EU President has the charisma of a damp rag

[JAG]

I don't know why anyone in Europe thinks that vile, ignorant, right wing nut is worthy of any breath or air time - no one over here does. (bar the loonies in his and the Tory party)

[Louis VI the Fat]

Francophone only: http://www.lalibre.be/actu/internati...hn-bendit.html

~~o~~o~~<<oOo>>~~o~~o~~

- maybe it's because you are from Belgium, a non-country!

Who was among the firsts to recognise this non-country? Yep, your country, mister Farage.

Besides, what about the territory of your country? It isn't very clear to me. It's more a condominium instead of a state. Oversea territory, what belongs to the crown, what doesn't belong to the crown, ... Very confusing...

And if we're talking about the European context, well, it seems to me that Britain is the non-European state here. No member of the Euro. Hundreds of exceptions and opt-outs. If there's one member state that is not a true member state aka a non-member state, then it's Britain.

http://www.lalibre.be/actu/belgique/...e-leterme.html

Mais si, la Belgique est un pays, proteste Leterme.

"En tant que politique belge, je dois réagir immédiatement à la portée calomnieuse de cette intervention", a écrit le Premier - le même homme qui, dans une autre vie [?], déclarait que la Belgique n’avait "pas de valeur ajoutée". Comme quoi on peut changer d’avis.

[Tellos Athenaios]

Ah. Ouch. This is best summed up thus: -> ->

[Louis VI the Fat]

The Brits are taking over!

In stark contrast to Van Rompuy's understated and professional performance, Baroness Ashton's performance thus far has been weak. That's what you get for an inexperienced personal trustee of Brown as foreign minister.

The one thing she has accomplished, is to appoint Britons and personal trustees to all key foreign positions.

As usual, behind the nagging and complaints, Britain knows just how to use the EU for its own gain.

• Confidential German ministry document reveals objections
• Alarm at Ashton’s multiple appointment of British officials


Germany is planning to stop what it sees as a British campaign to dominate European foreign policy-making under Lady Catherine Ashton, the Guardian can disclose.


Amid growing criticism across the EU of the performance of Baroness Ashton of Upholland, the EU’s new high representative for foreign and security policy, Berlin and Paris are alarmed at the prominence of British officials in the new EU diplomatic service being formed under Ashton.

http://www.businessgaze.com/germany-...ve-eu-powers-2

Away with British corruption and self-serving cliques and another Belgian for foreign minister too!

[Beskar]

Sir Humprey Appleby was right, France is the real enemy of Britain.

[bobbin]

As usual, behind the nagging and complaints, Britain knows just how to use the EU for its own gain.

cough..cough..Common Agricultural Policy..cough..cough

Don't worry about UKIP they are about as unpopular is the UK as they are in Europe. A bunch if "little englander" idiots in my opinion.

[Philippus Flavius Homovallumus]

The Brits are taking over!

In stark contrast to Van Rompuy's understated and professional performance, Baroness Ashton's performance thus far has been weak. That's what you get for an inexperienced personal trustee of Brown as foreign minister.

The one thing she has accomplished, is to appoint Britons and personal trustees to all key foreign positions.

As usual, behind the nagging and complaints, Britain knows just how to use the EU for its own gain.
Away with British corruption and self-serving cliques and another Belgian for foreign minister too!

End the CAP, then we can talk.

I mean END, by the way, not reduce; we already gave up the rebate.

[Louis VI the Fat]

The CAP is the means by which Britain - damp and bleak - is granted a share in the glory of France and the divine fruits of her blessed lands, and call it a bit theirs.



I thought you'd all be a bit more grateful.

[Beskar]

I think we should have a Common Agricultural Policy, as in a actual policy, but I don't believe we should have a "Compulsory Charity for Lazy French Farmers"

[bobbin]

End the CAP, then we can talk.

I mean END, by the way, not reduce; we already gave up the rebate.

No we didn't, it got reduced by 20% but it's still there.

[Louis VI the Fat]

I think we should have a Common Agricultural Policy, as in a actual policy, but I don't believe we should have a "Compulsory Charity for Lazy French Farmers"

French farmers are not lazy. The soil is simply that fertile that one sows in March, then sits in the sun reading philosophy and poetry all throughout a glorious sun-filled summer and then reaps a bountiful harvest over two days in September.

The Briton by contrast has to slave like an ox all year round only to still reap a the most meagre of harvests.

That's why its better to invest in French agriculture - better return on investment, plus it leaves even the French peasant so cultured that French arts and literature flourish as much as the land itself, allowing a double harvest of agricultural and intellectual culture so rich that the whole of Europe can bask in its glory.

[bobbin]

[Seamus Fermanagh]

French farmers are not lazy. The soil is simply that fertile that one sows in March, then sits in the sun reading philosophy and poetry all throughout a glorious sun-filled summer and then one reaps a bountiful harvest over two days in September.

The Briton by contrast has to slave like an ox all year round only to still reap a the meagerest of harvests.

That's why its better to invest in French agriculture - better return on investment, plus it leaves even the French peasant so cultured that French arts and literature flourish as much as the land itself, allowing a double harvest of agriculture and intellectual culture so rich that the whole of Europe can bask in its glory.

Clearly the French are skilled with fertilizer......

[Aemilius Paulus]

Clearly the French are skilled with fertilizer......

