I have been suffering from an appalling stomach bug, possibly related to the quinoa salad I ate at work a few days ago. Never again. It tastes of nothing and is unpronounceable. Polenta is the food of the Gods by comparison.
Anyway, green tea and dried toast for me for the foreseeable future......
Mrs Free, the toast must be burned (it is the carbon that sorts out the bugs), and also forget the green tea. Whisky does the job much better. Furthermore, if it can be arranged without you having an accident, get down to your local curry house and have a damn good hot curry - hotter than you normally would, you are trying to burn the bugs out not enjoy a culinary experience (though you may come to enjoy it). I was a bachelor for many years, so I have a lot of experience of dealing with the results of eating dodgy food.
You will hate me, I know, but I cannot abide whisky. The result I think of an unfortunate encounter with very hard liquor at a lunch in Dublin when I was 14 shortly before boarding the ferry to Holyhead. For reasons we won't go into I was offered cognac by the person hosting the lunch and the effect was so appalling that I have been put off any strong alcohol ever since.
A curry sounds wonderful. I may wait a few days though.......
Fair enough, some people are allergic to penicillin, doesn't make it a bad medicine though. As for waiting a few days for the hot curry, that makes no sense. Waiting until one recovers before taking the medicine is daft. Surely in the world class metropolis in which you, I believe, live you can get someone to deliver a spiffing vindaloo or even a phal (with some bombay potato and onion raita, plus plain boiled rice). Even if it is too risky to go out of doors, these days the cure can be delivered.
Further thought. When Herself was pregnant our italian neighbours insisted that she drank a glass of Marsala (the one with egg in it) morning and evening, "to help with the sickness". Maybe that might help.
There is a very good curry house round the corner. I shall follow your suggestion. If I spend the night up in pain, I will be sure to let you know.
Marsala is wonderful. Zabaglione is a tremendous dessert. My mother once came into hospital where I was languishing with TB with a whisk, marsala, sugar and an egg and made me the most delicious zabaglione, while commenting on the vileness of hospital food and how could I possibly get better on it etc etc. The nurse nearly had an aneurism when she saw what she was doing but my Italian Mamma saw her off.
I have been suffering from an appalling stomach bug, possibly related to the quinoa salad I ate at work a few days ago. Never again. It tastes of nothing and is unpronounceable. Polenta is the food of the Gods by comparison.
Anyway, green tea and dried toast for me for the foreseeable future......
Mrs Free, the toast must be burned (it is the carbon that sorts out the bugs), and also forget the green tea. Whisky does the job much better. Furthermore, if it can be arranged without you having an accident, get down to your local curry house and have a damn good hot curry - hotter than you normally would, you are trying to burn the bugs out not enjoy a culinary experience (though you may come to enjoy it). I was a bachelor for many years, so I have a lot of experience of dealing with the results of eating dodgy food.
I have just had a bout of labrynthitis which is really nasty,.. your sense of balance goes haywire and you need a while for the virus to be sorted out by the immune system. Antibiotics are useless AIUI as its a virus...
One min I was just about to go downstairs in the morning, next minute everything went as i said haywire, its a bit like having the spinners after getting seriously pissed but the opposite thereof, with the spinners you have to sit up to stop the room going round, with labrynthitis, you have to lie down .. Its really nasty..
I have been suffering from an appalling stomach bug, possibly related to the quinoa salad I ate at work a few days ago. Never again. It tastes of nothing and is unpronounceable. Polenta is the food of the Gods by comparison.
Anyway, green tea and dried toast for me for the foreseeable future......
Mrs Free, the toast must be burned (it is the carbon that sorts out the bugs), and also forget the green tea. Whisky does the job much better. Furthermore, if it can be arranged without you having an accident, get down to your local curry house and have a damn good hot curry - hotter than you normally would, you are trying to burn the bugs out not enjoy a culinary experience (though you may come to enjoy it). I was a bachelor for many years, so I have a lot of experience of dealing with the results of eating dodgy food.
I have just had a bout of labrynthitis which is really nasty,.. your sense of balance goes haywire and you need a while for the virus to be sorted out by the immune system. Antibiotics are useless AIUI as its a virus...
