Brexit dominated the first 45 minutes and as expected neither man had any answers. But then a lack of realism has been the default position of both Boris and Hunt throughout and they weren’t about to change now. Brexit was something that would happen providing you believed in it enough. What had been missing was someone who would look the EU in the eyes and tell them we were mad and self-destructive enough to trash the entire country to get things done. Of course there would be casualties along the way, but true patriotic Brits should be prepared to lay down their lives so that everyone who survived could be made poorer.
On and on the nonsense went. Both men unilaterally ditched the Northern Ireland backstop and put their faith in alternative border technologies that did not yet exist. Boris even promised to take back control by increasing immigration. Not exactly what many Brexiters had voted for, but trust in politics is now so low that no one really cares what anyone says. Coherence is a state to which no one now even aspires. Lying is now truth.
Johnson was just as confused on a trade deal with the US. This time he had at least read clause 5(c) of Gatt 24 but he still hadn’t bothered to mug up on clause 5(d). Details, details. Asked to condemn President Trump’s tweets about four Democrat congresswomen, Hunt said that his three children were half-Chinese. Boris avoided talking about his children. Mainly because he can’t always remember how many he has. Or what their nationalities might be. Both men couldn’t bring themselves to say what they thought was racist about the racist tweet. That’s the strong type of leadership that’s on offer. Britain standing up to the US by lying down.
Tuesday, July 16, 2019
Britain in safe hands
A harsh, but somewhat amusing, take on a TV debate between Johnson and Hunt:
"Brexit dominated the first 45 minutes and as expected neither man had any answers." Ridiculous. What answers are needed. They had a referendum and we know the result. Its the best result they could have asked for. So currently there is an usurpation of power going on. They are supposed to be free of the economic union and they are not. This is an outrage. There are no answers to be had.
ReplyDeletewhat GMB said
ReplyDeleteAt some point they have to bite the bullet and walk away. I don't know what is stopping them but I think there is some furious behind the scenes lobbying and demands that is forcing the politicians to put forward stupid exit strategies. There is more going on here than we are being informed about. Otherwise they could just walk away.
ReplyDeleteWe know what is stopping them. A treasonous bunch of spivs, oligarchs and sundry parasites who you beat in an arm-wrestle and the mofo's say "Best out of three?"
ReplyDeleteNow the Isles can have GREATER free trade. They can nourish all the new migrants with cheap New Zealand lamb. They can use a free trade stance with sole traders. Sole traders from every disadvantaged country in the entire world, except for those associated with major powers. Its just a closer step towards a sole trader paradise which can lead to a workers paradise.
But why are we even talking about the potential of good or bad both ways or one way or the other? The decision was made. All these assholes are just stalling. So they are like petrified and constipated middle management when the decision has already been made and so they are recalcitrant.
The decision has already been made and somehow some of these quislings won't take "no" for an answer.
We know what is stopping them. A treasonous bunch of spivs, oligarchs and sundry parasites who you beat in an arm-wrestle and the mofo's say "Best out of three?"
ReplyDeleteThat's what I'm getting at GMB, all the behind closed doors manipulations that serve the interests of the few and stuff democracy. The only hope for the Brexit you and Jason wish for is if Boris Johnson pulls the plug in anger but he still has get to the support of the House and so many politicians are beholden to differing interests even that may not work.
On the other hand the EU could just tell them to shove off but I think the EU is enjoying the torture and will no doubt spend many years in one form or the other punishing Britain for Brexit.
If only Malcolm Tucker were a real character but I suspect even Dr. Who can't solve this mess.
Another issue is that recently I saw an interview where it was claimed Deutsche Bank is in big trouble, if it goes Germany goes, then the EU goes. So Brexit might actually be more important than many now think. Jason do you know anything about the state of the Deutsche Bank?
John, I didn't follow the Brexit issue before the referendum, as I assumed it would fail.
ReplyDeleteThe fate of the process since makes it clear that it is not a simple thing to achieve, for the obvious reason that it would have happened by now if it was.
Reading on the matter since the referendum, it is clear how it was was always going to be complicated and hard, with various versions of what Brexit means, and it was basically populist, dishonest campaigning of the Brexiteers to suggest otherwise (and to exaggerate the benefits). It was more like a fraud on democracy, rather than a proper exercise of it.
I thought this article in The Conversation last year was good.
https://theconversation.com/this-is-why-brexit-is-so-hard-and-why-theres-really-only-one-option-left-for-theresa-may-104076
Its no problem at all. You just pull out. Go home. And let all the international businesses find out how to handle business the next day. Its not complicated. The referendum was had and there are lunatics who won't accept the verdict.
