Comments on: Reasons for leaving the EU, ctd

By: Paul Marks

Paul Marks — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 00:32:20 +0000

Arguments to stay in the E.U.

The Trade Lie.

The claim that leaving the E.U. means less trade with people living in France and Germany (and so on) as if neither the WTO or other treaties against trade sanctions exist.

And as if the German (and other) governments would cut off the export trade of German companies to Britain – just to limit (the far less) trade of British companies to people living in Germany.

And.

The Security Lie.

The deliberate confusion of the E.U. with NATO – the claim that it is the E.U. that has “kept the peace in Europe”.

Bascially all arguments for staying in the E.U. come down to the Trade Lie and the Security Lie – or some mixture of the two.

By: Jean-Luc

Jean-Luc — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 21:21:31 +0000

politicians try to tax the banks, but the banks remind them everytime that were elected thanx to their money

By: mike

mike — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 18:16:16 +0000

“Milton Friedman is magnificent.”

Agreed. Preaching to the unconverted demands a discipline of thought, expression and articulate delivery that many high-profile libertarians and conservatives too often lack. David Starkey is only the most recent example of this.

Yes – for his work in trying to dissuade common people from accepting the “wisdom” of government – Milton Friedman was magnificent.

By: Derek Buxton

Derek Buxton — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 14:24:48 +0000

I do not think that politicians “defy” the Law of Unintended Consequences so much as disregard it until it comes back to bite them. They appear to learn little from history but think that in repeating it they will get a different result.

By: Andrew Zalotocky

Andrew Zalotocky — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 12:42:01 +0000

Another expensive folly that won’t do anything to fix the underlying problems. Instead of rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic they’re gold-plating them.

By: JadedLibertarian

JadedLibertarian — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 12:09:15 +0000

Here’s a crazy idea for the EU, why not respond to the recent financial crisis by stopping regulating banks altogether?

By removing barriers to entry and onerous regulatory requirements, the manner in which they are run will become a bank’s primary selling point to its customers.

Of course, such banks would have to be allowed to sink or swim according to its own merits.

I’d like a bank with a 1-1 lending ratio and extremely stringent lending requirements, please.

Without bailouts, I wonder how the current crop of banks with their 1-10 lending ratios and “let’s lend to chavs on benefits” policies would fair?