One min I was just about to go downstairs in the morning, next minute everything went as i said haywire, its a bit like having the spinners after getting seriously pissed but the opposite thereof, with the spinners you have to sit up to stop the room going round, with labrynthitis, you have to lie down .. Its really nasty..
Crikey, Mr. Root, that sounds horrible. If the problem re-occurs I would recommend the same as I did for Mrs. Free - whisky and a good hot curry (though in your case delivered), then an extra blanket on the bed and a nice lie down.
If we can lease Hong Kong for 99 years, I'd be happy with a 99 year transitional deal that keeps us in the single market and customs union
I'm a free trader, I don't want to be in no customs union. Zero tariffs on all imports should be the starting point.
True, that's why we should extend the customs union as far and as wide as possible.
We need to invite Russia into the EU.
The customs union has big tariff barriers Customs unions are anti-free trade, not pro. I want tariff free trade with the USA, Australia, Canada, India... as well as EU countries
The only thing we can do unilaterally is reduce or eliminate our own import tariffs. There is an argument for doing that but generally people are most interested in the duties that others impose on our exports. If we eliminate our own tariffs we throw away our bargaining counter. Other countries will say, we'll take your free tariffs and you can still pay our duties. If we leave the EU customs union and/or the Single Market we will incur tariffs and red tape on exports to our, by far, most important market, when we didn't before.
Unilateral free trade works, multilateral free trade works. What doesn't work is trade that isn't free. So lets see if we can negotiate great free trade deals and if we can then go ahead. If we can't then we're not losing anything by losing our bargaining counter so implement free trade unilaterally.
If we can lease Hong Kong for 99 years, I'd be happy with a 99 year transitional deal that keeps us in the single market and customs union
I'm a free trader, I don't want to be in no customs union. Zero tariffs on all imports should be the starting point.
True, that's why we should extend the customs union as far and as wide as possible.
We need to invite Russia into the EU.
The customs union has big tariff barriers Customs unions are anti-free trade, not pro. I want tariff free trade with the USA, Australia, Canada, India... as well as EU countries
There is nothing inherently anti-free trade about a customs union, it - like so many things - is what you do with it that matters.
I think you'll find it's in the name.
You can have a customs unions with no tariffs, all it refers to is the fact that you have a common external tariff
You don't think the CET restricts trade?
Isn't the whole point of the CET to restrict trade?
Tony shouldn't worry about the treason stuff, it's only the same halfwits saying it whose first comment when Jo Cox was attacked was to ask if her attacker had a beard
He shouldn't be put in prison for treason... But he should be arrested and put on trial for his potentially illegal war.
What part(s) of the Chilcott report are you basing that on?
Chilcott didn't judge on the legality or otherwise of the war (though he did say the legal "basis" was "far from satisfactory)
And I didn't say the way WAS illegal, I said it was potentially illegal, meaning that the case should be tested.
Maybe it was legal... I'm not a legal expert, but there are certainly enough questions to make a trial worthwhile (not that it'll happen) in my opinion.
That has been my view since 2004 and will always be my view.
I disagree that it was illegal, but thankfully my point doesn't revolve around that.
You can't have a trial for something that *might* be illegal. There has to be a charge, otherwise we're in Constable Savage territory.
On that basis the Nuremberg Trial should not have happened in 1945/46. On the indictment related to 'Planning for War' there was more evidence against Blair - and Bush - than any of the defendants put on trial there with the possible exception of Ribbentrop.
Justin124 QC prosecuting.
The defendants at Nuremburg were charged. And tried, their acts in some cases found to be illegal.
But were they lawfully charged? It was pretty well a stitch up by the Victors. Friesler's People Court was not much worse.
Nuremburg was legally innovative in many ways. One of the most significant - and one that has a direct bearing on the Article 50 decision - is that no state is utterly sovereign in the decisions that it takes; that whatever constitutional proprieties might be followed internally, international law and justice may still be applied (subject to practical considerations) and may override the authority granted individual actors by the state itself.
The notion of the Crown-in-parliament being absolutely sovereign is out of date.
Only in terms of external actions against other sovereign states. As we saw many times after Nuremberg, internal actions against ones own citizens were not until recently considered to be illegal at least in terms of enforceability.
