This is a Question Time Funny by Harry Enfield

Oh I dunno .. we don't have too many gritty discussions on here and it's nice to have one.

Sticking with the theme of clubs ... as we have Davo and Ciderman to add interest  .... the EU is a club. The Commonwealth is a club .. founded on the back of Empire so there are a few uncanny similarities. The British founded one. Now they want to leave one.

The British Empire was globalist expansion.
So is the EU. ( the minute a country like Turkey is considered for inclusion it can't be anything else).

Ciderman makes a good point about trade ... and once Britain joined the EU club it rather neglected and dumped it's allies who it'd had strong ancestral and cultural ties with. Cultures which , however, now have their own identity and independence. I don't blame them for feeling miffed.
That was the Empire .. and it's dead now and will never be again. The UK is just a small island off the West coast of Europe. We're not a global power despite some of our politicians who might have everyone think we are.

Commonwealth ties have weakened and are held together by the institution of our monarchy. I can never understand why Australia and New Zealand don't jettison her as they owe the UK nothing. As with the USA , once again it was founded on colonists though ended up with a revolution for independence.
A separate country.

Same with the EU ... in terms of Brexit.
We voted to leave .. so ex-pats , in their own new adopted home shouldn't have a major say on whether their , for want of a better word, their 'mother country' should leave the club they like, and have chosen to live in.
Same as I wouldn't expect an Aussie or a Kiwi to have a vote.
Same as I wouldn't expect to vote on other Commonwealth countries legislature or matters that affect their trade agreements or major issues.

Keeping reciprocal ties and agreements is not the same as determining your own destiny .. or allowing the citizens of any country the sole power to affect the future of the country they live in.

sags wrote:

Oh I dunno .. we don't have too many gritty discussions on here and it's nice to have one.

Sticking with the theme of clubs ... as we have Davo and Ciderman to add interest  .... the EU is a club. The Commonwealth is a club .. founded on the back of Empire so there are a few uncanny similarities. The British founded one. Now they want to leave one.

The British Empire was globalist expansion.
So is the EU. ( the minute a country like Turkey is considered for inclusion it can't be anything else).

Ciderman makes a good point about trade ... and once Britain joined the EU club it rather neglected and dumped it's allies who it'd had strong ancestral and cultural ties with. Cultures which , however, now have their own identity and independence. I don't blame them for feeling miffed.
That was the Empire .. and it's dead now and will never be again. The UK is just a small island off the West coast of Europe. We're not a global power despite some of our politicians who might have everyone think we are.

Commonwealth ties have weakened and are held together by the institution of our monarchy. I can never understand why Australia and New Zealand don't jettison her as they owe the UK nothing. As with the USA , once again it was founded on colonists though ended up with a revolution for independence.
A separate country.

Same with the EU ... in terms of Brexit.
We voted to leave .. so ex-pats , in their own new adopted home shouldn't have a major say on whether their , for want of a better word, their 'mother country' should leave the club they like, and have chosen to live in.
Same as I wouldn't expect an Aussie or a Kiwi to have a vote.
Same as I wouldn't expect to vote on other Commonwealth countries legislature or matters that affect their trade agreements or major issues.

Keeping reciprocal ties and agreements is not the same as determining your own destiny .. or allowing the citizens of any country the sole power to affect the future of the country they live in.

Agree on some points with your thread sags. Quite right in your last paragraph.  This is where negotiation is vitally important. Joint agreement from both sides. I think Brussels is keen to do that from our end but feel  the prime minister is too restrictive and not flexible enough.
 
My personal view. Let's see how it goes over the coming months. Nobody knows I think this is where the problem lies.

I had forgotten  it had been a year until I watched a documentary last night. :;smile:

It's all supposition at this stage, all ifs and buts and not even worth stressing over really.

Let's hope the outcome suites us all 

I can't promise there will  not be a reminder here and there but it is getting rather boring now when you think of all the disasters happening, which really is much more important. 

Off to America to comb Trumps wig.

See ya pork crackling x

I'd disagree that our Prime Minister is restrictive and not flexible enough.
But she is on to a hiding.

As a prerequisite of any talks the EU have demanded 100 billion  ... before, they are willing to consider entering into any stages of discussion. That's 27 countries who ganged together at a bureaucratic shindig and took about 10 minutes to agree that was their principle and foremost demand.
They are acting nothing short of extortionists, like the Mafia.

Understandable though when they will lose one of their top contributors who have carried poorer countries like Poland who have had sustained investment, amounting to billions every year for the last decade. Since their membership in fact. Which is why their Health Service is considerably better than the Brits enjoy in the UK now.
The EU is only as strongest as it's weakest link and there are a helluva lot of weak links so the EU are clearly desperate for a financial buffer.
They intend to bankrupt us.

davo wrote:

the chancellors bizzare act of letting refugees [?] flood not only into germany but many other countries was IMO the act of a silly old woman!

Spot on ... so much for democracy. One woman , with alleged guilt over WW2 decided to do something for the world ... her personal policy. No consultation.
Not quite true, there was consultation afterward when she tried to force other member countries to take in immigrant quotas they did not want.
Hungary erected a barbed wire fence on it's border. The little devils.

It's things like this, along with talk of an EU army that provoke caution in any nation who desires to keep some autonomy and independence.

And to think it only started off as a trade agreement and morphed into something so restrictive.
I reckon it will have imploded by 10 or 20 years rather than go from strength to strength.
By then .. China will be the one to watch.

