Crosswords142 mins ago
Our Friends
Whenever Boris appears on TV to talk about Brexit he always refers to the EU as 'our friends'.
When will he realise that the French and Germans have never been , or ever likely to be 'our friends'.
The latest evidence of this the French President making political gain over the latest Covid set back.
Throughout the EU's dealing with Brexit negotiations they have been out to screw the UK for everything they can. Friends do not do that.
Boris, stop calling them our friends, because friends they are not.
When will he realise that the French and Germans have never been , or ever likely to be 'our friends'.
The latest evidence of this the French President making political gain over the latest Covid set back.
Throughout the EU's dealing with Brexit negotiations they have been out to screw the UK for everything they can. Friends do not do that.
Boris, stop calling them our friends, because friends they are not.
Answers
//To much of Europe and the world Brexit - if we want to mention that - looked like us starting an argument in an empty room,..// That's for two reasons. Ikky: Most Europeans have a different psyche to us and they cannot understand why anybody would not want to participate in the wonderful "European Project." They don't understand that the majority of the...
14:20 Wed 23rd Dec 2020
It wasn’t just France.
It was 40 other countries
To much of Europe and the world Brexit - if we want to mention that - looked like us starting an argument in an empty room, or systematically taking a sledgehammer to a device that wasn’t malfunctioning, and the image the PM portrays abroad doesn’t help.
It might be inaccurate and unfair but possibly understandable from where they see it
It was 40 other countries
To much of Europe and the world Brexit - if we want to mention that - looked like us starting an argument in an empty room, or systematically taking a sledgehammer to a device that wasn’t malfunctioning, and the image the PM portrays abroad doesn’t help.
It might be inaccurate and unfair but possibly understandable from where they see it
//To much of Europe and the world Brexit - if we want to mention that - looked like us starting an argument in an empty room,..//
That's for two reasons. Ikky:
Most Europeans have a different psyche to us and they cannot understand why anybody would not want to participate in the wonderful "European Project." They don't understand that the majority of the people in the UK are not, never have been and never will be "European." Most Europeans see "regulation" as the State's permission to allow certain activities to be undertaken. If it's not regulated they assume it is illegal. Our philosophy is somewhat different - everything is permitted unless it's specifically outlawed. De Gaulle knew of these fundamental differences and that is why he was so opposed to UK membership. He would have done both the UK and the EU a big favour had he succeeded in persuading the EU to permanently deny us a place in their club.
The second reason applies to non-Europeans who may take the same view of Brexit. Many of them simply do not understand what membership of the EU entails. They believe it is simply a trading bloc not a political entity to which its members are bound in ever increasing rigidity. I've spent a lot of time during the last four years over a lot of beer, gin and rum, explaining to some of the people I meet exactly why the vote went the way it did. And they were astounded to learn what membership of the EU really meant.
The French have never been our "friends." Throughout history we have either been at war with them or we have been digging them out of the mire. The recent episode with the freight crossings was typical of their attitude. The risk of a lorry driver passing on the virus is minimal to put it mildly. They are not allowed out of their cabs at depots where loading and unloading takes place and they don't, as a rule, use hotels. It was simply a vindictive action taken by M. Macron in an effort to show us what life post-Brexit would be like. Well he also showed the rest of the EU what it would be like if he chooses to play silly beggars and they did not like it one bit.
That said, there is every likelihood that the new strain is already rife across the continent anyway. It has been around for three months at least and there is no reason to believe it developed first or exclusively in the UK. The only reason it was discovered to be rife here is because the UK does more genetic testing on the virus than the rest of the world put together, so if any mutations are encountered it is odds on they will be discovered here first.
Unfortunately it gave Mr Hancock his latest opportunity to scare the UK population witless, speaking of a "mutant virus rampaging out of control across the country" which would not have been out of place on the front page of a 1950s horror comic. You can imagine a gigantic green blob with tentacles stretching from Lands End to John o'Groats, imposed over a map of the British Isles. Add to that the unsubstantiated numbers he bounded about (as if they were fact) about the new strain and it is no wonder the further restrictions on their liberties were so meekly accepted by the ever more gullible and increasingly weary public. More unfortunately than that, it also gave M. Macron and others the ideal opportunity to label the UK as irresponsible and cause as much chaos as they could. With friends like that, especially at times like these, who needs enemies?
That's for two reasons. Ikky:
Most Europeans have a different psyche to us and they cannot understand why anybody would not want to participate in the wonderful "European Project." They don't understand that the majority of the people in the UK are not, never have been and never will be "European." Most Europeans see "regulation" as the State's permission to allow certain activities to be undertaken. If it's not regulated they assume it is illegal. Our philosophy is somewhat different - everything is permitted unless it's specifically outlawed. De Gaulle knew of these fundamental differences and that is why he was so opposed to UK membership. He would have done both the UK and the EU a big favour had he succeeded in persuading the EU to permanently deny us a place in their club.
The second reason applies to non-Europeans who may take the same view of Brexit. Many of them simply do not understand what membership of the EU entails. They believe it is simply a trading bloc not a political entity to which its members are bound in ever increasing rigidity. I've spent a lot of time during the last four years over a lot of beer, gin and rum, explaining to some of the people I meet exactly why the vote went the way it did. And they were astounded to learn what membership of the EU really meant.
The French have never been our "friends." Throughout history we have either been at war with them or we have been digging them out of the mire. The recent episode with the freight crossings was typical of their attitude. The risk of a lorry driver passing on the virus is minimal to put it mildly. They are not allowed out of their cabs at depots where loading and unloading takes place and they don't, as a rule, use hotels. It was simply a vindictive action taken by M. Macron in an effort to show us what life post-Brexit would be like. Well he also showed the rest of the EU what it would be like if he chooses to play silly beggars and they did not like it one bit.
That said, there is every likelihood that the new strain is already rife across the continent anyway. It has been around for three months at least and there is no reason to believe it developed first or exclusively in the UK. The only reason it was discovered to be rife here is because the UK does more genetic testing on the virus than the rest of the world put together, so if any mutations are encountered it is odds on they will be discovered here first.
Unfortunately it gave Mr Hancock his latest opportunity to scare the UK population witless, speaking of a "mutant virus rampaging out of control across the country" which would not have been out of place on the front page of a 1950s horror comic. You can imagine a gigantic green blob with tentacles stretching from Lands End to John o'Groats, imposed over a map of the British Isles. Add to that the unsubstantiated numbers he bounded about (as if they were fact) about the new strain and it is no wonder the further restrictions on their liberties were so meekly accepted by the ever more gullible and increasingly weary public. More unfortunately than that, it also gave M. Macron and others the ideal opportunity to label the UK as irresponsible and cause as much chaos as they could. With friends like that, especially at times like these, who needs enemies?
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