Guy Verhofstadt says there's a fifth column in Europe who are the cronies of autocratic leaders like Putin, Erdogan and, with some caveats, Trump . Calls out Breitbart in particular for wanting to influence the French and German elections.
Guy Verhofstadt says there's a fifth column in Europe who are the cronies of autocratic leaders like Putin, Erdogan and, with some caveats, Trump . Calls out Breitbart in particular for wanting to influence the French and German elections.
If so, it would appear Guy Verhofstadt of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe group would prefer only his ‘official’ version of the news to be broadcast - vive la différence.
There is a very good curry house round the corner. I shall follow your suggestion. If I spend the night up in pain, I will be sure to let you know.
Marsala is wonderful. Zabaglione is a tremendous dessert. My mother once came into hospital where I was languishing with TB with a whisk, marsala, sugar and an egg and made me the most delicious zabaglione, while commenting on the vileness of hospital food and how could I possibly get better on it etc etc. The nurse nearly had an aneurism when she saw what she was doing but my Italian Mamma saw her off.
Lovely story about your Mum and the hospital nurse, Mrs Free. Our old italian neighbours, both now long passed over, were wonderful. She was a very big lady and smoked at least two packets of Dunhill every day; he was small, shy, very gracious had been some big-wig at the embassy and decided not to retire back to Italy. Beautifulful people.
When we first moved in and she found out that we had been married for 8 years and had no children she was horrified and put Herself on a glass of Marsala to be taken at 11:00 each day. Herself fell pregnant a year or so later and the dosage was doubled, for medicinal reasons.
By the way I have no fear about you suffering ill-effects from the curry, it is one of the great medicinal foods - provided you don't indulge in any of the modern poncey stuff.
If we can lease Hong Kong for 99 years, I'd be happy with a 99 year transitional deal that keeps us in the single market and customs union
I'm a free trader, I don't want to be in no customs union. Zero tariffs on all imports should be the starting point.
True, that's why we should extend the customs union as far and as wide as possible.
We need to invite Russia into the EU.
The customs union has big tariff barriers Customs unions are anti-free trade, not pro. I want tariff free trade with the USA, Australia, Canada, India... as well as EU countries
There is nothing inherently anti-free trade about a customs union, it - like so many things - is what you do with it that matters.
I think you'll find it's in the name.
You can have a customs unions with no tariffs, all it refers to is the fact that you have a common external tariff
You don't think the CET restricts trade?
Isn't the whole point of the CET to restrict trade?
Well, you need to compare the EU with other big trade blocks: so, Mercator, NAFTA, Japan, China, etc to see whether it is better or worse.
Sadly, there are very few genuinely free trade countries on planet Earth. Look down the G20 list, and see how many FTAs there are outside the big blocs: So US <-> Canada via NAFTA, UK <-> Germany <-> France <-> Switzerland <-> Spain via the EEA. Outside those enabled by the big blocs, there is EU <-> South Korea, EU <-> Canada, US <-> South Korea, and US <-> Australia, Switzerland <-> China. And really, that's about it.
I have been suffering from an appalling stomach bug, possibly related to the quinoa salad I ate at work a few days ago. Never again. It tastes of nothing and is unpronounceable. Polenta is the food of the Gods by comparison.
Anyway, green tea and dried toast for me for the foreseeable future......
Mrs Free, the toast must be burned (it is the carbon that sorts out the bugs), and also forget the green tea. Whisky does the job much better. Furthermore, if it can be arranged without you having an accident, get down to your local curry house and have a damn good hot curry - hotter than you normally would, you are trying to burn the bugs out not enjoy a culinary experience (though you may come to enjoy it). I was a bachelor for many years, so I have a lot of experience of dealing with the results of eating dodgy food.
You will hate me, I know, but I cannot abide whisky. The result I think of an unfortunate encounter with very hard liquor at a lunch in Dublin when I was 14 shortly before boarding the ferry to Holyhead. For reasons we won't go into I was offered cognac by the person hosting the lunch and the effect was so appalling that I have been put off any strong alcohol ever since.
A curry sounds wonderful. I may wait a few days though.......
