Shiftless Europeans vote for handouts, against personal responsibility

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

I find it hard to equate Argentina invading the Falklands, where the inhabitants want to stay a British territory, with Britain bullying the Argentinians.

The Argentinians invaded, Britain sent a task force 8,000 miles to the South Atlantic and kicked sh!t out of them and liberated the Islands and the islanders. After that debacle, the military junta lost power in Argentina, which re-found democracy. I call that assisted, yet unintended regime change.

That's really reaching, to find glory for holding onto a little group of islands 260 miles off the coast of another country, some 8,000 miles away. My, how the mighty have fallen, for an empire that used to control the seven seas, and colonized, or controlled, most of the known world at one time, to find any honor in that.

[^_^ 5,021]

That's really reaching, to find glory for holding onto a little group of islands 260 miles off the coast of another country, some 8,000 miles away. My, how the mighty have fallen, for an empire that used to control the seven seas, and colonized, or controlled, most of the known world at one time, to find any honor in that.

The British have never been easily embarrassed. Remember, these are the same people who could - with a straight face! - claim they had some kind of right to their colonial possessions in southern asia.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

455 million people in India live below subsistence poverty level.

That's more people than exist in the United States of America.

That's more than a third of their population.

That's a huge hurdle to overcome. It won't happen in our lifetime.

And even if you argue a poor country can be dominant through military strength, do you really see India doing in the next 50 years what it has failed to do in the last 50... that is, keep fringe populations and fringe states/provinces from wanting out of the Republic altogether? When India figures out how to shut out the Chinese and kill every Maoist rebel in the jungles and figures out how to go toe to toe against an American-sponsored terror regime based out of Islamabad and solidifies its hold over Indian-held Kashmir.... then maybe it can think about being dominant.

For now, India is a poor country destined to remain so for a very long time due to the sheer magnitude of the problem. And its surrounded by powerful countries and their proxies on all sides and is unwilling/unable to effectively deal with them.

Perhaps they will take a lesson from the Chinese, and implement severe population controls. India will overtake China in population shortly (around 2030).

By force of numbers alone, they could easily overwhelm all their neighbors in about 20 years.

[^_^ 5,021]

Perhaps they will take a lesson from the Chinese, and implement severe population controls. India will overtake China in population shortly (around 2030).

By force of numbers alone, they could easily overwhelm all their neighbors in about 20 years.

Haha, Indians will never stand for that kind of #######. Never happen. Parliament will be blown up and the entire Gandhi family slaughtered if that happens. India is always a blink of an eye away from going boom.

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

455 million people in India live below subsistence poverty level.

That's more people than exist in the United States of America.

That's more than a third of their population.

That's a huge hurdle to overcome. It won't happen in our lifetime.

And even if you argue a poor country can be dominant through military strength, do you really see India doing in the next 50 years what it has failed to do in the last 50... that is, keep fringe populations and fringe states/provinces from wanting out of the Republic altogether? When India figures out how to shut out the Chinese and kill every Maoist rebel in the jungles and figures out how to go toe to toe against an American-sponsored terror regime based out of Islamabad and solidifies its hold over Indian-held Kashmir.... then maybe it can think about being dominant.

For now, India is a poor country destined to remain so for a very long time due to the sheer magnitude of the problem. And its surrounded by powerful countries and their proxies on all sides and is unwilling/unable to effectively deal with them.

I'm sure none of it has anything to do with the 5th century culture that exist in India.

[Karee 4,189]

The British have never been easily embarrassed. Remember, these are the same people who could - with a straight face! - claim they had some kind of right to their colonial possessions in southern asia.

Don't you mean South America?

[Pooky 3,347]

Don't you mean South America?

No, he means Southern Asia.

The thing with most of Britain's ex-colonies is that with few exceptions, we left them in a state where they were stable enough to govern themselves and most of them still talk to us. Occasionally, they're even polite when they do so.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

Don't you mean South America?

Think India. Hell, think China during the Opium Wars.

[Usui Takumi 1,562]

That's really reaching, to find glory for holding onto a little group of islands 260 miles off the coast of another country, some 8,000 miles away. My, how the mighty have fallen, for an empire that used to control the seven seas, and colonized, or controlled, most of the known world at one time, to find any honor in that.

Its not so much about glory as protecting the interests of the people who live there. Self determination.

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

http://news.yahoo.com/french-election-result-means-us-world-214153254--finance.html

What French election result means for US, world

By The Associated Press | Associated Press – 8 hrs ago

French voters chose Socialist Francois Hollande as their new president Sunday in a race that will have implications for Europe's debt crisis, the Afghanistan war and global diplomacy.

Hollande, largely unknown outside French borders, beat out conservative President Nicolas Sarkozy, who faced widespread anger and disappointment over his handling of the economy.

A few reasons why the outcome matters in France and beyond:

EUROPEAN DEBT CRISIS

Hollande could reshape the debate in the 17-nation eurozone. Until now, France and Germany — led by Sarkozy and Angela Merkel — have set the agenda on how best to restore troubled state finances and sluggish growth across the continent. The "Merkozy" solution: More cost-cutting to bring down debts and reassure markets. Hollande's solution: government-sponsored stimulus to revive growth.

