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10 Nov 2012 3:23 PM:
Hey Roly2 who said the UK had it right? but the conversation was about spain wasnt it? and lets get one thing straight my friend i dont give a damn what spain does as long as it in no way affects the larger european cummunity and therefore by definition, me! You may have left the UK to as you say "to get out of the UK rat race" but i for sure didnt, in fact i havent left anywhere, i take full advantage of what is my right as a EU citizen to lay my hat wherever i happen to fancy at any given time anywhere in the EU, actually i dont limit myself to the EU but thats another story. I love London, where i grew up, but also very much like Rome, Paris, Barcelona and other EU cities. Dont assume that everyone thats currently in Spain is here because of some dislike of something in their own country, frankly the only reason i even bother to spend any time here at all is because of the weather in southern spain, BUT, i like many others i think are finding that less and less an accpetable reason to put up with things like silly siestas and the manana attitude. I say it again, Spain and any other similar country will not be allowed to steal, yes i said STEAL, the life blood from the rest of the EU.
Thread: large chains still closing for lunch!
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10 Nov 2012 2:57 PM:
eggcup
You bring up some very good points although the drink driving thing is not quite the same although tougher legislation in this regard i think tipped the balance, greater sentences etc. With this spanish topic we are talking about fundemental issues literally of the very existance, in the mordern world, of a state called Spain. I think perhaps you are right and that the only way for spain to move ahead is by force, via legislation, either at the spanish government level or via the EU. The world is far more interconnected now than it was centuries ago, today Spain and other countries like it cannot hide from the wrath and displeasure of the global community. Like i said earlier, i have no problem at all with spain wishing to keep its old ways, thats fine, but i for one do not want to pay for that with a never ending stream of bailouts etc and frankly the rest of the EU and not just the Euro zone countries are of like mind. Its ok to blindly go your own way when that path impacts no one but yourself but then to hold out the begging bowl every time you hit a brick wall is completely unacceptable and will not fly any more. Spain has done very very well out of its membership of the EU, it should not expect and will not receive much more unless it plays ball. I dont really give a rats arse about their siestas but as a citizen of an EU member state if this kind of behaviour affects me then i mind a great deal, when such behaviour is impacting on a nations productivity, a nation that is in effect broke and asking for/getting money from the larger community then as i said earlier its time for spain to get a grip and if they dont the EU will do it for them by letting them sink.
Thread: large chains still closing for lunch!
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10 Nov 2012 12:59 PM:
Well said jokamac but like someone said earlier this centuries old hatred of business, even to their own detrement, is so ingrained in spanish society it may never be removed, of course what you say makes sense, but to the spanish this would be seen as helping the business owner, no matter that it would help themselves too. A friend of mine says there is just no way to convince the spanish that it may be worth their while to change, their mentality is wired completely diffferently to that of northern europeans, frankly i kind of agree although hope springs eternal.
Thread: large chains still closing for lunch!
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10 Nov 2012 11:51 AM:
Team GB quick economics lesson for you. Apart from the fact the UK's overall GDP is much higher than that of Spain, thats not the important thing here, what is is whats called the "ability and trust to pay" The UK's debt to GDP for example is higher than Spains but yet the UK has a much better credit rating than does Spain, in fact the UK could quite easily sustain a debt to GDP of 120 or even 150% of GDP, while this isnt disirable its completely managable for the UK, not so for Spain, basically put, the numbers just dont add up for spain and i wont even go into the historic fact that spain has previous convictions for going backrupt several times in the last century and also in centuries before that, spain just doesnt seem to want to play the game, ever!
Thread: large chains still closing for lunch!
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