Sunday
(0)[EU for Britain has] been more like getting mixed up with the mafia. First it's an innocent poker game, then some girls show up, then you need to borrow some money, next thing you know a beefy fellow in a string t-shirt is giving your kneecaps a non-therapeutic massage, and you're wondering, "Hey, I just wanted to play a little poker. Where did these concrete overshoes come from?"
- T. Hartin's comment on a Samizdata post
Except that in the Mafia it's the Italians who get to beat people up whereas in the EU they get kicked around by the French.
Posted by Graham Lester at July 13, 2003 03:03 PM
WRONG....
The Mafia is a business made up of a number of "family owned" franchises. They are interested in making money. Their business model is to provide "high yeild" products and services. They have proberly the highest productivity rates in the Western World.Many of their ventures attract unusually high "tax rates".
As in any business, the Mafia also has to purchase products and services. These products and services are often exchanged for cash or barter. The Mafia usually pays "on time" and in "full". These types of contract completions generally upsets the taxing types out there as it becomes quite difficult to assess "due" taxes.
There are also silly types out-there who, for unknown reasons, beleive they can diddle the Mafia out of product(s), service(s), manpower or profits. As, in any commercial contract, there are usually clauses that cover extra-ordinary imposts for "non performance" or "losses". One of these imposts is a poorly fitted pair of "concrete sandshoes".
Posted by Shaun Bourke at July 14, 2003 01:12 PM