Fair enough, some people are allergic to penicillin, doesn't make it a bad medicine though. As for waiting a few days for the hot curry, that makes no sense. Waiting until one recovers before taking the medicine is daft. Surely in the world class metropolis in which you, I believe, live you can get someone to deliver a spiffing vindaloo or even a phal (with some bombay potato and onion raita, plus plain boiled rice). Even if it is too risky to go out of doors, these days the cure can be delivered.
Further thought. When Herself was pregnant our italian neighbours insisted that she drank a glass of Marsala (the one with egg in it) morning and evening, "to help with the sickness". Maybe that might help.
There is a very good curry house round the corner. I shall follow your suggestion. If I spend the night up in pain, I will be sure to let you know.
Marsala is wonderful. Zabaglione is a tremendous dessert. My mother once came into hospital where I was languishing with TB with a whisk, marsala, sugar and an egg and made me the most delicious zabaglione, while commenting on the vileness of hospital food and how could I possibly get better on it etc etc. The nurse nearly had an aneurism when she saw what she was doing but my Italian Mamma saw her off.
Guy Verhofstadt says there's a fifth column in Europe who are the cronies of autocratic leaders like Putin, Erdogan and, with some caveats, Trump . Calls out Breitbart in particular for wanting to influence the French and German elections.
Maybe it's my imagination but there does seem to be a growing tetchiness and defensiveness within the EU.
It feels very much like that point in a football match when everyone is suddenly aware that the momentum has switched from one side to another.
We seem to have day after day of investment news coming for the UK, whether it's JLR, Nissan or BMW talking automobiles; Facebook, IBM and Google talking tech; Sun Tsogo talking hospitality or the Chinese ploughing into finance in London.
The UK economy hasn't gone through the floor, which must be a real concern to the european integrationists as well as our own 1970s Japanese soldiers still fighting the Remain campaign.
If we can lease Hong Kong for 99 years, I'd be happy with a 99 year transitional deal that keeps us in the single market and customs union
I'm a free trader, I don't want to be in no customs union. Zero tariffs on all imports should be the starting point.
True, that's why we should extend the customs union as far and as wide as possible.
We need to invite Russia into the EU.
The customs union has big tariff barriers Customs unions are anti-free trade, not pro. I want tariff free trade with the USA, Australia, Canada, India... as well as EU countries
The only thing we can do unilaterally is reduce or eliminate our own import tariffs. There is an argument for doing that but generally people are most interested in the duties that others impose on our exports. If we eliminate our own tariffs we throw away our bargaining counter. Other countries will say, we'll take your free tariffs and you can still pay our duties. If we leave the EU customs union and/or the Single Market we will incur tariffs and red tape on exports to our, by far, most important market, when we didn't before.
Unilateral free trade works, multilateral free trade works. What doesn't work is trade that isn't free. So lets see if we can negotiate great free trade deals and if we can then go ahead. If we can't then we're not losing anything by losing our bargaining counter so implement free trade unilaterally.
Either way, let us have no tariffs. It works.
Works for who, Mr. Thompson?
There has been an assumption over the past few decades that free trade and GDP growth is automatically a good thing. I think that assumption, not before time, is starting to be challenged. For instance, one of the countries that is most resistant to free trade is China. They just will not allow it, yet in the countries that have seen the biggest leap in living standards China must surely stand out.
Free trade, globalisation and a fixation with GDP growth are only worthwhile if the majority of people of each nation get wealthier. This has not been happening in "Free Trade" nations and I think people are starting to ask questions as to why and who is getting all the pies.
If we can lease Hong Kong for 99 years, I'd be happy with a 99 year transitional deal that keeps us in the single market and customs union
I'm a free trader, I don't want to be in no customs union. Zero tariffs on all imports should be the starting point.
True, that's why we should extend the customs union as far and as wide as possible.
We need to invite Russia into the EU.
The customs union has big tariff barriers Customs unions are anti-free trade, not pro. I want tariff free trade with the USA, Australia, Canada, India... as well as EU countries
There is nothing inherently anti-free trade about a customs union, it - like so many things - is what you do with it that matters.
I think you'll find it's in the name.
