When a country borrows money , who do they borrow the money off, where did that money come from & how come the lender has got so much to lend out ???

Is there some troll sitting in a cave somewhere , with great piles of folded notes & an annexe full of gold bars . Or is money a bit like religion , it only exsists in peoples minds.

I think Germany is the EU version of a pay day loan company :D.
Its more likely the money does not exist other than on paper and so called reserves of gold.

One might say the same about London and the south-east and deprived areas of the north-east, rural Wales etc.

The only reason we seem to think of this as a different situation is that we’re used to it.

I agree and it always weighs out in turns of people migration too, for years people have moved from other part of the UK to London and the South East where chances of work etc were more.
The trouble with the EU is Its the scale that totally different, countries lied to join this “Gentleman’s club” and the whole thing expanded too fast and too far and without strict controls. The strong prop up the weak until the strong can no long afford to and we all know the failing countries can not be pulled out of the mire they are in.

The EU as a trading idea is good even having a single currency as a trading tool is not too bad, but tying your economies, regulations and laws together and giving up too much country/state independence is a bad idea. For any country backing out of the EU is going to be hard as so much has been given to it now getting out will cost but staying until it fails will cost.

Ultimately no union or empire lasts forever as history proves and the worst possible outcome of the EU failing is a Soviet union style break up. The effects on the people of each separate country at that time where huge money lost all value(or just disappeared from your account ) food was scare leading to huge queues at shops. Electricity and gas supplies were limited and civil disturbances occurred(although often stamped out by force). I fear the EU failing will not only lead to riots but to full scale civil war in some countries.
Former Soviet union countries are still suffering from the end of Soviet times even 22 years later, so really the warning from history is when this ends it will not end good.

I wonder if all, or most of the X Pats will now be thinking of coming home?.
Plus all our other E.U. Friends who will no doubt think the “Bank of G.B.” is even a more softer touch than previously, prior to this all blowing up.
Stand by for incoming.:eek: and LOTS of them to boot.
Jim.
Lincoln .7

I agree and lets be honest we not at all stable either.
Its a slippery slope for sure and really a lot of people are going to be caught in this cr@p storm.

They are wonderful shots mate.

The Cyprus situation feels like the beginning of the next stage of the Euro/EU ship sinking ship.
The EU has survived from crisis to crisis by temporary fixes to problems that need radical solutions. The fact is the mess the whole economy of the world is in and Europe in particular is unlike anything anyone alive has experienced and the harsh facts is nobody can see a way round it.

Its disgusting that the Cyprus Government is taking 10% tax on savings that sets a dangerous presidence for other countries and such acts will lead to mass civil disturbances across Europe. I feel sorry for anyone being hit by that tax as it feels morally wrong to me that a government can totally change the system over night.

Always felt 2013 would be a tough year and that talks of stable economy is just talks, its sad to see hard earning people being hit by mistakes that Governments made and this feels only the beginning of the next stage and that bail out cash will run out leaving only freefalling economies and break up of the EU as we know it.
Maybe is survival of the fittest now and let the failing economies fail, either way its a bumpy road with no real end in sight.

Here is a photo of her in her more recent guise. This was taken at Shoreham airshow in 2007 where she was a bit of a regular act.

Shoreham Airshow 2007 T-6 G-TEXN by Martin D Stitchener, on Flickr

Thanks for the kind comments, I hope to soon return but to the Seaford end next time.