Syrzia Won!

padington

CLAPTON wrote: »

the greens are in favour of 'reform' of the EU : a totally unrealistic agenda which amounts to leaving.

Clever political move by the greens, their popularity is soaring. Milliband is proving to be useless. He couldn't capitalise on Mayfair even with a hotel.

noodle_doodle

Kendall80 wrote: »

Could at least do with a x10^ in there somewhere.

we need to go full metric

a thousand dollars = a kilodollar
a million dollars = a megadollar
a billion dollars (us) = a gigadollar
a trillion(us)/billion(uk) dollars = a teradollar

vivatifosi

Drat and blast.

That'll teach me to forecast that the Greeks won't leave the Euro on Hamish's 2015 thread.

antrobus

CLAPTON wrote: »

the greens are in favour of 'reform' of the EU : a totally unrealistic agenda which amounts to leaving.

Technically they're in favour of a "reconstitution of the EU as a European Confederation of Regions on Green lines pursuing ecological policies" and are "opposed to the objectives, structure and policies of the EU as currently constituted" but "will work for fundamental reform of the EU from within" so long as the UK remains a member.

As unrealistic as that agenda might be, I don't believe it "amounts to leaving"; I believe it amounts to carry on collecting that Euromoney.

antrobus

P.S. Has anybody noticed that Syriza have entered a coalition with the Independent Greeks? In UK terms, that's the equivalent of the Socialist Workers Party entering a coalition with UKIP.

Bound to last, I say.

HAMISH_MCTAVISH

vivatifosi wrote: »

Drat and blast.

That'll teach me to forecast that the Greeks won't leave the Euro on Hamish's 2015 thread.

Still 11 months to go.....;)

Politicians have a nasty habit of being smacked around the face by a dose of reality once they gain power. I wouldn't bet on Greece leaving the euro any time soon.

Generali

Thrugelmir wrote: »

Over 10,000 EU officials earn more than £142,000 a year including allowances. Gravy train I would say with my Greek hat on. Where's the austerity in Brussels?

And they pay income tax at a (generally) reduced rate to the EU rather than their national Government.

N1AK

ruggedtoast wrote: »

What happens when American states go bust? The city workers don't get paid, the bins arent collected, but no one is worried they wont get their American savings out of their US bank accounts. California's accounts are in a terrible state, in spite, or perhaps because of, it's residents being the richest people in the world.

This could happen in Greece. I dont think its going to get rich but I am not sure that Greece would be any worse off than Georgia.

Using an American state example is pointless. They are part of a federal government and have a national currency. Besides which, I'm not aware of an American state going bankrupt, only American cities. It's like comparing a childs piggy bank and a bank.

Most of Detroits huge debt was liabilities like pensions. If Michigan or the federal government didn't step in then billions of dollars of pensions would have been wiped out. If Detroit was a country, rather than a city, it would be in a truely dire state.

Generali

ruggedtoast wrote: »

What happens when American states go bust? The city workers don't get paid, the bins arent collected, but no one is worried they wont get their American savings out of their US bank accounts. California's accounts are in a terrible state, in spite, or perhaps because of, it's residents being the richest people in the world.

This could happen in Greece. I dont think its going to get rich but I am not sure that Greece would be any worse off than Georgia.

States aren't allowed to go bust in the US, it's unconstitutional. That's why only cities do.

If a state was genuinely insolvent then they'd have to look for a bailout from the Federal Government or perhaps the municipalities if they could persuade them. If a state genuinely ran out of money and simply couldn't make payments I don't know what would happen. I guess it would have to be tested in the courts.

CLAPTON

Generali wrote: »

States aren't allowed to go bust in the US, it's unconstitutional. That's why only cities do.

If a state was genuinely insolvent then they'd have to look for a bailout from the Federal Government or perhaps the municipalities if they could persuade them. If a state genuinely ran out of money and simply couldn't make payments I don't know what would happen. I guess it would have to be tested in the courts.

there would probably send in the trioka