You can have a customs unions with no tariffs, all it refers to is the fact that you have a common external tariff
You don't think the CET restricts trade?
Isn't the whole point of the CET to restrict trade?
Well yes, doh! The idea of tariffs of all kinds is to protect some domestic industry or other. They are always bad news for consumers (everyone).
If we can lease Hong Kong for 99 years, I'd be happy with a 99 year transitional deal that keeps us in the single market and customs union
I'm a free trader, I don't want to be in no customs union. Zero tariffs on all imports should be the starting point.
True, that's why we should extend the customs union as far and as wide as possible.
We need to invite Russia into the EU.
The customs union has big tariff barriers Customs unions are anti-free trade, not pro. I want tariff free trade with the USA, Australia, Canada, India... as well as EU countries
There is nothing inherently anti-free trade about a customs union, it - like so many things - is what you do with it that matters.
I think you'll find it's in the name.
You can have a customs unions with no tariffs, all it refers to is the fact that you have a common external tariff
You don't think the CET restricts trade?
Isn't the whole point of the CET to restrict trade?
Well yes, doh! The idea of tariffs of all kinds is to protect some domestic industry or other. They are always bad news for consumers (everyone).
The truth is that the developed nations have largely eliminated tariffs. If you look at manufactured goods from non-FTA countries, the Switzerland averages 2.7%, US averages 2.8%, the EU 3.0%, Australia averages 3.5%, Japan 6% and China 7.5%. Frankly the only major tariff nations left are in emerging markets.
If we can lease Hong Kong for 99 years, I'd be happy with a 99 year transitional deal that keeps us in the single market and customs union
I'm a free trader, I don't want to be in no customs union. Zero tariffs on all imports should be the starting point.
True, that's why we should extend the customs union as far and as wide as possible.
We need to invite Russia into the EU.
The customs union has big tariff barriers Customs unions are anti-free trade, not pro. I want tariff free trade with the USA, Australia, Canada, India... as well as EU countries
There is nothing inherently anti-free trade about a customs union, it - like so many things - is what you do with it that matters.
I think you'll find it's in the name.
You can have a customs unions with no tariffs, all it refers to is the fact that you have a common external tariff
You don't think the CET restricts trade?
Isn't the whole point of the CET to restrict trade?
Well yes, doh! The idea of tariffs of all kinds is to protect some domestic industry or other. They are always bad news for consumers (everyone).
The truth is that the developed nations have largely eliminated tariffs. If you look at manufactured goods from non-FTA countries, the Switzerland averages 2.7%, US averages 2.8%, the EU 3.0%, Australia averages 3.5%, Japan 6% and China 7.5%. Frankly the only major tariff nations left are in emerging markets.
EU tariffs on agricultural products average 18%. This impoverishes in particular poor countries reliant on agricultural produce.
Suspicious anomalies: 1) The vote was close -- that's not an anomaly 2)The exit poll was wrong -- exit polls are crap 3)The results were inconsistent with every pre-election polls -- polls are crap
@rcs1000 The only pukka argument for tariffs is the "infant industry" argument. That is, temporary protection until the declining cost industry has achieved efficient size. Most developed countries are beyond that point for their manufacturing industries.
It became apparent quite quickly. The donation goal moved from $2.5m to $4m to $7m. It is not even clear whether she can get a recount in Pennsylvania.
He didn't even get a betfair entry. Even Michelle Obama got that !
He is a complete nobody but that does not mean that the American system for counting and recording votes is not astonishingly crap. It seems incredibly few of the lessons from the total embarrassment that was 2000 have been learned.
If we can lease Hong Kong for 99 years, I'd be happy with a 99 year transitional deal that keeps us in the single market and customs union
I'm a free trader, I don't want to be in no customs union. Zero tariffs on all imports should be the starting point.
True, that's why we should extend the customs union as far and as wide as possible.
We need to invite Russia into the EU.
The customs union has big tariff barriers Customs unions are anti-free trade, not pro. I want tariff free trade with the USA, Australia, Canada, India... as well as EU countries
There is nothing inherently anti-free trade about a customs union, it - like so many things - is what you do with it that matters.
I think you'll find it's in the name.