I truly hope that does not happen Saags. Bankrupting I mean

The irony is they get billions from tourism and ex pats buying propery etc etc.

I think  common sense will prevail in the end from all sides to be honest. .

It's just very raw for everyone at the moment.

That is why it upsets me as it has caused so much discourse amongst us all and suspicion.

As my mum said. Don't let buggers get you down. :;smile:

It will all come out in the wash

sags wrote:

davo wrote:

the chancellors bizzare act of letting refugees [?] flood not only into germany but many other countries was IMO the act of a silly old woman!

Spot on ... so much for democracy. One woman , with alleged guilt over WW2 decided to do something for the world ... her personal policy. No consultation.
Not quite true, there was consultation afterward when she tried to force other member countries to take in immigrant quotas they did not want.
Hungary erected a barbed wire fence on it's border. The little devils.

It's things like this, along with talk of an EU army that provoke caution in any nation who desires to keep some autonomy and independence.

And to think it only started off as a trade agreement and morphed into something so restrictive.
I reckon it will have imploded by 10 or 20 years rather than go from strength to strength.
By then .. China will be the one to watch.

Agh as Nostrrdamus said it will be the yellow nation to watch. My view Korea Oh no  another strange hair cut

ah but I am a British citizen and have a passport to prove it and visit UK regularly. I can have a say it my mother country. But Ciderman if you have jetisoned your UK citizenship then as Malcolm so adroitly put it:

It is another matter where ex UK citizens take on citizenship of another country, they have no right to even an opinion.




I disagree - I value your opinions always Ciderman - having no right to vote or become an MP is one thing but having an opinion I think is a human right all over the globe - are we not brothers and sisters of the same planet? and do we not care about each other - surely that is worthy of an opinion?

I do hope your opinions are not stifled on here Ciderman?

after all I could site and quote 'opinions' on this site that have been expressed about nations all over the globe

davo wrote:

ah but I am a British citizen and have a passport to prove it and visit UK regularly. I can have a say it my mother country. But Ciderman if you have jetisoned your UK citizenship then as Malcolm so adroitly put it:

It is another matter where ex UK citizens take on citizenship of another country, they have no right to even an opinion.




I disagree - I value your opinions always Ciderman - having no right to vote or become an MP is one thing but having an opinion I think is a human right all over the globe - are we not brothers and sisters of the same planet? and do we not care about each other - surely that is worthy of an opinion?

I do hope your opinions are not stifled on here Ciderman?

after all I could site and quote 'opinions' on this site that have been expressed about nations all over the globe

 You creeping to Ciderman Davo.  :;smile:  he has his own opinions I think.

Goldie ... try not to ride roughshod over everyone. It is only a discussion where differing views are allowed, it's not handbags at dawn. Chill out.

Hi Saags there are things you and members do not know, might be making me tense.

It am anxious at the moment adding to stress levels. Me and Davo have never really hit  it off.

I merely try to understand him but don't,  not sure if it's a cultural thing or not. I never know if he is joking or being serious.
No other ladies seem to comment on any of the news items. Are they being put off by over bearing comment?

I keep out of the threads with his humour as it just does not appeal.  

This thing on dogs on wards quite  frankly went from a sensible discussion to something quite ridiculous in my view. 

I am keeping away from Davo unfortunately. I have nothing against the guy but thinks it's best all around.

Just off to join the knitting circle  :;smile: x

Stuff the knitting ... folding paper aeroplanes and aiming them at the bin is more fun and much more therapeutic. 

Discussions can provoke friction sometimes .. we're all different with our own quirky little idiosyncrasies , off beat humour or method of expression.
That's why forums are such fun. 
I think most people disagreed with my view but I'm not going to sit and beat my chest with frustration over it (I'm already flat-chested enough. and no, I'm not providing photos before anyone asks ).

Laidback is best.

Very erudite miss piggy. Well said.

Everyone needs to let off a little steam occasionally... Nothing wrong with that but just leave it there and don't carry it around from thread to thread

sags wrote:

Stuff the knitting ... folding paper aeroplanes and aiming them at the bin is more fun and much more therapeutic. 

Discussions can provoke friction sometimes .. we're all different with our own quirky little idiosyncrasies , off beat humour or method of expression.
That's why forums are such fun. 
I think most people disagreed with my view but I'm not going to sit and beat my chest with frustration over it (I'm already flat-chested enough. and no, I'm not providing photos before anyone asks ).

Laidback is best.

Pork chop

I know it is hard for you to believe I am very laid back and love to laugh and have fun. Everything here in Lanza goes over my head so many  moaning ex pat Brits, we learned the hard way and did it ourselves through research and determination..

In my job I always kept a  cool head.

 I often say to hubby wish I had a brick as a heart but I haven't.  His reply I married you  for you as you care for others. Not some hard bitch like my ex wife.

He is teaching me not to be so quick to lend a helping hand, would others he says?

 he says . It is a struggle for me as it comes naturally to do that. 

He hates forums does not belong to any  as we have a friend on a rugby fotum deliberately winds people up. He tells the most amazing lies and taunts. Alien to me. I ask him why? I just love winding  people up.

Sorry Davo no offence but I am going to ignore you, we always seem to misunderstand each other,  by all means email me but I don't want argument on a public thread.

I feel strongly about some things so just tend to write my thoughts.

As they say Sags.

I will try I will try to improve my bust :;smile: the olds ones are always the best x

play the ball not the man??

Wise words ... and you can bet I have my straight face on when I say ..
I never play with men's balls.