Not as much as the Chinese

[Fragony]

Follow-up https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPqH...ayer_embedded#

Yes freedom of speech is expensive indeed. And common the guy has a point, who the hell is that guy, how did he get there. I am glad there are people like Farrage representing those of us who have doubts about an undemocratic European police-state and the euro-mediteranian partnership.

[Evil_Maniac From Mars]

It was horrible that Nigel Farage said such things. Especially because he was right.

[Tristuskhan]

I think we should have a Common Agricultural Policy, as in a actual policy, but I don't believe we should have a "Compulsory Charity for Lazy French Farmers"

Oh no, not from you, Beskar... not you please. Have a look at the reality: 80% of CAP subsidies to french agriculture goes to the 20% biggest farmers. Old school french farming tries to survive by itself and owes nothing to you.

[Boohugh]

Oh no, not from you, Beskar... not you please. Have a look at the reality: 80% of CAP subsidies to french agriculture goes to the 20% biggest farmers. Old school french farming tries to survive by itself and owes nothing to you.

So what you're saying is most of the money goes to the farmers who should be most commercially viable. Remind me of the logic of why France supports CAP for the good of the small farmers again? If anything, this is just further evidence the system is broken and needs a total overhaul...something the UK has been pushing for a long time now.

[Beskar]

Oh no, not from you, Beskar... not you please. Have a look at the reality: 80% of CAP subsidies to french agriculture goes to the 20% biggest farmers. Old school french farming tries to survive by itself and owes nothing to you.

Thanks to helping me with my point, French-Beskar, as Boohugh pointed out.

[Tristuskhan]

So what you're saying is most of the money goes to the farmers who should be most commercially viable. Remind me of the logic of why France supports CAP for the good of the small farmers again?

"Small farmers" supported by the current french government? If I remember well the most important benefactors are Doux http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Groupe_Doux and His Excellency Albert II of Monte Carlo http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_Grimaldi. Spit on them as much as you like.

If anything, this is just further evidence the system is broken and needs a total overhaul...something the UK has been pushing for a long time now.

Lessons of agriculture coming from the United Kingdom? Like acknowleging cows shoud obviously be fed with sheep? I'm the first one to admit CAP must be dramatically overhauled, but aiming at the wrong target is definitely useless and insulting.

[Kralizec]

I think we should have a Common Agricultural Policy, as in a actual policy, but I don't believe we should have a "Compulsory Charity for Lazy French Farmers"

I agree...there should be a common agricultural policy, just not this one. Most states would have funded their own farmers in some degree anyway, might as well ensure some uniformity to combat unfair competition.

My approach would be to completely phase out the subsidies over a period of 10 years or so, and simultaniously raise tarriffs for agricultural products from countries wich still subsidize their own farmers like the USA.

[Boohugh]

"Small farmers" supported by the current french government? If I remember well the most important benefactors are Doux http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Groupe_Doux and His Excellency Albert II of Monte Carlo http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_Grimaldi. Spit on them as much as you like.

I'm not saying that the CAP money does go to the small farmers, as you have pointed out it clearly doesn't. I'm just highlighting the clear discrepancy between what many French governments have said to defend CAP (that it is vital to protect the small farmers to preserve a certain way of life that is culturally important to the French) and the reality (it lines the pockets of the large commercial farmers). Even if we agree that CAP should be used to help the small farmers in France (which is debatable in itself), the current system clearly fails in that task and so should be reformed. Yet it is successive French governments who have blocked reform of CAP, why? As the system doesn't achieve what they publically say it should (protect the small farmers), there must be a private reason they don't want it to change, and so what is that reason? It is simply that if we reform CAP the French will get less money overall, as the large commercial farms which currently get most of the money wouldn't anymore, which is political suicide due to the strength of the farming lobby in France. I'm not blaming the small French farmers for this, but I am blaming every French government that has defended CAP, despite them knowing the system doesn't work, for purely selfish reasons that don't even lie in the best interests of France as a whole.

Lessons of agriculture coming from the United Kingdom? Like acknowleging cows shoud obviously be fed with sheep?

You're absolutely right, perhaps we should be doing it the French way and feed them sewage instead .

[gaelic cowboy]

It has been my belief that CAP is used to encourage prices to decrease over time large beef processors then get there raw materials cheaply but pass it on at a far larger profit the CAP then makes up the difference which prevents riots in the streets and large scale abandonment of agriculture.

If CAP disappeared totally there will be less farm in Europe fact however there is no law says food comes down in price as the large multiples will just import cheap food but charge high prices to the consumer compared the production cost involved to the farmer.

CAP is as much a sop to AIBP, KEPAK etc to continue providing jobs to large numbers of people processing European beef as it is to farmers.

Will CAP go in the short term no however in the longer term yes it will go but governments might want to have a better policy than trying to cut budgets or there national agri-champions will seep away without notice.

[Subotan]

I'm just highlighting the clear discrepancy between what many French governments have said to defend CAP (that it is vital to protect the small farmers to preserve a certain way of life that is culturally important to the French)

Whenever anyone mentions that particular way of life, I am always reminded of when Bart Simpson goes on an exchange program to the French vineyard...

[gaelic cowboy]

My Childreeenn neeeed whine

[Louis VI the Fat]

I DONT CARE WHAT TRISTUS SAYS YOU ALL NEED TO STOP WHINING AND COUGH IT UP ALREADY MORE MORE MORE