You can have a customs unions with no tariffs, all it refers to is the fact that you have a common external tariff
You don't think the CET restricts trade?
Isn't the whole point of the CET to restrict trade?
Well yes, doh! The idea of tariffs of all kinds is to protect some domestic industry or other. They are always bad news for consumers (everyone).
The truth is that the developed nations have largely eliminated tariffs. If you look at manufactured goods from non-FTA countries, the Switzerland averages 2.7%, US averages 2.8%, the EU 3.0%, Australia averages 3.5%, Japan 6% and China 7.5%. Frankly the only major tariff nations left are in emerging markets.
It is amazing how many other barriers these countries seem to erect though. Barriers that amazingly put up blocks to outsiders whilst protecting home companies and yet free trading nations (e.g. the UK) seem to do less well out of its open stance. Someone, please tell me why the EU open market for services has not yet been completed.
I am all for free trade, but let us have free trade not the mercantilist take over and asset-stripping that we have now.
If we can lease Hong Kong for 99 years, I'd be happy with a 99 year transitional deal that keeps us in the single market and customs union
I'm a free trader, I don't want to be in no customs union. Zero tariffs on all imports should be the starting point.
True, that's why we should extend the customs union as far and as wide as possible.
We need to invite Russia into the EU.
The customs union has big tariff barriers Customs unions are anti-free trade, not pro. I want tariff free trade with the USA, Australia, Canada, India... as well as EU countries
There is nothing inherently anti-free trade about a customs union, it - like so many things - is what you do with it that matters.
I think you'll find it's in the name.
You can have a customs unions with no tariffs, all it refers to is the fact that you have a common external tariff
You don't think the CET restricts trade?
Isn't the whole point of the CET to restrict trade?
Well yes, doh! The idea of tariffs of all kinds is to protect some domestic industry or other. They are always bad news for consumers (everyone).
The truth is that the developed nations have largely eliminated tariffs. If you look at manufactured goods from non-FTA countries, the Switzerland averages 2.7%, US averages 2.8%, the EU 3.0%, Australia averages 3.5%, Japan 6% and China 7.5%. Frankly the only major tariff nations left are in emerging markets.
It is amazing how many other barriers these countries seem to erect though. Barriers that amazingly put up blocks to outsiders whilst protecting home companies and yet free trading nations (e.g. the UK) seem to do less well out of its open stance. Someone, please tell me why the EU open market for services has not yet been completed.
I am all for free trade, but let us have free trade not the mercantilist take over and asset-stripping that we have now.
* Monday: sell investment in François Fillon, after he wins the Republicans' nomination * buy No in Italy * keep a watching brief on Hofer in Austria for the same date as Italy
I have been suffering from an appalling stomach bug, possibly related to the quinoa salad I ate at work a few days ago. Never again. It tastes of nothing and is unpronounceable. Polenta is the food of the Gods by comparison.
Anyway, green tea and dried toast for me for the foreseeable future......
Mrs Free, the toast must be burned (it is the carbon that sorts out the bugs), and also forget the green tea. Whisky does the job much better. Furthermore, if it can be arranged without you having an accident, get down to your local curry house and have a damn good hot curry - hotter than you normally would, you are trying to burn the bugs out not enjoy a culinary experience (though you may come to enjoy it). I was a bachelor for many years, so I have a lot of experience of dealing with the results of eating dodgy food.
You will hate me, I know, but I cannot abide whisky. The result I think of an unfortunate encounter with very hard liquor at a lunch in Dublin when I was 14 shortly before boarding the ferry to Holyhead. For reasons we won't go into I was offered cognac by the person hosting the lunch and the effect was so appalling that I have been put off any strong alcohol ever since.
A curry sounds wonderful. I may wait a few days though.......
Just drink more - you'll start enjoying it. We've all got bad whisky stories from growing up, and you're not going to like something that's 40+ abv (wine is about 14) on first sip.
About to pour myself a glass of Monkey Shoulder - delicious blended malt. IDS' fave apparently!
Possibly off-topic: is "layed" or "laid" preferable in a betting context? The OED is no help. Personally I prefer "layed", because for some reason I think of the word as a verb formed from a noun, even if the noun itself is formed from a verb, and "layed" kind of points up the presence of the noun more so than "laid", which looks verby through and through.
