In Or Out?

As anyone who's spent time arguing against the EU knows, it can be a lonely old business. Aside from the difficulties of putting across the insidious and devious nature of it, one can expect regularly the 'traditional' insults of; racist, 'little Englander' and xenophobic in response. Though apparently this doesn't apply when France, Ireland, Norway, Sweden or Denmark reject, in referenda, further EU integration.

However with the impending collapse of the Euro, everyone is now becoming a Eurosceptic as Christopher Booker points out in tomorrow's Telegraph:

No one expressed this more vividly last week than Max Hastings, in a two-page “recantation”, headed “Sorry, I was wrong”. Having always been a fervent “pro-European”, he proclaimed, he now saw the EU as “a disaster which is blighting every aspect of British life”. The euro folly, crippling regulations, uncontrolled immigration – he chucked everything in to show how the EU has become a monster threatening catastrophe “unless its terms and powers are drastically recast”. And yet (as I recall from the days when I worked for him, and he could scarcely conceal his contempt for my criticisms of the EU), Sir Max has never grasped the real nature of this mighty project or the vision behind it, which is finally colliding with reality.

Yet, as Booker points out, they all miss the point (or are too thick to understand) - they're arguing for powers to be returned rather than confronting the only realistic viable option on the table; that we need to exit. To ask the EU to be reformed or to be more democratic is a bit like asking a wheel to be less round. It completely undermines its raison d'etre:

No sentence in Hastings’s piece was more poignant than his observation that “in its early decades the Common Market was a benign institution, set up to liberalise trade”. He still cannot grasp that the Common Market was only ever intended as a first step towards the ultimate goal, the embryo of everything the EU has since become, – a vast overblown system of government reaching into almost every area of our lives, and symbolised above all by its hubristic desire for its own single currency.

The question therefore has only ever been simply one of 'in or out'. There is no halfway measure and never will be. And while MPs and those in the MSM carrying on bleating otherwise, life (and the collapse of the EU) will carry on without them.

Past Its Sell-By Date

Sometimes the utter tedium of blogging about the EU is overwhelming it makes one want to stop, especially as the same stuff comes up relentlessly. One can only admire Richard North's stamina to keep going year after year.

One such subject reared its ugly heard earlier this week, which I was alerted to by Going Fast, Getting Nowhere:

There's a whole lot of hoo-hah going on at the moment about the supposedly confusing sell-by, display-by, best before and use-by dates.

Apparently a Minister (Environment Secretary Caroline Spelman) wants to end sell-by dates on food:

"We want to end the food labelling confusion and make it clear once and for all when food is good and safe to eat," she said.

A rehash of a non-story - here's the same story from last year. In reality what we have here is another media storm in a tea cup, a day of headlines and a government that actually hasn't done anything - it cannot force companies to stop using sell-by dates. The clue in the BBC report is here:

Compliance with the new guidance is not required by law, although Defra says businesses are legally bound to label food with either a use-by or best-before date.

But don't expect the BBC to tell you how we are legally bound though, despite their report linking to the relevant document which makes it clear as early as page 4:

These guidance notes should be read in conjunction with the legislation itself (Directive 2000/13/EC)...

and page 5

This guidance does not over ride specific European Union or national provisions that require the use of a particular date mark for specific foodstuffs. For example, the date marking of eggs is controlled by the EU's Egg Marketing Standards Regulation (which require marking with a ‘best before’ date), and pre-packed fresh poultry meat is required to bear a ‘use by’ date under the terms of the EU's Regulations on marketing for poultry.

and page 6

The key piece of EU legislation for date marking of food is Directive 2000/13/EC of the European Parliament and the Council on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to the labelling, presentation and advertising of foodstuffs (“the Directive”). The Directive is implemented in Great Britain by the Food Labelling Regulations 1996

As Chilled Food Association Director Kaarin Goodburn puts it:

"Only the EU can legislate on labelling and this guidance changes nothing."

The problem it's not that people are too stupid to read food labels but that they are too stupid to realise who our real government is.

Belgium To Form A Government...

In an absolutely wonderful example of irony, as the EU and the Euro begins collapsing, I see via Your Freedom And Ours that Belgium is to form a Government after having gone 459 days without one:

The Belgian coalition are close to finalising a deal to form a government having gone 459 days without one.

