The "Ask Higgins questions about the EU" Thread

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  • HigginsHiggins GermanyPosts: 16,618MI6 Agent
    chrisisall wrote:
    , EXCEPT when it comes to negativity to Dalton and positivity to ABS? :o
    :v
    ... where I demonstrate pure genius :p
    President of the 'Misty Eyes Club'.

    Dalton - the weak and weepy Bond!
  • ChriscoopChriscoop Belize Posts: 10,449MI6 Agent
    :)) :)) :))
    many films in my movie collection start with a plumber calling. :v
    I prefer the ones with the pool boy :o
    It was either that.....or the priesthood
  • chrisisallchrisisall Western Mass, USAPosts: 9,061MI6 Agent
    Higgins wrote:
    chrisisall wrote:
    , EXCEPT when it comes to negativity to Dalton and positivity to ABS? :o
    :v
    ... where I demonstrate pure genius :p
    Pure something-! :))
    Dalton & Connery rule. Brozz was cool.
    #1.TLD/LTK 2.TND 3.GF 4.GE 5.DN 6.FYEO 7.FRWL 8.TMWTGG 9.TWINE 10.YOLT/QOS
  • ThunderpussyThunderpussy Behind you !Posts: 63,792MI6 Agent
    I think one Christmas three Ghosts of Dalton will appear to Higgins, and over three stories.
    Higgins will begin to appreciate the greart man's work.
    Arising nex morn, to shout down to a young boy. Telling hin to run to the nearest petrol station and buy
    all the copies of TLD and LTK. :D
    "I've been informed that there ARE a couple of QAnon supporters who are fairly regular posters in AJB."
  • chrisisallchrisisall Western Mass, USAPosts: 9,061MI6 Agent
    I think one Christmas three Ghosts of Dalton will appear to Higgins, and over three stories.
    Higgins will begin to appreciate the greart man's work.
    Arising nex morn, to shout down to a young boy. Telling hin to run to the nearest petrol station and buy
    all the copies of TLD and LTK. :D
    Dalton Bless Us, every one! -{
    Dalton & Connery rule. Brozz was cool.
    #1.TLD/LTK 2.TND 3.GF 4.GE 5.DN 6.FYEO 7.FRWL 8.TMWTGG 9.TWINE 10.YOLT/QOS
  • ChriscoopChriscoop Belize Posts: 10,449MI6 Agent
    :))
    It was either that.....or the priesthood
  • Charmed & DangerousCharmed & Dangerous Posts: 7,358MI6 Agent
    I was going to recommend that Higgins watches Tim Dalton's excellent performance in Penny Dreadful, but given the current situation and rate of exchange it would be about 1.2 Cents Dreadful.
    "How was your lamb?" "Skewered. One sympathises."
  • welshboy78welshboy78 Posts: 10,294MI6 Agent
    Who will win Euro 2016

    Wales Vs Iceland?
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  • BarbelBarbel ScotlandPosts: 36,336Chief of Staff
    I was going to recommend that Higgins watches Tim Dalton's excellent performance in Penny Dreadful, but given the current situation and rate of exchange it would be about 1.2 Cents Dreadful.

    Nice one! :))
  • HigginsHiggins GermanyPosts: 16,618MI6 Agent
  • BarbelBarbel ScotlandPosts: 36,336Chief of Staff
    chrisisall wrote:
    I think one Christmas three Ghosts of Dalton will appear to Higgins, and over three stories.
    Higgins will begin to appreciate the great man's work.
    Arising nex morn, to shout down to a young boy. Telling hin to run to the nearest petrol station and buy
    all the copies of TLD and LTK. :D
    Dalton Bless Us, every one! -{

    I'd say the chances of him appreciating Tim are tiny....
  • ThunderpussyThunderpussy Behind you !Posts: 63,792MI6 Agent
    :# or :)) ? :)) :)) :)) -{
    "I've been informed that there ARE a couple of QAnon supporters who are fairly regular posters in AJB."
  • Charmed & DangerousCharmed & Dangerous Posts: 7,358MI6 Agent
    :)) :)) :))
    "How was your lamb?" "Skewered. One sympathises."
  • HigginsHiggins GermanyPosts: 16,618MI6 Agent
    One day, all you nutters will see the light and apologize on your knees :p
    President of the 'Misty Eyes Club'.

    Dalton - the weak and weepy Bond!
  • ThunderpussyThunderpussy Behind you !Posts: 63,792MI6 Agent
    On our knees, um!!!! Sounds like a very sensual apology :D :p
    "I've been informed that there ARE a couple of QAnon supporters who are fairly regular posters in AJB."
  • chrisisallchrisisall Western Mass, USAPosts: 9,061MI6 Agent
    Barbel wrote:
    chrisisall wrote:
    I think one Christmas three Ghosts of Dalton will appear to Higgins, and over three stories.
    Higgins will begin to appreciate the great man's work.
    Arising nex morn, to shout down to a young boy. Telling hin to run to the nearest petrol station and buy
    all the copies of TLD and LTK. :D
    Dalton Bless Us, every one! -{

    I'd say the chances of him appreciating Tim are tiny....

