezuela in 1996 for example was 99%. Today they borrow a strong discipline: only 26%!
Good to pay debts with worthless paper…
Dominique.
It called the free market. What we have in the EU is nearer to communism. You know where the state controls everyting.
We need free people and less state control and tax. It is the only way out of the mess. The longer nothing is done the worse it will become.
You seem to forget the the other side of the free market coin.
Less state control, which would imply less regulations, would mean that we trust managers and company owners to make the right decisions not only for the profitability of their business but also to make ethical decisions regarding workers and staff and the impact (environmental, social etc) of their activity.
Can we really trust all managers and business owners to always act in a fair and ethical way towards their staff ? I tend to think not, merely judging by Human nature.
This is why we need some kind of regulations and state involvement, to protect people, society and our environment from unethical behaviour. I think the current crisis should give a clear enough example of what happens when people with power are allowed to go too far in the pursuit of profit at the expense of everything else, this process being facilitated by little or nonexistant regulation and state involvement.
Yeah, free market, good old times, all was better before, no more state, viva jungle warfare, etc…
But history gives us some good counterexamples.
To find a way out of the current mess, it is important to watch in our rearview mirror, because as Churchill warned, those who forget history are doomed to repeat it!
The Saviour of last big economical collapse, F. Roosevelt, decided to create a ceiling on incomes:
->
I have told the Congress once more that all net individual incomes, after payment of all taxes, should be limited effectively by further taxation to a maximum net income of ($25,000) 25 thousand dollars a year. And it is equally important that corporate profits should not exceed a reasonable amount in any case.
http://millercenter.org/president/speeches/detail/3328
<-
After Americans made this first step to abolish capitalist inequalities, they continued with an impressive U-turn less than 3 years later, starting a long war against CCCP and their egalitarian ideals.
Economical crisis can have some strange effects… And some of these strange effects have already started in France: now the richest citizens beg to pay more taxes…
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/aug/24/wealthiest-french-citizens-ask-to-pay-more-tax
But governments do not do anything with the laws we have. They just keep passing more and more laws but do not actually do anything. Its action we need on the wrong doer not more laws and regulation.
As for the EU they break all their own rules all the time and have not had their accounts signed off for years, so who are they to passs any more rules.
We need to get the state off people backs and allow our peope to get us out of the mess caused by the state not the people, and before you blame the bankers ask who changed the rules to allow them to do what they did.
at the beginning, the mess on the American real estate market?
let me remember… I would say…
Alan Greenspan, governor of the Federal Reserve System!
but I don’t remember the day of his election!
no state, no central bank… what else?
“before you blame the bankers ask who changed the rules to allow them to do what they did.”
errr Politicians did, under pressure from Bankers, who also pay for their electoral campaigns…
Every time politicians try to put the right regulations in place, whether being in the financial or industrial field, an army of lobbyists storms the parliament to stall any potential reform.
Look at what happened to Obama’s attempt to regulate the financial markets after the crisis. Look at what the Koch brothers do.
Hi Boris,
well – there is not much I can put to what you have said. It is quite clear and with little words. I totally agree with you and I love the reactions to it
) Bonne Chance from Ireland – another little country being saved by the biggies……
The golden rule.
“You cannot buck the market”
Forget that at your peril, remember King Canute.