Thank you Ireland

flattythehurdler

True enough. And those nasty Italians tried to deny Rochey an epoc, sorry epic victory in the Giro.

jpembroke

LangerDan wrote:

not to mention that this whole European exercise was partly to protect France against the chance that Germany might go walkabout again.

I'm fairly certain Germany invaded or attempted to invade a few more places than France. And if it prevents that level of carnage ever happening again then it can't be such a bad thing, can it?

OffTheBackAdam

I'd say that being members of NATO and the fact that every time Germany takes on The British Empire, they get a kicking, has stopped their desire to seek a bit of Leibensraum!

bigjim

EU membership does not financially benefit the UK or Germany. I have recently finished a job where I was responsible for drawing funding from the EU to support UK business. The reason my job ended was because funding has now been directed to the new eastern european nations. Since we joined we have always paid more into the EU pot than we were allowed to take out. The last figures I can remember were for each member of populattion [approximately] we put £110 in and withdrew £96. Germany £112 in and £86 out. france, Spain Portugal, Greece etc put a lot less in and took a lot more out. Most companies I worked with bought a lot of machinery from the E.U as UK manufacturing cannot supply and their biggest better paying clients were usually USA. Our airports, water companies, aerospace are controlled by Spanish & French companies which means we are paying ever more into the EU.

Jim

jpembroke

OffTheBackAdam wrote:

I'd say that being members of NATO and the fact that every time Germany takes on The British Empire, they get a kicking, has stopped their desire to seek a bit of Leibensraum!

We Brits hate to admit it but we'd have got a kicking if it wasn't for the Americans showing up when they did.