    That was pure genius. -{
    Dalton & Connery rule. Brozz was cool.
    #1.TLD/LTK 2.TND 3.GF 4.GE 5.DN 6.FYEO 7.FRWL 8.TMWTGG 9.TWINE 10.YOLT/QOS
  • HigginsHiggins GermanyPosts: 16,618MI6 Agent
    Thought that I come back to the EU thread.

    Probably some of you have followed the recent desaster about the trade agreement between the EU and Canada.

    I well remember voices saying that the EU is a bureaucratic monster and there should be more saying for the normal people.
    Usually that's common sense and well applauded - I had my reservations and have been slammed deservedly.

    I am not sure if the trade deal with Canada CETA is a good thing and tend to prefer if it did not happen, but that's not the point.

    Over years, EU experts * have been working hard to work out that deal and the plan was to have it then agreed by some EU constitutions which have been indirectly elected by the EU people some time ago.

    That plan was crushed after the BREXIT vote "because the people want more power".
    So now it's up to the democratic elected national governments of the EU states.

    All want the deal with the exception of 2 small belgian districts that are now seeing their chance to gain individual profile and lever special deals (UK people - does this sound familiar - special deals :v ) by simply blackmailing the entire EU for blocking the deal.

    Now many will take this as a prime example how crap the EU is - but the question is, if it would be better, if all 28 EU countries would negotiate their individual deals and have them then legitimized by referendums - which can be easily influenced by a bunch of populist lies like the recent Brexit campain showed well.

    *Recent political and social development tends to go to "Less experts - more common sense" and populists ride that train to generalize and agitate against the estabilishment and their "bureaucratic" experts.

    Call me old fashioned, but when my computer is defective, I am giving it to Apple, if my watch is broken, I give it to a watchmaker whom I know for 30 years and if my car coughts it goes to the manufacturer workshop.

    Surely there are black sheep within the experts, but that can't mean that we generally condemn expertise and experience and go populist and easy replies.
    President of the 'Misty Eyes Club'.

    Dalton - the weak and weepy Bond!
  • Lady RoseLady Rose London,UKPosts: 2,667MI6 Agent
    Nice try Higgins but I'm not buying it's the UK's fault that Belgium won't play ball.

    What did Canada say? It was a bureaucratic nightmare and that the EU were impossible to deal with .... :p
  • ThunderpussyThunderpussy Behind you !Posts: 63,792MI6 Agent
    Imagine that ! :))
    "I've been informed that there ARE a couple of QAnon supporters who are fairly regular posters in AJB."
  • ChriscoopChriscoop Belize Posts: 10,449MI6 Agent
    It takes a lady!
    It was either that.....or the priesthood
  • HigginsHiggins GermanyPosts: 16,618MI6 Agent
    edited October 2016
    Lady Rose wrote:
    Nice try Higgins but I'm not buying it's the UK's fault that Belgium won't play ball.

    What did Canada say? It was a bureaucratic nightmare and that the EU were impossible to deal with .... :p

    That was not my point, Lady Rose.

    I've tried to figure the difficulties of organising democratic processes in the EU and how too much involvement can lead to a dictatorship of a small group which is led by egoism and recklessness.

    One general problem of our days is the lack of confidence in Experience, Experts and Elites.

    There are certainly black sheep there, but the alternative is to let amateurs and populists run very complex and complicated organisations - not sure if that's a progress as populists and amateurs tend to serve themselfs as well ;)

    Lady Rose wrote:

    What did Canada say? It was a bureaucratic nightmare and that the EU were impossible to deal with .... :p
    Pretty sure the EU negotiators would say the same thing about Canada ;)
    President of the 'Misty Eyes Club'.

    Dalton - the weak and weepy Bond!
  • ChriscoopChriscoop Belize Posts: 10,449MI6 Agent
    I do agree, I've always been of the opinion that the best people should do the job, I always find it a bit laughable when people mock a politician or business man because he went to a good school, I want well educated people in the top job, just like as Higgins says I want a properly trained technician to fix my car.
    It was either that.....or the priesthood
  • HigginsHiggins GermanyPosts: 16,618MI6 Agent
    You agree with me???

    This forum certainly goes down the drain :)) :)) :))
    President of the 'Misty Eyes Club'.