Politicians made the breakthrough today and a look set to form an administration, ending a paralysis which began after a general election in June last year.

There's more ironies in that story than I care to cope with.

Another Euro Crisis, Another Meeting

European finance ministers are meeting in Poland today for a two day meeting along with US Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner to try to 'solve' the Euro collapse, something that they seem incapable of doing.

The options in reality are stark, which Merkell has not made clear to the German taxpayers, either Germany accepts full fiscal union including fiscal transfers of their money to other countries, and giving up its sovereignty all of which is unpalatable to the Germans, or there has to be an orderly breakup of the Eurozone which is equally unthinkable to other EU leaders.

Once again I'm sure that some fudged so-called solution will be thrashed out, but time is running out fast; that the world banks are coming to the rescue by pumping dollars into the market is a clear indication that something is very wrong. A 'major event' is due. Some real hard decisions have to be made. Ed Balls MP on Wednesday's BBC Newnight (circa 22 mins in) didn't even give the Euro weeks to survive in its current form.

The Euro looks set therefore to crash in chaos, and historically chaotic currency collapses lead to war, a sentiment echoed by economic advisor George Magnus on the same programme.

Maybe it's slightly overblown but the complacency of our media of the possible consequences of the eurozone problems, and collapse, is starting to feel like that sunny care-free Bank Holiday Monday on 3rd August 1914.

And Now The End Is Near...

Hurry up chaps, put the poor thing out of its misery.

Quote Of The Day

We can always rely on Silvio Berlusconi to amuse us whilst we wait for the collapse of the Eurozone:

"Angela Merkel is unfuckable lard-arse"

European harmony carrying on as normal then

Euro: Even The BBC is Stunned

I've just watched the 6:00 pm news this evening on BBC1 and eventually at 6:20 they've reported on the Euro crisis. But what was significant was the voice the BBC used to give opposition to Barroso's remarks (to 'balance' the coverage); it was not a Tory nor a Labour nor a Lib Dem spokesman but Nigel Farage's speech in the EU Parliament.

I'm genuinely speechless. The game is surely up

Deja Vu

Regular readers of TBF may recognise this Lego picture from today's Telegraph live account of the current Euro crisis (click to enlarge):


I posted that Lego diagram last Sunday. Latest news? Paid journalists vs unpaid bloggers = no contest.

The End?

I've always been reluctant to call time on the Euro, the capacity of the EU elite to do whatever is necessary to save the project should never be underestimated. However there does seem an air of acceptance of its fate and subsequently there's panic and posturing to pass the blame for its inevitable collapse.

China and the US are urging the EU leaders to sort the mess out, seemingly preparing to pass the buck to Europe for any fallout as a result of a Euro crash:

Reflecting the anger of Americans who are blaming Europe for the current economic turmoil, the President called for eurozone leaders to show global markets they are taking responsibility for the crisis.

Merkel is shifting the blame onto Greece for failing to get its house in order and EU Commission Barroso has waded into the mix:

European Commission (EC) President José Manuel Barroso left the door open for eurobonds on Wednesday, as he delivered a stark assessment of the eurozone described as “the most serious challenge of a generation”.

Barroso must know that, despite approving the current bail-out of Greece, the German Constitutional Court has specifically outlawed, in its recent judgement, eurobonds in the future as highlighted here:

While the German constitutional court may have approved bailouts last week, anyone who says this was good news for the eurozone did not read the fine print in that 29-page document.

That's the opinion of Wolfgang Munchau, a longtime FT editor who writes a weekly column on the affairs of the European Union.

In an editorial published yesterday, he points out that the constitutional court virtually ruled out permanent mechanisms like the European Stability Mechanism (the would-be successor to the EFSF) and the economic authority necessary to back up eurobonds because they would impinge upon the sovereignty of the German state. An expansion of the EFSF is only legal because it is temporary.

Panic and preparation for the blame game appears to be in full swing The end is clearly on the cards - it's all over, please get on with it.

Selling Me Stuff

Here at TBF Towers we're in need of new fascia boards and guttering around our house, which means running the gauntlet of salesman, builders and quotes. I tend to follow three common sense rules of thumb; get more than one quote, go on recommendations (in this case from neighbours) and, probably most importantly, try to get a firm / builder who resides locally (houses burn). These principles have held TBF in relatively good stead over the years.