If we can lease Hong Kong for 99 years, I'd be happy with a 99 year transitional deal that keeps us in the single market and customs union
I'm a free trader, I don't want to be in no customs union. Zero tariffs on all imports should be the starting point.
True, that's why we should extend the customs union as far and as wide as possible.
We need to invite Russia into the EU.
The customs union has big tariff barriers Customs unions are anti-free trade, not pro. I want tariff free trade with the USA, Australia, Canada, India... as well as EU countries
There is nothing inherently anti-free trade about a customs union, it - like so many things - is what you do with it that matters.
I think you'll find it's in the name.
You can have a customs unions with no tariffs, all it refers to is the fact that you have a common external tariff
You don't think the CET restricts trade?
Isn't the whole point of the CET to restrict trade?
Well yes, doh! The idea of tariffs of all kinds is to protect some domestic industry or other. They are always bad news for consumers (everyone).
The truth is that the developed nations have largely eliminated tariffs. If you look at manufactured goods from non-FTA countries, the Switzerland averages 2.7%, US averages 2.8%, the EU 3.0%, Australia averages 3.5%, Japan 6% and China 7.5%. Frankly the only major tariff nations left are in emerging markets.
If we can lease Hong Kong for 99 years, I'd be happy with a 99 year transitional deal that keeps us in the single market and customs union
I'm a free trader, I don't want to be in no customs union. Zero tariffs on all imports should be the starting point.
True, that's why we should extend the customs union as far and as wide as possible.
We need to invite Russia into the EU.
The customs union has big tariff barriers Customs unions are anti-free trade, not pro. I want tariff free trade with the USA, Australia, Canada, India... as well as EU countries
There is nothing inherently anti-free trade about a customs union, it - like so many things - is what you do with it that matters.
I think you'll find it's in the name.
You can have a customs unions with no tariffs, all it refers to is the fact that you have a common external tariff
You don't think the CET restricts trade?
Isn't the whole point of the CET to restrict trade?
Well yes, doh! The idea of tariffs of all kinds is to protect some domestic industry or other. They are always bad news for consumers (everyone).
The truth is that the developed nations have largely eliminated tariffs. If you look at manufactured goods from non-FTA countries, the Switzerland averages 2.7%, US averages 2.8%, the EU 3.0%, Australia averages 3.5%, Japan 6% and China 7.5%. Frankly the only major tariff nations left are in emerging markets.
Why would we look at just manufactured goods?
Because it flatters the EU when you include commodities: i.e., the EU imposes zero tariffs on iron ore, coal, gas, etc.
Because the EU produces none* of these things internally it has zero rated all of them. This drags down their weighted average. I think the manufactured goods tells a truer tale.
* None is not quite true. There is obviously some oil and gas production in the EU - it just accounts for only a tiny proportion of consumption.
If we can lease Hong Kong for 99 years, I'd be happy with a 99 year transitional deal that keeps us in the single market and customs union
I'm a free trader, I don't want to be in no customs union. Zero tariffs on all imports should be the starting point.
True, that's why we should extend the customs union as far and as wide as possible.
We need to invite Russia into the EU.
The customs union has big tariff barriers Customs unions are anti-free trade, not pro. I want tariff free trade with the USA, Australia, Canada, India... as well as EU countries
There is nothing inherently anti-free trade about a customs union, it - like so many things - is what you do with it that matters.
I think you'll find it's in the name.
You can have a customs unions with no tariffs, all it refers to is the fact that you have a common external tariff
You don't think the CET restricts trade?
Isn't the whole point of the CET to restrict trade?
Well yes, doh! The idea of tariffs of all kinds is to protect some domestic industry or other. They are always bad news for consumers (everyone).
The truth is that the developed nations have largely eliminated tariffs. If you look at manufactured goods from non-FTA countries, the Switzerland averages 2.7%, US averages 2.8%, the EU 3.0%, Australia averages 3.5%, Japan 6% and China 7.5%. Frankly the only major tariff nations left are in emerging markets.
Why would we look at just manufactured goods?
