Angie's back. Told the Greeks she loved them; blah, blah, blah. Told the Greeks they had to implement their austerity package quicker; blah, blah, blah. Official Greeks told her they loved her too and would try to do what she wanted; blah, blah, blah. Out in the streets, unofficial Greeks told Angie to get...oh well, nothing is gained by this. Angie left.
Meanwhile in Luxembourg, all the foreign ministers sat down to break bread and actually announced something interesting. It seems 11 of the countries announced their intentions to install a financial transaction tax by next year as soon as there is full agreement and the protocols get signed. All of the UK lept for joy as did the remaining 16 as visions of off-shore havens danced in their heads. Despite pretty much consensus that this isn't the greatest of ideas, the idea implanted in the mind of a politician of another way to detach a citizen's money from it's ownership and ship the same to the state is irresistible. Led by the French, this has always been the club to be used to get the Brits to toe the line and whilst unsuccessful in the past they continue to battle with the same weapons on the same battle field.
It strikes me that the French should spend a bit more time listening to the sounds about them instead of themselves. In case they missed it here's a clue: Euroland is not in the best of shape as of this moment. In a few months Greece will be gone showing the unthinkable can happen. Portugal may be next and whilst these are not real countries in the context of this discussion, the UK is and sentiment against a closer union within the UK is more negative that ever. Indeed, in comments just in the past few days, David Cameron hinted very openly about HIS Euroland and the other. The visions do not merge. Then again, the French were never very good listeners, sort of like Americans in one sense. In their case, I think it may be a language thing, n'est pas?
Over here, it's the election, only the election. I'm dead.
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