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Are you for or against the EU constitution?

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melbourne

The EU is just trying to leech off of the UK. We have the best economy and they want us to join the euro so they can benefit from us and they want us to join the constitution so that they can all come here....

Are your 4?

Reply 41

yawn

Howard

No. It's origins were as a steel and coal trading agreement between France & Germany.

I knew I had read somewhere that the origins of the EU were fundamentally to prevent further conflict after WWII

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/3583801.stm

Reply 42

melbourne

Howard

Are you sure about that? Are farmers from Rwanda so efficient these days that we need to subsidize our own producers because they couldn't possibly compete? I rather think not.

Its not about efficiency, if you did economics you would know a little more about this. The crops sold by africans would be far cheaper than those sold by UK farmers. Therefore if the CAP was lifted the UK farmers would not be able to see their more expensive crops and would go bust......!!!

Reply 43

Howard

melbourne

I did do economics at Silsoe College which forms the agricultural and rural development department of Cranfield. So no lecture from you is required. A 3000 acre farm in Hertfordshire harvested by a Massey Ferguson produces more, cheaper and better quality grain than one man with a plough working a 5 acre smallholding in Ethiopia.

The CAP is a mechanism by which European prices are guaranteed free from market influence. Left to it's own devises the efficiency of European farmers would ensure that so much is produced that values would fall to untenable levels. The CAP steps in to subsidize farmers to produce less, hence farmers are paid to keep land fallow and/or plough in excess produce.

I don't think African faming is much of a threat to European agriculture.

Reply 44

giordano

Howard

It's meaningless to speak in general terms: for certain productions (milk, butter) the Australians/New Zealanders would step in; for other (cereals) Canada, the US; for soya, Brasil and Thailand; for bovine meat, Argentina and Brasil. It's true that developing countries would be able to export, mostly, only tropical products.

However, completely removing CAP subsidies would mean that only a few productions in Europe would be competitive: cereals (in East Anglia and Ile-de-France) plus the high value-added productions (in particular high quality wine).

Reply 45

Chrism

melbourne

If we didnt have the CAP, and we went to war we wouldn't have any food- very clever!!!!! The whole purpose of the CAP is to protect our farmers from african/asian farmers!

While starving to death thousands of people in Africa... :rolleyes:

Reply 46

melbourne

Chrism

While starving to death thousands of people in Africa... :rolleyes:

Exactly, why do you think the countries of the tsunami said we would be helping them more by lifting trade tariffs than by giving them all of the donations sent....

Reply 47

SamTheMan

melbourne

There are no British farmers. OK, that's a complete exaggeration but compared to other countries, the UK has a small percentage of its workers working in the agricultural sector. The CAP (which uses almost half of the European budget) is defended by countries with an important agricultural industry, such as France. The UK would like to see the CAP more or less wiped out and see the money go else where.

The whole EU budget is a joke and proves how national interest always comes before the interests of the union. All the talk about a united federation, a united voice, a united identity is just stupid propaganda.
Spain receives most of the EU's budget, despite the fact that it's richer than most new members, Portugal and Greece. There's something wrong there...

Reply 48

mcidiot

I'm against, anyone want a United Nation Of Eur-merica? Run by a beurocrat in Brussels or wherever it'll be?

Reply 49

little.rebel.L

well I will be voting No so i can see mr Blair step down as priminister. If we can't make him feel even a itch of remorse for all the vile lies hes told the country in his term, id personaly like to see his referendum turn around and knee him in the grion.

I generaly see anything ourside of a very general trade agreement with europe as a waste of time, and our money. and the last thing id want to see is under hand countrys like france and germany dicating our forign policy. we did the right thing going into iraq, they simpy wanted to protect thier vested interests in sudams goverment.

CAP is flawed, and they can't affored to offer it to the new countrys in europe such as poland as it would esentialy bankrupt everyone else.

Europe will never be in a position to counter americas influence, its plain stupidity. look to countrys with real man power like China if you want a counter.

Reply 50

NDGAARONDI

technik

whats the big deal with forming "oppositions" to "hurt" bush.

I don't see why the mentioning of Bush in particular but I'm sure some counterbalance to the USA's strength could be used for good reasons. I'm sure there were some in the days of USSR v USA.