DIPLOMACY

Hollande is a diplomatic unknown who will set a five-year course for his nuclear-armed country with a permanent seat on the U.N. Security Council. Sarkozy is arguably the most America-friendly French leader in a half-century. He has aligned with Washington on Iran and Syria, upped France's military presence in Afghanistan and took a major role in NATO's air campaign over Libya that helped oust dictator Moammar Gadhafi.

Hollande wants to bring French troops home from Afghanistan early and might be less vigorous in flexing military or diplomatic muscle abroad.

TAXES

Hollande wants the very rich to pay 75 percent in income taxes and plans to hike taxes on companies that distribute profits to shareholders instead of investing in their business. Sarkozy had pledged to reduce France's overall tax burden, among the highest in Europe, but promised a higher sales tax.

IMMIGRATION

Sarkozy wanted to halve the number of legal immigrants who enter France each year to 100,000 and to tighten border controls. Hollande would give residency to illegal immigrants on a case-by-case basis. The immigration debate has gotten tangled with a debate about Islamic customs in strongly secular France, home to at least 5 million Muslims.

[mawilson 2,133]

Hollande wants the very rich to pay 75 percent in income taxes and plans to hike taxes on companies that distribute profits to shareholders instead of investing in their business. Sarkozy had pledged to reduce France's overall tax burden, among the highest in Europe, but promised a higher sales tax.

Guess what the rich are going to do

Wealthy French eye move across the Channel

Wealthy French people are looking to London as a refuge from fresh taxes on high earners

ledged by candidates in the country’s presidential elections.

The “soak the rich” rhetoric that has punctuated the presidential campaign has prompted

a sharp rise in the numbers weighing a move across the Channel, according to London-based

wealth managers, lawyers and property agents specialising in French clients.

François Hollande, the Socialist candidate who leads the presidential race after the

first round of voting last week, wants to impose a tax rate of 75 per cent on income

above €1m and at the launch of his bid in January said: “My true adversary in this

battle has no name, no face, no party ... It is the world of finance.”

Inquiries from French clients had risen by roughly 40 per cent since the speech, says

David Blanc, a partner at Vestra Wealth, a London-based wealth manager.

“I have definitely seen strong interest in what could be done to protect assets both

for people resident in France but also for French nationals who are UK resident,”

said Mr Blanc, a former UBS executive.

The prospect of a Gallic diaspora of high earners was backed up by Knight Frank, the

property agent, which said numbers of French web users searching online for its prime

London properties online in the past three months had risen 19 per cent compared with

the same period last year. The equivalent figure for Europe as a whole fell 9 per cent.

“The election seems to have pushed a growing number of wealthy French to consider

their options for where they are likely to base themselves in the future,” says Liam

Bailey, head of research at Knight Frank.

London’s status as an international finance hub as well as its proximity to France

make it a natural choice for French professionals rattled by the campaign’s hostile

mood towards the wealthy. Enclaves of French expatriates are firmly established in

areas such as Belgravia and South Kensington, close to the Lycée Français Charles

de Gaulle, a popular secondary school.

The departure of France’s business people, entrepreneurs and the young for

opportunities overseas is not a new phenomenon. When Nicolas Sarkozy visited London

in 2007 he called for its French residents to return to a reformed France under his

presidency. But the trend has been accelerated by the growing possibility of a

Socialist victory in Sunday’s decisive second round of the presidential election.

Mr Blanc says some French clients were even contemplating acquiring British or other

nationality in order to safeguard assets from fears that France could move to

collect more tax from citizens overseas. “A lot of people are extremely worried,” he said.

Alexandre Terrasse, a partner in corporate and property law at Jeffrey Green Russell,

says he had seen a 25 per cent rise in activity from French clients over the past

six months, “The 75 per cent tax is clearly a sign that the politicians will hit

the wealthy and they don’t want to have to deal with that.”

Bernard Grinspan, managing partner of the Paris office of Gibson Dunn, an

international law firm, says: “Some of our clients are very seriously discussing

relocation – not only to London but also Singapore and New York. There’s a lot of

uncertainty.”

link

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

France has shot itself in the foot with this election. It's going to end up a 3rd world ####### hole in no time flat.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

455 million people in India live below subsistence poverty level.

That's more people than exist in the United States of America.

That's more than a third of their population.

That's a huge hurdle to overcome. It won't happen in our lifetime.

And even if you argue a poor country can be dominant through military strength, do you really see India doing in the next 50 years what it has failed to do in the last 50... that is, keep fringe populations and fringe states/provinces from wanting out of the Republic altogether? When India figures out how to shut out the Chinese and kill every Maoist rebel in the jungles and figures out how to go toe to toe against an American-sponsored terror regime based out of Islamabad and solidifies its hold over Indian-held Kashmir.... then maybe it can think about being dominant.

For now, India is a poor country destined to remain so for a very long time due to the sheer magnitude of the problem. And its surrounded by powerful countries and their proxies on all sides and is unwilling/unable to effectively deal with them.

But they do not overuse their share of the world resources! Yay!

[Póg mo 1,749]

Both stories from france24.com

I'm not really sure what either story has to do with Europeans voting for handouts?

[^_^ 5,021]

I'm not really sure what either story has to do with Europeans voting for handouts?

let me guess, another clueless liberal?