I have a fair idea of price and what I'd like, so the last thing I need or want is the 'classic salesman spiel'. In truth it's relatively easy to sell to the Boiling Frog - be polite, reasonably friendly, straightforward about your product, give a no-nonsense quote and above all be honest (Hard as it is for salesman to adhere to the last quality, it does actually work).

Unfortunately my first quote last night was of the classic spiel variety - he ticked off every trick in the book. Only he was much worse. So here's how not to sell to TBF as demonstrated so vividly last night:

1. Turn up 15 minutes late - that really isn't a good sign.
   
   
2. Walk into my house without taking your shoes off or even asking. A small detail but it's rude and it's amazing how many people do this. I have clean carpets and I'd like them to stay that way thanks.
   
   
3. Before asking what the requirements are (for example round or square drainpipes?) start by asking about our budget - that's none of your business. Clearly, as we're considering such a project, we have worked out for ourselves already if we have enough money.
   
   
4. Use my non-committal on the previous point to start talking about the 'benefits' of a so-called Lifestyle Account. Oh here we go, he's trying to sell me finance, I bet we're going to go into the 'finance is cheaper than cash' territory. And sure enough he does. This is of course bollocks. Finance, credit or however you dress it up is not cheaper than cash up front - either he's lying or it's a con.
   
   (At this point I should stress that only reason this chap was still in my house was because he had a large ego and so was more than happy to show off regarding his knowledge on fascia board matters. Now, as I'm not an expert, I used the time to prime him on technical issues which will come in useful during subsequent quotes.)
   
   
5. When quizzed on how finance is cheaper than cash, do not go into a patronising made-up speech about how it is possible because of the credit crunch and bank problems which means they are desperate to lend to you....blah blah blah.
   
   
6. Ignore Mrs TBF after she asks a question by looking at me when you answer. This is a really common one - car salesmen are notoriously bad at this. When Mrs TBF asks about 0-60 time, bhp, top speed questions about a car she's buying, it is her that wants to know not me. Try talking to her then.
   
   
7. Try to get us to watch a 10 minute dvd on your company's happy customers doing cartwheels because your products have transformed their lives. If I want to see a pointless promotional video or Power-point slide show, I'll go to work, thanks.
   
   
8. Make gay or 'pikey' jokes; it isn't very professional.
   
   
9. Push forward lots of bewildering promotional offers that end in the word 'subsidy'. Naturally they are only available if we sign up today. I remind him, as I have already on numerous times, that we won't be making a decision straight away. I have never done that and never will, and if he thinks I'm going to make a decision without chatting extensively to Mrs TBF first then he's an idiot.
   
   
10. Start talking about the EU to me in a condescending manner as you fill out the quote form, because EU rules meant all your company's documentation had to be reprinted. Now, I don't expect him to know that I write a blog on such matters, but surely the rather large conference bag on my floor, with a UKIP logo emblazoned across it, might be a bit of a clue. Apparently not.
    
    
11. When finishing the quote (without the promotional offers) ask how much do we think it is. Another 'trick', I'm not falling for it and my answer is always the same in such circumstances - "too much". After he realises he won't get the answer he wants he shows the quote - £11,684. Now I'm expecting to pay around the £2,500 - £3000 mark based on talking to my neighbours who live in similar houses so it is ...erm...a little excessive. I ask how much the promotional offers would reduce that by and I only get an answer of 'substantially'. Given that I'm prepared to spend a few thousand it's not unreasonable to expect a more specific answer. but no, none is forthcoming. Still, I thank him for the quote knowing what is coming next, and lo and behold...
    
    
12. Then phone your manager who you claim is very busy and that you're lucky to be able to get hold of him. After a few monosyllabic exchanges then claim that just for us you've managed to reduce the quote to just under £4,500 if we sign today. Do salesman still do this stuff? Apparently so. Again I remind him, as I have umpteen times, we won't make a decision instantly.
    
    
13. Be obviously pissed off because you haven't made a sale and make it clear you can't wait to leave our house immediately. Only not as quickly as you would like because you've got to put your shoes back on which I made you take off at the beginning.
    

Needless to say Zenith Staybrite won't be getting my business.