    Dalton - the weak and weepy Bond!
  • ChriscoopChriscoop Belize Posts: 10,449MI6 Agent
    :)) only in as much as you need the best people for the job, which is curious as the Eu is headed by an alcoholic Luxembourgish cretin who recently dismissed otmar issings latest warning as ridiculous while talking to a French journalist and drinking champagne at 10am. :D
    It was either that.....or the priesthood
  • Lady RoseLady Rose London,UKPosts: 2,667MI6 Agent
    Higgins wrote:
    Pretty sure the EU negotiators would say the same thing about Canada ;)


    Not Canada. Everyone loves Canada and Canadians are the nicest people in the world. :)
  • HigginsHiggins GermanyPosts: 16,618MI6 Agent
    edited October 2016
    Chriscoop wrote:
    :)) only in as much as you need the best people for the job, which is curious as the Eu is headed by an alcoholic Luxembourgish cretin who recently dismissed otmar issings latest warning as ridiculous while talking to a French journalist and drinking champagne at 10am. :D

    I think that you are a too harsh and unfair with Jean Claude Juncker.

    He may have problems with alcohol (other politicians do as well and it's a sickness in the end) and he was massively involved in tax evation as prime minister for Luxemburg.

    On the other side, he has massive merits in leading the EU and keeping things together for a long time (and may I add that the task of keeping 28 different and independent countries together is a huge one!).
    I agree with you that he's outdated now and his time is over but he deserves credit for his work for the EU.

    Just because you don't like the EU per se does not mean that it's not good for many people that are living in the EU.
    President of the 'Misty Eyes Club'.

    Dalton - the weak and weepy Bond!
  • minigeffminigeff EnglandPosts: 7,884MI6 Agent
    I'm Saw a news article about the unstable pound (product of Brexit) now directly effecting goods in the UK, in the case of the article, model trains.

    So the whole notion of Brexit is already effecting retail prices. One supplier said in order to maintain viable in business you either raise prices or cut margins. They'd done both and so far customers "appear to be swallowing it" which I thought a rather cutthroat comment.

    So with prices in model trains being used as an example and prices rising between 10-20%, how much higher will prices go before the public start to make grumbles about?

    And if May et co. haven't got a plan, and things go sideways, will we ever be able to reverse this Brexit decision? After article 50 is instigated is that really it, final?

    And if things are looking dodgy now, does our deaton inspired EU resident expert predict things to get better, worse or stay at this estimated average 15% rise in RRP's?

    Over to you, higgledpiggledybum.
    'Force feeding AJB humour and banter since 2009'
    Vive le droit à la libre expression! Je suis Charlie!
    www.helpforheroes.org.uk
    www.cancerresearchuk.org
  • HigginsHiggins GermanyPosts: 16,618MI6 Agent
    edited October 2016
    I am not making predictions on prices.

    Virtually every expert predicted this to happen during the campaining and these experts have been slammed for "putting threats" on democratic votes.
    Recently was discovered that even BOJO was sharing those warnings and as today we are learning that even Theresa May was speaking pro EU stay.

    The UK did not pull article 50 yet and it's uncertain how the negotiations with the EU will go. I have my own opinion and that does not look for a potential EU market membership only for the UK - won't happen.

    You can try to blackmail us with tax dumping - if the UK would ever get a special deal, many EU countries will try to haggle similar deals and that would be the end of the EU.

    Be prepared that in the end - your potential savings on the EU membership fees will be by far outweighted by the economic and financial consequences of the BREXIT - if it really happens.

    It may sound childish - but the UK voters have been told and you did not want to listen - now it's time to carry the consequences.

    As for the question, if the decision can be rolled back:
    So far I don't see a movement strongly demanding this in the UK - but it would be best to reverse things BEFORE article 50 is pulled.

    I don't think, that things can be reversed after the UK government has pulled article 50 - but who knows what happens then during the 2 years of negotiation time. I won't be surprised if someone came up with substancial numbers next year which show that the pre-BREXIT monetary losses already outweight the UK EU spendings which still happen as long as the UK are still part of the EU.
    President of the 'Misty Eyes Club'.

    Dalton - the weak and weepy Bond!
  • ChriscoopChriscoop Belize Posts: 10,449MI6 Agent
    To me the negotiations concerning import and export are pretty much a stalemate, if the Eu decides to punish the UK and impose duties I see know reason why the UK couldn't impose the same level of tariff, as the UK imports more from the Eu than we export we could fundamentaly afford to subsidise the tariffs for our exporting companies and have a surplus, of course the powerful German car manufacturers won't like this so it will be interesting.
    The phrase brexit bandits is now being used for businesses unnecessarily profiteering. What amazes me is any bad news is lauded and good news hidden.
    27%less companies in the UK are now struggling as opposed to this time last year, retail trade is up, car sales up and confidence up. Also house prices have risen.
    It was either that.....or the priesthood
  • HigginsHiggins GermanyPosts: 16,618MI6 Agent
    edited October 2016
    The "EU punishing the UK" argument is populist and childish.

    You really should be better than that ;)

    Even with import tariffs, UK consumers will continue to buying german cars.
    If someone wants a Merc,Ferrari, Porsche or BMW, he won't buy a Toyota just because it's much cheaper.

    Alternatives are not plenty, particularly from mainland UK ;)
    President of the 'Misty Eyes Club'.

    Dalton - the weak and weepy Bond!
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