ReplyDeleteIts no problem at all. You just pull out. Go home. And let all the international businesses find out how to handle business the next day. Its not complicated. The referendum was had and there are lunatics who won't accept the verdict.
ReplyDeleteIt's not that simple. Thousands of contracts and agreements to be rewritten, new trade agreements to be made. Mountains of new legislation. All that should be happening now but the stalling tactics and back room pressure being placed on politicians is because the costs of all this is going to be substantial so they are hoping to exhaust the government's patience and prevent Brexit.
Yes Steve the public were never made aware of the complexities. I know people in business who me informed of these matters. But the truth is the horse has bolted and Brexit must now happen. It's going to hurt and the only thing saving the conservatives from losing government over this is Corbyn.
You are talking about what needs to happen starting from two days away. The next day the businesses are trying to get their goods to their customers, will there be more forms to fill in? Let them find out. The trade deals don't need to be written before any pullout. And when they are written they will probably be in a retaliatory fashion against anyone who might use it as an opportunity to punish Britain and their own consumers. Meanwhile the British get to have cheaper imports from anywhere else as soon as they choose to avail themselves of these advantages. The most important thing is to cut off all the money going to the parasites and bring your staff home.
ReplyDeleteSee its not like pulling out of a war. They should be pulling out of more wars earlier one supposes. But when you pull out of a war you've got to worry about the fate of your soldiers as you are pulling out and your allies. Are your allies well-armed to avoid being slaughtered when you pull out? But there is no such problems in this Brexit business. The people have spoken so its time to come home.
ReplyDeleteThe trade deals don't need to be written before any pullout.
ReplyDeleteThe trade deals and commercial contracts are written on top of the EU substrate. With that gone much needs to be done. It will take years because there are millions of commercial contracts.
GMB I agree that Brexit must happen but where we differ is you think there is no cost involved. It is those costs that I think are causing all the delays and backroom discussions with various commercial and industrial organisations. They don't want Brexit because it will many of those organisations a lot of money.
If it was easy it would already be done because the government is being destroyed over the issue. The government is in a no win situation because the potential economic impacts are large but they have a mandate for Brexit.
Yes but AFTER the pullout. No you are just being a sucker for the parasites and usurpers. You are assuming a disaster being perpetrated against a country that has one of the best nuclear armed submarine systems in the world. "If it was easy it would have been done" That theory is WRONG. Because it is easy and it hasn't been done. So you are self-evidently wrong. The reason it hasn't been done is because a parasitical oligarchy wants everything centralised. They won't human autonomy. They want to treat the rest of us like farm animals. Look at even the goose-stepping left? They didn't like the outcome of the referendum. Neither did most of the old school-boy tories. They want the extra jobs for the boys in Brussels.
ReplyDeleteYou pull out. Then other countries, or Brussels can choose to start a tariff war or they can choose not too. Leave it up to them.
Yes but AFTER the pullout. No you are just being a sucker for the parasites and usurpers.
ReplyDeleteYou too often fall prey to the availability heuristic. It's lazy and I don't like wasting my time with lazy thinkers.
No you are just not being reasonable. You have the pullout. The small businessman who work internationally, and the big guys, they all find out the next day if there are more papers to fill in, and more tariffs to pay. There won't be at first. Then if anyone starts using this as an excuse to block British goods, Britain has two main ways to retaliate. They can flood their country with Australian, Brazilian and New Zealand meat for example. They can flood Britain with low-tariff Japanese vehicles. So there isn't the incentive for hasty exploitation of the British. But their is quite the capacity for a lot more trade to open up.
ReplyDeleteMy view is that you use financial measures to guarantee a trade surplus, then you open up your economy to any sole trader from any country that cannot threaten you .... I mean just for starters. Cattlemen from Botswana ought to be able to send cheap meat to England within weeks as they are getting their financial act together. Once you have your finances right the idea is to scour the world asking people to SELL TO YOU. If your finances are good, then the sellers will soon be taking UK goods back with the same containers. The American containers often go back empty because their financial system is completely botched and out of control. The Japanese containers go back full, since their country is an exporter of loanable funds and their small business manufacturers are tooled up to the gills.
The potential for international wealth creation is much better pulling out then staying in. The earlier their small international businesses can adapt to the new reality the better. Like I said, you are just being a sucker for the fork-tongued shenanigans of the bigshots.