Because it flatters the EU when you include commodities: i.e., the EU imposes zero tariffs on iron ore, coal, gas, etc.
Because the EU produces none* of these things internally it has zero rated all of them. This drags down their weighted average. I think the manufactured goods tells a truer tale.
* None is not quite true. There is obviously some oil and gas production in the EU - it just accounts for only a tiny proportion of consumption.
Comments
Marsala is wonderful. Zabaglione is a tremendous dessert. My mother once came into hospital where I was languishing with TB with a whisk, marsala, sugar and an egg and made me the most delicious zabaglione, while commenting on the vileness of hospital food and how could I possibly get better on it etc etc. The nurse nearly had an aneurism when she saw what she was doing but my Italian Mamma saw her off.
Either way, let us have no tariffs. It works.
Guy Verhofstadt says there's a fifth column in Europe who are the cronies of autocratic leaders like Putin, Erdogan and, with some caveats, Trump . Calls out Breitbart in particular for wanting to influence the French and German elections.
When we first moved in and she found out that we had been married for 8 years and had no children she was horrified and put Herself on a glass of Marsala to be taken at 11:00 each day. Herself fell pregnant a year or so later and the dosage was doubled, for medicinal reasons.
By the way I have no fear about you suffering ill-effects from the curry, it is one of the great medicinal foods - provided you don't indulge in any of the modern poncey stuff.
Sadly, there are very few genuinely free trade countries on planet Earth. Look down the G20 list, and see how many FTAs there are outside the big blocs: So US <-> Canada via NAFTA, UK <-> Germany <-> France <-> Switzerland <-> Spain via the EEA. Outside those enabled by the big blocs, there is EU <-> South Korea, EU <-> Canada, US <-> South Korea, and US <-> Australia, Switzerland <-> China. And really, that's about it.
It feels very much like that point in a football match when everyone is suddenly aware that the momentum has switched from one side to another.
We seem to have day after day of investment news coming for the UK, whether it's JLR, Nissan or BMW talking automobiles; Facebook, IBM and Google talking tech; Sun Tsogo talking hospitality or the Chinese ploughing into finance in London.
The UK economy hasn't gone through the floor, which must be a real concern to the european integrationists as well as our own 1970s Japanese soldiers still fighting the Remain campaign.
Brexit has to go wrong, or the game is up.
There has been an assumption over the past few decades that free trade and GDP growth is automatically a good thing. I think that assumption, not before time, is starting to be challenged. For instance, one of the countries that is most resistant to free trade is China. They just will not allow it, yet in the countries that have seen the biggest leap in living standards China must surely stand out.
Free trade, globalisation and a fixation with GDP growth are only worthwhile if the majority of people of each nation get wealthier. This has not been happening in "Free Trade" nations and I think people are starting to ask questions as to why and who is getting all the pies.
https://www.rocky2016.com/rockys-blog/de-la-fuente-explains-need-wisconsin-recount … I am not kidding
http://www.standard.co.uk/business/london-set-to-take-a-slice-of-catastrophe-bonds-market-a3403991.html
Perhaps the least reassuring name ever.
1) The vote was close -- that's not an anomaly
2)The exit poll was wrong -- exit polls are crap
3)The results were inconsistent with every pre-election polls -- polls are crap
So much for evidence.
It became apparent quite quickly. The donation goal moved from $2.5m to $4m to $7m. It is not even clear whether she can get a recount in Pennsylvania.
BBC4's run of vintage Top of the Pops shows has reached 16th September 1982:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/live/bbcfour
I am all for free trade, but let us have free trade not the mercantilist take over and asset-stripping that we have now.
for an account of the EU's protectionist tariff policies.
* Monday: sell investment in François Fillon, after he wins the Republicans' nomination
* buy No in Italy
* keep a watching brief on Hofer in Austria for the same date as Italy
About to pour myself a glass of Monkey Shoulder - delicious blended malt. IDS' fave apparently!
Because the EU produces none* of these things internally it has zero rated all of them. This drags down their weighted average. I think the manufactured goods tells a truer tale.
* None is not quite true. There is obviously some oil and gas production in the EU - it just accounts for only a tiny proportion of consumption.