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Airborne_Again wrote:

That’s how it works in the USA.

Not really!

Yes, some head of police, prosecutors and judges are voted for. But even in the US there is no popular vote for Supreme Court Fudges, Governors or President of FED, any member of the Cabinet, etc.

They might vote for more administrative officers – but by far not for all or even the most relevant ones.

Germany

With the ECB’s non-repayable, interest-free Target 2 “loans” from German taxpayers to Greek, Spanish and Italian consumers now north of one Trillion Euros, how long before EMU goes the same way as its LMU predecessor?

And in case the Eurosystem disintegrates sooner rather than later, what are fellow GA owners and pilots doing to shelter from the fallout?

Last Edited by Jacko at 01 May 21:46
Glenswinton, SW Scotland, United Kingdom

@Jacko the EUR has remained quite stable (around 10% stronger than GBP since 2016, up and down against the USD). Not sure how easy it is to bet against the EUR, Quantum Overseas only borrowed around $2bn when it helped eject the GBP from the ERM to give you a sense of the fragility of the UK. In 2008 RBS balance sheet exceeded UK GDP, not sure by how much I think around 1.5×. UK still running a chronic current account deficit, despite some increased savings, the savings ratio is a fraction of Europe’s.

Not sure I can muster bullish arguments for Europe at the moment, but am pretty sure I can come up with a longish list on why the state of UK finances are quite precarious.

Oxford (EGTK), United Kingdom

UK £ is a revolving mess. If you own property you are encouraged to release equity. If you put that released money in the bank you are encouraged to move to an investment fund. That will likely invest in property. As long as property values keep rising everything works, and at each stage a fraction is syphoned off to keep the financial industry going.
Today the Daily Mail reports on British businesses bought by Chinese investors. We already depend on China for many manufactured goods.
And we are sending a naval force to annoy China.
A miniature pugnose bulldog with breathing difficulties threatening to bite the hand of what is now largely its owner, and feeder.
(8 UK jets, 10 US, on the carrier.)
I vote this week in the Scottish election. I’ll chose a “Peace with China” Party, seeking independence from the UK.

Maoraigh
EGPE, United Kingdom

8 UK jets, 10 US, on the carrier.

Which is just as it should be. The UK’s new floating runways are designed for flexible interoperability with our democratic allies around the world. The forthcoming multilateral deployment to the Indian Ocean is an exercise to prove and refine that interoperability, not only for our navy, but also for our US, Indian and Australian allies who will join the exercise – and who have shown willing to join us to defend liberal democracy with blood and treasure.

I’ll chose a “Peace with China” Party, seeking independence from the UK

As for the SNP and China, it’s no surprise that supporters of Scottish socialist-nationalism are also drawn to one of the vilest and most authoritarian regimes on earth. Will an “independent” Scotland, ruled by commissioners in Brussels, offer customers of NHS Scotland replacement body parts harvested from Uyghur Muslim detainees?

Glenswinton, SW Scotland, United Kingdom

At present, I’d vote Conservative in a UK Parliament election – and probably in an independent Scotland.

Maoraigh
EGPE, United Kingdom

Do you think a significant SNP victory will lead to IndyRef2? From my understanding, London would have to authorise that, which Boris Johnson is not inclined to do.

Low-hours pilot
EDVM Hildesheim, Germany

Jacko wrote:

The UK’s new floating runways are designed for flexible interoperability with our democratic allies around the world.

Well, only those who operate F-35Bs, which is a handful (Italy, Japan, maybe ROK one day).
That’s a huge task force which weighs more in its ships and its length than its air power (the F-35B being overall weak in range and payload).
Of course the 8 UK jets reveals the weaknesses of European forces, but sending 165,000 tons of steel and diplomacy towards China clearly makes a point ! Those weakenesses are known and will stay for a while, unfortunately.

As for “Peace with China”, I’m afraid there is no such thing. Ask the Philippines, Japan, Australia, etc…
China only has :

  • enemies
  • ex-friends
  • puppets

I would say Britain has to show it makes its own way in the 21st century (like us all instead of dreaming awake in Brussels) and it could convince the Scots to remain.

About GBP vs EUR, I can’t say which one will collapse first, but it will happen and the other will follow closely

LFOU, France

MedEwok wrote:

Do you think a significant SNP victory will lead to IndyRef2? From my understanding, London would have to authorise that, which Boris Johnson is not inclined to do.

That is correct, the UK Government would have to authorise it. Otherwise every province/region/island/village can declare independence at the drop of a hat.

The SNP’s line is that if they win a significant majority then that should be interpreted as a significant majority in favour in independence, and thus they argue it would be politically unrealistic for Boris Johnson to refuse IndyRef2. The counter argument is that IndyRef1 in 2014 was billed as a once-in-a-generation question, as well as the usual arguments about the validity of simply repeating the question until you get the answer you want.

The SNP makes much capital out of the fact that ‘Scotland did not vote for Brexit’. The problem with that argument is that Brexit was a UK-wide one-person one-vote referendum, and thus how the people of Scotland voted when taken in isolation is no more relevant than how the people of Chipping Norton voted. Distilled down to its elements their argument is essentially against a one-person one-vote system, which tells you a bit about their ambitions.

EGLM & EGTN

MedEwok wrote:

Do you think a significant SNP victory will lead to IndyRef2? From my understanding, London would have to authorise that, which Boris Johnson is not inclined to do.

That didn’t stop the Catalan separatists from holding a referendum.

ESKC (Uppsala/Sundbro), Sweden
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